Before selling your horse you should ask yourself several questions and prepare yourself for the challenges involved in this process.
First, take an objective, unbiased and unemotional assessment of your horse’s strengths and weaknesses. Is he suitable for his stated use? The horse you purchased three or four years ago may have changed since then. Was he a promising 3- or 4-year-old that you started in the Baby Green Hunters and is now a tried and true 7- or 8-year-old that willingly and competitively has packed you or your child through the Adult Amateur or Children’s Hunter division and gets a decent piece of the hack?
Or was he a safe, veteran Low Junior/Amateur Jumper of 9 or 10 years that is now 13 with some performance-limiting physical issues? With the right treatment, he will “come back” but doesn’t exactly thrive at today’s multi-week shows. He needs special attention such as anti-inflammatories, poulticing and well-timed days off.
Perhaps the horse you are selling was your child’s first show mount. He did all the Short Stirrup and lower Equitation classes as a trusty 12-year-old and has brought your kid to the numerous 3’ medal classes, but now your trainer has encouraged you to step up.
As proprietor of Stonebridge Horse Sales and Training, I come across these and many similar scenarios on a daily basis. In doing so, I’ve come to believe that realistic expectations are really important. I encourage the vast majority of sellers to think of the initial expense and the training and maintenance costs incurred along the way as money well spent as investments in the riding and horsemanship education of either yourself or your child. Your horse has been a good lesson partner, has won his share of ribbons at nice shows and has become a “part of the family.”
An Unflinching Look
All this is true, but now it’s time to take an unflinching look at what your horse can offer his next owner. Sentiment is a powerful thing and, although you were there when you and your horse qualified for the 3’medal final, went to the LA National and flew through the Jumper Classic double clear, the fact is that investing in horses as a financial endeavor is rarely a winning proposition.
True, you have learned so much and your horse has learned to recognize your car and welcome your carrot-bearing arrival at the barn. The prospective new owner, however, has no such fond memories and is looking for the very same things you were seeking those seemingly few years ago!
Time takes a toll on us all and a horse’s body is no different.
If you bought that promising young horse and, with the help of your trainer, have transformed him into a sound, sensible and still-in-his-prime 3’ or, even better, 3’6” hunter, congratulations! You have won the horse trading lottery!
If you were once the proud owner of the winner in the Low AA/Jr. Jumper division, you have to ask, at 13, is your horse still up to that job? Or maybe he would be best suited as a AA/Children’s Jumper that may still have time and experience to teach a new rider the ins and outs of the jumper ring?
Has your 2’6” to 3’ Equitation horse’s stride shortened just a bit and does he have difficulty “walking down the lines” as he did back when your trainer said, “This is the one!”
Remember this is first and foremost a business! The car industry has a Kelly Blue Book that tracks the value of second-hand cars, but we horsemen have no such resource.
What To Do?
If your older horse still cheerfully comes out to work and is a reliable and safe ride, your best bet is to try to sell him to an up-and-comer in your own barn. With the help of your own trainer, who knows the horse’s strengths and limitations well, you can place him in a new, loving and appreciative home for his next assignment.
With today’s technology there are a host of media outlets that can spread the word when marketing your horse. Buyers can be “pre-screened” to prevent the weekend ruffian from climbing on and terrorizing your beloved campaigner.
A third alternative is to send your horse away to a trusted sales agent. In that way you are avoiding the angst of seeing a stranger auditioning your horse and you are spared the awkwardness of negotiating a price on someone who is more like a friend than a pet.
Absolutely follow the advice of your trainer! Listen to them when it comes to evaluating the market value of your horse. You no doubt trust their judgment or you wouldn’t have entrusted you and your horse’s well-being to them for all this time.
Always insist on a signature on a liability release before anyone gets on your horse. Anyone can fall off and an injured person is rarely a happy person regardless of how pleasant or experienced they seemed prior to the “event.”
Know what you’re selling. A quick once-over by your vet can alert you to any underlying condition your horse may have, be it navicular changes or calcifications of a joint that would escape your day-to-day observations. Nothing like a surprise on the X-ray to make you look unawares, at best, and deceptive, at worst. Advanced knowledge can help in appraising your horse’s actual worth and prevent costly pre-purchase exams that can be frustrating to any potential buyers. Advanced knowledge is never a bad thing and it can often secure a sale, even at a renegotiated price.
Lastly, if a sales agent is to be employed, get the consignment agreement in advance and read it carefully. What is the sales agents commission? What is your expense in terms of board, shoes and training during the term of the sales period?
Will the horse remain in your care? More often than not the agent has his own set-up.
What discretion will be given to the agent as to marketing expenses, showing, trial periods?
Regarding commissions, it is an industry standard for both the seller’s and the buyer’s agent to charge 10 percent commission based on the base price of the horse.
Some agents charge 15 percent. Is all that acceptable to you?
Time is the key word. Whether you market your horse yourself at the barn, post your horse on one of the many sales websites, or employ a third party, remember: It’s still your horse and he remains “on your dime.”
Be realistic about your horse’s abilities, soundness and amount of useful years ahead of him. That is what is being sold. Be honest with yourself and you will have success in placing your “family friend” in an appropriate and lasting new home. And you’ll then have that revenue to reinvest in the next horse that will further your equestrian ambitions.
Author Kevin McGinn runs Stonebridge Horse Sales and Training, based at Rockin’ W Ranch in the Los Angeles area’s Shadow Hills. He can be reached at 818-512-4550 or via his website, www.stonebridgehorsesalesandtraining.com.
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