Is It Time To Sell?

When it comes to selling your horse, do you listen to your head or your heart? Alex Robinson asks industry experts how riders can make this tricky decision

- Alex Robinson

SELLING can be one of the most challenging and emotionally charged parts of owning a horse. Not everyone can – or wants to – keep an animal until the end of his days and a sale is usually inevitable at some stage of a partnership, especially if you’re a competitive rider. While obvious physical limitations, such as the size of the horse, might force the hand, there can be other, more complex situations which suggest it may be time to seek out a new home.

Vere Phillipps has bought, sold and produced competition horses for over 40 years. Alongside winners of grand prix showjumping finals and Olympic, world and European eventing championships, he has also found several stars of the hunting field and National Hunt scene. And he’s witnessed his fair share of owners in limbo along the way.

From a competitive standpoint, there are several reasons a rider might decide to part with a horse.

“I divide possible sale situations into three categories,” says Vere, who found Ros Canter’s 2018 world eventing champion Allstar B, to name just one. “There are those who buy a young horse, school him, sell him for a profit and leave a leg on for the next owner to get a bigger price [leave some room for improvement rather than selling a horse at its peak price].

“There are then riders who keep the horse right through the levels and despite being offered big money never sell and reap the glory instead. The third is the rider who keeps the young horse, wins a bit and then sells him while he’s still got a big future ahead. These are usually the most profitable people. The value comes from a well-produced, capable animal that a professional can see has a big future as a global championship prospect.