[ellied]

I have 4 mature (ages 4-9) registered Highland ponies previously backed and hacked but currently turned away and requiring bringing on under saddle or for other work (forestry, crofting, driving).  I don't ride myself now so they're completely wasted but lovely ponies who will do a job given a chance to prove themselves.  The 2 geldings were in work until a few weeks ago, the 2 mares were last ridden a year ago but all were going well in company, good in light traffic and with normal hacking obstacles (water, gates etc).  Some hacked alone happily, others were just moving to that stage but had been ridden by a competent child, used to dogs, cats etc

Also 3x 3 year olds ready to start preparation for backing over the winter in experienced hands and 2x 2 year olds who could be brought on for showing or used as companions until old enough to bring into work.

Prices range from £1500-3500 depending on experience/age/quality - details and photos on my website, all have excellent temperaments, most well grown and stocky traditional types and one lighter riding type bought in as a foal at foot three years ago. All fully registered, tetanus vaccinated, worm counted and wormed last month according to needs, trimmed by local farrier regularly and otherwise mostly just clean slates ready to take forward in whatever direction required.

All are now in fields adjacent to a main A road with busy traffic from agricultural vehicles to motorbikes and HGVs and under an RAF flight path.  They've had tractors and JCB in the field and those that have been ridden have proved easy to acclimatise to light traffic under saddle after this formative experience from birth.

Ideal winter project for anyone with some time to spare. 

Location North Fife

[landroverroy]

 With price of hay as it is, that's a bit pricey for a "winter project".

[Roxy]

All horse prices  - and probably all livestock in general - have been affected by the economic situation.  Livery yards here are either half empty, or up for sale, as people can no longer afford to keep their horses.

I am sure these ponies are worth their price if times were good - I have seen a downfall in Dales ponies ;prices, and know  if I put mine up for sale, I would not get anywhere near the prices  I was expecting.  If you can afford to, and have the room, then maybe holding on to them, and hoping for better times is the answer.

Good luck with them

[SallyintNorth]

With price of hay as it is, that's a bit pricey for a "winter project".

These are natives so should be well-fed on half a bale a day, shouldn't they?  Less if you've still got some grass for them to go at. 

At £3 per bale that doesn't sound too pricey to me?

[landroverroy]

 Yes, ok if you can get it for that price. So even as a bare minimum, that's £10/week for hay, over say 20 weeks of winter = £200.                                                                                                                            Then without costing anything else there's your labour involved in this project, not just for looking after the animal, but for schooling as well  - say 1 hour a day, 7 days a week, at £6/hr. That's another £42/week, over 20 weeks = £840. 
 So you've got another £1,000+ on with no trouble at all and as you know, it doesn't stop there.
 I am not trying to suggest these are not good ponies - I am sure they are top quality.
 But as Roxy has said, the money is not there for equines now and my comment was meant to reflect that as things are at present, then for anyone who values their time and their facilities it just doesn't stack up commercially to buy these as a winter project.
 

[SallyintNorth]

<snip> my comment was meant to reflect that as things are at present, then for anyone who values their time and their facilities it just doesn't stack up commercially <snip>

I don't think very many farmers and smallholders would make any money doing their sums this way.

Check my tag line.

Feed - £200
Vet, farrier & sundries - £100
Spending time doing something rewarding and constructive; seeing the results of your efforts improve a living creature's lot - Priceless

[doganjo]

Not everything can be assessed in monetary terns - as an accountant having audited farmers books I can vouch for that more than most.  I can also vouch fro the temperament of these ponies having been in the field with them.  They are definitely worth their money and if I had land I'd have couple of them.

[landroverroy]

 Well I presume you value (and charge accordingly for) your time as an accountant, just as I value (and expect a return for)  my time as a smallholder.
 I'm not saying they're not worth the money as ponies if they are what you want.
 Nor am I saying anything about their temperament.
 What I am saying is IN MY OPINION (and we are all entitled to one) they are not an ideal winter project as they do not represent a good return for my time and resources.

  And Sally - yes obviously we're not smallholders for the purpose of getting rich but I think you'll find most of us need SOME return for our time and effort. Maybe you don't, in which case you're lucky.
  I personally find the days are so short in winter and there is so much more to do, that to take on a "project" that would be done so much more easily and enjoyably in summer, does not make sense.
 Maybe you're lucky and have nothing better to do in winter than play with horses, but for most of us in the real world it can be a struggle. And it doesn't sound to me that these animals need their lot improving. So you might be better spending your priceless time on some that do.
 

[ellied]

I'm not sure how to respond to all this - I feel embarrassed to have offered them for sale at all let alone so badly but believe me I do know the cost of producing them to this stage, I am nowhere near asking those prices, and the equivalent stock were selling at 6 months of age (uncastrated) for £1500 less than two years ago so I'm asking little more for them now having put in a further 2-3 years of feed and care costs, farrier charges, vet bills and operations for the boys, and all the blood sweat and tears that livestock bring

My reference to winter project was aimed at those who can back a pony themselves and save the £600-1000 cost of sending them to be professionally backed and ridden away - those might want the 2/3/4yo unbacked stock tho I appreciate they probably won't want the backed ones which have that cost added already.  the other possible market I was aiming at was those smallholders who don't want a pony to ride but to do crofting, snigging, stalking, driven or other specialist roles all of which Highlands have been successful at.  Those folk I thought might lurk on here and want a clean slate youngster rather than one with the costs of ridden training added if they don't want a ridden pony.  Highland ponies are versatile, strong working animals which also make great adults' ridden ponies for far less than the cost of running a horse. 

I won't sell them for meat or for meat prices, nor to beginners who have no experience or professional backing to bring them on right.  I don't pressure for a sale, don't haggle with folk that slag the pony to get a better price, and I never breed anything without a commitment to find a good home or see it to the other end of its life if necessary.

But I won't sell any if I don't advertise, and enquiries which just ask price and then disappear suggests that pricing up front is better practice.  If you don't have the money to buy one and get it home, then you almost certainly won't have the ongoing money to keep it healthy, happy and in good fit state for the 20+ years it may live.  And if you don't want a pony or don't have time to commit to a project or don't have the experience to back or break to harness or whatever the job is, then it isn't a suitable winter project for you.  I am advertising to those that might have the above ie wish to buy, enough money,  a job for the pony to do, experience to get it there - not to those that don't

Anyway, I'm sorry I put my ad up, please consider it withdrawn.

[landroverroy]

 Sorry Ellied, didn't mean to upset you.
 It's all got a bit personal but wasn't aimed at you. More a comment on the collapsed state of the market.

[robert waddell]

it was not the market that was advertising horses/ponies it was ellied

[landroverroy]

Yes Robert, and when the market has collapsed then prices fall and it is difficult to sell things.

[robert waddell]

yes prices colapse but no point in adding to the colapse with a fire sale

[landroverroy]

 True. But I don't see where anyone's done that.

[NLL]

have you put these on the highland forum.
could you say their breeding as well please.