Please, I need help with Spirit.

[Mellifluous]

I want/need to get rid of/sell spirit soon. I have tried to harden myself and give him a deadline to go. I have told myself that if he is not gone by the end of the summer, he will go to the local sale. I just don't know if I can really do that to him. :-?

I have been hesitant to put him up on the auction site I found. I put out local feelers to see if someone would take him. While I have been giving locals a chance, I have been reading about people who are looking. It seems that there are so many things that make people suspicious of a cheaper horse.

I have Spirit priced low, I am afraid that he will be dismissed as junk or somehow "faulty" because of his price. On the other hand, the market is down and I feel like it is what I have to price him at given that he is not broke to ride and is a blank slate training wise. There is nothing wrong with him, he just needs to go to school.

I would be willing to give him away to someone who would be able to train him and give him a good start as a riding horse. Then I run into people who are suspicious of a free horse.

I just want the little guy to go somewhere and be useful. How do I get people to trust me? How can I get it across that I am not a horse trader and I am not trying to make a quick buck. I am going to lose thousands of dollars and am resigned to this as long as I can find him a home.

Are there some magic words I can use in his ad. Are there phrases to stay away from? Do I just state the facts and let his pictures do the talking? I don't know about selling horses. Would posting my farrier and vet's name and phone numbers for a reference help?

Should I raise his price?

I had a car for sale one time. I had it priced low because it needed a little work. No one would respond to my ad. I raised the price $1,000 dollars and sold it within a week. That floored me! I wonder if I should start higher with Spirit. I don't want to end up having him any longer than I have to since he need to start training soon. In that light, a high price might be bad. I just don't know what to do.

[Pinto Paso]

Same thing as people do to me - contact arab breeders in your area.. let them know that you have him available, his price and all of his health/training info and offer a commission, ask them to buy him for a reduced price to "flip" or recommend to a client..

[Beth Worden]

Hey Mel - I HEAR ya!

I also have a free to good home horse - That BTW is really doing great, (but that is another story) and it is incredable the questions people will ask. Like I'm trying to HIDE something. Like the price could go DOWN???LOLOLOL.

I am thinking of making someone pay money for her and then they will feel like they got a good deal.

[ErinC]

what horse do you have beth?

[Terry Wallace]

Yep..what Pinto said...AND

There really isn't all that much you can do except market him to the right type of people..Arab lovers.

Don't be too discouraged..the market is awful... offer him up to a 4-H program, for a reduced price to a 4-H'er...
Post him in every feed & tack shop you can and always have photos on the posting.

If you have a local horse publication to put him in..do it...

Here is is Maverick Press and Today's Horse Trader...that is where most people shop horses... sometimes I have sold horses out of the "Thrifty Nickel" weekly newspaper also...

[Beth Worden]

P3 - read the "Ursula returns from the grave" link. And, actually I now have several people who want her. I am just trying to decide which place will be best.

[ErinC]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
gotcha!

[JennLM]

Mel, what about offering a trade for Hay or something? Maybe that would entice someone?

Good luck!

It took out Saddlebred FOREVER to sell. :-?

[Mellifluous]

I think part of the problem is that people don't have hay around here?

Maybe I could trade him for some construction work? I need a new well house and Kevin or I neither one has time to fool with it seeing as we are working on the real house.

Hmm, maybe I can come up with a list of things I would trade for.

[Linda Y]

EVeryone says the market is terrible. I have been going to all the horse for sale sites looking at gaited horses, and see VERY few 'cheap' ones there. Even here in our area, where the market is usually killer prices, the horses in the classifieds are asking good money.
But I did have a lady call me a couple weeks ago with a free 1/2 Arab. I couldn't find anyone to take her.
I guess it totally depends on the type of horse. Gaited horses seem to be bringing good prices.

[SQUEAKS]

Mel
The idea of trading is a good one. As soon as our vet gets here to give Apache all his shots and a new coggins we are trading him for a 5Y/O Registered Paso Fino gelding. Really nice looking Paso.

I tried the sale route and had to go get him back since the man who bought him couldn't pay for him. If you sell him get all your money at the time of the sale unless you know the people will pay. Just a suggestion

Bob :D

[dana]

Mel
The idea of trading is a good one. As soon as our vet gets here to give Apache all his shots and a new coggins we are trading him for a 5Y/O Registered Paso Fino gelding. Really nice looking Paso.

Bob :D
Details, Bob, Details!

[SQUEAKS]

Dana
Deeee Tail is on the back end of the horse :D

I'll post some pics after the trade is completed don't want anything going wrong. :D

Bob

[Terry Wallace]

heheheh...Bob...You FUNNY today!!! :D

LindaY..I bet you find out those horses don't actually SELL for the asking price and they stay on the market a long time.

I watch the market almost every day. Many horses are listed for six months or more, eventually you see many of them them get reduced and reposted...

[Beth Worden]

Terry is right. That is how I got my Icelandic colt. He was on the market for 6 months and no serious bites, so...I traded a paso fino mare for him. Lady got what she wanted and I got what I wanted.

Horses are NOT moving this year. I can buy a GOOD GAITED, Good sized, and pretty, gaiting horse (maybe papers, maybe not) for $800 right now, but I don't WANT another horse and even at that price I cannot be sure of selling him for a profit, so what is the point?

Yes, lots of good gaiting horses on the websites for sale - but I notice the ones at 3K or more are NOT moving and let's face it, to raise, train, vet a horse until it's say 5-6 (which BTW is the age everyone wants these days) and sell them for under 3K is just plain stupid - but right now sellers have no choice if they want to move their stock.

[Mellifluous]

I am thinking about sending a message out on ridecamp telling about spirit with links to pics. I can explain that I will do whatever it takes pricewise to get him into a good endurance home.

I wonder if that would work.

[Terry Wallace]

TRY anything you think MIGHT work...eventually something will.... ;-)

[Mellifluous]

Ok, I bit the bullet and sent a notice to ridecamp.

[Terry Wallace]

Truth is...if you want to move him..this time of year is the best time..long before fall & winter...before people think seriously about winter hay prices, fuel, groceries going UP...etc....

[Pam M]

Some horses are moving - I constantly get offers on my 14hh pony that's child-safe and jumps beautifully. He's grade but I've had offers of $5k for him! :shock: I paid $450! If somebody wants what you have bad enough, they'll pay. The problem is finding the right market and making them stand out.

[ASB.Immortality]

Consign him in the correct place. As for ASBs, we have Tattersall's.

Arabs have Addis.

http://www.addisequineauctions.com/

Might be worth the haul. It normally doesn't cost you anything upfront. Just the commission out of the selling price at the end.

[Mellifluous]

He will be auctioned at the right place if no one responds in ridecamp.

I will auction him on endurance.net. He is not the type that would do well at the "arab" auction. He is the old type, not the new coffee table with toothpicks for legs. ;-)

[Terry Wallace]

I will auction him on endurance.net. He is not the type that would do well at the "arab" auction. He is the old type, not the new coffee table with toothpicks for legs.

yeah,,,BUT....Melll... You know lots of breeders don't go with a show horse look... they go for truly GOOD confo..good feet to stand on, good bone in the leg to get them there!!!

[pnalley]

Mel if you'll PM his details to me I'll mention him at my horse club meeting tonight. I KNOW all these people take care of their animal's. Most also have plenty of pasture, so hay isn't too huge an issue.

[moonrize]

Don't forget sending an ad to SEDRA - South Eastern Distance Riders Assoc. I really think the distance riders are probably your best customers for an arab. Or donate him to one of the distance associations to raffle off and you can take a tax write-off. What about your local 4H?

[ASB.Immortality]

Hey now! That's an idea. Raffle him off yourself. You might be surprised. ;-)

Just remember the words, you do not have to be present to win.

[Terri]

Mel, I am confused (so what else is new?), why is it you think this horse won't sell if you just put an ad in the paper and on line in various horse websites (ie dreamhorse.com)???? or have you been advertising him and got no bites. Is there something wrong with him? He looked like a nice Arab to me and there are lots of folks out there that like nice arabs. :new confused I have two friends who love arabs and won't own anything else.

[Mellifluous]

I have not advertised him yet - actually I did put 1 ad up on the endurance site today. I have just been listening to what everyone is saying about the market and such. He also has not being under saddle working against him. I guess I am pre-worried about selling him.

From what I have gathered through reading assorted horse forums, it is hard to sell a young unbroke horse, especially in with the market being in it's current state. It is really hard where I am at because he is an Arab. No one around here likes arabs.

[Terri]

Mel I am not convinced the market (for good horses) is as bad as everyone says. I put Mikka's add out there for $2,500 (1/2 paso - no papers) and got 5 calls in a week. I've been with friends shopping (just ask Ruth) and for something not lame or vicious, they want and are getting real $$. Beth I don't know where you found an $800 papered gaited horse, but Ruth and I couldn't find him. Not around here.

Yeah, he isn't broke and he is an arab (they arent real popular around here in H/J central either), so advertise him that way, empathize his potential as an endurance horse, his playful dispostion, his sound legs and low ball the price. Then say "the price will rise after he completes his 3 months of training". Not that you are going to put 3 months into him, "they" don't know that.

So before you start worrying about raffling him off, I'd take a real shot at advertising him and selling.

[Mellifluous]

Well, I have a lady in central florida that is very interested in him based on what I posted to ridecamp today. I checked her AERC record and she does LDs but does not "race" them. I only saw one pull and it was "rider's option." It looks like she takes care of her horses so that is promising. She has two retired endurance horses in their 20's that are sound.

Say a little prayer, send some vibes or something for Spirit. This sounds like a good home - just what I have been imagining for him.

[LynnG]

Mel, you also could look into a 4-H horse club selling raffle tickets to a good cause (split the income from the ticket sales or take something in way of services for trade).

I don't think the Paso Fino horse market is bad. Its just that there are many untrained young and older horses that are offered for sale...in that case there is a much smaller market. People generally want one they can ride now and not worry about training. They don't want a problem horse either. They want a horse that likes people and has been handled. I've seen Paso Finos listed online like that and they don't last long before the SOLD is put out there on the ad, sometimes in only a few days, and a good market price too. What often gives the average horse value is its saddle training and riding experience, which the average buyer doesn't want to or can't do themselves.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[motorgypsy]

Our advice - NEVER price a good horse low regardless of the "market". He is gorgeous and smart and sound and young. You can always put or will trade for ______ of comparable value to good home and you can always drop the price for a good home if you want to. People really do think a cheap horse has something wrong. If something doesn't sell for us we raise the price unless it has something wrong with it. Then we donate it to a charity or do a raffle is another option for a good cause. If I were 20 or 30 or 40 years younger I'd take him in a heartbeat. He's really gorgeous.

[Mellifluous]

Well, it seems that I did lowball him a bit, that is good and bad.

I have GOBS of people interested in him and I just posted him yesterday afternoon. It seems that I should not have doubted myself so much on what I have.

I just let the pessimism of the market talk get to me.

Oh well, too late now - gotta suck it up and go with it. Everyone that has contacted me has a great record and would be a great home. Let's hope that someone will take him home!!!!