Help!

[morbidmissfit]

I have to sell my lovely mare due to finance and time restrictions. She has been for sale for a year and I am getting nowhere! I have her listed on equine.com, equinenow and horsetopia. Behind the cut I've included a couple of pictures and videos of her as well as the text from the ads I have posted. I am wondering if anyone has any advice as to

Comments

[lurath]

I'm not a jumper, so I'm sure someone else can comment on the videos. My first thought would be that you should have better conformation pictures - with her standing perpendicular to the camera and on a hard surface (so her hooves can he seen). AND for your asking price, better video quality (as in, not so wobbly and unclear!).

I'd elaborate on her training as well - how many days of professional training has she had? And what about her show record?

As for price, it does seem rather high. In the area of the U.S. I am located in, I've seen accomplished warmblood show jumpers go for around $15k. Or horses that have established special skills. Even though your price is negotiable, you may be missing out on buyers who don't search in that price range.

She's a cute lady - good luck! The horse market is crappy right now (from what I've seen).

[morbidmissfit]

Thanks for the reply! It is crappy right now. So frustrating!

Ah, this is what I mean about price being a fickle subject. In my area, horses that haven't even been started under saddle are listed in the 20k range. Established jumpers are anywhere from 30k-100+k. It's ridiculous!

I will try and get better photos. Unfortunately it is winter now and she is hairy (and doesn't look as nice!)

[lurath]

Do you know if the horses are selling for the price they are listed at? That might be something to investigate!

I personally wouldn't be turned off by winter fuzzies - maybe include the sleek photos and a fuzzy one with her set up just to see her conformation?

[morbidmissfit]

They are selling. I know a girl who sells a lot of comparable horses in that price range, and she has offered to help me out, but she has been rather busy and I can't really keep waiting around for her. I want to at least get my horse out there and some interest generated!

True, I could include it with the photos I already have. There are so many snobs here that will dismiss fuzzy outdoor horses, so would be best to have both sets of photos!

[quietann]

Hm, just a few ideas...

The "blanket size" people and those who ask other weird questions may just be kids who are cruising the ads, dreaming of buying a horse. Some people ignore them; others send back a polite canned email or text.

The little head flip she does in the videos is distracting and slightly concerning. Not sure hunter people would go for that even if it's fixable. Have you had this checked by a vet or a trainer?

For the price... yes, you would do better with better video.

Have you networked at all? Let trainers know the horse is for sale, posted flyers at tack stores and shows, etc.?

[morbidmissfit]

Thanks for replying!

I do reply back nicely, but it's just a little frustrating after all of this going back and forth to find out you have been dealing with a child!

The head tossing is her greenness showing through. She likes to try and resist contact on the reins. She needs to be in a program working 5-6 days a week - unfortunately I do not have the time or funds to keep up with it anymore. She is not a horse you can jump on and take to a show. She still needs some work. I actually did some posters up last week. I don't have many contacts, but my trainer does. He says he has been spreading the word, but...

[quietann]

Shoot, it sounds like you are really doing the right things. I do know some people have had success if they pull the horse off the market until early spring. Sometimes people just look and see an ad has been up for a long time, and assume the horse has something really wrong with it.

[morbidmissfit]

You know, I tried that too, haha. I wasn't getting much response from my online ads, so after 3 months when they expired, I didn't bother to spend the $$ to renew. There isn't much action going on show wise, now that it's winter, so this is typically the time when people shop for new horses, so they have the winter to train and prep for show season. I guess everyone is busy with Christmas coming up. Hopefully I will get more interest after the new year.

Thanks again! :)

[morbidmissfit]

I get what you're saying. The 'walk around' is a good idea. Did they purchase that horse solely off the video, or did they come out and try him? I'm not expecting anyone to look at the video and say "I'll take her!" but more trying to show a bit of what she looks like, how she jumps, etc so that they will come out and try her for themselves, if that makes sense! I realize if a potential buyer is quite a distance away, they will want to see more videos along the lines of what you mentioned. I will work on that!

Thank you for the feedback!

[morbidmissfit]

Oh okay! Thanks so much for the suggestions. I actually had a pre-purchase exam done 2 years ago when I bought this mare, and had front x-rays done as well. I'm sure the vet could send them to me!

[greyskyridge]

That is a nice horse which could be a six figure horse some day. I don't think it is fancy enough for the hunters because it doesn't move well enough (typey enough maybe I should say) and seems to get hotter on course, but it has a great jump and looks quite suitable for the jumpers

[morbidmissfit]

Thank you so much! It makes me happy to know that someone with an outside perspective sees the potential in her that I do. I'm a bit biased because she is mine and I love her, so it's nice to hear it from someone else!

I am currently only working her 3 days a week, and am only able to jump once a week. It's a barn rule that you can only jump in lessons. I think if she were in a proper program working 5-6 days a week she might be quiet enough for the hunters, but maybe not. She doesn't have the best movement, but she does have a really cute jump.

Thanks for the advice. I will try and get her a bit more polished and start reaching out to more trainers!

[concretengrace]

I use Dreamhorse.com a lot. And Facebook groups in your area if available. Does she have a show record?