I owned a very special gelding (pictured below cause he's the cutest) for 8 years and sold him a few years back, I often regret it and wish I could get him back to live out the rest of his days with me.. it seemed like the best decision at the time as he was getting older and was only sound for very light riding and a family with a special needs daughter was looking for something she could just brush and love on so it was a great match. I've only reached out once since selling him and that was last year and I am really tempted to reach out again to see how he is doing and remind them I will happily buy him back if they ever were planning to sell, but a part of me almost feels nosy and rude doing so? Since he is no longer my horse. Do any of you keep in contact after selling a horse or would you say it is what is is and to let it go?

The horses I have sold I never stayed in touch with the owners, it was their horse now and just never looked back. But if you are wanting to buy back then let them know for that just in case they would like to sell. But really it is what it is. Hugs

I've never sold one--y'all know me!--but I periodically update the past owner/people who played a part in my horses' lives by sending pictures or texts.  I would have no problem having them contact me to check on the horses or offer to buy them back if I ever wanted to sell.  Good luck and I hope it all works out the best for you and your cute boy.  

Call them, they knew how much you loved him when you sold him, right? I would have been tickled pink if the person I bought one of my horses from would have called to check in. I always had little questions I would have loved to ask and it's always so nice to talk to someone about horses, especially your own. 

I would contact and find out how he is doing and remind them if the opportunity arrose you would love to have him back.  When I sold a gelding 10 years ago I gained one of my best friends.  They would probably appreciate you contacting them.  Proves your love for the horse.  Good luck and please update after you speak with them.

I doubt theyll mind if you send them a message. The only one that i have sold was a mare who became a broodmare. I check in occasionally (not that often, maybe every couple of months) to see how shes doing.  i got her first foal was because i would send her an occasional message. She has offered her back to me but i dont have the money for a 4th right now.  My older gelding his breeder is my facebook friend and sees how he is doing.

If I want to follow the horses I've sold, I friend their new owner on FB and watch from there.  I've only had one horse I sold and asked the buyers to give me right of first refusal if they sold her.....they agreed....did not honor it....and advertised her and she sold so fast I didn't have an opportunity to get her.  Sometimes staying in touch to buy back the horse doesn't work.

I've been on the other end where I've been asked by the previous owners of both horses I ride to keep in touch.  One horse has the breeder and the previous owner as fans and they both get updates.  So I'm sending videos, photos and updates to all these folks regularly.  I'll continue to do it as long as they appear to enjoy it.  And I don't mind.

I LOVE to hear how a horse I sold or rode for someone is doing from time to time.

I bought a young, very green horse around a year ago, texted the previous owner pics/ videos of him trail riding and on the pattern a couple of times and she seemed like she could literally not care any less, so I quit. To each their own I guess. 

It never hurts to reach out. I'd give it a shot! 

I do my best to stay in touch with all my buyers. I've been breeding for 23 years & have been very blessed with the buyers of my babys. They send me video's & pictures. I love it. I even go watch those who started running in the futurities. My first barrel horse I bout in 1996, I bought from his breeder & though he has passed away now, I still stay in touch with his breeder. We are good friends. 

We stay in constant contact with owners but we are a breeding program---little different. 

BUT, a few years back I had a woman contact me and said, do you have a horse named King Rahy(TB) ? I said YES and she asked if we were done running him and I said no we weren't but can I ask why ? She said that when she sold him at Keeneland as a yearling he bought her farm for her and that she wanted him to retire there when we were done with him. Sure enough, we called her up when he was done, got a knee on him, and she sent a transport immediately after him. Not exactly the same, but I thought it was really cool.

A) I've literally never sold a horse that I bought, my ponies I grew up on that mom and dad bought for me are the only things that have ever left our place and so far I've been blessed to have had long living horses ( I pray that trend continues!!!) and B)  the people I've bought horses from probably get more contact than they wish, LOL!!! Poor Diane Guinn had no idea she was getting a life long stalker/friend when she made the choice to let me purchase one of her's, LOL!!! Sorry, not sorry!

I sold a horse June of 2019 to a lady from a different state from me. I'm a hoarder of horses so it was really difficult for me bc she was an awesome little horse but was just TOO darn small. The lady was very nice and I took her for a short trail ride on her with me riding one of my other horses to make sure they clicked well or I wouidn't have sold her. I told her I would absolutely buy her back if it didn't work out for any reason and she assured me she had a forever home. She updated me a couple times after but since all I was good, I quit actively keeping up. I do stalk her a little on Facebook and see that she's posted some pics of her trail riding her and looks very happy. The horse looks awesome, too.

I've been on both ends and I think it's great when I'm contacted, and I try to stay very light with my contacts to people who have bought one of mine. It's always wonderful to pass on great news about one to a breeder/previous owner and wonderful to hear that a youngster you've sold is doing great with their new owner. I will usually pass on baby pics to the new owners and the new/now owners LOVE that! 

I'm a buyer (not so much a seller), and I love when previous owners ask updates!!! 

I would absolutely contact them. I bet they would love it! The girl I bought my gelding from two years ago, every couple months I send her a few pictures of him and it makes her so happy!

I've had some sellers reach out and ask how the horses are doing. It never bothers me.

I do like to keep in touch with people I have sold horses to, especially if I was fond of the horse in some fashion. 

I am still friends with a lady who purchased my big paint horse is 2006, I am very blessed that he is still with her all of this time! They were the perfect match and she is only his 3rd owner (the lady who raised him, me, then she bought him from me) and he is her keeper! 

Some other ones I have not been so fortunate. I have kept in touch with the owner of the colt I raised/trained for 6 years. He got put through the ringer and was passed around and I quit following him, it was super hard to see my horse go through that. But when I was horse shopping last year I reached out and followed the trail to his current owner, who actually really likes him. I thought about inquiring on buying him back but I felt it was time to move on, she is now a friend and just sends me updates. 

Then there was another gelding I had. I always called him my unofficial rescue because he looked like crap when they pulled him off the trailer..6 months of vets, chiros, good farriers, good food and exercise and he blossomed into one good looking horse. But after 2 years of working with him, I decided to sell him as a retired barrel horse because he was just super burned out, didn't want to run anymore, he was a total jerk on the pattern and he was much happier as a trail horse(and he was an AWESOME trail horse).  So a couple of years after selling him, I looked him up and he was with a young girl that was running him on barrels(who was not the person I sold him to). When I talked to them, they said some days he was "really good" and other days he was "really bad." They also said that he had injured his stifle and they were more worried about him "feeling better" so they could make state finals rather than taking him to a vet to find out what exactly was wrong with him, and if he didn't "feel better" that they would just sell him to get another horse for their daughter. 

So I just decided to stop following him. It was just too hard. Some people can be so cruel and just don't take care of horses like you do. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. 

Don't be afraid to ask... 

I had 1 mare that I did not want to sell. But circumstances were out of my control and she needed to head north for her health. Told the "friend" if she ever sold her, I wanted her back. Fast forward a year or so. We had just moved north and she calls me. Like 2 weeks after moving, she knew we were new to the area and I hadnt even found a job yet. She prices her for double what she paid. And she wasnt exactly cheap to begin with and had been standing in the pasture most of the time she had her. I asked for a chance to buy her once we got settled. A week later, she was sold. They ended up crippling her and she mysteriously died a few months after that. The "friend" called to tell me she was dead and she didnt want me to hear about it on FB. I was devastated. I had approached the new owners, introduced myself and told them when or if they didnt want her, I would love to buy her. I guess the silver lining is, I dont have to worry about her falling into the wrong hands. 

The 2nd mare I want back, I contact the owner every few months and ask him if he's ready to sell her yet. 

I try to stay in touch with owners of ones I really like. And I want the buyers to stay in touch with me when I sell. I ended up getting 1 back 7 years after I sold her. I have 2 evacuees at my house right now that I sold to friends. Its good to see them doing so well and their owners love them. 

Social media is a great way to keep up. 

We sell several horses a year and it is important to me to see them doing well and keep up with their progress. Usually I have the buyers on social as well as their phone numbers. I may send a text once in a blue moon and ask how everything is, but I def keep it respectible. 

I bought a colt from a guy a couple years ago, and I voluntarily send him updates ever so often. I also send updates and videos to the man that bred by main guy. He nerver has a lot to say but I do it anyway. 

You absolutely dont want to crowd someone and should be respectful but I have been on both sides of the fence and rather enjoy updates going or coming. 

One of mine is shipping tomorrow. She promises she will stay in touch and send pics. I love my Molly but she can't breathe in Louisiana.