I grew up on a horse farm, where my mother started out buying OTTB’s and reselling them before moving into the breeding business. She handled her sales ethically and responsibly, and her breeding clients would come back for foal after foal. Growing up, as soon as I was able to lead a horse I would help take sales photos, and then as I became a better rider we would buy resale prospects at auction, I would put training and miles into them, and we would sell the horse and get another. Quite the learning experience.
Our main stud, Hadrian, taken at the old farm
So it probably comes as no surprise that I like to make a daily venture into online classifieds to see what the horse market is doing. It is obvious to me that some of the ads are going to be successful, and others not. Here is my own little list of Do’s and Don’ts I’ve collected over the years.
DO List a Price
If you have no price tag, I tend to assume you are A) asking so much money you are embarrassed to say, or B) going to waste my time playing number games. Either way, I personally never contact a seller if ‘Private Treaty’ is on a listing. Figure out what you think your horse is worth, and what you want to ask ahead of time. Then let prospective buyers know. If you want a buy-back clause in the sale agreement, you can discuss that in the negotiations.
Friesian cross filly, Fleur
DO Have a Picture
In the world of smartphones and tech gadgets, there really are no excuses for this. You don’t have a camera, or a smartphone? I bet you know someone who does. Back in the day we had to take our photos to be developed before mailing them in. I bet you can find a way.
Another stud photo, this time of our Connemara stallion, taken by a professional
DON’T Forget the Action Shot!
So, this mostly applies to horses being sold as riding horses, but also pertains to breeding and young stock. There is nothing worse to me than seeing a fancy Dressage/Showjumping/Eventer/Whatever horse that has a price tag of $20k + but has no photo of it doing anything beyond existing in a paddock. Surely if he’s done every circuit imaginable, and has tons of ribbons to his name, someone documented it. Even if it’s not a photo at a show, which is optimal, it is still going to be important to your prospective buyer to see how the horse moves and reacts with a rider on his back.
A sales photo of one of our foals- no fancy camera, but it gives a lot of information on her way of going
DON’T Make the Horse Look Like a Mule
Or the Do version of this- learn to take a conformation shot. It can be tricky, but it’s worth the effort. Taken as a profile shot, the front legs of the horse should be together and the back feet apart. Not parked under itself, and for goodness sake try to get those ears forward! It just makes a good impression. Don’t let your ad end up here.
This photo of Foster is not perfect (and could be made better with a bath and braids) but would suffice
DO List a Phone Number
This may be a personal preference, but I as a buyer would much rather talk to someone over the phone about a horse than through an email. I am thinking of buying a half-ton creature from you that within its rights could kill me easily, and I want to know that you as the seller come across as a decent person who is not trying to sell me a four-legged devil.
DO Have a Video
This one is a little more difficult. But if at all possible, have a video. I insisted on seeing one before I made the trip to see Foster, because again, I was looking for a prospect for a certain discipline and if he moved downhill or like a three legged goat, it wouldn’t be worth my time. Not to mention these days videos are more and more common, help yourself out.
Here’s a very homemade video of a green draft cross for sale, meant to demonstrate his puppy-dog personality:
DON’T misspell words/horse terms
OK, so this is the grammar nazi speaking. But when you list your horse as being 15.5 hands tall, with pretty gates, I think you own a horse of questionable height that decorates fences for a living. OK so maybe not, but seriously. Also main/mane, tale/tail, and those little ‘ and ” signs are for measurements. He doesn’t jump 26 fences, he jumps 2’6″ fences. Sorry, rant over.
All of these details will make your ad more easily understood and attractive to buyers. While the sales process can often be a frustrating one, giving potential buyers more information up front can help cut down on tire-kicking and other time-wasting annoyances. In addition to this, as a seller it gives you confidence knowing that the prospective new owner has as much information as possible, and you are connecting the right horse with the right buyer. Win-win, people, win-win.
Red on the Right 