- New Zealand
Presenting a Horse for Sale (the do’s and don’ts).
Presenting a Horse for Sale (The do's and don'ts)
By Jess Land (Jess Land Equestrian Limited)
A little about me to start; I specialise in selling horses and have sold over 750 in my career so far. I have sold them on behalf; my own personal horses and also helped with advertising horses that aren’t with me. It’s an area I consider myself pretty clued up in and there is certainly some do’s and don’ts for getting the best results!
Let’s start with the Do’s:
Have the horse well presented for sale – meaning its feet are done; it’s mane, tail and feathers are tidy; it’s clean, brushed and if you have the ability to put on four white boots and a tidy saddle blanket for it’s ridden work it can really help to catch someones attention straight off the bat.
Show off the horses best features. Target the pictures and video to cover all bases but really focus on the horses good parts. If it’s a beautiful type make sure you get an impressive standing shot to help really show that off. If it’s dead straight in its movement get plenty of footage to really highlight that, if jumping is its thing then show plenty of that. It’s not about hiding the bad parts but your first impression needs to make people look and think they want to know more.
Keep the writing short and sweet while still getting the details across. No one wants to read a five page novel on why you think your horse is the best thing in the whole wide world and it usually makes people switch off and scroll on by. Get the need to know details out there, highlight what it’s suited for, its experience and what kind of home it will suit but leave out the part about you warming its breakfast at 180 degrees for 10 minutes because they like it warm in winter, you can tell them all the little bits and pieces later on.
Be honest. You aren’t going to get away with selling a lie for very long once the horse leaves your care so do everyone a favour and just be up front. Most people don’t mind managing issues if they know about them but no one likes an unwelcome surprise!
Have a sales contract. In this day and age it’s a must have. It’s easy to do, you can find them online or I’m equally happy to share mine but it just helps to keep things transparent and there is no issues later on over what was disclosed and what wasn’t!
Onto the Don’ts:
Really this part is pretty simple! Don’t go over the top on footage. We don’t need to see 10 minutes of unedited footage straight off the bat. It gets boring and it just makes people switch off. Keep it short and sweet. Show off the highlights and have longer footage available for those that want to see it down the track.
Don’t just sell to the first person that offers you money. If the fit isn’t right you aren’t doing anyone any favours by just taking the money and running.
Don’t be above asking a professional for help. I’m not saying you have to send the horse away but ask for guidance, we are pretty happy to give you a quick opinion on your advert and footage and you are fair better off to hit the market once well than do an average job and try and fix it up later.
Don’t over price if you want to sell. Be realistic on what you are actually prepared to take for them especially in the current market and just hit the market with the intention of getting them sold asap not waiting for months for an unrealistic price. Remember it might be worth the world to you but that doesn’t usually mean its worth that to someone else.
I could ramble on all day over this topic there is so much to cover but to sum it all up:
- Have the horse presentable and in a useable state, imagine how you would like to receive a new horse and market it in the same condition.
- Be honest with buyers and realistic on what your horse is worth.
- Get professional photos and videos to market them with.
- Keep the adverts short and sweet.
- Make sure the match is right and be prepared to stand behind your horse and do what is right for it if you get it wrong.
