5 Step Framework for Selling Horses

One of the most important factors when trying to advertise your horse is setting yourself and your horse apart from the rest. If you haven’t set the framework prior to advertising your horse, more than likely you will not attract your ideal buyer and you will end up prolonging the sale process.

After experiencing my own problems with selling, I remember thinking during that time that there HAS to be a better, more professional way to do this! Early last year I listed a horse for sale and what happened after that was a long, drawn-out process of posting ads to social media, having those ads banned several times, answering hundreds of questions, sending countless videos, and showing the horse to several potential buyers only to be undercut and take less than I hoped for in the end.

When my friend Tyesha approached me about The Premier Horse, I was elated to see what she designed and the vision she had for the business! She found a way to solve so many problems with straightforward solutions that give our industry the professionalism and appeal it desperately needed.

She shared with me the 5 key factors to her success for advertising effectively and finding your ideal buyer quickly.

5 steps to selling horses and finding your ideal buyer quickly!

1.) GATHER QUALITY CONTENT, MARKETING MATERIALS, AND DATA

The most important step in the entire framework is gathering quality content and marketing materials.  Why do you ask?  This is how you will set yourself apart and grab the attention you are seeking when you start marketing online.  If you want a premium price for your horse you will have to set that presence from the beginning.

Hire a photographer to take high-quality and professionally edited and produced photos of your horse. The return on investment here is worth it! You only have one chance to make a first impression, so don’t skimp on the photos!

Collect all relevant data on your horse. Things like lifetime earnings, competition stats, video

s, as well as, stats on the dam, sire, and/or siblings. You can do this in a multitude of ways.  Utilizing a combination of Equistat, online research, and contacting the stallion, dam, or even the owners of closely related siblings to find out earnings and stats since Equistat does not include all earnings.  This is important information to have prior to marketing your horse so you have it readily available.

Create a file on your computer or on your phone to keep things organized and easily accessible!

 

2.) MARKET, MARKET, MARKET

Now that you have gathered quality content, marketing materials, and all the important data it is time to start marketing!  No, not advertising…. marketing! Marketing your horse prior to advertising it for sale gives your audience a chance to become familiar with you and your horse before you ever list them.

This is where you take the content and data you gathered and start marketing that to your audience.  This is where you prime your audience to start learning and becoming familiar with you, your program, your horse, and your horse’s bloodlines if you choose to use that information.  It is suggested to start this process 3-6 months prior to listing your horse for sale.

3.) DEVELOP THE LIKE, KNOW, AND TRUST FACTOR 

There is nothing more important than trust when it comes to sales. For buyers to trust you, they need to become familiar with you, your horses, and your program if you have one. That is why marketing leading up to listing your horse for sale is so important!

This can be achieved by posting consistently, not only about your horse or horses but about you and/or your program.  If you are developing a program for training, buying, and selling horses take the time to educate your audience on your process, routines, training, and accomplishments… even if they are small.  If you do not have a program, take this time to post about you, your horse, and your horse’s bloodlines.  You can find unique ways to consistently post even if you don’t have a slew of horses, your own program, or a huge library of carefully cultivated content.  One way is sharing performance videos of your horse’s sire, dam, or closely related siblings, and bonus, it didn’t cost you anything!  If you gathered the data on your horse, you should know which horses to keep an eye on and promote when they do something that is post-worthy on social media!

Doing things like this will give people the opportunity to get to know you and your horse by consistently sharing online.  This will also allow potential buyers to become more invested in you.

4.) BE SHOW READY 

Is there anything more eye-catching than a fit, shiny horse that looks well-kept and loved? Your horse’s physical appearance is the first impression you give someone of the standards you keep for your horses. Horses should be shiny, in optimal body condition, up to date on all vaccinations, worming, shoeing or trimming, and on all maintenance.

Do you think a long, healthy, well-kept mane and tail isn’t important? It is so important! This is often overlooked but it plays a surprisingly big role in receiving a premium price.  Your horse’s appearance is what catches the eye of your ideal buyer so give them something to swoon about!

We know you’re asking, well how do I grow or maintain a beautiful mane and tail? Providing your horse with the proper nutrients is key when growing a beautiful mane and tail.  Supplements such as Biomane, provide the key nutrients that help accelerate hair growth and optimize hair health.

Once you start to see growth, you need to protect your investment by conditioning, braiding, and bagging the hair on a weekly or on twice a month basis.  This is recommended because it is important to limit the amount of brushing you do to prevent breakage and damage to the hair.

If you are looking for a hair growth supplement or need further instruction on how to care for and maintain your horse’s mane and tail visit www.biomane.com for more information.

Another aspect to consider while getting your horse show-ready is behavior and performance. This is your chance to wow a potential buyer when their first experience of your horse is a positive one!

Of course, this will look different at varying stages of your horse’s career, but investing time into fixing poor behavior or performance issues can make all the difference to your buyers.

Take the time to work on the fundamentals, dry work, and performance work so you are able to be confident in showing your horse. If you lack the time or experience to work on these things, this is a great opportunity to link arms with the right professional who is experienced in sales prepping or fixing issues. You can browse and shop sales prep agents and trainers on our site.  Go to Hire in our navigation to search our professionals. However, should you decide to hire a professional, do your homework and make sure you find the best fit for you and your horse.

5.) ADVERTISE WITH PURPOSE

Now it is time to set your price! Put on your real estate hat and pull comparable sales for horses with similar breeding, stats, and training. Research the market so you are able to price your horse fairly and competitively. You can search our social media channels or our listing site (coming soon) for comparable horses or simply ask a trusted source with experience.

You will need to find a way to showcase your horse online. It is suggested creating an advertisement that will not only show all the important information but will showcase your horse in a professional, eye-catching way.  Your advertisement should list all the information that a prospective buyer would need to decide if this is a horse they are interested in prior to contacting you.

This helps flush out the curious buyers and window shoppers, which saves you a lot of time not having to respond to all the unnecessary inquiries!  This also gives you the opportunity to solely focus on valuable leads and connections to your ideal potential buyers.

One of the frustrations all sellers face these days is the strict social media rules and regulations. Having an advertisement helps you avoid these strict rules by showcasing all the information inside of an advertisement which in turn limits your liability of potentially being flagged, having your posts removed, and possibly having your entire account restricted.

Advertise your horse on trusted sites or social media groups that have a proven track record of selling horses in your discipline. You need to place your horse where your ideal buyers are spending their time so do your homework and find out where those places are!

Selling horses shouldn’t be a long, drawn-out, frustrating process! This framework gives you a step-by-step guide to help you set you and your horse apart from the rest and attract your ideal buyer easily and most importantly… quickly!