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    Home » Horse Care

    How To Give Away A Horse Safely

    Published: Feb 23, 2016 · Modified: Apr 2, 2020 by ihearthorses · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Are you thinking about giving away a horse? Owners have a number of reasons for giving away horses, from wanting that horse to go to a good home to needing to get the horse into a new home quickly. But when you give away a horse, you run the risk of that horse falling into a bad situation. Here are six tips on how to give away a horse safely.

    tips on how to sell a horse safely

    Be Honest About the Horse

    It may be tempting to gloss over your horse’s faults in order to quickly find him a home. Don’t do this. If you’re not completely honest about your horse’s faults, then his new home may not be a suitable one, and he may end up passed on from one home to another.

    woman beside her funny looking mare

    Don’t Advertise

    If at all possible, when trying to give away your horse, try to find a new home for your horse through word of mouth. Spread the word with horse friends and your trainer about the type of home that you’re looking for your horse. If someone you knows has a friend who is looking for a horse, you may be able to find a match for your horse without letting him go to a complete stranger.

    Ukraine, Carpathians, here for the summer let the horses graze in the mountains, only occasionally using them to work in high-altitude pastures. Humorous scene, heavily loaded with tourists compared with horse

    Check References

    When someone is interested in your horse, ask for multiple references to attest to their horse care experience and their capacity to own a horse. You may want to ask for vet and farrier references to make sure that they’ve used these services regularly in the past. Once you’re given references, call all of them and have a brief discussion about the situation. Ask each person questions about the buyer’s past horse care history, and ask them whether they would recommend giving the buyer a horse.

    White horse in field, high desert of central Oregon, near Redmond.

    Visit the New Home

    Make sure to also visit the stable where your horse would be kept. Look around for any safety issues, and make sure that the situation appears to be a safe and healthy horse keeping environment.

    Ask About the Horse’s Intended Use

    Before you let your horse go to a new owner, ask the new owner specifically about how your horse will be used. If you have indicated that your horse cannot be jumped, yet the new owner plans on showing your horse in jumping competitions, then you need to refuse to give your horse to that person and wait until a better home comes along.

    Horse at the Souk Waqif stables in Doha. The public stables are located near the falcon Souk and lodge some Arabian horses. The renovated Souk retains a feel of authenticity, and sells spices, garments, antiques, jewellery and souvenirs, though the most popular are the birds and the falcon bazaars. It has also many cafes and restaurants. Souk Waqif is very popular amongst locals and visitors and gets crowded in the evenings.

    Include a First Right of Refusal In Your Contract

    Even if you’re giving your horse away, in order for the sale to be legally binding, the buyer needs to pay you $1 in exchange for him. Write this amount down in the horse’s bill of sale, but also have the buyer sign a contract about the horse’s sale. In that contract, indicate that you are to be contacted first if the horse is ever to be sold or rehomed, and that you have first right of refusal in terms of deciding to take him back. While the first right of refusal isn’t generally legally binding, it may encourage the new owner to turn to you if they decide to rehome your horse.

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    Do you have any other tips on how to give away a horse safely? Let us know in the comments below!

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