I have sold many horses off the dreamhorse.com web site with very good results. Probably more than all the other sites put together. The picture ads do better. I put the videos up on you tube since most of the horse sites don't allow as big of a file as I like to do.

this is a link to a video of one of my 2 yr old reinig prospects

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yy8E5272_b8

Sometimes you have to make your ad stand out more than the others. Some folks will choose the ad to view just by the horses name. For the record, I was not trying to sell you my 2yr year old, I was just showing you a sample of  good web advertising. That video was done by a amateur with the program that came free with the video camera. People want to see more than just a pic these days. They want to a reflection of the horses personality along with something that shows ability. I will need to update that video in a few months since that filly had only had about 30 rides on her as of the end of May,at the time the video was made.

Doc: About your horse is he solidpaintbred (politically correct way of saying breeding stock) or a minimal white overo?  I would also suggest some better photos of your horse at a 3/4 angle from the rear, a front and back shot and a side shot that shows his qualifying coloring if possible (if he is overo).  With the market the way it is you have to show your horse is the best and the buyer can't live without owning your horse.  Make sure you put in your ad:  does he load,clip,good for farrier?  current on shots, negative coggins?  regular deworming schedule? Has he been saddled, how are his ground manners?  The more you can show this guy can do, the better his selling points are.  I would scrap the photo you have.  To be honest I wouldn't give him a second glance with that photo, why?  Because it shows the owner is lazy and not willing to put time into spiffing the horse up and showing how nice his assets are.  Just my opinion.  And to be honest, I am in the market for a tall leggy Paint filly or gelding, for wp/hs , and I have to say according to your ad and his photo he doesn't meet what I am looking for. 

Nobody is asking you to lie about him.  Just make him presentable.  If you have that attitude you might as well plan on keeping him.  I can show you ads where folks have taken the time to bathe them, and take pictures of them squared up.  It allows the buyers to see the horses true conformation.  The photo you have does not show what his conformation is, if anything it diminishes it.  If you want folks to seriously consider your horse, you need to make your ad serious.  Otherwise..plan on feeding him another year or take him to auction.  It is a buyers market. 

He might be a really nice horse but from the picture he is average at best. Its ios a buyers market with lots of competition so I'd clean him up,clip him and make him shine. Thats not lying just making him look his best for a buyer who might be three states away. Lying would be saying he was sound and healthy yet lame-ass and coughing.

There are TONS of well bred, good horses for sale. The ones that sell are the ones that are presented in such a way someone will take the time to call or email. based on the pictures ( and not a slam against the horse BTW) this horse falls into the oh....catagory not the OH! catagory.

good luck and don't take these tips personally. I have been a buyer and seller of many horses as have many on this board so learn from us.

Thanks for the nice comment. We have our own hay so not worried about feeding him. I am putting another picture on his add on horsetopia. Might be on their sometime tomorrow. I just thought I would put him on and try to sell him if someone could use him for show. Since I don't. I told my husband if I sell him I do if I don't okay too. After I get healed up from my baling accident. I will start working with him. My husband don't ride but I thought he would be a big enough for him. If he wanted too. But you all know how this is,You just can't push a non horse rider into a horse rider. Don't get me wrong he likes horses alot or I wouldn't have as many as I do. But he likes to go camping with me which is good. And I go by myself alot too.Oh well the good Lord goes with me too!

I wasn't trying to make a smart remark, just stating a point.  Breeding stocks are the ugly stepchildren of APHA.    They can not show in regular classes, they have their own "separate" classes, and due to lack of turnout, typically not enough present in classes to earn points.  If the BS is a mare they can hold "some" value as they can be bred to a homozygous Paint stallion and throw color, whereas a BS gelding is nothing more than a solid paint horse.

I am not trying to be rude, just let you know that due to his lack of training, you will be lucky to get $200 for him unfortunately.  He is not that well bred.

You could sink more than a thousand in him and try to get hime dual registered with AQHA since he comes from cropout stock.  But that is a long and expensive process.  Many folks won't go to that extent unless they are impeccibly bred and have outstanding conformation.

We show and raise Paint horses, I know what the judges are looking for.  I gave away my Breeding stock mare because the market is saturated, and no one wants a Breeding stock.  She was very well bred, professionally trained, used on the mounted patrol, but because she was a solid paint, no one wanted her. 

I am just trying to help you out, because unless you find someone naive about breeding stock paints, you won't get hime sold for what you are asking.

Your best bet is to market him for 4-H, not western pleasure, english, show, halter, etc.    Folks will not take you seriously.  Breeding stock horses are a dime a dozen.  Many going for less than $100 at auction.  Go to Shipshewana sometime and you will see what I am talking about.

I truly wish you luck with selling him, especially in this depressed market. 

welcome to the reality of horses- some are just worth more than others no matter how much we love them.

I hope you can sell him but please listen to those who know more about the breed than you do. It might help to be brutally honest about the horse,what he is really worth and if you can't move him, then be prepared to do something with him.

When he is finished when I am done. You can't put a price on a good trail horse. Showing is all politics anyway! Been their done it.See you all later. 

Doc, the point is he has no color!  He is a paint horse, the point of being called a Paint is for color.  Because he has none, it diminishes his value.   That would be like a solid appaloosa.  It doesn't have the color traits that make it famous.

Also well broke trail horses are bringing maybe $600.  Take a look at dreamhorse, equine.com, etc.  You will see what we are talking about.  The days of high ticket unknown horses are gone. 

Glad you are content with keeping him the rest of his days.

Take a look at ours for sale on Equine.com.He's no $600 horse,and he's not going anywhere for that.I've found that some  people that show vs trail ride have the wrong idea about what a good well bred trail horse is worth.

I can't see an ad #,it is Missouri Foxtrotter "Ladie's Red Man".I know the market is down,but I'm not giving him away either.

Crowlesridgegirl, there is a difference between gaited and stock horses.  Gaited horses will always bring decent money whether they trail ride or show.  But with a solid paint gelding, they are a dime a dozen, and unless he does tricks, and is super spectacular,he isn't going to bring squat.  Folks can "ask" for any amount for their horse, but whether a buyer will "pay" that is the question.

Right now it is a buyers market and they can get the cream of the crop for next to nothing.  This is an untrained gelding, doesn't have the best conformation (at least in the picture posted on his ad depicts that), he is a solid paint, which means he is limited to what he can show in. 

The point we are trying to make here is that the market is horrid, and unless a horse is trained, you are not going to get squat.  I had a solid paint mare, professionally trained, was on the mounted patrol, etc, and couldn't get squat for her, and she was only 6 and had very very very nice conformation.  I ended up giving her to someone locally for trail riding.  Trail horses are a dime a dozen now.  You can go to any auction and get a nice riding horse for around $500 or less!   Even some are gaited.

Holding out for a high dollar will have you keeping your horse for a lot longer. 

Until they reopen the slaughter houses, it is going to continue this way.

I disagree with "Trail Horses are a dime a dozen". A good trail horse should know everything a good show horse knows - leg yields, side pass, relaxed head set, easy transitions, soft in the mouth, gives to the bit etc, plus have enough brains not to freak out when a deer, bear, hiker, or mountain biker pops out of the trees. Regardless of the breed - gaited or not.

I have a friend that has been looking for a solid trail horse for over a year from Arabian to Quarter Horse. Very difficult to find a well trained trail horse. There is a misconception that any show horse can be a trail horse. This is not true. There are some great show horses that can't handle the rigors of trail riding and vice-versa. So I hate it when people say, well it didn't cut the mustard in the show ring, so I'll sell it as a trail horse. Along with "it is a three year old seasoned trail horse". No such thing. Just like for show horses, experience, training and time make a great trail horse.

Ponytammy - I agree wholeheartedly. Just go to one large trail ride in SC/NC & you'll see some crazy, hyped up horses that have absolutely no business being trail horses. They are just as likely to hurt someone riding next to them as they are themselves or their riders.

Good, solid trail horses require a good deal of training & time investment the same as those gorgeous show horses for them to be great at what they do & for you to be safe riding them.

I honestly don't believe I was "harsh".  I am being realistic.  Just go to the auctions and you will see for yourself.  Or just drive up to Michigan, folks can't afford to keep them anymore.  Today there was a dead broke registered Gaited pony, 10 yr old gelding, been there done that, for $300 or best offer.  Pony has been there done that, 4-H, trail riding, parades.    I know the horse market, as I make it my business to know it since we raise and show paint horses and spotted draft horses.  If there is no market, we don't breed.   We have one mare in foal and that is a spotted draft, and we are keeping the baby for showing.  Our Paint broodmares were deliberately left open this year, simply because the market is saturated.  We can buy a very very very nice bred two year old for next to nothing, and one that has color. 

If folks want real nice, well broke trail horses, than come to Michigan because folks are literally giving them away.  Michigan has the highest unemployment rate of the US, and getting almost to the point of highest poverty rate.  Folks are losing farms left and right to foreclosure. 

I know my neighbors in Indiana and Ohio are not doing as well either, I used to live in Ohio down by Bellefontaine area.  Lots of industrial jobs drying up and heading south.

I am only trying to point out it is unrealistic for this particular gelding to be listed for higher than he is worth.  He is untrained, and his conformation is lacking, plus the fact he is a solid paint gelding.   Papers on him don't mean a thing to be honest.  You are better off selling him as a grade Quarter Horse.

If I have insulted you, I apologize, it was not my intent.  Just trying to point out that solid paint geldings are a dime a dozen and spending $1200 or more to get him properly trained will not make him much more valuable. 

That is just my opinion.  I only have 40+ yrs of equine experience, grew up on a working farm.  So guess I don't know a whole lot yet...But you are right, we do learn something new everyday.  I also know there is a sucker born everyday too, maybe you can get someone naive to buy him.

 All my babies are by world champions and we still cut back the breeding and only bred 2 mares for 2009 babies. Both those mares are very well bred and they are bred to champions reiners. But, both stallion owners were not willing to extend the contracts for future use and said use it in 2008 or loose it. I would have held them off until next year if I could in hopes that the market would rebound. I also gelded good mannered  yearling colts this year that I never would have gelded in the past.

      mrstacticalmedic wrote:
"Our Paint broodmares were deliberately left open this year, simply because the market is saturated.  We can buy a very very very nice bred two year old for next to nothing, and one that has color.  "

I can't help but jump in on this one.  Mrs. whateveryoucallyourself states  I would scrap the photo you have.  To be honest I wouldn't give him a second glance with that photo, why?  Because it shows the owner is lazy and not willing to put time into spiffing the horse up and showing how nice his assets are.  Just my opinion.  And to be honest, I am in the market for a tall leggy Paint filly or gelding, for wp/hs , and I have to say according to your ad and his photo he doesn't meet what I am looking for.   And you say you weren't being "harsh".  Sounds "harsh" to me.  "Owner is lazy"???  Where do you get off criticizing this womans ad?  In every post you entered about this lady's horse, you more or less have said that it isn't worth the page it's printed on.  You jumped on her like flies on  ...... !

N2Ridin  you have your opinion, and I have mine.  At least I am honest and don't sugarcoat things and let folks get the wrong idea.  Scrapping the photo would help, but not alot in this poor horses case, since his owner is not concerned about really selling the horse.  The owner is more concerned about convenience.  Unfortunately, with the market the way it is, convenience isn't going to cut it.  I don't see the horse market changing anytime in the near future.

I sure hope you would not consider showing, because if you thought what I said was "harsh" then you wouldn't be able to tolerate what judges say about horses in the ring. 

Hello everyone,   Okay everyone I want to tell you all I fully appreciate all the critisim. And the nice comments too ,but I really really would appreciate if this   could end now. I just want to say I am not a lazy person. And the horse is no longer for sale. I no longer have him. Someone did take a second look at him and liked him . And all of you that wrote back and stuck up for me thank you. I did not want this. The good lord above has been looking out for me too. Prayers are answered. And I give thanks to him . Bless you all.  

Some of us in IN are still doing fine, despite what the economy tries to throw at us! On a plus note I got a great deal on our LQ trailer that wouldn't have happened 6 months or more ago (LQ 4H all Al for under 10K- yeah it is 10 years old, but still works!).~K

Edited by statzk 2008-07-17 3:10 PM

The horse market is depresed mostly on the lower/meduim end of it. There are plenty of ok, nice horses around but horses that are well bred and can win in the show ring will always have a market.

The lack of a slaugher option has really hurt too. Horses that would have been shipped are now trying to find a place in the market, for which there really isn't one. Those who bred anything with a uterus are finding it tough to dump those resulting foals ( and that might be a good thing. Stupid people shouldn't breed horses) A nice hors might be tougher to sell can find a home if your willing to be flexible on the price.

I'm glad the poster found a buyer/home for the horse.

statzk  sent you a PM with a name & number.  Lots of auctions coming up.  Shipsy has low prices now.  Went to the Lake Odessa sale last weekend looking for a filly.  Saw one, really nice looking, but papers got "lost" as she was a drop off.  She ended up going for $75.   She was very nice looking, leggy, short back, nice sloped shoulder, neck tied in nice, long neck, very very balanced.  only thing I didn't care for her was she had really small feet.   Figure she had some halter line in there somewhere. Oh plus she was QH, I was looking for a paint.  But give the guy a call I gave you the name and number of.  He is one of the few ethical dealers in Michigan.  Occasionally he gets junk, but he tells you it is junk.  

Well best get off of here, got to go look at another horse.  I love shopping!  Definitely a buyers market, can afford to be very very picky.