Where to advertise a sweet but limited horse?

TableDancer

TableDancer

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Just need some advice - I've been on here long enough for you all to know I'm not a sneaky advertiser, but I would like your help on how to take this forward...

I have an absolutely sweet little horse, 6yo, which I need to sell asap - should have been gone long ago but for a variety of reasons is still here :p He is very lovable and I'm surprisingly fond of him, considering we are in general a strictly competition yard, but he ain't going to set the world alight in any sphere :p In all honesty, he's never going to be more than a happy hacker/local show/PC/RC (and I don't mean top end!) type. He will make someone a charming horse and has no ifs or buts in all the usual respects.

So far I've advertised him on HorseQuest and our local Hereford-based website - I've had two calls, one came to see him but he was a bit small for them, plus the guy hung off his mouth so I was quite glad they aren't having him :eek: The other lot were very keen but I put them off until the first lot had seen him and when I rang them back they had bought something else which was a shame as he sounded perfect for them. No more calls, despite having put him back to the top of HQ once.

So I need to pursue other options but I'm not sure what best to do - I don't normally sell in this market (less than 3k) - sorry if that sounds pretentious but it's the truth. Where would you try next? I looked at the Free Ads but there's a lot of sub 1K horses on there plus ads seem to be up for a long time... H&H?? Seems to me to be advertising to a lot of people who are far too far away to be interested - can't believe people travel that far to look at this type of horse... Horse Deals? Horse Mart? Other suggestions?

Any advice gratefully received :)
 
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Horsemart is quite good for the sub 3K bracket, although you can get a few, ahem *daydreamers* !!!

Whizz him around the local RC's - stress he is a nice easy person

Get him out cubbing, and spread the word on the field, he may well sell to that market, not every hunter is a thruster
 
Also, try putting him on for more money - sounds barking mad but both IHW and I have sold ones as you describe for more money than you state ;) Seems there is a magic 'price bracket' worth putting them in - after all you can always come down if the right sounding person rings/views but doesn't have that cash (which also happens).
 
I'm looking for just that type of horse!. Unfortunately I need to complete a house move before I can look seriously... so he's no good for me due to timing, sorry! But I do look regularly at Horsemart and there seems to be that kind of price bracket on there. Good luck :)
 
PC website / BD? The latter seems to hold its share of allrounders rather than strict dressagey types. Or just H&H? Might also be worth re-thinking price: he may not be a world beater but a properly educated 6yo who is an all round good citizen - goes to shows, jumps, stops, starts, turns etc with minimal fuss may be more in the 5K bracket...?
 
SpottedCat said:
Also, try putting him on for more money - sounds barking mad but both IHW and I have sold ones as you describe for more money than you state ;) Seems there is a magic 'price bracket' worth putting them in - after all you can always come down if the right sounding person rings/views but doesn't have that cash (which also happens).
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Ha ha - too true - although that is an easier tactic if located south/central than slightly more remotely.

I sold 2 sell ons AFTER adding 1K to their original price, one was a cracking little horse if a little common looking, the other was a looker and a nice person but downright useless for anything other than hacking (which I told the buyer before they handed over a significant amount of money for a hack!)
 
I'd say PC/ RC too. You could also put him on BD website, especially if you took him to a couple of BD prelims (even if on a ticket)...

I'd also say he sounds like he's worth about £4500 since he's only 6 - that always seems the age everyone wants!
 
I'd add to the advice already given that facebook is now a powerful tool - I can get 10,000 hits a week on our page which is pretty miraculous in my book! - so try local RC facebook pages and also local "Horsey Stuff for Sale in..." pages which are within say a 200 mile radius. They are free to advertise and can be very effective.

Best of luck funding him a good home, he sounds like the type lots of people want to me:)
 
A friend bought a nice little horse a few weeks ago, will never set the world alight but will pop happily and safely round an 80-90cm event, show jump at 90cm all day and do a nice if slightly uninspiring dressage test. He is safe to hack and nice on the ground and whilst no real looker is nicely put together and flew a 5 stage vetting. She paid considerably more than you are talking about. She never wants to jump big, go fast but like to potter round local shows and the odd sponsored ride and who knows, one day may pluck up the courage for a ODE but whatever she is doing she wants to be safe and ride a nicely schooled horse, for that she is willing to pay. I would take the advice of others and up the price and market to that middle market of people who want to be safe and have fun.
 
Agree sounds ideal to go on PC classifieds and individual PC/RC pages. Also second the suggestion to get him out hunting and then advertise him on hunt webpages.
 
Definately try asking a little more, say 4k. I would have paid that easily for a nice, well schooled horse that could do a little bit of everything stress free at a low level. They're like hens teeth. YouTube videos of you doing everyday stuff with them like grooming, mounting, riding on the roads, past scary stuff etc are always great.

Paula
 
I'm another who would say don't devalue him because he's not what you would look for in a horse. (No offence, you know what I mean . . .;) ) Play up his attributes not his shortcomings and target him to someone wanting a nice horse that MIGHT go on (stranger things have happened) rather than to someone with low expectations and/or who is just looking for a cheap horse to do whatever.
 
Thank you all so much for your input, food for thought :) He is such a sweetie, I do want to find a nice home which will suit him. HorseMart and the BD website sound interesting - I will think about the PC one but I don't want him to go to someone who sees him as a project to produce as their future inter-branch superstar ;)

I will also think carefully about price. My concern is that I don't want him to go to someone who feels they have spent a lot and ends up disappointed, rather to someone who feels they have got a bargain and is constantly pleasantly surprised by what he can offer them :)
 
I usually send an e mail round PC and RC for this type, and had good success. I think that it is a market that does rely on word of mouth.
 
Pm me we have a very nervous client, looking for a nice horse. It will be based with us for Mr W to keep ticking over and for her to potter on the school and hack. Would need to be safe though?
 
I think I found him on HQ - if it's the one where there is a vid of him going XC for 1.03 mins; he's lovely. I think you are underselling him! I paid a lot more for mine who is same breed but younger & greener than yours and look like similar ability. Perfect for the more mature rider who wants something to do low level BE/RC and a bit of stressage but who can equally be hacked safely and left in field for a couple of days when life gets a bit busy.
 
I've got the same, BUT... mines a successful ex racer. He's very beautiful, and very much a kick along ride, but nobody is going to see past the "full TB" bit even though he's just about bombproof. I haven't advertised him yet, as I want to get him out hunting which should help his CV, but there are a lot of people who think that an ex racer is an accident waiting to happen!
 
Nicnac said:
I think I found him on HQ - if it's the one where there is a vid of him going XC for 1.03 mins; he's lovely. I think you are underselling him! I paid a lot more for mine who is same breed but younger & greener than yours and look like similar ability. Perfect for the more mature rider who wants something to do low level BE/RC and a bit of stressage but who can equally be hacked safely and left in field for a couple of days when life gets a bit busy.
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That's the one :) He is lovely, so why is nobody ringing me about him?? Measles has given me some good advice by PM, and if I readvertise I will take out the mention of the field injury and the fact that he hasn't done as much as I had planned as these are actually very minor points which are perhaps putting people off unnecessarily...

I don't really want to raise the price, I want someone to feel they have got a bargain which might surprise them in a good way rather than be disappointed in him if he isn't a future star - plus I need him gone!!
 
People looking for horses like him don't really want surprises though do they? They want what it says on the tin - Nice, straightforward, nice person and something to enjoy.

If you're completely honest with people, and don't under sell him, you will probably find him a perfect match who has perhaps been looking for AGES for a horse like him.

Another thing, I find that horses that are nice, but priced too low, have usually been ones that people have wanted rid of quickly, for a reason. Not all the time, but a lot of the time. I tend to write off horses that are too cheap!
 
TD, I think you are forgetting that there is huge market for people who want sweet, pleasant all rounders who are not going to frighten then or set the world alight. Not everyone wants to progress through competition. Many people are happy with a 2ft clear round, a prelim dressage and a safe hack.

These horses marketed correctly are worth a fortune.
 
Nice looking and safe? You are under selling him! Agree, put more money on him, emphasis the safe aspect and you will sell really quickly. .
 
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