The 12 Essential Steps to Selling Your Horse€¦ · massive improvements in all of the areas...
5
The 12 Essential Steps to Selling Your Horse Making the decision to sell your horse can be a very difficult one and I often find that once people start to prepare the horse for sale, by following the list below, that they actually decide to keep it! Why? Because in order to sell your horse, ethically, you need to put some work into the horse first and this often completely changes your relationship with the horse. Of course, we can’t make the horse shorter, taller, younger or older but we can make massive improvements in all of the areas discussed below with a bit of structured work. Below is a list of training steps and requirements to help you find the perfect home for your horse: 1. Your horse needs to be quiet and attentive when led. This means no giraffes or kites. The first thing a potential buyer will see is how the horse leads in from the paddock. These first few minutes set the stage for the rest of the viewing. You horse needs to be in your bubble of communication (in the Engagement Zone). For more on this check out the Engagement Zone course and the Leading course (which can be found in the Young Horse section). 2. You must be able to handle your horse all over. The next thing is tying up and grooming. It is important that your horse ties up well (but if it doesn’t then see the Tying Up course (in the Young Horse section but not just for young horses!). If your horse is a bit touchy with grooming in certain areas, then spend some time remedying this. This is also a great time to demonstrate how well the horse picks up its feet (if you need a hand teaching this go to the Picking Up Feet course). 3. Tacking up your horse should be easy and uneventful. Some horses are a little ‘girthy’ and this can be addressed by simply taking time to fasten the girth and praising after taking up each hole. The horse soon learns that you are not going to wrench it up and that they get praised for standing quietly. Of course, slapping the horse for turning and looking threateningly at will have exactly the opposite effect so it’s worth taking the time and making saddling a pleasant experience for the horse. If
Transcript of The 12 Essential Steps to Selling Your Horse€¦ · massive improvements in all of the areas...
The12EssentialStepstoSellingYourHorse
MakingthedecisiontosellyourhorsecanbeaverydifficultoneandIoftenfindthatoncepeoplestarttopreparethehorseforsale,byfollowingthelistbelow,thattheyactuallydecidetokeepit!Why?Becauseinordertosellyourhorse,ethically,youneedtoputsomeworkintothehorsefirstandthisoftencompletelychangesyourrelationshipwiththehorse.Ofcourse,wecan’tmakethehorseshorter,taller,youngerorolderbutwecanmakemassiveimprovementsinalloftheareasdiscussedbelowwithabitofstructuredwork.Belowisalistoftrainingstepsandrequirementstohelpyoufindtheperfecthomeforyourhorse:
1. Yourhorseneedstobequietandattentivewhenled.Thismeansnogiraffesorkites.Thefirstthingapotentialbuyerwillseeishowthehorseleadsinfromthepaddock.Thesefirstfewminutessetthestagefortherestoftheviewing.Youhorseneedstobeinyourbubbleofcommunication(intheEngagementZone).FormoreonthischeckouttheEngagementZonecourseandtheLeadingcourse(whichcanbefoundintheYoungHorsesection).
2. Youmustbeabletohandleyourhorseallover.Thenextthingistyingupandgrooming.Itisimportantthatyourhorsetiesupwell(butifitdoesn’tthenseetheTyingUpcourse(intheYoungHorsesectionbutnotjustforyounghorses!).Ifyourhorseisabittouchywithgroomingincertainareas,thenspendsometimeremedyingthis.Thisisalsoagreattimetodemonstratehowwellthehorsepicksupitsfeet(ifyouneedahandteachingthisgotothePickingUpFeetcourse).
3. Tackingupyourhorseshouldbeeasyanduneventful.Somehorsesarealittle‘girthy’andthiscanbeaddressedbysimplytakingtimetofastenthegirthandpraisingaftertakingupeachhole.Thehorsesoonlearnsthatyouarenotgoingtowrenchitupandthattheygetpraisedforstandingquietly.Ofcourse,slappingthehorseforturningandlookingthreateninglyatwillhaveexactlytheoppositeeffectsoit’sworthtakingthetimeandmakingsaddlingapleasantexperienceforthehorse.If
yourhorseiscold-backed,hasneverbeenproperlyhabituatedtothesaddleandflincheswhentackedup,thenyouhavesomeworktodo.Don’tworry,thiscanbeovercomewiththecorrecttraining.Inthe1stSaddlingcourseyouwillfindeverythingyouneedfromthefirstgirthingtoasaddlefittingcourseandevenanadvancedsaddlehabituationcoursewhereyourhorselearnsallaboutcarryingtarpaulinsandotherscaryobjectsonthesaddle.
4. Standingformountingistheessentialfirstelementofanyride.Mountingisknown
tobethemostdangeroustimeoftherideandthisisbecausehorseshavenotbeentaughttostandandwaitforacuetomoveoffwhentheriderissettledinthesaddleandready.Wealsoknowthatmountingfromthegroundisbadforboththehorse’sbackandyoursaddlealignment.TeachingHipstotheFence(orMountingBlock)willsolvealloftheseproblemsandthepotentialpurchaserwilllovethefactthatyourhorsebringsitshipsallthewaytoyouandstandsquietlywhileyousteponfromthemountingblockorfence.IrecentlywroteatrainingarticleonthisverysubjectforHorsesandPeopleMagazineandthatisavailableonline.
5. Whetherundersaddleoronlong-reins,showwalk,trotandcanter.Ifyouareselling
ahorsethatisundersaddlethenattheveryminimumyouneedtoshowwalk,trotandcanter.Ideallyyourhorseshouldbetravellinginanicesoftframe,beattentiveandrelaxed.Ifthatisnotyetthecase,seetheGivetotheBitcourseandyouwillbeabletoachieveeachofthesethings.Thecantercanoftenbeastumblingblockforsomebutitisessentialthatyourhorsepicksupthecorrectleadandcantersinacontrolledandcalmmanner–seetheCantercourseifyouneedtoworkonthis.Notyetundersaddle?Thebuyerstillneedstoseeeachofyourhorse’spaces.Ofcourseitisbestthatthisisalsoshowninanicerelaxedframeandnotbeingchasedaroundtheyard.Teachyourhorsetolong-rein(usingtheLong-Reiningcourse)ratherthanlunge.Lungingusuallyinvolvesthehorserunningcircleswithitsheadintheair,benttotheoutsideandahollowback–neverthebestwaytoshowyourhorse’spaces.Long-reiningismuchmoreeducational,agreatpreparationforridingandbuildsallofthattop-linemuscleyouneedlaterforthemountedwork.Thiswillshowyourhorse’spacesattheirbestanddemonstratehowcalmandrelaxeditisaswellasbeingobedienttovoicecues.
6. Ifyouhavesomethingmoreimpressive,suchasjumping,flyingchangesorhaunchturns,showthat,ofcourse,butalsoshowthecooldownandthetransitionbetweenthetwo.What’simportantisthehorseremainscalmandrelaxedbetweenthefastandslowwork.Yourpotentialbuyermaynotbeadvancedenoughtoridethesemovementsasyetbutthehorsewillcometotheirlevelifitisconfidentandhappyinitswork.
7. Photographs–weneedtoseebothconformationandthehorse’swayofgoing.Ifyouhavealimitonthenumberofphotos,thentrytochoosephotosthatgivethepurchaserthemostinformation.
Iwouldchoosetheoneontherightherebecauseyoucanseethehorse’sconformationquitewell,sheisclearlyquietandhappytobehandledandisworkingclosetoanotherhorse–allgoodthings.Theoneontheleftislessinformativebutstillagoodphotobecauseitshowsthehorseworkingoutsidethearenaonalooserein.
Againherewegetalotmoreinformationwiththephotoontheright(ifwehadtochooseonlyone).Thebowingphotomakesitclearthatthehorseistrainableandgoodwithdogsbuttheright-handphotoalsoshowsatrainablehorse.Inaddition,welearnthatheworkssoftlyinthebridle,travelsinarelaxedframeandmaintainsthesethingsinthecanter.
Iknow,itshouldbeobvious,butthenumberofterribleconformationphotographsyouseeisamazing.Thisisthesamehorse.Noticehow,ontheleft,thehorsejumpsoutofthephotograph.That’sbecausethereisn’tanythingelsehappeninginthebackground.Thehorseisstandingsquarelyandisalert.Thisphotographwillgivebuyersagoodlookatthehorseandalotofinformation.Theoneontherightwillleadthemdirectlytothenextad!
8. Video,ofcourse,isthebestthingforsellingyourhorseanditcanheadoffthosetirekickers.Trytomakethevideorelaxedandsuitablefortheaudienceyouareaimingfor.Ifyouaresellingatopleveldressagehorse,youwillneedacompletelydifferentvideofromthesafetrailridinghorse.ForanexampleofasalesvideogoalongtoKandooEquineandsignupfortheFREETrainingTips–you’llfindonethere.
9. Potentialbuyersshouldbeinterviewedonthephone.ExpectaLOToftire-kickers,peoplethatonlywanttotellyouabouttheirhorse(whichwasalsoblack,amare,dressagehorse,samebreedoranyotherirrelevantthingyousimplyhaven’tgottimefor),thosethatcollectphotographs,dreamaboutowningsuchalovelyhorsebuthavenoexperience,moneyorplacetokeepitandthelistgoeson.Ifyou’reunsureaboutapotentialbuyer,askthemforsomevideooftheirriding.Thelastthingyouwantissomeonecomingto‘try’thehorse,bangingaroundandaroundthearenaforanhourandthentellingyouthehorseistootall,chestnutortheyreallywantedamare.Youthenhavetoretrainthehorseandpossiblywaitforanyphysicaldamagetoheal.Ifthebuyerislocal,I'dtellthemthatthefirsttimetheycometoseethehorsetheycanwatchyouride.Iftheyarestillinterested,thennexttimetheycanride(Itendtogivealessonasthiskeepseverythingmorecontrolledandmakesforamuchbetterexperienceforthehorse).YoushouldalsoagreeapriceBEFOREthisridewiththeprovisothat‘ifyoulikethehorseaftertheridethenthepriceis$XXX’.Theyhavealreadyseenwhatthehorsecandowhenyourodeitsoifthecantertransitionsarenotspotonthenthisissomethingforthemtoaddresswiththeirinstructor,notapriceconsideration.
10. Findingtheidealhomeisnevereasy.Youknowthehorsebetterthananyonesotrytoimaginehowthehorsewillreacttoeachpotentialnewowner.Forexample,ittakesaspecialhorseindeedtofitwellintoafamilywhereonlythechildis‘horsemad’andtheparentsarereallycatpeoplebutwillingtotakethechildtoPonyClubeveryweekend.
11. So,whatisthatthingyoushouldNEVERdo?Youshouldneversendyourhorseoutontrial.Ifthepurchasersaregenuinelyinterested,thengetthemtocomebackonanumberofoccasionstorideunderyoursupervisionortakethehorsetotheirproperty.Moreoftenthannot,thehorsesuffershugelywhenitgoesontrial.Ahorsewillnaturallytakesometimetosettleintoitsnewenvironmentanditiscompletelyunfairtomakethisperiodatestofthehorse’ssuitability.Themostlikelyoutcomeisyouwillgetyourhorsebackafterthetrialwithphysicalandpsychologicaldamagethatitmayneverrecoverfrom.
12. Finally,oncethehorsehasleftyourpropertyitisnolongerunderyourcontrol.Isuggestyougetawrittenandsigneddocumentdetailinghowthehorseisperformingnowandanyrecommendations(suchassaddlefitting,farrier,dentist,existingveterinaryissuesandsuggestedridinginstruction)forthefuture,justsothateveryoneknowswheretheystand.If,forexample,yousellayounghorsetoanovicefamilybutmakeitclearthattheyrequireasaddlefitter,onlyrideforshortperiodstostartwith,getaninstructortohelpthem,don’tover-facethehorsebytakingittobigeventsimmediatelyandsoon,youhavedoneyourbest.Ifthisisallinasigneddocument,betterstill.Thefactis,ifthenewownerdoesNOTgetasaddleproperlyfitted,ridestheyoungandunfithorseforhoursataneventandignoresconflictbehaviourssuchasearpinning,indicatingthehorseisinpain,thenitWILLendindisaster.Noviceownersneedguidance.Theywon’talwaystakeitbutyouwillhaveaclearconscience.
