Selling your horse isn’t always a simple transaction, often it can be very difficult to find a good home – the right home – once you’ve decided to sell it. Taking the time to prepare your horse for sale entails washing and grooming; transportation to a sale barn, consigning it, and then hoping to catch the eye of an interested buyer. All of that requires a lot of time and preparation for an event which carries no guarantee for the seller. It can often be a palpable blow to the owner of the horse when there is no interest or only lower than expected prices are offered. An alternative to the barn sales approach is to use online sellers. Horses for sale on the internet is a relatively new outlet for selling, but it can be effective. Perhaps more effective even than the conventional methods since potential buyers from just about anywhere in the world are able to view your horse, unlike in-person sales which will likely only have buyers from the local vicinity.
Online horse sales clearly offer a lot of positive aspects – the biggest positive is also its most convenient aspect; you don’t have to physically go anywhere – you can sell at the price you want, easily turn away buyers who try to barter or offer lower than desired money and you can communicate with multiple buyers at the same time. Those aren’t the only differences however, not being face to face with a potential buyer requires a different protocol; while less grooming and show preparation is required, you will have to get some pictures prepared for your ad and the actual ad must be enticing enough to generate interest in conjunction with some quality photos. Many of these requirements aren’t necessarily skills that horse breeders may imbue or be familiar with, so there is always the possibility of having to bring in outside help to assist you in your online preparation. Below are some tips for making your transaction and your transition to internet selling a smooth one.
The content in your online ad is vital. While it can be argued that ultimately it is the pictures that will sell your horse, the ad content needs to be top notch. Describe everything about your horse as accurately as possible and try not to skip any details; a potential buyer is more likely to read your ad and follow up with you when interesting details are provided, even if it does look like a massive wall of text. While humor may work as a part of advertising in many arenas, horse sales isn’t one of them – keep the ad factual and state what buyers want to know: pedigree, disposition, previous owners, etc.
The next most important thing after ad content? Photos. Buyers will look at the photo first; if it makes an impression they will likely take the time to read your entire description and possibly contact you if they’re interested. You can enlist a professional photographer if you’d like; if you choose to do it yourself, take photos of anything important (“detail shots” – up close), however the main photo in your ad should be a nice large photo of your horse from the side. Make sure its entire body is visible, nothing should be cropped out. Avoid using post production filters or anything else that will artificially enhance the picture – if your photo is well-lit, you won’t need anything else.
Make sure all of your contact info including email, mobile, etc., is accurate and up to date. If you get a new phone or email account after you’ve posted the ad, update the information as soon as possible to keep your ad current and correct. Always strive to respond to interested buyers as soon as possible and answer inquiries honestly. If you’ve determined the buyer is serious, you can proceed with setting up an appointment for a viewing.
If you’re moving on to a legitimate transaction, make sure any terms and conditions are agreed upon by both parties; you can both take signed copies when you meet in person. You’ll have to schedule when the buyer is going to transfer registration (when required) and you may also want to include a first-rights-to-buy-back option also. Just make sure everything regarding the transaction is laid out in detail, that both you and the seller agree to the terms and that both parties have signed the bill of sale, each receiving a copy for your records.
