Is it just me who's getting irritated with horse ad photos?

bryngelenponies

bryngelenponies

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 May 2010
Messages
796
Location
South Wales
www.biopharm-leeches.com
So I've been having a general snoop around the various horse sale websites, mostly just for a look, but am also thinking of getting a mountain pony filly. It seems that most photos the sellers take are totally unsuitable as advert photos. The main culprit so far has been a picture of the pony standing behind a barred gate (quite annoying) and also a photo taken from behind the pony as it is turning to look around at the camera- so totally distorts conformation and you can't get a full view of what the pony looks like. Is it just me being unfortunate/ over analytical or is this a general problem?
 
No 'tis a general problem. I've seen photos of horses in rugs, so that you can't see anything properly - that always makes me suspicious! There are photos taken from the other side of a large field! Photos of 2 horses, where the horse at the back is the one for sale. Large horses with small hatless children sitting on them, I suppose that's supposed to show how safe & trustworthy they are but it doesn't really mean anything. Then of course, there are the 'dodgy dealer' type photos where some-one is shown standing (or sitting on the quarters) on the horse. I always discount those immediately and actually they're not ALL dealers. photos of youngsters taken'last year', so the animal looks nothing like that now. I really wonder why some people bother with photos at all. And as for the ones that say 'sorry about the quality of the photos'......words fail me!
 
Nope, some friends and I were looking at adverts in HH as well as other magazines and the photos being used were just strange. And my other pet peeve....the over use of the word "Stunning".
 
It's not just you! Agree with the overuse of the word "stunning" when most are clearly not, also "potential" especially HOYS potential - which seems to add another 0 onto the price of a rather ordinary animal, photos of horses grazing is a pet hate of mine, as is a head shot over a stable door - is the confo that bad they have to hide it....?
 
Or just one really fuzzy photo. Or photos that were cleraly taken months ago because there is snow in a Sept ad photo or spring flowers in a Jan ad (unless, of course, demonstrating a seasonal activity like hunting). Surely everyone has access to at least a borrowed digital camera so they can take a few photos & pick the best ones.
Photos that have a date on that is years old annoy me too. I know the date can be wrong but it provokes questions.
"Potential" is annoying on any but young horses - a real turn off once they are in the teens! Same applies to - "needs to be brought on". If it hasn't done it by age 15 it's unlikely to.
"Stunning" - rarely accurate!
And why don't people draft their ads in Word & spell check - some are so bad you virtually need to translate them.
 
Is not just the photos - what about the claims of what they have done - you get them home and there is no way they have done anything that they have claimed - it a minefield buying a horse! (Just had a really bad experience)
 
Yes, another thing that bugs me is when a seller says the horse has competed to X level and schooled to Y but then there is just a pucture of the horse in a field and nothing else. If I'm looking for a competition animal, I want to see an action shot!
 
They really make me laugh all the strange descriptions that really dont collate to the pictures like
Great Potential in the right hands = Nobody i know has managed but there maybe someone who manages the job.
Not Novice Ride = Will nap, rear, buck or bolt but if your out of riding school then you should manage to stay on.
Good to shoe, load, catch = did i miss out what a bugger he is to clip...oops.
Good Home Only= I do care about this horse but its just not good enough for me any more.
BE potential = Has xc schooled once so if you WFP you should be able to do somthing with him.

Add more if you think of any!
 
Yep I cant believe some of the photos people use. I hate when there is an old picture with no up to date one along side it. Or just a head shot and no full body shot. If I were looking for a new horse I wouldnt even bother to call up about ads which dont have good photos.
 
When i was looking for a horse last year i came across a classic,
There was an ad with 4 pictures (all very good pics i must add) one of the horse on the ground in the field. Nice confirmation shot. Another with the horse doing some flat work. Both very nice photos. There was also a picture of the horse showjumping and one doing a water jump. All cracking pics....if they hadnt have been of 2 different horses.
The one of the horse in the field and the flatwork photo were one horse, the sj and xc picture were of another horse. The horse for sale was advertised as being an all rounder, good flatwork, sj and xc etc.The horse SJ had a section of white in its mane and a longer white blaze than the flatwork horse!
Best thing.....when i rang up and enquired as to the different markings, the woman said that the horse for sale was the horse in the flat work pictures, the jumping pictures were of another horse as the horse for sale didnt much like jumping so she wanted good jumping photos!!!!!!! Priceless!!!
 
We were chuckling away at a few that had pics of a pony, standing tied outside a stable, eating from a hay net in such a way that it's neck was arched on the underside. Mmmm, very attractive.

Or another in which the horse was standing tied outide a lorry , with too-big tack on it and on a slope....cose looking really rump high is a good thing?

And of course I'm interested in seeing horses mid-way standing (from a laying down position) cos that shows me that it's agile enough to get up once it's been down?! Seriously...
 
Farma said:
Good to shoe, load, catch = did i miss out what a bugger he is to clip...oops.
Click to expand...

If I were to advertise my horse it would say good to load, catch and clip. Does that mean he's bad to shoe? No, he's just never needed shoeing so I can't say.

Mind you, no-one would want Phil :p

I do have a chuckle at some of the adverts though.
 
The ads that don't put the age on bug me. Never waste my time ringing - I just presume they're really old. Also ones with no price on - now if its got photos of it at Badminton maybe, but even then I don't see the point of not advertising price. Its wasting people's time. A pony we had on loan last year went back, and they decided to sell it. Put POA on the ad. I asked how much, saying I'd keep an ear out for any horse hunters at PC, and they hadn't decided how much. Needless to say, they never had any phonecalls, which was a shame as it was a good pony!

Can't see the problem with stunning - you can decide that for yourself. Its not like saying it can jump 5' when it only does novice classes really!

Anything over 8 shouldn't be described as "potential". It either is or it isn't by then...
 
Honey08 said:
Anything over 8 shouldn't be described as "potential". It either is or it isn't by then...
Click to expand...

Perhaps I'm just a little touchy but I don't agree with this. I ruined Phil. I held him back, my confidence restrained him. He was 10 in may, he's never been competed and has only within the last year started jumping and cantering properly. Does that mean he doesn't have the potential for a few classes and a bit of fun? Perhaps I should stop now then, he's clearly past it.

I'm just trying to say that it's not always the horses fault. Had Phil gone to a good home with a confident rider who knew what they were doing he could easily be out and about. Don't blame the horse and don't put a limit on things. That's like saying if you haven't gone to university by the age of 30 then there's no point in you going.
 
Currently looking for a childs pony, and the number of adverts that have 3 or 4 photos all taken on the same day of a pony that supposedly has done all sorts of fun stuff and competing, So you never had your camera with you then :confused:?
or only shown ridden by an adult :confused:
 
For me it has to be ads which say horse is competing at high level BSJA, then the picture is taken from about half a mile away of a vaguely horse shaped blob jumping a cross pole. Surely if the horse has been out jumping high level BSJA you will have a pic of it jumping a decent fence in competition???????

I am also wary of ads which say "has competed BE", but not at what level. I always assume the horse did a BE90 once and got eliminated!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I'm glad to hear that it's a general problem and not just something that's following me (well not glad that others have been as unlucky, just that I'm glad it's not me!) I don't understand why it seems to be so hard for some people to put up a decent photo of the pony- not just a picture that they've hurriedly taken when they've gone to see the pony in the field or something like that. I even saw one advert (no longer just on the subject of photos) that said "free to anyone that can catch him", hoe many people would take up that offer?
 
The photos some people use in adverts beggars belief sometimes! Especially in H&H where an advert does not come cheap! You'd think if you are prepared to spend £50 or more on an ad you'd take the time to get a decent photo?

With regards to leaving out details eg clipping etc, sometimes you don't want to lie in the advert, but it's too complicated to put it in! For example, I couldn't describe Jack as good to clip, because he's a bit of a tit about it, frankly. But he isn't bad either, and certainly isn't dangerous. He cr**s himself every time you switch the clippers on, although he doesn't object to actually being clipped and doesn't require sedation or anything, just a twitch to do near his head. But I could never describe him as 100%.
 
The ones that annoy me and especially my OH are the ones that are ripped off photographers sites with copyright stamped all over them or ones that are obviously professional photos with no acknowledgement to the photographer - it only takes a phone call and most photographers are quite happy for their piccys to be used, it also stops copyright law being broken, (yes OH is a professional equine photographer!!!!)
 
there is a good one just >>>>> at the moment, lying down :confused::)

I would usually prefer just a side on confo shot, but when I was horse hunting that appeared to be the least favorite photo position
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top