ON MY TACKBOX
Finding the right home for the right horse LUCY MORTON the owner of Kasperrado Warmbloods, offers some expert tips on the delicate art of selling horses
B
reeding is a fickle business filled with enormous highs
and devastating lows. However there is that moment when you can step back, take a deep breath and say: ‘That was all worth it.’ And that moment generally comes when you’ve matched your beloved horse up with the perfect new owner. There are a number of milestones in breeding: the first is achieving the pregnancy; second is managing to get a live, healthy foal on the ground (more of a challenge than you can imagine); the third is starting them under saddle (one of my personal favourites); and fourth is passing a vet check and sending your horse off to its new ‘forever’ home. However, if your fairy-tale ending is not quite panning out the way you had hoped, I’m happy to impart what knowledge I’ve gleaned from my 18 years of breeding horses as a Director/Owner of Australian Warmbloods Luda with David Prior, and as owner of Kasperrado Warmbloods, combined with my 25 years as a professional photographer – a handy skill to have when selling horses, 50
although thankfully not a necessity! Occasionally all the stars align and that perfect owner calls you up and says: “What have you got? Pick one for me.” That was the case with one lovely Kasperrado owner. I offered to show her three prospective horses, but her response was “No, just show me the one for me”. I presented her with a mare that I knew would be a perfect fit. She jumped on, walked 10 to15 paces and said: “Yes, I’ll take her,” and they lived happily ever after. Another wonderful sale occurred by default when a certain not-to-be-named vet failed a spectacular gelding on the basis of some rather questionable ‘Reiki’ concerns. The anxious buyer could allegedly feel heat in the hind quarters whilst hovering her hand two inches above the rump. Needless to say, the sale fell through. But five minutes after the ‘unsuitable’ verdict was passed, a friend drove up the driveway and asked how the gelding had gone. When I told her that he had failed the vet check, her response, without missing a beat was: “I’ll buy him! What rubbish, there’s nothing wrong with that horse.”
HORSEVIBES MAGAZINE - NOVEMBER 2019
That sale did go thorough, and they too lived happily ever after.
The sales process So, you have grappled with the pros and cons of keeping your beloved horse and you have finally made the decision to sell, sell, sell. Naturally, your next step is to advertise. There are a series of steps that can be followed to maximise the impact of your advertisement, giving you and your horse the best possible opportunity for a time efficient sale to a wonderful home. First impressions count! When advertising your horse you need to put his or her very best foot forward.
It’s all in the timing In my opinion nature’s spring makeover cannot be beaten. When spring has sprung, gone are the woolly mammoths with dull coats and in their place are shiny, healthy horses. Timing plays a big part in selling and your time is right now! In the depths of winter the majority of riders, including myself, tend to opt for the fireplace rather than their horse’s back. So you’ll find that buyers tend to come out of hibernation as spring blossoms bloom.
Preparation It is important to put as much time as you can into preparing your horse so that they look good for sale. Give them an unbiased once over. Consider their virtues and faults – be honest and be critical. Now think about what you can do to improve their overall appearance: groom them; either feed up or diet down to trim off any extra winter weight; pull and plait the mane; call out the farrier; invest in a good quality bridle or halter (or make sure your current tack is spotless); and finally, apply white leg bandages for that thousand dollar facelift!
A picture’s worth a thousand words Once your makeover is complete it’s time to get the glamour shots. It’s best to have two helpers – one person to hold the horse, and the other to distract them.
