Are horses just not selling or could it be my ad?

[racingdemon]

I'm selling my little mare, mainly because at 14.2 she's just a bit small, but i've had her advertised for almost a month now, on H&H, Horsemart, Horsedeals, & i've just put her on the PC website, and i've had one phone call!

The ad includes all the usual, i've three pictures included, what more can i add?

i think she's quite sensibly priced,

last time i sold something it was a 12.2 & i had lots of people ring up even if some were just to find he wasn't what they wanted, but one phone call (& she wasn't what they wanted)??

any suggestions?

Left over BBQ & some pimms!

 

[Girlracer]

I know how you feel, I'm trying to sell my thoroughbred and not getting much interest.

 

[RachelFerd]

I am trying to sell THE most straightforward and easy TB in the entire country, and yet still no interest. B*gger trying to sell something sharp, that's all I can say!

 

[supersally]

Yes same problem here we have a WBx mare advertised on H&H & BE and not one phone call ! Do people dislike Chestnut mares that much ?

 

[dressagelove]

I know how you feel, I'm trying to sell my thoroughbred and not getting much interest.

Snap. OP think the market is just completely dead.

 

[TGM]

If you PM me the advert I will have a look.

 

[EllieandGeorge]

Feel free to PM me the ad as well if you want.
Obviously make sure you have good clear photos, of her competing if possible, videos of her doing everything, well written ad, and if you've got everything right then unfortunatrly I think the only way to sell quickly is to put a low price.

 

[Super_starz]

I sold my project 14.2 through preloved, so that may be worth a try

 

[LadyRascasse]

Feel free to pm me the ad, I am happy to give you my 2p worth.

 

[BigYellowHorse]

I have a stupidly cheap youngster for sale and absolutely nothing!

Not even the usual numpties on preloved!

I refuse to advertise anything on Facebook other than a page dedicated to dilutes.

 

[cundlegreen]

I was going to advertise my 5 year old. You've all put me off now!!

 

[showpony]

Girl I know has had an amazing potential event horse for sale for the past yr, 3 price drops later horse still for sale!

 

[Turks]

I just paid £3.5 for a lovely Chacoa 16.2 gelding just turning 4 now. Hacked him out today. He saw everything and brave as a little lion. Want him to event (lower levels only sadly!) and v. pleased with him. Goes first or last etc etc.
Are you lot saying I could have bought that for half the money... If so don't tell me...

 

[snooples]

Horses are really not selling right now so its resulting in a lot of cheap horses turning up.

I remember I posted in a thread here weeks ago saying how cheap you can get a horse for these days and got a lot of abuse saying there is obviously something wrong with all those horses and I clearly didnt have a clue how much it costs to breed and raise a horse.
Looks like I wasnt wrong!!

 

[emmab13]

Er, I have to disagree. If you have the right horse, at the right price it will sell. I have one in to sell at a time to earn some extra cash, either on sales livery or I buy one to sell.
The last three have gone to the first people who came to view, and two of those have sold through word of mouth. One sold after four days.
Marketed correctly, with proper professional looking pictures, at the right price horses are selling. A wonky picture of your horse tied up outside its stable, or grazing, or showing poor technique over 2'6", or landing after a fence (when nothing looks its best), or taken from the front so it looks like it has a massive head. These are all things that will not sell your horse.

A picture of a clean horse sideways on, stood up correctly against a nice, not busy background will sell. A trotting shot where the inside foreleg is reaching forward and the horse is on the bridle in a snaffle will sell.
I just despair when I see adverts with a rubbish picture of the horse doing none of the things stated in the ad, then a price tag that is far too high.

 

[measles]

I have to say I agree with emmab13. As most of you know as well as working full time I source and produce a small number of Irish horses as I am from Ireland originally. We have never been busier with requests for us to source horses for clients and I have a queue of clients waiting to view the 5yo's who arrived last week after I have assessed fully how they settle into a new home.

People may come to us because of the multiple pages of messages from happy clients on our small website but those advertising horses often hamper the sales of their own horses as emmab13 says with bad photos and key information missing from adverts.

Good quality photos side on untacked and ridden are a must. The time taken preparing to advertise is time saved after advertising often, and social media can often help these days so is well worth engaging with.

Sensible pricing is also crucial but take care not to price so cheaply that potential purchasers think there is an issue with the horse. Of course if there is, honesty is crucial too.

I'm always happy to provide advice and help those selling so anyone struggling is welcome to pm me and I'll help fellow HHO'ers with their advert and strategy.

 

[mtj]

Can I back up the photo comments.

I'm still at the window shopping stage, looking at ads but not picking up phone, but do wonder at some adverts.

Seen a horse advertised on a dressage specific website wearing a martingale, and clearly cantering hollow engaging the martingale. When the seller appears to be unaware of what is required in that discipline, it leads me to lack confidence in anything else their advertisement may claim.

 

[tinap]

My friends also been trying to sell a fab 14hh chestnut mare with BS qualifications & the lot & has had only 2 calls & 1 viewing (where the lass was far too big for her ). She's been up for sale for 5 months with 2 price drops & its driving her insane. The trouble is she has no rider young enough to jump her now so she's just getting wasted, its so frustrating x

 

[TarrSteps]

I would agree that the 'right' horse, presented well, will find a market.

The problem comes when there is a hole in the horse (even if the seller doesn't see it that way) or the presentation is off somehow. This can be something as simple as not having a rider for the horse who can do what the horse needs. People are being careful with their money these days and are less inclined to take a punt or trust to luck. So if, for instance, you're selling a horse on its hacking prowess then you need to be able to show that, even if it means taking the horse out somewhere. Ditto competing - if it hasn't been in a ring for x years then people are going to wonder why, even if there is a valid reason to hand. This may not be fair but I'm surprised how many sellers seem to want buyers to overlook an issue or take them at their word.

 

[Honey08]

Sometimes you just have to be patient. When I sold my last two ponies, buyers were like buses, they seemed to come in waves, nothing for a week or two, then loads at once!

 

[tinap]

Oh I agree Honey I had almost given up selling our pony, he had been on & off for sale for a year with a patch of injury in the middle. I was beginning to think he would be with us forever (which would have been fine if I could keep more than & didn't need to upgrade the daughter to horses) & then out of the blue came a wonderful family who loved him to bits & he moved to his new home 2 weeks later xx

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

I have just bought a horse having been looking for about 6 months. I have only viewed 3 others mainly because they were nearby or recommended by a friend.

The horse I bought was from my old employer who let me have him for 8 weeks on trial although I had him vetted and bought him after 4 weeks. I got to try him out in every situation I wanted to, saw how he was at home etc etc. By far the best way to buy a horse!!

However, I was only looking for a nice, safe hunter and would trawl through Horsequest, Horsemart, NFED and H&H every day and nothing jumped out at me. I cannot tell you why though!! I don't think price is the problem... I knew what I had to spend and it wasn't much but there were plenty of horses about for the money I had. Some adverts seemed too good to be true. Others had dreadful pictures or were not a novice ride which, to me, means a lunatic or some were too far away. No advert really jumped out at me.

 

[Girlracer]

I have one photo of my horse going XC, one hunting, one show jumping, one of him stood up, and one of him at the NYD meet with the Cottesmore. All of which are taken on a very good camera and look professional. He's priced to sell and I don't think the ad is bad at all, it does say he's not a novice ride... Which he isn't?

What more can I do?

 

[measles]

I have one photo of my horse going XC, one hunting, one show jumping, one of him stood up, and one of him at the NYD meet with the Cottesmore. All of which are taken on a very good camera and look professional. He's priced to sell and I don't think the ad is bad at all, it does say he's not a novice ride... Which he isn't?

What more can I do?

Not novice ride makes people often worry that a horse is much more of a handful than it actually is, so expanding that a little to make a very brief reference to the type of ride he is may help.

 

[PorkChop]

I have just sold a homebred mare that has been on the market since last Autumn. I had no enquiries over the winter, but have had a great deal in the last few weeks.

I am not entirely convinced it is weather related though, it is just the right person at the right time.

I agree make sure your photos are really good and I had made some videos, which I think are really important.

Good luck.

 

[Girlracer]

Don't worry I've just had an email...

Hello Mate,
i will like to have the asking price of your HORSE

(it does say on the advert...)

 

[milo'n'molly]

Not novice ride makes people often worry that a horse is much more of a handful than it actually is, so expanding that a little to make a very brief reference to the type of ride he is may help.

this, I wouldn't consider myself a novice rider, have had ponies/ horses since a child and have done all sorts of activities and backed my last 3 horses myself but would have to really like the horse to consider an ad that says not a novice ride as I read that as " you're buying yourself some issues" .
Something like not suitable for total novices due to age (for a young horse) or responsive ride would be less off putting but to be honest I'd probably leave it off altogether as the potential buyers can talk to you in more details when they call

 

[Jesstickle]

O god, this thread has depressed me beyond words. I have to sell my horse and she isn't a novice ride and she has a badly blemished hock.

I'm not going to be able to am I?! Balls

 

[laura-c]

I agree with the thread re: terrible ads.. I have had to trawl through a lot of rubbish!

I'm looking for a 4-7yo 15.2-16.2 (but flexible on all of this really) with the ability to jump amateur tracks... I don't want a worldbeater and definitely don't want to pay £10k for the pleasure, just something relatively straightforward that will jump up to 1.20m ish.. can't find anything for the life of me that isn't silly £££££!

 

[Tangaroo]

I think they are selling if the ad is written well. I sold my boy not long ago. I put 3 photos on the ad, one of him side on, one doing flatwork and one jumping. I also added 2 videos, one of him jumping and one of him flatworking.
I was lucky and sold him to the 2nd viewer and he was gone within the week.
He was a 16hh MW allrounder though, safe and sensible at a sensible price.
I am now looking for something else and have to say am put off by a lot of adverts.
Getting to the point i may ring Measles even though i am the other end of the country to her!