The Horse Market: the Seller Views and Tips by Guest Blogger Jeanine Biemond

The Seller’s Point of View

Whether you are a first time seller or run a sales barn, both can learn from these tips!

Selling a horse is not easy, especially if you have not sold a horse before. You get attached emotionally to your horse, and when you have to sell him for whatever reason, it is very difficult. First, you will need to evaluate your horse. Take into consideration his age, temperament, level of training, current market, etc. If you are not sure yourself, contact an experienced seller who knows all about the market and the horse. Have a reasonable asking price.

Next you will want to make a video and photos! The first thing you want to do when you put your horse up for sale is make a professional video showing everything the horse can do. Just taking your phone and making a video of one minute does not do. You want to represent the horse as good as possible! Make sure your horse is groomed neatly with legs, ears, bridle path, tail and nose clipped. Make your horse look like he is going to a show! Have him braided and looking his best. One trick to making the horse’s coat shine is baby oil. Put some baby oil on a towel and rub it around the eyes and nose also put shiny hoof oil on his hooves. When you make the video, make it in nice surroundings. A very nice looking arena already makes the horse look nicer too. The rider should wear neat clothes and nothing that will disturb the view when looking at the video. If you are not skilled to make a good video, consider asking a friend or a professional to shoot the video. At the same time have a photographer present to take photos, that way you have everything done at once. I cannot stress enough how important a good sales video is! It is what potential clients see and will base their first impression off of!

Write a detailed description about your horse including if he was imported, age, level, height, temperament, show experience, suitability for amateur, JR/YR or professional. Also tell a bit about his personality. Do be honest about your horse and his ability.

When potential buyers schedule an appointment, do ask a few questions. You do not want an amateur rider come to see your horse who is not suitable for an amateur. I always like to have the horse groomed and braided about 15 minutes before clients arrive. So that I can welcome the clients and not have to scramble to get the horse ready at the last minute. I like to warm up the horse as usual and show some movements. Then ask the client if they would like to see anything else or would like to try the horse. I always ask if they would like help from me or want to try things out by themselves first.

Selling horses is frustrating at times. You will get tire kickers. You will get people who pretend to want to buy, but actually want to have a nice ride on your horse. But it is absolutely wonderful when you get clients who have been searching for that one horse and they find it in yours! I love matching the right riders with the right horses, because I can give them joy for many years with their new horse.