Hippotherapy

Selling a horse and dealing with potential buyers?

I have been trying to seel my appendix gelding for a while now, and have had no luck. The economy in my area is literally among the worst in the country, and no one is buying horses. I can not sell my horse, he is priced to be a total steal, I have had hardly anyone out to look at him. The only buyers I have had out don't take me seriously. I am in my mid twenties, but look younger, I have had sellers even ask to speak with my parents about my horse. One lady asked to speak with my mother, and I tried to explain that my parents have nothing to do with my horses, as the horse is owned by me not them, she didn't believe me. I present myself in a mature and professional manner. I have had horses my entire life, I grew up on a training/boarding farm, I have national titles in showing, yet I still get spoken to like I am an idiot by the older people that come to try my horse. I am so frustrated, I just want my current one gone so I don't have to deal with more condescending buyers. This is the ad I have written for my gelding: (his full name here) "Berry" is a 2003 gorgeous true 16.1 hand bay appendix gelding. He is well started in huntseat, and has lots of potential for western as well. Berry has loads of potential in the showring, with a few months of consistant work he will be ready to win at open shows, 4-H, and will also be very competitive AQHA novice youth and novice amature. He is very athletic, a beautiful mover, and as sweet as they come. Berry was imprinted at birth so he is beyond quiet and calm, he would be a great confidence builder for a timid rider. Berry is 100% sane, sound, and healthy. My horse is everything written above, and then some. He is literally an amazing horse, would be fabulous for a youth once he has a bit more training, but I cant even get people out to look at him. How can I get sellers to notice my horse? He is priced at 6,000 dollars, which is a steal for this horse. Any suggestions to improve my ad and sell my horse quicker? And how do I handle sellers that waste my time, and are flat out rude to me? I have my horse advertised on equine.com, and dreamhorse.com with photos. What other sites are actually worth the cost it requires to put up a photo? Are the spotlight ads on dreamhorse.com worth the price? I am not in 4-H, as I am in my mid-twenties... and my parents live 2 hours away from my horse, so no, i really don't need them by my side... thanks though? I do carry my self in a very professional way, I work as a paralegal, I am mature and don't gush about my horse, honestly I like my horse and all, but I don't view or treat him as a pet... And his price is because he is unfinshed, but is a fancy horse... His full brother who was almost identicle to him just sold for 15,000 and was not proven yet (just had more training). **I deleted the ads because the photo expired, and I wanted to wait a little bit, work on training him some more, get new pics and start over fresh with advertising.

Public Comments

1. I guess i'm confused as to what your question is. If you are asking if this is normal, then YES, this is! People are sometimes just stupid. Sometimes I find myself in the same boat as you. I look a lot younger than i am and people don't really believe I have the talent and skills that I have. I usually just let those people go, or else prove them wrong! So....tell me about your gelding. I'm looking to buy another one....
2. I know about looking young my older sister is 24 but looks about 17 and no one takes her seriously ether. since the economy in your aria is so bad you might try selling your horse on the Internet through a special horse web sit or just on e-bay. http://www.2buyhorses.com/serv03.htm is a great website that will explain every thing and make it easy to post your add. also the person buying the horse will be who is responsible to come get the horse so you don't have to worry about transportation. being on a good website will also help eliminate the jerks that you don't want to sell your horse to anyway. Good Luck
3. Been there and done that. When I was 10 I passed for 18, and when I was 21 I passed for 16. So, have gone through all of that. I started my horse business when I was 13, so I had to deal with a lot of this growing up. The best thing for you to do is to advertise him on the internet on very specific sites- sites that have lots of horses sold. Such as agdirect.com or dreamhorse.com, but you do not have to do those, there are lots of sites that have free photo and video listings. The thing to do when you live in a market where it is really down, you have to advertise outside of that area. It is the only thing that you can do. The problem with advertising is that if you have your horse listed too low, then people will not bite at the ad because will think that something is wrong with the horse because of the price. It is better to start the horse off higher and then mark the horse down to make it appear that you are having problems selling him and that you really need to get the horse sold. That will be better in your situation. The other thing that you need to do is figure out if your horse is really the steal that you think that he is. If you already have him advertised on sites, look at the sites and find comp horses (horses that are the same age, breed, abilities, show record, gender, etc.) and see how much they actually sold for. Not what they are listed at. After looking at that, then look at your horse's asking price and see if you are lower, higher, or the same. That may be part of the problem when people call you or why they do not call you. After doing that, when people call start off the conversation with I have owned "X" for X years. I am now in college (or whatever reason you have) and need to sell him so that I can focus on my school (or other horses or training or whatever). By starting off with this, you have told them that you are of legal age, that the horse is yours, and why you are selling the horse. Then continue on with the other things such as his attibutes or bad habits. Make sure to ask the potential buyer questions about their riding ability, their horses, their history, etc. Let the buyer sell your horse for you. Listen to what they are telling you and then work your words on your horse to fit what they need. If the horse is not suitable for what the person wants to do and what they need, be honest and upfront. That is the most grown up thing that you can do. Trying to sell a horse just to get rid of it to any person who has the money and the desire is a childish thing to do. People want to be handled in the same way that you would want someone or another adult to handle you. If they still ask to talk to your parents, simply tell them, my parents have nothing to do with the horse, even though I sound very young, I am "X" years old. People do not want to buy a horse from someone under 18 because of legal liabilities (the sales agreement would not be legal with a minor signing it). Have a high quality video and pictures of the horse ready to send out by email or postal mail to people inquiring on the horse. It will help you sell the horse easier to someone who is not around your area. If all else fails, list the horse on Equinebay.com the horse auction site and sell by auction on line. Less likely to have horse killers that way. I hope this helps and good luck!
4. When I got ready to part ways with my horse, who was at one time a very high priced show horse, I opted for something else because the price on horse sales is down and also you really never can trust the buyers. I linked up with a local animal rescuer and found a disabled woman who wanted a gentle animal. She paid a small adoption fee. No i didn't make any money but I was able to do somet that was positive for everyone in the long run.
5. Oh, the "tire kickers" as we call them in our barn. You could not get these people to take anyone seriously, since they are not serious buyers themselves. You will show this horse what will seem like a million times and answer that many questions, and still they will not buy. A lot can be in the way you present yourself. Does your phone message state your first and last name in a professional manner does it have a "cute" message that buyers hear? That can be the reason for them asking to speak to your parents. When you talk to the buyers, do you go on with stories about this horse and all of the things you have done? Most serious buyers could care less about what you have accomplished or won. And it makes you sound like a kid bragging. Or do you let them lead in the questions? I used to do these same things and would get the same reactions. And I am a lot older than you are. Now when a buyer calls, I simply state "What would you like to know about the horse?" And let them do the talking. Keep your answers short and to the point. (I know, it is hard not to brag and tell stories about all of your horses). You can weed out a lot of "no sales and weekend lookers" this way. And if your horse does not fit what they are looking for, TELL THEM THIS!.Be honest and say you do not want to waste your time or theirs.I have found that sometimes the best way to sell a horse is to close my mouth and let the horses speak for themselves. I actually write down all of my horses good points that I want to stress and then practice out loud what I was going to say to a buyer, just to see how it sounds. Just so I do not forget anything, or sound like a dork. I would consider dropping a lot a of the "potential" in your ad. This for some reason draws lookers like flies. Say he has the talent to go on in a certain event. Good Luck and I hope he sells.
6. Most people want to speak to an adult because they don't understand 4-H and how it helps you to be competant in your own right. When speaking with buyers, have one of your parents with you just to reassure them that they're not getting messed with by a kid who's playing a joke or something like that.
7. I just did a search on dreamhorse trying to actually see your ad. I did an advanced search and used as narrow a description as I could..Could find nothing. I then went back and used a broader search (2003, appendix, gelding, bay)...I still could not find your ad. Is it possible that you have some of the specifics wrong that would be making your ad not get the hits that it should. FYI, I did the same search on Equine.com (without the year) and still didn't find Berry. I wish I were in the market for another horse because he sounds exactly like the type of horse I like to bring along. In case I come across somebody else like me, what portion of the country are you located in? I am in SC, but my trainer has contacts nationwide and is always being contacted about people wanting prospects.
8. I usually don't even look at the spotlight ads - I figure those horses are mostly 5 figure price tags. Just make sure your photos are really good and look like something professionally done. That is what gets more hits than anything else -first impressions and all. I would take out the part about 4H and open shows - for some reason people think that means a lesser quality horse (guess they have not been to an open or 4H show recently!) I am going through the same thing trying to sell colts right now - damn market! We hired a broker and you might consider the same, or putting him in a big name trainer's barn for awhile for the exposure. It sucks having these horses in the middle-of-the-price-range ... $600 horses sell, and $60,000 horses sell, and the rest of us are out of luck! As far as your other complaint - the good news is when you are 40, people will still take you for 25! Keep being professional and ignore those condescending people. They are probably just looking to bring the price down, anyway. If it looks like it is going that route with someone, tell the buyer that is bugging you, "Well, I hate to rush this, but (insert name of a trainer/exhibitor that they are sure to recgonize) is going to be here in half an hour to see this horse, and they have a serious buyer." That should either get them down to business or get them to leave.
9. Make sure you have lots of good pictures, and send them to anyone who asks. Yes, there's lots of tire kickers out there, but many of them will buy a horse at some point in time so you need to treat them as though they were potential buyers. Everyone likes a good, clear photo that shows your horse's conformation, but don't forget the pictures that sell the fun and emotion of your horse. A picture of you hugging your horse, or sitting on him bareback with the halter, or getting a ribbon at a show, or having two kids piled on his back, or dressed up in a silly costume! Those sort of pictures sent at the same time as the professional photos are sent will help! Everyone wants a safe, sane and loveable horse. If that is your horse, then make sure everyone can tell. Next, be totally sure what sort of market your horse is best suited for. Is he a youth horse? An adult horse? A show horse? A trail horse? A 4-H horse? Then advertise directly to that group. There is a big market for safe, sane kid's horses, and if that is truely your horse, then aim that way. Make every word you say show that your horse is going to be perfect for their kid. The word "potential" is not good for a kid's horse. A kid doesn't need potential, they need "ready to go". I suspect that is part of why you aren't getting too far. He sounds like a super horse, but one that isn't quite ready to go in alot of different areas. People here will pay $6000 for a horse ready for their kid to hop on and show, or even trail ride everywhere, but they won't pay it for potential. And the people that will buy "potential" want a good deal, or else they want a top of the line show horse that isn't quite ready to go and win AQHA yet, but will with their work and time. As for your age and they way you look, I wonder if you are presenting yourself as maturely as you think. I have noted that many people spell awful when they do internet ads and replies - and that makes them look young and uneducated. Do you gush and go on and on about your horse, or are you calm and sensible? Also, do you come out dressed appropriate, or are in you slinky tops and low slung pants with your belly showing? If you want to be treated like an adult it helps if you dress like one (Which you probably are doing, but not everyone does!) Lastly, be totally honest about your horse's faults and flaws. This will lose you some customers, but it will appeal to many others. An honest horse seller can be as tough to find as an honest used car salesman. Be the honest person, even when it hurts to do so. Not only will be you be proud of yourself, but your honesty will make people trust you. They know that if you can say bad things about your horse, the good things you say are probably true. And in the end your horse will go to a home that is perfect for him! Good luck. I too have one horse that needs to sell this year, and I haven't got too far. On the other hand, I sold three horses last year and made a decent profit. Sometimes it just times time!
10. How much do you want for him? I'd buy him! :)
11. For answers to any horse question, join this forum http://horselovers.ipbfree.com/index.php?act=idx registration is quick, free and easy but you must register to view the board and post.
12. Been there done that! Many people won't want the horse because of his height. I think when they see how huge he is, it probably takes them back. I remember the first time I saw a 16hh horse! I tried to get on it and it was hilarious. This may be one reason why many people haven't come to see. People are weird aren't they? We've sold horses and they just come and waste time sometimes, guess you just cut the visit short when you see they aren't interested and tell them thanks for coming, see ya! This is what I do.
13. It sounds like these buyers are just stupid. lol. You sound very professional and knowledgable and your ad sounds excellent. It sounds like a really nice horse that you have for sale. I would just try to ignore their rude and stupid comments. Some people are just so obnoxious. Try not to take it too personal. I know how you feel. I'm only 21 and I've been married for 3 years and people still treat me like a little kid in highschool. It is beyond annoying. I've also had to sell horses and people acted the same way around me. I don't know why they insist on talking to your parents that have no clue about whats going on. Good luck and hope you sell him.
14. I have A LOT of experience with ads on equine.com It is tricky to get peoples attention. The best advice I can give you is put A LOT of disiplines in his ad. Because when people search they search for that thing and it would be in his ad. Even put jumping as a prospect or english pleasure. That is horrible to hear how they think you are that young and want to speak to your parents. Send them a copy of your birth certificut! lol jk But even if they are rude to you, dont be rude to them. It will be hard though. Now when I am looking for a horse online, I hate seeing the word "potential" It just means more and more training for me to do. Even if they have "potential" which all horses do, try to put it in other words. Like "He has been in consistent training for ..... years now and is ready to be finished and shown" Also for the title, make that as catchy as possible. Like "16.1 Appendix geld, waiting to be finished for the show ring!!!" Or put a bunch of ~~~~~~ ************ That gets attention in ads. I deff. recommend equine.com But you want a catchy photo. I personally like jumping photos b/c that is what I look for. No boring photos of him eating in the field. I like what you have already though in your message. Put ads on: *equine.com *dreamhorse.com (dont use the instant image but get the spotlight ads) *horsetopia.com ----CHEAP! *equinehits.com For the people, that is rough to deal with! I dont know what to tell you. Maybe on your ads say email ONLY so they cant hear your voice and think your young. ***Also for equine.com they have a new thing called "Guaranteed to Sell " and try to put your ad with the featured ads on the front page when you first sign in. Good luck! Or what you should do, is put your horse at 12,000 wait a week than lower it to 7,000 b/c than he gets noticed on the price list and people realize he needs to sell and you will go lower with the price! Good Luck!
15. Try horsetopia.com. They have great results.
16. He sounds like a fantastic horse and I wish he was a little bigger for my daughter. Have you considered a lease on him? We did that with our daughter's last horse. He came from three hours away and we essentially took over everything (wellness exams, teeth, maintenance injections, shoes etc) and they had the peace of mind that their baby was taken care of and they still owned him. He just went home this past month looking and feeling better than ever and qualified for 4H nationals with the owner's daughter (my daughter worked very hard on him for over a year). I have leased 3 horses over the past 3 years and never had a problem- just make sure you get references. You can even still have him for sale during the lease period.