Selling a horse in a tough economy can be a difficult thing to accomplish. And selling a horse in the middle of a harsh winter in snow country can be downright impossible. I’ve been helping my folks advertise a few of their Quarter Horses for sale in Idaho, and have found some tips and ideas to help their chances of finding a buyer. I’ll share them here, so if you’re trying to sell a horse as well, you might find these tips helpful.
The power of the internet is getting stronger by the minute. Take advantage of the many horse classified websites that offer free listings or very reasonable rates on photo ads. This instantly gets your horse’s picture in front of thousands of viewers. I have found that the free sites are often just as successful as the paid sites, and I post the same ad on as many different websites as I can find. To easily set up a “horse for sale” ad, first type up a good description of your horse. Save it to your computer so you can access it and simply copy and paste it into the “description” blank on each horse classifieds website. Keep another document handy to record all of your login information and passwords for each site you sign up at. This will be helpful if you need to come back later and edit your ads or add more photos.
Some of my favorite horse classifieds websites are:
- Liverystable.net
- Dreamhorse.com
- EquineNow.com
- EquineHits.com
- Horsetopia.com
- Horseclicks.com
- HorseCity.com
- LeftysStable.com
Another useful internet tool for local sales is the ever popular Craigslist.org. I like using this website because it gets more immediate results, and I think a lot of people check the “farm/garden” section every day, where legal sales of agricultural livestock is permitted. This is a great place to list your horse, but be prepared for a few “scam” emails, and do not reply unless you’re certain you have a valid horse enthusiast on the line. It’s free to list a horse, post up to four photos, and even put in a link to your own website or video, if you like. There isn’t a way to list pedigree information, but it’s easy to post your horse’s pedigree on AllBreedPedigree.com or another horse classifieds site, then just put a link on your Craigslist ad that points to your horse’s pedigree on the other website.
One of the most important ingredients in selling a horse successfully is to get some really good photos taken. Even the best horse can look horrible in a bad photo, so put your horse in the best light possible. Spend some time shining him up, think about the best possible backgrounds for photos, and make sure your horse is positioned correctly to make him appear proportionate in the picture. A friend of mine at New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program takes in retired racehorses, trains them for riding or jumping, and then adopts them out for very reasonable adoption fees. They have a professional photographer come to their barn and take beautiful photos of each horse, and these horses look like a million bucks when you look at their website. They’ve been finding great homes for their horses all winter long, so I know it’s possible—if you present your horse well.
You can also improve your chances of selling a horse by networking with all of the horse people you know personally. Get your horse out there—attend fun shows, go on organized trail rides, get together with horse people and mention that you’re selling your horse—you never know who might be interested, or who might know someone who is looking for a horse just like yours. Put up a flyer at your tack shop and feed store, print a business card with your horse’s photo, and hang them at local stables, sale barns, veterinarians, and even gas station bulletin boards. We horse-crazy people are all the same—if there’s a horse poster in sight, we stop and look at it! You never know who might view yours and inquire about your horse for sale.
Be proactive about meeting with interested buyers and showing them your horse. Return all emails (except scammy ones!) and phone messages, and don’t look at it as a chore to have people come and look at your horse. I have read a few ads that state “no tire kickers” and threaten to charge a viewing fee of $50 if you don’t buy the horse from them—that’s ridiculous! It’s to your benefit that you present your horse professionally and graciously. You never know when people might change their minds and decide to buy your horse after all. If you are serious about selling, be up front with your asking price, but let buyers know if you are open to offers. If you find a buyer who would give your horse a good home and a better future, be prepared to come down on your price if they make an offer.
These are just a few ways to improve your selling chances—during winter, or anytime! I think there is still a strong market for good riding horses, and if you utilize these suggestions, you will have a good chance of selling your horse.
{ 1 comment }
I loved your “No tire kickers” quote. I was looking for a horse for my wife a couple years ago and came across an ad for a horse that seemed to be exactly what we were looking for, but the ad said “Bring money and a trailer, no free rides”. I thought you want me to pull a trailer 2 hours to look at a horse I can’t ride before buying? Needless to say we found a breeder that was very friendly and even took us on a trail ride so we could see how she rode in the real world. Needless to say we bought the mare and have been very happy with her. You have the right idea, it is easy to put off the very person who would buy your horse.