Advice? Marketing in a difficult economy

[cmdrcltr]

I'm seeking ideas for marketing a "hard-to-market" horse in this economy. I've put my horse up for sale as he has turned out to be more horse than I can handle. With job and child I only ride 2-3 times a week; he needs more like 5-6 rides a week.

Soooo, he's an eight-year-old saddlebred (shown hunter pleasure and training level dressage) who tends to be anxious. He will trail ride with a group, but you have to be on your toes because he'll find monsters in the woods;). He has been shown in "Hunter Hack" and will jump small basic fences that are not too scary. He does crib, especially when eating, but to date has had no health problems because of his cribbing. When he has plenty of turnout he cribs much less frequently.

I bought him as a lower level dressage prospect, and I still think he has potential for that, but he needs much more time than I have.

So, this isn't an advertisement--I know that's not allowed in the forum. I'm just curious how people might go about selling this kind of horse. I can't afford to just give him away. (Plus my non-horsey husband would probably kill me if I took an entire loss on this venture!:D)

Thanks.

CmdrCltr

[BelladonnaLily]

The only advice I really have is to price him accordingly. Don't expect to get out of him what you've put into him. Rarely happens in cases like these. I see people frequently overpricing horses such as these "because he really has SO much potential for the right person". Your horse may be very nice, but he is mostly floating on potential at this point. Plus, he cribs, is spooky to trail ride, is anxious, needs alot of schooling and doesn't have serious show miles. And IMHO, the only ones who sell for big money today on potential alone are the fancy warmblood prospects. So, if it were me, I'd market him just like any other horse, but don't expect much money. Or, if you want to gamble and you REALLY believe in him, try to find the right person to free lease for a year...you will get miles and "potentially" make him more marketable, and relieve yourself of expenses for a year. If you don't need the money now and you like the horse enough, that is what I'd do. Selling horses, especially hard ones, is a PITA. Make it as easy on yourself as you can!

So, check out what like horses are selling for and price a little lower, if he really needs to be gone.

Good luck :)

[SEP]

I would market him more in the Saddlebred area, there are people that want Saddlebreds because they are Saddlebreds not just for the saddle seat disiplie. Good luck.

[Valentina_32926]

I agree that saddlebred people are best bet, especially as saddlebreds aren't the typical choice for dressage.

From your description I'd say $1500 for him should get him sold - so evaluate how much you think he's worth cause I couldn't see anyone buying him for much more than that - too many nice horses on the market (not saying he's not) that don't crib and aren't spooky.

He's just not experienced enough in dressage to market as a dressage horse and too spooky to market as trail horse - I'm think teenage (or alightly older) girls (velcro riders) are your best bet (at a low price).

[Nes]

Maybe you can find a half-leasor until you can sell him?
That was you can keep putting miles on him and not shoulder all the riding yourself.

[kellyb]

Be honest (disclose everything in the ad up front), be ready to take a loss (don't expect to get what you paid + board + feeding him for 2 yrs/etc), and if you can't keep him going, find someone with more time to ride him so he will be at his best when a potential buyer comes to see him.

[Lori B]

Write a quality ad if you are posting him online. That is:

PROOFREAD the ad copy for spelling and grammar.
Include a well-lit conformation photo in front of a nice plain background, a head shot, and a picture of him under saddle. (1 and 3 are critical, 2 is 'nice to have'.) Well-lit means get the sun coming in behind your photographer.
Make sure he is groomed and shiny clean for his pics.
Answer all the basics about him in his ad: height, build, temperament, health, age, breeding, color, etc.
Ask your trainer, horsey friends, etc. if they have any trainer friends / acquaintances who might have students in the market for a horse like him.
Post flyers at the local feed store / tack shop.
Post flyers at local show venues; the breed folks might be your best bet.
Post him on-line at your local pony club's website. There are many pony club riders with more time than money, and you say that time is what he'd need to go well.
These things sound so simple, but so many ads fail at these things. Good luck.

[bludejavu]

You will increase your marketability if there is a chance he could be ridden successfully as a saddle seat horse. Incidentally, the cribbing might be caused by an ulcer since you say he cribs while he is eating mainly. Can the cribbing be controlled with a collar - if so, be sure and state that in your ad. Many people don't mind a cribber that can be controlled easily. I've been involved with Saddlebreds most of my life and if I were a potential buyer looking at your ad, I would want to see decent pictures (not the blurry shots stolen off a tape, or strictly head shots that I often see), a firm price or name your price and put that you are negotiable, how the horse's ground manners are (i.e., clipping, bathing, loading, etc.), and how solid he is in his gaits (i.e., a square trot, a collected canter, a flat walk, etc.). There is a much broader base of people looking for a saddle seat Saddlebred than a hunter/dressage type Saddlebred (although there is a big push to increase that marketing venue as well). Also, if he is registered, be sure and provide his bloodlines.

Just some food for thought - good luck with getting him sold.

[vbunny]

Stop trying to sell him ;). Everything I don't want sold yet has people lining up for them. Very depressing.

[cmdrcltr]

Thanks for the advice so far.

Lori B, his ad is well written (I'm an English teacher:D), and I have a nice under saddle shot and an okay head shot. I've never taken a conformation shot of him; I'll have to do that.

I certainly don't expect to get my board/vet/training expenses back; that's completely unrealistic. And I've advertised him at less than I purchased him for two years ago when the economy was better.

Bludejavu, thanks for the tips, but he's not a saddleseat horse. He's bred to the hilt to be one, but has no desire to work in an upheaded frame. (Except for when he's spooking. :eek:) In fact, I got him because his owner/breeder is exclusively a saddleseat person. I'd love to have ideas on where the markets are for Saddlebreds, especially those that aren't saddleseat. It's not here in Maine!

[blaster]

As I buyer in this market, I have been terribly disheartened by the total lack of effort sellers are putting in. Ditto Lori B. Although nothing strikes my fancy (yet) on this site, I think it gives VERY good idea what is needed to sell a horse:

http://www.sellthehorse.com/tips

[WendellsGirl]

Hit all the saddlebred/saddleseat sites with classifieds - the hunt seat country pleasure market is growing by leaps and bounds because traditional saddlebred people see it as more of a horse they could keep at home and show and sometimes as a more manageable horse for a more timid show rider.


In my opinion, there is no value to try to market him as a potential saddleseat horse when that is clearly what he is not good at. :) Capitalize on the good "stuff" - he's a dressage-y saddlebred!

[bludejavu]

If he's not meant to go in the saddle seat direction, it's a much harder sell. Advertise him locally in any flyers available to you or post signs and put them in feed stores if they allow it. Do you think he might do well as a western show horse for the Saddlebred breed shows? Those are also a little more in demand than the hunter type is.

Not trying to turn your horse into something he isn't ;), but just exploring all avenues.