Successfully Selling Horses...

["B.E. Jackson" <riosanbravo@hotmail.com>]

To all you ridecampers who are in the process of selling one or more horses:

I just placed my two geldings in two of the most wonderful situations—and 
walked away with a 500% "profit" (haha) on one of them. My 22-yr-old 
Anglo-Arab went to a mildly disabled couple (he can ride, she can't) as a 
companion to their Morgan gelding and occasional extra riding horse. The 
wife cried with gratitude to have a horse of her own again, even if she 
couldn't ride anymore (heck, we were all crying.) Introduction to the Morgan 
and the pasture where he would live out the rest of his days took about a 
minute. I drove off thinking "why can't humans adjust as well as horses do?"
My 12-yr-old Paint/TB went to live on 40 acres with a brand spanking new 
redwood barn and another gelding to share it with. After 10 years with me, 
he barely lifted his head from the feed trough when I drove off. Bought him 
(bad 'tude and all) from the killers for $350 and sold him for $2500.

Here are my suggestions for finding a home:

•Use word of mouth enhanced by the Internet. Email everyone you know.
•Do some research and post ads on all the FREE or at least CHEAP classified 
websites, being sure to say where you are located. Post pictures too if 
possible.
•Network through your vet and farrier. In my younger gelding's case, he'll 
still be shod by the same guy I use—an added plus.
•Mentally prepare yourself to let go of your animal. Prior to selling, I 
isolated my two guys to try and cut down on separation anxiety within the 
herd and referred to them as "sale horses" whenever I could.
•Try to work out the worst of your horse's problems before you go looking 
for a buyer.
•If that doesn't work, be brutally honest about the horse's quirks. I sent 
each horse for a 30-day trial and think I scored big points with the buyers 
for doing so. I don't believe in obsessing and forcing them to sign a 
buy-back clause, so this helped them and me know that this horse was going 
to work out for them.

I'm really thankful the ordeal is over and I can get back to enjoying the 
horses I have left. I know my "babies", though gone from here, are thriving 
in their new lives and that helps fill the hole left in my heart.

Bonnie in AZ

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