Yup, which is why Benchmark gets frustrated and posted her rant.
I see both sides, I truly do.
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Yup echo this. Have an OTTB, not from Benchmark to be clear, that’s had all the ailments in the world and not a whole lotta joy, just a lot of vet bills she’s given me in my 3.5 yrs of ownership. Currently turned out, doing nothing finally wrapping up rehab from her latest injury. Close spinous processes, but no degradation, I wish I had x-rayed that back when I bought. That’s just bad luck too, yes, but why would I subject myself willingly to this risk if I could move on and find a horse that gives me even slightly better odds?
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I learned the hard way that buying the horse with the PPE findings can also invalidate coverage for medical and mortality insurance. That adds another level of risk on a 5 figure purchase that is a good sum of money for many one horse amateurs.
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The third option is to tell the buyer “sorry, I don’t think Dobbins is a match and not sell.”
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The height thing is always interesting to me. My spouse is 6ft on the nose, with very long femurs. For the longest time (until his guy developed enough) he looked more appropriate on my 15.3 chunk then his slender 16.2. it’s all what people are comfortable with, but I don’t think anyone would look at him on my mare and say it’s too small.
I would buy from Jess in a heartbeat. She is incredibly honest. There are tons of folks out there that are less honest who will take you for a ride.
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But that’s not really the point, is it?
The buyer can want whatever they want. A buyer can want a 16.2 1/4" bright bay gelding with 2 1/2 socks that “passes” a $10k PPE. A lot of us might say “wow, that’s specific, are you sure you can’t compromise at all?”
But the seller saying the horse IS those things when the horse is clearly not–maybe it’s a mare, or chestnut, or has no socks–is not okay.
Bitching very publicly about how bonkers the buyer is to want a very comprehensive PPE is not okay.
If the seller cannot accommodate the buyer’s laundry list, cool, tell them that. Don’t misrepresent the horse. Don’t publicly lambast buyers with a different appetite for risk.
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But has Jessica misrepresented a size before? I obviously don’t know, but I do know she provides far more details and information and photos and honest thoughts then most of the sellers out there. Much better then the one reseller that takes every angle to make the horse seem bigger and then it steps off the trailer at 15.1 (been there, done that)
Just like a buyer can think they need a 16.3 hh horse, Jessica is equally allowed to have her opinion that some buyers are unrealistic in what they need/want.
No where in my post did I say a buyer couldn’t want what they want. I just think it’s interesting because to me, I am FAR more interested in the body size as opposed to the height, because in my experience, that is what makes or breaks a riders position and legs on a horse. And that can go both ways, a smaller rider may fit better on a narrow body 17hh, then a thick 16hh.
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Oh she correctly represents size. That I can attest for. Shayney was advertised as 16.2. I thought there was some fluff in there, like most sellers do. She got off the trailer, and son of a B, she’s every bit of 16.2, maybe a little more.
So for that, I think she’s good.
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I’m not commenting on Jess, or saying she has misrepresented size. I recently purchased a horse from another seller that was misrepresented in that way, and that’s where the discussion about size began.
But it’s all the same thing–sellers who think buyers are Doing It Wrong.
Sure, sellers can certainly advise a buyer that they may want to consider something the seller thinks is more suitable. Or a seller can say they cannot accommodate.
But sellers independently and unilaterally making the decision that the horse is more suitable, or that the risk of lameness etc, is unimportant, are stepping way out of their lane. It’s not their decision to make.
And wrt size, there are ALL sorts of reasons to want a specific size. Suitability to the rider isn’t the one, single, only factor. But that sort of thing is probably why some people misrepresent. They justify with “he’s thick and will take up a lot of leg, so it doesn’t matter that he’s a whole lot shorter than I said. He rides like a bigger horse!”
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Truth! Maybe I only want horses that are 16h, size 74 Rambo, 48" girth, and cob bridle, so that I can use all the same gear on them. That’s totally fine and my choice as a buyer to turn down anything that doesn’t fit my criteria 
.
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Can you imagine if other retail sellers were like this? Bitching on social media because buyers had specific needs.
Do you think the car dealership is going to try to talk me into a different model of car because the dealership thinks I don’t know what I need as well as they do? I mean, talk about paternalistic. If the dealership is talking me into something different I know it’s because the dealership wants to make money, not because it’s in my better interest.
Or that the dealership would take to social media to decry how silly buyers are for not wanting flood-damaged used cars because the dealership knows, having held onto cars no longer than a couple months max, that they never ripens into an issue years down the line. No, they just move onto the next potential buyer.
Or that a dealership would claim with a straight face that any concerns they have are in the buyer’s interest and not profit driven? No way. I know if the salesperson is pushing too hard that I ought to walk because that person is NOT looking out for ME.
This whole practice of talking about your clients on social media in this way is unprofessional. If you have a public facing business, don’t make public statements on social media criticizing your buyers. Period. Even if it’s not on your “business” social media, realize that if you are talking about the business it’s getting linked back to the business no matter where you post it.
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yea- you forgot one criteria - tree size… 
ask me how I know…
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I get that argument. I also see, from following her for a while, that she is overwhelmed with “interest” so maybe alienating some prospective buyers is not the worst thing for her business model.
I won’t call those buyers “tire kickers”, either. Different buyers need differing amounts of education and hand-holding though the process. I don’t think Jess’s team or her particular “product” make sense for that buyer.
What we probably need is one more layer from track to ammie…someone in her pipeline who buys a $4kish horse from her, puts 6 months of rides on, a couple shows, and sells for, I don’t know, $12k-ish.
But that’s low margins in expensive areas…
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Possibly. But who knows when the buyer she alienates today might be the one she wants to cultivate down the line? It just seems like a poor business strategy to me, but she can do what she wants.
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I think she knows exactly what her niche market it is, and is marketing to it very successfully. She’s selling to highly competent amateurs and pros who are capable of finishing a horse themselves, who won’t be put off by something forward or spicy, who are capable of making a decision on horse quickly and can tolerate a certain amount of risk at the price point she’s selling.
I doubt very much that she’s alienating that market with her social media post.
The value that she adds is her contacts with breeders and at the track, her ability to evaluate and source the horses, get decent pics and video of them and put the first post track rides on them. Also that you can see multiple horses at the same place in one visit.
IF her business model was to keep a horse for 6 months, take it to a few shows, have it jumping 2’ 6" and be started on changes, then sell it at a higher price point, then I’d agree with you - she might be alienating prospective buyers. But the target market for those horses is very different.
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Then why is she complaining about buyers who don’t meet this description. If this isn’t her market why not just say “move along” when people call her who aren’t competent pros unafraid of kissing spines who will buy a challenging ride sight unseen?
The fact that she’s complaining about it on social media suggests it’s bothering her enough to post. And why let it bother you if you don’t need or want these buyers because people are falling all over themselves to stuff cash in your pocket. It doesn’t totally make sense.
I think she has a great business and turns horses over fast. Good for her. So keep on keeping on and don’t publicly complain about buyers who just don’t happen to be a match for your business model.
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I do this. There are a lot of us out there who do this on a small scale. I think the challenge is that most of on this model can’t afford to do more than a horse or two at a time, so there’s little name recognition involved—but all of my buyers for this type of horse have been sold from in-person trials with extensive vettings, so it also requires a little bit more “customer service” than most of the big flippers can or are prepared to offer. (And to be very clear, I very much respect Jess and we’ve done business together both ways.)
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We don’t disagree re: her core clientele but she is venting a bit about these buyers and has mentioned not having adequate staff to field inquiries, or give multiple showings, or explain less than perfect X-rays. That was the whole thrust of the thread since mention of her post on her personal Facebook page.
I actually think her model is fine, and her having an opinion about clientele who aren’t accomplished ammies is also fine.
It’s also fine to want a more curated buying experience, I mean good luck if you want OTTB prices however!
As someone who enjoys an OTTB project she would be my first look if I had time for another!
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I’ve been watching Jessica develop her business since the beginning via social media, and I really appreciate her honesty about all aspects of the business.
She started with a business plan before starting her business and planned out each step of business development. She knew what year she would begin making a profit, what she needed to initially invest, and what capital improvements needed to be done along the way, among many other aspects of developing a business. I can’t remember where the article is, but she wrote a great piece about planning a successful horse business.
It’s takes a lot to impress me, and seeing someone approach their business so professionally, and be willing to share that knowledge, definitely made an impression. The horse industry would greatly benefit if more professionals ran their businesses this way.
As @McGurk says, Jess knows her clientele, and she has a strong sales business. Her horses move fast, and I think she does a super job of representing them truthfully and ethically.
It’s not a model for everyone, and it’s good for people to realize this. However, it does work for people who are confident making a time-sensitive decision and purchasing a horse based on their instincts for its future, knowing that there are no guarantees with horses. It’s similar to buying youngsters or purchasing off video and someone’s word. There’s more risk to the decision, but it can be very rewarding.
I don’t get the agitation and anger about Jess’s comments online. There is so much truth to what she says, and I especially respect her transparency about her business: the highs, lows, and in-betweens. It’s not an easy way to make money for sure, and I appreciate her honesty and I know I’ll be a better customer in the future because of it.
(A lot of posts show the top-notch veterinary care the horses receive, and she addresses issues even if it means investing money and months to get the horse right. They are not all quick turn-around sales. Those that aren’t sale candidates are given to good homes; those with significant behavioral or physical issues are given a kind end. Jess does right by the horses in her care.)
I have to say that a group of people “complaining” on social media (COTH) about one specific person because that same person “complains” on social media (Facebook) about a large, anonymous group of people is a little ironic. If you feel her commentary is unprofessional, maybe it’s unprofessional for this conversation to be happening here, where one can be anonymous in their criticism (including me!). But that’s a topic for another day 
Anyway, thank you for listening ~ I’ve been thinking about this for weeks, but wasn’t sure how to put my thoughts into words.
ETA: I do not know Jess and have not interacted with her nor purchased a horse from her. These are my impressions based on her social media presence.
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There is a difference in tone between professionally communicating the challenges involved in the resale business, and basically calling your customers unreasonable for basically everything they do.
Every week it’s something new - buyers are too picky about vettings, too picky about appearance or other characteristics, too picky about personalities, too demanding that they come see horses around their own life schedules, ask too many questions, etc.
Let’s just say she’s the only horse “dealer” (for lack of a better term) I’ve seen publicly denigrate buyers so frequently. It doesn’t matter who the target market is, what matters is professionalism. Transparency is saying “I had three horses this week with findings in their back, and here’s why I think that isn’t an issue most buyers should be concerned with, but I can understand why they would be.” Unprofessional behavior is saying these buyers just aren’t educated because they disagree with you. Repeat ad nauseum.
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