Benchmark Sporthorses?

[EAlli1]

This past May I was in the market for a new horse, and after years of window shopping her Facebook, Jess was my first stop. I emailed her about 2 of the horses I was interested in, and she responded, letting me know that one was sale pending and the other was still available. After a bit of back and forth, we set up a time and date to try him.

When I arrived, Jess was at her day job and I met with her staff, who were very friendly and professional. I rode the horse I had inquired about and he ended up not being a good fit for me. We went back to the barn and Jess was there checking in. We talked about the ride and I explained to her what I was looking for. She suggested a horse that I had not even considered when looking at her line up. I tried him and loved him. Less than 2 weeks later, he was home with me. He’s everything she advertised him as, but being a horse who was taken from one completely different lifestyle to another, we had some difficult and unexpected moments. We worked through them and he’s turning out to be the best horse I’ve ever owned. My 7 year old daughter and 8 year old niece have ridden him and he treats them like the precious cargo they are.

I’m glad I didn’t go into the experience with tunnel vision on the first horse, and let her guide me to the one I least expected. There was a barnful of nice horses there, and some were already sale pending, but there were plenty of others to try. Jess was not a warm and fuzzy person, but what she was was professional, knowledgable, and bluntly honest about her horses and business. That is a type of person I would buy from any day. I don’t need a new best friend when I’m looking for a safe horse, I’m looking for someone who will be straight with me. I will 100% go back to her for any future purchases and recommend her to anyone looking.

[enjoytheride]

While I don’t think that ONLY serious buyers buy sight unseen, I’ve experienced the whole tire kicker thing first hand having a horse for sale. I’ve spent A LOT of time answering FB messages for people who are not actually serious. Asking me to reshoot a video 5 or 6 times, detailed conformation photos, specific extra videos, talking about past horses that looked like or were bred like this one, even setting up an appointment to see the horse, then saying you need to “ask your husband” is code for “I’m a tire kicker and have no intent to buy”

While I’d like to say I’ve already discussed it with my husband ahead of time, usually the first time he knows I’m about to purchase a horse is when I post photos on FB of me in another state with a trailer.

[Bearx2]

https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/a-day-in-the-life-with-jessica-redman/

It looks like she did a day in the life article sometime last year and it might give people some more insight into her business.

[lazaret]

Here’s the thing - the difficulties in your business and what other people have done to you has zero to do with me as an individual customer.

If you’re too busy, then maybe you need to acquire fewer horses to sell. Maybe you need a dedicated person to answer inquiries.

The customer is NOT a problem. That doesn’t mean that the customer is always right. It does mean that customers have their own lives and you might need to work weekends or evenings or be answering messages when you’d rather be doing something else because that is what is required for your business.

Again this is general commentary. I haven’t dealt with her. Separating customers from their money generally is some degree of inconvenient, which is what you’re getting paid for.

[Bearx2]

While I agree that every client should be treated as an individual that might be buying a horse from you I don’t think sellers need to change their business model just because it doesn’t work for everyone. It is up to the buyer to do some research and buy from a seller that fits their needs. If you have to try the horse, need to horse shop on the weekends or need extra time to decide a seller that doesn’t work weekends and doesn’t keep horses for very long might not be the right match for you .

[AmmyHour926]

I always feel this way with any business when their lack of customer service excuse is “this isn’t my full time job”. And my knee jerk reaction is always “and that’s not my problem”.

[Laurierace]

So ironic that people are complaining about her business model because horses don’t stay in her program very long. Obviously there are more than enough people who do like her business model otherwise they wouldn’t be buying the horses as soon as they arrive. If she isn’t for you, that is fine. That doesn’t make her bad.

[Night_Flight]

And her horses seem to be very affordable for horses that have been evaluated by an experienced person with connections to seemingly good trainers with quality horses, and had a few post-track rides on them to evaluate their suitability for a second career. If she were to hire another employee or quit her full-time job to provide more hand-holding, the horse prices would need to go up and people would probably complain about that.

[Jenerationx]

If I were looking to purchase, I would check it out. It seems that the horses are at least honestly represented and no smoke is blown up anyone’s nether regions about perfect Dobbins.

[Laurierace]

Or you just go somewhere else.

[chancellor2]

I agree Laurierace. Don’t like the way someone is doing business, you have the option to walk away and go somewhere else.

[trubandloki]

@chancellor2

I agree Laurierace. Don’t like the way someone is doing business, you have the option to walk away and go somewhere else.

This is very true and I agree with this.

This thread is asking about people’s experiences with this seller so a person describing why this seller did not work for them seems appropriate, and it sounds like the people who did not like this business model have gone elsewhere.

[lazaret]

I did. Because even if I did want to buy sight unseen (and I have, many times) I don’t like being called a tirekicker by extension for asking questions because someone else before me asked some questions and customers are such a pain in the ass.

I do value professionalism, sure. It’s off color for an attorney but “so sue me.”

[Meredith_Clark]

I’ve never purchased from Jess, her business model isn’t made for someone like me (small budget, will keep the horse forever, wants to ride in more than once before buying) but there’s been a few that came through her program that caught my eye because of their breeding or it had limitations or issues that could make it work in my program (I own my farm and can give a horse basically whatever they need as far as management.) She always answered my messages and we’ve chatted about other things horse related as well. I’m pretty local to her and we share some of the same circles.

I LOVE Stacy (who rides for her), I’ve known her for years and would 100% buy a horse from her if it was a match.

Personally I go more towards the OTTB rescues because there’s a safety net there and I have more time to get to know if the horse is right for me. I also work for After the Races so that’s where my most recent personal horse came from.

[enjoytheride]

@lazaret

Here’s the thing - the difficulties in your business and what other people have done to you has zero to do with me as an individual customer.

If you’re too busy, then maybe you need to acquire fewer horses to sell. Maybe you need a dedicated person to answer inquiries.

I don’t understand why a seller has to acquire fewer horses to sell or to hire a dedicated person to answer buyer questions if the program they have been running sells enough horses to be profitable.

[Laurierace]

The last thing I need is another horse and I definitely don’t need a young TB but she has one right now that I would love to have in my barn even if it were just to watch him in the pasture. So tempting

[Live_Wire]

She has a timber horse right now I hope someone buys and broadcasts so that I can follow it. It is stunning.

[Laurierace]

It’s likely the same horse, you have good taste!

[barnesthenoble]

Yes, I don’t even really want to jump but that Frankel youngster is spectacular. Right now she and Stacy both have some horses I would love to have in my barn, if only I had infinite money and infinite space.

[Tha_Ridge]

Yes, that one is the COOLEST!