Local newspaper ad

[JLMet]

Removed contact info but I really have to wonder, are you paying for the hay and all of the equipment or the horse? Seriously I'm thinking of calling to see this mini and make sure it's in good shape. There's no photo which always scares me. You're paying for the stuff not the horse argh!

MINIATURE HORSE AM HR reg. dapple gray w/white mane & tail. Comes w/ 40+ bales of hay, blanket, cart, harness and many extras! A must see!! $700 OBO. Call for details.

[RNB]

My initial thought was this person bought a mini, cart, harness, blanket, etc. because they saw some minis "driving" and figured it would be fun. Probably realized after they got everything home that it was actual work and time consuming. So decided to sell everything.....including the hay.

[nightsong]

Agreed. Seller just doesn't want ANY of it any more. Probably bought it for a kid that outgrew it. And who wants hay cluttering up their yard when there's nothing to EAT it any more?

[greysandbays]

...You're paying for the stuff not the horse argh!



So??????

[JohnDeere]

You buy the stuff & get a free pony.

Sounds like a plan. Whats his name going to be?

[Kate66]

Please send photos when you have him home - sounds cute as a bug. I'm excited that you are getting a new pony with all his winter feed :-)

[JLMet]

So??????

When people sell a horse this way, it breaks my heart. They clearly don't seem to care, no mention of gender, height, age, health, nothing, they just want it gone. That's my problem with the ad.


As for everyone else, my hubby would kick me out if I brought home another horse! lol, I would be sleeping in the barn (which I may be ok with) but not ideal since winter is coming. I do plan on calling and getting more info because I know how people in this area can be and I'm concerned for the welfare of the horse. I don't have 700 to be spending but hopefully this will just be a case of the owner not being educated and not neglect. Since they are offering hay I'm hopeful the horse is being fed, I'm just concerned since they are trying to sell this mini but in a very round about way. I'll see where she is located and see if I can make a trip out tomorrow before my errands. Bring my measuring tape and hopefully see a horse who is in good condition. Maybe give them better pointers on how to advertise the mini (you know, add more information on the horse itself). If they don't have a camera I intend to bring mine, maybe posting a pic will help as well. I have nightmares of the things I've seen happen to horses when the owners don't know any better. I'll give an update when I find out more.

[Trixie]

Sell a horse what way? Through a newspaper? They suggest you call for details.

Was it just a classified? Often they have word limits, and if it's a non-horsey parent offering the mini for sale, they probably just put in what they thought was prevalent - pony. cart. hay. etc. They may just not KNOW what information is relevant to most horse purchasers.

Doesn't mean they're harming the pony or are going to let it go to a bad home. Assuming that they "don't seem to care" is really a stretch.

[equineartworks]

I'm really not seeing a big deal here? It reads like a million other ads I have read over the years. They state that the mini is AMHR registered, color and that it comes with everything.

I think you are reading too much into it personally.

40 bales of good hay here will run you $120 or less. Maybe the other gear they picked up on craigslist for next to nothing. Gosh only knows I have a pile of stuff people have given me, that I have bought, got at tag sales etc. Maybe the seller only paid $200 for the mini? A gorgeous registered mini is a dime a dozen...just like any other horse. But a harness new for a mini is about a $100 and I can make a cart myself for a mini for less than $50 so the price the seller is asking might just be all horse. :lol:

See what I mean?

In a newspaper ad you only have so much room, if I were in the area I might actually take a look. :D

[My2cents]

Well, when I got my first horse (23 years ago) he was 'free'. I didn't feel comfortable with that, so I paid $100 total for his bridle, brushes and shoeing bill. Soo, in essence, I paid for his 'stuff' and got a free horse. He's 34 years old now and of course, priceless.

[DeeThbd]

My2Cents, that sounds like my $20 TB gelding. Leather halter was $20, horse was free! :D
Dee

[stryder]

I don't see what the problem is, either. If there's hay, the mini has probably been fed. Better to get rid of the pony now, than after hay runs out, is starving and we read another "help save starving mini" thread.

Could be change of heart, lack of time/interest, job loss, having to move, sickness or death of pony handler. We don't know. Doesn't matter. Maybe the owners are trying to be proactive and trying to get the pony into a good situation.

[BelladonnaLily]

I agree, sounds like the owner just wants out and is offering a bargain. I see absolutely NOTHING that indicates the mini isn't being cared for. I think the OP is reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyyyyyyyy stretching it.

OP, do you have horses? And you don't have $700 to bail this poor neglected mini out? I think someone could stretch that to mean if you don't have $700, how do you properly care for your own horses? Of course, I'm not serious but someone COULD say that. And it makes about as much sense as assuming that the mini in the ad is in some way being neglected based soley on that particular ad.

Wow.

[BelladonnaLily]

When people sell a horse this way, it breaks my heart. They clearly don't seem to care, no mention of gender, height, age, health, nothing, they just want it gone. That's my problem with the ad.




This is precisely why ads normally include contact information. So they can call and inquire about the animal's health, height (I think I can guess pretty close on that one ;) ), etc.

[atr]

40 bales of hay will feed a mini for a looong time!

[Kimberlee]

40 bales of hay will feed a mini for a looong time!

That was my thought too, LOL:)

[equineartworks]

40 bales of hay will feed a mini for a looong time!

Almost a year. Or more if it is a tiny one like my little Rye. He gets a flake a day :lol:

[JLMet]

I have 3 horses and considering hubby just got laid off, we're not in the position to be adding on and spending 700.00 on a mini and it's extras, not sure how that is at all relevant. Two are fat and happy and the third is a broker pulled ASB who is still working on his weight gain. I wouldn't be foolish enough to spend money on another horse, it goes to the care of the ones I have and can continue to afford. As we all know, 700 would only obtain the horse not provide the care it will need for the rest of its life. My objection to the ad is they make this horse "a must see" but include no basic information. Just seems thoughtlessly put together. There are no limits to the size of the ad as it's on the newspapers classified website which has no character limits. I never said there weren't taking care of the horse, I said I was concerned for its care as the nature of the ad just seems like someone who really doesn't know a whole lot about horses. I would think anyone looking to sell a horse would want to include basic information, to me that would be common sense. Color doesn't say a whole lot for me regarding the horse. They start the ad as some great horse, then only talk about all the equipment and hay?, just seemed like such an oddly posted ad. And, like I said in my other post, I want to call them and get more info, maybe be able to offer some better advice on how to advertise the horse since they placed the ad in the horse section, not the farm and garden section of the classifieds. Yes the owner is probably just trying to get rid of the horse but give information on the horse in the ad, anyone I know isn't going to call unless it's one they are interested in and that would start with the basic details. Let's remember, I never judged them, just expressed concern since the ad seems so hastily put together, and wanted to get thoughts from others, not looking to start a fight though it appears some are ready for a battle for some reason?

And yes, 40 bales would be feeding that mini for quite some time!

[Trixie]

You said you had a problem with the ad and that it "seems like they don't care" because they didn't advertise the horse in the way you would've advertised it. You then seemed to feel that they were quite likely to be neglecting the horse or that they were uneducated. Frankly, it's QUITE a stretch, from where I'm sitting you appear to have overreacted.

If I were looking for a cart-driving mini, I'd certainly call based on that ad. They do post the basic details - Registered mini. cart. hay. Call if you want to know more about it. It'd take me about two seconds on the phone to suss out whether or not I wanted to go see it.

But really, I've seen so many ads that concern me SO MUCH MORE that it wouldn't occur to me to get upset when they make it abundently clear that there's enough food on the premises to feed it for a long, long time - certainly through the winter.

And honestly? I'd be highly upset if someone came onto my property, wasted my time with NO intention to buy my animal, then followed by telling me what to do, strictly because they decided that they don't like my marketing campaign. It's not your horse.

[Kate66]

I can't imagine from that ad how you got the impression that they "don't care". It's a miniature - how much size information do you want? If you know miniatures - AMHR reg - you can guess roughly what it is or you would know the breed size limitations. If someone is seriously interested, they will contact them, or maybe they are only half-hearted about selling. Honestly if someone called me to give me advice on how to sell my horse I am not sure I would be mega welcoming. If I was getting out of horses I would love for someone to take ALL their stuff with them. Maybe they are moving and want rid of stuff? Who knows. If you aren't interested in buying, then I wouldn't waste their time and yours contacting them. Really...I think it would be quite insulting.