Selling a Horse- What Are the Basics?

1. The first step is making the decision and understanding that the decision to sell your horse is just as important as the decision to buy it was. You want to commit yourself to finding your horse the best possible home you can for a reasonable price and in a reasonable time frame. 2. Determine your price based on what others are asking for horses with similar training, experience, age, specialty and achievements. Be sure your comfortable with the price before you commit yourself to selling for that amount. 3. Take good pictures with the horse standing squarely and alert, or with a nicely dressed rider on the horse in motion, or one just standing but looking amazing. Bad photos will send buyers looking elsewhere- remember, your picture is your horses' first impression on their new owner. 4. SIt down and write up an advertisement that will go in papers and onto online classifieds. Briefly describe the horses' age, gender, height, weight, color and breed(s). List any training and what level riders the horse is suited for; be sure to include any special talents or qualities. List an asking price and obo (or best offer) if you are taking offers. Be sure you include your contact information! 5. Go back over your advertisement and make sure there are no spelling or grammar errors as these can make a seller appear uneducated and as though they do not care about their horse since they can't be bothered to make sure their advertisement courts the buyer. 6. Post your ad online, in local and regional newspapers and magazines, create fliers and post them around and spread the news by word of mouth. 7. Make appointments for people to view the horse and space them out so that you don't have people lined up waiting for a chance to view your horse. Make sure each interested buyer gets a fair amount of time to properly evaluate your horse and see both it and you in your best form. 8. Show up early to the appointment and make sure your horse is well groomed and looking its best, that you have any paperwork such as vaccine records, pedigree, and anything else the buyer may want to see. Be well dressed yourself so that you and your horse are looking your best, and keep your cell phone on hand in case they call for directions. 9. Introduce yourself to the buyer and then introduce your horse to the buyer. You want to be professional but friendly and keep everyone as comfortable as possible. Make sure you're open to any questions and ask the buyer if they have any when you begin. If they have no questions, then provide positive, but honest points about your horse. 10. Tack up your horse and ride them so the buyer can see how they look and handle being tacked and ridden. Have them sign a waiver, and then let them climb up and give the horse a go as well. It is important that your horse and potential buyer get to work together before the purchase. 11. Let the buyer ride for a bit and then answer any questions they may have while you work on cooling your horse down. 12. Always let the buyer bring up price first. This puts the ball in your court and gives you room to negotiate. You and the buyer may go back and forth a few times in price before you settle the deal. 13. Always Always Always have a pre-purchase vet exam performed. Either you or the buyer can pay for this. 14. Do not let the horse go until the payment for the horse has cleared the bank or you have been paid in cash. 15. Provide all paperwork necessary to transfer ownership. Remember, the new owner is responsible for all transportation. Make sure this is clear in any selling agreement. Once the horse is loaded into the trailer, you do not want to be responsible for it any longer.