# Sales Livery, how does it work?



## hayinamanger (22 April 2016)

Costs, pros and cons please.


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## Maesfen (22 April 2016)

Lots of different ways but the one I used kept, rode, took out to local rides etc, showed clients then when sold (I had the right to veto but didn't even meet the buyer) took off the livery fee and a percentage, gave me the rest.  Couldn't have been happier and would use her again but it saved me all the hassle and as I couldn't abide to ride the mare suited me just fine.
All depends if you want a say in a deal and input or want to hand all responsibilities over to them whether it would suit you or not.

PS: mare is still in same home and much loved in case you think it's a callous way to do things.


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## hayinamanger (22 April 2016)

Thank you Maesfen, no, not callous at all, l can see the advantages in handing it over to someone else.  l hate selling horses and actually find myself trying to put off potential buyers.


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## The Fuzzy Furry (22 April 2016)

Most sales livery yards will want you to pay livery/schooling costs up front, just like on full livery, either by the week or month.
Then you agree what %age the seller will get as commission , sometimes this can be smaller for the 1st week (as they wont have had them long) then go to a std %.
You get paid once horse has sold.

Must have a contract with selling yard to confirm their % of sale, livery costs, farrier, vet bills, entry fees if going out competing, how long horse there etc. Also must include the 'what happens' if the horse is sold and the purchaser wants to return it soon after.

Some people can get 'caught' and find that their horse doesn't sell quickly and that the livery/work fees mount up, so you need to be in a position to either cover these bills or to bring home again.


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## Maesfen (22 April 2016)

LOL, so do I but this was one mare I couldn't say anything nice about her at all except she was good in traffic; we just rubbed each other up the wrong way so I was glad to see the back of her.  She was there about six weeks IIRC and I didn't begrudge a penny even though I lost on her only due to the livery costs.


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## be positive (22 April 2016)

hayinamanger said:



			Thank you Maesfen, no, not callous at all, l can see the advantages in handing it over to someone else.  l hate selling horses and actually find myself trying to put off potential buyers.
		
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I sometimes take in sales liveries and find it works well usually as I can normally find a positive in most horses, I always try and find the right home and will veto some if they do not sound suitable as in is in my interests to get it right in some ways more than for a private seller. 
Fingers crossed I have just sold one to a local person who I met out hacking she liked what she saw, came and tried, liked him even more and will be keeping him here at livery if it all goes ahead, he had not even been advertised and it was purely by chance we started talking, the owner doesn't have much good to say about him whereas I have had no issues, what one person finds difficult is often no problem for someone else, selling is much easier as you can be positive in how you describe them.

I take a basic full livery plus expenses and 10% of the sales price, unless they are known to me I will want 2 weeks to assess before advertising, this seems to be standard although some will charge a fairly high livery.


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## epeters91 (22 April 2016)

I used sales livery for my gelding, we quite quickly had an offer I was told that the woman was offering a lifetime home that she knew her really well, that she'd had another horse off them that she still owned and she loved my boy so I agreed a reduced price based on the review of the buyer and the fact he would be going to a lovely home and I could keep in touch with him.

Shortly after the sale went through I had a message from the new buyer questioning me on what he was like and after a few questions she admitted she hadn't even been to view him! When he arrived I don't think she liked him from the start she had an older man riding him and at one point he was being sold to him but now he's been sold to someone and I've lost contact with him. I asked the woman how he was getting on with his new owner and her reply was 'he got what he deserved'.

I would never sell using sales livery again just because at least I know I would make sure they came and tried the horse and loved them as much as I did even if it took a bit longer to sell.


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## DW Team (22 April 2016)

I have 3 youngsters in professional sales livery.  They have just been professionally backed by another yard.   One sold with in the week of being with them and they are now working on the two girls.  I pay a weekly livery fee, on top of this are the extras, transport, show entry fees, wormer, vet, shoes all the normal things. When the horses sell he gets 10%.  Due to my ill health there is no way I could show the horses off to the best. I certainly could not ride them the way he does for me.


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## hayinamanger (23 April 2016)

Thank you for your replies, it appears that the costs are likely to exceed the value of the horse.

be positive, l don't suppose you are in the South West?


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## Maesfen (23 April 2016)

Not at all or perhaps I was lucky.

The mare cost me £1600, all rounder type to share with future DIL and her sister, kept at mine cue DIL getting pregnant so wouldn't ride and other one rode once or twice; mare didn't put a foot wrong we just didn't get along so no point keeping.  Sales livery was £40 a week (mostly at grass) which I didn't pay as such, it came off the final amount at the end.   I paid for a set of shoes before she went; she went hunting, on fun rides, to shows/clinics, something I could never do and she was seen at one of them which led to her sale.  I ended up with £1400 in my pocket and they had collected her too which would have been £150 if used a transporter.  I was happy with that, I didn't even ask how much they made on her I was just glad mare was out of my hair with no hassle which was worth a fortune to me.


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## hayinamanger (23 April 2016)

That would be ideal, Maesfen, l'd be happy with that outcome too.  My last comment was based on the value of the horse as he stands now, out of work all winter, no rider, no surface, dreadful hacking.  l can see that the right yard would put value on the horse, it's just finding it.


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## Maesfen (23 April 2016)

Shame mine was in the Midlands but I'm sure you must have someone similar down there; hope so anyway.


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## ihatework (23 April 2016)

Maesfen said:



			Not at all or perhaps I was lucky.

The mare cost me £1600, all rounder type to share with future DIL and her sister, kept at mine cue DIL getting pregnant so wouldn't ride and other one rode once or twice; mare didn't put a foot wrong we just didn't get along so no point keeping.  Sales livery was £40 a week (mostly at grass) which I didn't pay as such, it came off the final amount at the end.   I paid for a set of shoes before she went; she went hunting, on fun rides, to shows/clinics, something I could never do and she was seen at one of them which led to her sale.  I ended up with £1400 in my pocket and they had collected her too which would have been £150 if used a transporter.  I was happy with that, I didn't even ask how much they made on her I was just glad mare was out of my hair with no hassle which was worth a fortune to me.
		
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That was lucky and quite rare in the grand scheme of sales livery.
I'd be expecting to pay a minimum of £100 per week + 10% of sale for a non-name but the reality is its often higher.


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