Selling Your Horse in 7 Easy Steps
Whether you have outgrown your horse or you are trying to sell your horse for a profit, there comes a time for every horse owner to become a horse seller. You’ve gone through the horse buying process but how does selling a horse work? Follow these seven easy steps to sell your horse in no time to a great new home.
1. Make Your Horse Stand Out
When you’re selling a horse, you have to present the horse at its best. This means keeping the horse fit and giving them a good cleaning including a glossy coat, a tidy mane and tail, and new shoes. Once your horse is looking great, take the opportunity to capture high-quality photographs of the horse. Videos are also a great idea because they give you the chance to show potential buyers the horse’s training in action.
2. Write an Accurate Description
When advertising the horse, you should have a short and accurate description accompanying the photos and/or videos of the horse. Include the horse’s breeding, personality, training, show record (if any), and potential. Buyers are more likely to buy from you, and buy from you again in the future, if they feel you are being honest with them. It is also advised to be upfront with potential buyers and disclose any health or training issues the horse may have. By disclosing before the vet check, a buyer is more likely to pay the price you asking for instead of trying to negotiate after finding out an issue from the vet.
3. Set a Reasonable Price
Be careful not to price the horse too high or too low, because this can risk your reputation as a seller or make you leave money on the table. A horse should be priced according to their training, talent, temperament, breeding, and soundness. If you’re unsure of how to set a fair price for your horse, consult with a trainer and ask them to evaluate the horse for you.
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4. Organize the Paperwork
Before buyers start coming to look at the horse, make sure that you have all the paperwork for the horse sorted out. This may include registration papers, DNA test results, show results, veterinary records, and production records.
5. Be Responsive to Buyers
If you want to sell your horse quickly, you have to make sure you are responsive to potential buyers. Selling a horse can be a long process and will involve answering a lot of questions from buyers, but you must set aside time to respond to emails and phone calls. Communication is key to ensuring a sale.
6. Accommodate Trial Rides
Often times, a buyer will want to test ride a horse before buying. In order to accommodate their requests, you should be prepared to offer them a safe and preferably enclosed area to ride in. You should also have the buyers sign release forms before riding in case of an accident.
7. Get the Sales Agreement in Writing
When a buyer has finally decided to move forward with an offer, get the sales agreement in writing and discuss the funds transfer and horse transport. It is always a good idea to keep a copy of all correspondence with the buyer and to use a sales contract drafted by an attorney familiar with equine transactions.
Once these seven steps are complete, your horse will have a new home and the buyer will be responsible for the horse’s care from now on.