Horses for sale, listed as being 'FEI quality', etc.

[Live2Jump]

Why is it that when you search for horses for sale, about 50% of the ads say that the horse has 'FEI potential' or are 'FEI Quality'? And they are a yearling so haven't done anything yet, or they haven't been touched in 3 years, or they aren't even registered and the parents never did anything either.... come on, people! Not every horse has FEI potential! Sure, it sounds good, but just saying it about your horse doesn't make it true. There is no way that there are truly THIS MANY FEI prospects out there, flooding the market. Are these sellers just out of touch with reality, or are they counting on attracting buyers that won't know the difference?

Personally, if a horse isn't bound for the Olympics, that doesn't bother me at all. I'd like an athletic horse that looks nice, has a great work ethic and can do it's job well - but let's face it, I'm not going to be riding at FEI level anytime soon. Most of us aren't. And that's ok. I'd rather not pay what an Olympic level horse would really cost anyway.

What other pet peeves do you guys have when you look at horse ads?

[findeight]

Most are delusional because FEI does not have classes for unbroke prospects. See the same claims about "Grand Prix" Jumpers that have never seen a crossrail and "Hunters" that trip over their feet doing simple flatwork.

My other favorites over the years...

16.3=15.1
8 years old=13
Beautiful chestnut=brown
Beautiful blood bay=brown
Beautiful black=brown
WB cross=Morgan/QH.
Papers available=for an additional charge

Then you have the laughable read between the lines ad cliches...

Event prospect=runs off
Brave, no stops=runs off
For experienced rider=runs off
Great jump=out of the pasture
Beautiful mover=down the driveway after jumping out
Easy to work with=if you can catch it
Come ride him=we won't

Always figure it's 2 years older and 2 inches shorter at a minimum.

Sellers have their own issues as well with idiot and delusional buyers.

I have used an agent on the last 5 or 6 I leased or bought.

[farmgirl88]

when people dont CLEAN their animals before taking sale pictures. I have a MAJOR Pet peeve about presenting horses to the best of my ability. EVen in winter, horses legs should be clipped, whiskers clipped, ears shaved, mane trimmed, tail brushed and washed, socks clean and washed, any tack on the horse should be clean, and the coat should be brushed until its gleaming. Show Sheen really works wonders in times of need.

Poor quality sale pictures. A picture is everything. Really. when i shop, at first glance before clicking on an ad- the picture should grab someones attention. even if you have a crappy camera, download a photo program that can help adjust lighting so it makes the picture stand out more, crop the photo so it focuses more on the horse, etc. You dont need to photo shop it to make it "fake", just touch it up a bit and give it some glam.

Have a friend with a higher quality camera come and take a few shots. Stand the horse up correctly, take a bunch of riding shots and pick the best ones that show the horse off nicely.

I dont want to see a horse standin gin mud with it caked all over them with unkempt manes and standing in the field. if you want people to come look at your horse and if you want most for your horse, make a good first impression- its everything

[cu.at.x]

Papers available=for an additional charge

You've got to be kidding me. That is INSANE :no:

[Live2Jump]

Great jump=out of the pasture
Beautiful mover=down the driveway after jumping out


:lol::lol:

I think my other biggest pet peeve is how many people list their horses as being registered so that they come up in searches, but then when you read the ad text, you find out that the horse really isn't. I know that on some sites there is only a place to list a breed - and you have to put something there to give buyers an idea of what you're selling - but it bugs me when there is also a separate box that asks if they are registered or not, and sellers mark it wrong.

[Ravencrest_Camp]

Why is it that when you search for horses for sale, about 50% of the ads say that the horse has 'FEI potential' or are 'FEI Quality'? And they are a yearling so haven't done anything yet, or they haven't been touched in 3 years, or they aren't even registered and the parents never did anything either.... come on, people! Not every horse has FEI potential! Sure, it sounds good, but just saying it about your horse doesn't make it true. There is no way that there are truly THIS MANY FEI prospects out there, flooding the market. Are these sellers just out of touch with reality, or are they counting on attracting buyers that won't know the difference?

Personally, if a horse isn't bound for the Olympics, that doesn't bother me at all. I'd like an athletic horse that looks nice, has a great work ethic and can do it's job well - but let's face it, I'm not going to be riding at FEI level anytime soon. Most of us aren't. And that's ok. I'd rather not pay what an Olympic level horse would really cost anyway.

What other pet peeves do you guys have when you look at horse ads?

You don't mean to imply people misrepresent their sale horses, do you? I would be shocked if sellers were anything more than forthright and honest about the horses they are selling. Say it ain't so. :D

As an adage from the backstretch reminds us, horses are second only to religion in providing opportunities for the unscrupulous to make money from the gullible.

[findeight]

You've got to be kidding me. That is INSANE :no:


Nope, it's seen in the dog and cat world, to charge extra for the papers if buyer wants to breed it-not supposed to but they count on buyer ignorance. See it in some horse deals as well.

How many threads have we seen on here where somebody bought a "registered" horse or pony but never can seem to get those papers out of the owner?

Just has always irked me when they say it's a this or that but have no papers so, really, it's what they used to call a "grade"-it's a mutt of unknown parentage.

Unless they can prove it with papers, it's a nothing. They should focus on what it can do and training in that case...not make claims they cannot back up.

[XenophonKnows]

Was having a similar conversation the other day about FEI Young Horse Dressage Tests. Have heard this from several sellers "Well if we don't sell him/her, we are going to show him/her in the FEI 4-5-6 Year Old Test this year." I guess I am suppose to presume from that statement that they are nice enough for these tests ?? Also, with the introduction of these tests, a nice young horse that might have gone for So Much $ a few years ago is now worth So Much More, BECAUSE, "we'll he's nice enough for the FEI tests..." Which means what, exactly ??

[basil's mom]

It drives me crazy when sellers of 10 yo untouched horses in a field say it has dressage, jumper, hunter potential. It's freaking 10 yo and not halter broke it has the potential to be a French man dinner.

[deltawave]

People have no conception of what a bell curve means, judging by how many "10 movers" are out there. Where are all the "6 movers"? :lol: Apparently not for sale. ;)

[Ambrey]

"10 mover" means "never slows down."

[dalpal]

Oh my favorite....A big fancy ad about this SUPER horse, then you see the picture....it's a head shot of the horse grazing. :lol:

[Live2Jump]

People have no conception of what a bell curve means, judging by how many "10 movers" are out there. Where are all the "6 movers"? :lol: Apparently not for sale. ;)

Oh my favorite....A big fancy ad about this SUPER horse, then you see the picture....it's a head shot of the horse grazing. :lol:

Good ones!! :lol::lol::lol:

[bort84]

I totally agree on the dirty horse thing! I hate it at shows, at sales, in sales ads. Sheesh! Get out a freaking curry, a hose, and some show sheen. I've seen horses led through sales that probably would have gotten at least an extra thousand dollars if SOMEBODY would have taken the time to clip it! I mean, I don't CARE if it's bad, tranquilizer is not that darned expensive!

My horse right now is terrible to clip around the head due to some former owner issues... (I knew the horse before the last owner and I could clip his ears ALONE, now he starts to shake if you get anywhere near his head with them). Anyway, it drives me NUTS that I can't easily clip him, but if I were to market him for sale or take him to a show, um, HELLO, he'd be clean and clipped (and he's a leopard appy, so very difficult to get the yellow out, but he'd still be sparkly).

People are dumb. I can't talk about it too much or I start feeling hopeless or feeling like I need to start saving up for an island where only people I like are allowed on = )

[joiedevie99]

Here's my take on what you might see when you go to try a horse with "upper level" potential. (Disclaimer: obviously some people actually use these terms correctly)

grand prix jumping potential = 1) I saw it jump a out of the field. 2) One day my friend dared me to jump a jump that looked real big and I was stupid enough to try. I didn't die, so clearly the horse is a grand prix jumper.

upper level dressage potential = 1) It walks, trots and canters in the field, when it feels like it. I think it looks pretty running around. 2) It is a nicely bred horse that has flunked out of trail riding, jumping, and everything else we've tried- and since there is really nothing difficult about dressage- he will be perfect for it. 3) It really isn't sound, but the vet said it could "do some flat work" so clearly its new career should be upper level dressage.

[kookicat]

People don't know what it means, and think it sounds good in the ad! My pet hate is the word 'stunning' in every other ad, or in an ad without a picture. If it's that pretty, then add a damn picture!

[bort84]

upper level dressage potential = 1) It walks, trots and canters in the field, when it feels like it. I think it looks pretty running around. 2) It is a nicely bred horse that has flunked out of trail riding, jumping, and everything else we've tried- and since there is really nothing difficult about dressage- he will be perfect for it. 3) It really isn't sound, but the vet said it could "do some flat work" so clearly its new career should be upper level dressage.

Haha, you see that a LOT in breeds that aren't generally dressage-type breeds. For example, I love a nice saddlebred, and I think there are quite a few that would make lovely lovely upper level dressage horses; unfortunately, people quite often think "dressage" just means, well, he can't trot high enough for saddle seat, so I'm CERTAIN he'll be a GREAT dressage prospect. (Um, no... That long back and weak hind end certainly doesn't make a good upper level dressage prospect either...)

Honestly, as someone who grew up riding saddle seat (and who still does but has also moved into the dressage/jumping world), I totally used to think the same thing - as a little kid though, haha. I was surrounded by people that said they did "dressage," and they all rode poorly trained, choppy going, lazy horses. So I assumed all people who did "dressage" rode that way. I knew there were good upper level riders somewhere competing at the Olympics, but other than that, I put most "dressage" riders into the category of "people who really just want to ride quiet trail horses (totally fine!) but want to pretend they are fancy by saying they do dressaaaaahge"

Anyway, long post, but the point is, I think people that aren't familiar with dressage assume any reject that can't cut it in the "show horse" breed show world will be a GREAT dressage prospect, because how hard can it be? Haha.

[Jaegermonster]

They do that with horses marked "foxhunting prospects" too. When I see that in an ad I look the other way.
9/10 the advertiser has only seen a foxhunt in a picture, and wouldn't know a foxhound if it peed on their leg.
And the horse is not a nice enough mover or jumper to be a real show hunter, not brave enough to event, and won't leave the barn by itself to trailride. So they try to pass it off on the foxhunters. All the while not realizing that a foxhunter must be a mix of the best of all of the above.

of course there are execeptions, people like Diane Crump and so on, but most of the time a "foxhunting prospect" is anything but.

[Mardi]

Why is it that when you search for horses for sale, about 50% of the ads say that the horse has 'FEI potential' or are 'FEI Quality'? And they are a yearling so haven't done anything yet...

What other pet peeves do you guys have when you look at horse ads?

First about the FEI quality...just last night I was looking at videos on YouTube of offspring of a stallion I like. Sure enough, one of the foals for sale was listed as FEI quality. I wondered what the heck did that mean. As if FEI inspects foals or something. Good grief.

My pet peeve about horse ads ? Poorly dressed riders and/or poor equitation.

One video I watched had a very nice dressage horse being ridden by someone in a tank top...she was pale and very heavy set....so unfortunate that she could not have put on a nice polo shirt or something less sloppy.

[saultgirl]

My peeves:
1. Bad pictures.
2. Stolen pictures.

[dalpal]

My peeves:
1. Bad pictures.
2. Stolen pictures.

Oh..this reminded me of another..

How about the one's who only show a picture of the stallion and not the horse that is actually for sale. :lol:

You see this fancy horse for a doable price..click on the ad and see something like.."Note, the horse in the picture is not the horse for sale, but the sire or the dam or a full brother, aunt, cousin, friend"..but not the actual horse. :lol:

[Alagirl]

FEI prospect: Ribbon pony...

http://www.reit-und-fahrschule.de/tl_files/reit_fahrschule/2008/paul_mit_schleifen.jpg

[DesignerLabel]

Ok, my pet peeve is when every horse with a pulse is a "gorgeous mover." There was a woman at the barn I used to board at that described every one of her own horses that way (WP paints). I finally got sick of hearing it and asked her why that particular horse was a gorgeous mover, and she replied, "Well, uh, he keeps his head down."

So there you have it.

Liz

[pinecone]

"10 mover" - not likely!

"FEI potential" - but with no talent or bloodlines or training or anything to indicate this might be true. Or worse - "Grand Prix potential", or even "Olympic potential".

calling every Morgan/QH/Appy/grade mystery cross either an American Warmblood or a Sport Horse.

"scoring in the 70's" - except it's Intro Level, at a schooling show, judged by their barn owner.

lying about age, registration, size, lying at all

any add with an overabundance of !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or ************.

anything that's 15.6 hands, or with good confirmation, or by a mare and out of a stallion, or with good gates or a long flowing main.

any mention of Parelli

[2foals]

Event prospect=runs off
Brave, no stops=runs off
For experienced rider=runs off
Great jump=out of the pasture
Beautiful mover=down the driveway after jumping out
Easy to work with=if you can catch it
Come ride him=we won't



I've had a rotten day, but this made me laugh! Thank you so much for posting!

[Frog]

"10 Mover"

EVERY sale ad in Virginia! That's my biggest pet peeve by a long shot.

BTW,

Cuuuuuute ribbon pony!

[slc2]

I think the funniest thing was the guy who wanted to show us the 'grand prix prospect' that as about 4, a failed steeplechaser, and had the horse go sideways to show us a 'shoulder in'. It was a fascinating vision of equestrian art.

and the 19 years old, green broke, raced as a two year old, old cold bow, 'Grand Prix Prospect'

The greatest '10 mover' I ever saw, when we got there, he had some neurological disorder that made him fall down all the time.

Follow that dream!