Dressage Imports: A question for the market connoisseurs!

[Tropical_Dressage]

Hi everyone!

So a quick question or kind of survey. I’m from Costa Rica, and I’m starting up my own little business of selling some really good horses that are located down here to the US market. The question is:

I’m trying to offer a full “boutique” service, where pricing includes import to Miami (which is a regular weekly route), but I don’t know if this is making my ads more or less attractive to the public? I like to give a full pricing with import and all services included, but of course the horse pricing without this would be a lot more appealing.

I know buying overseas is already complicated, but this is a closer option (2 hour flight from FL) than others I’ve seen to come check the horses out.

For example, I have a couple of GP schoolmasters for 30k, would a pricing of 42-43k including the import make too much of a difference in how attractive this can seem?

Thank you so much in advance to everyone!

[BigMama1]

Honestly? I think people would see those prices for a GP schoolmaster and think it’s fishy / too good to be true.

[Mersidoats]

People who are looking to purchase GP horses are spending cash at a level where the cost to fly the horse doesn’t even factor into their equations. It’s just expected. Things I looked for when I was importing: recent GOOD X-rays, correct movement and training, recent piro test.

Why $30k? Is that all the market will bear in CR? Sound, sane, amateur proof GP horses sell for 6 figures up here, and in Europe.

[iberianfan]

Sent you a PM.

[lazaret]

I would think a youngish GP schoolmaster under $50k is a scam.

That said I’ll write you a check today for one if that’s the case

[Arlomine]

If I were you, I would personally contact a list of prominent trainers in Florida, and start creating a connection with them. Send brief videos of some of the horses you have for sale, and target making a personal connection with trainers your priority. If your horses really are good and your prices are what you state, you will have no problem selling them, the trainers will sell them for you. Once you sell several horses into good programs, you will start to build a reputation.

This may save you a lot of time dealing with people just wanting a good deal and not being qualified buyers.

In your situation the videos are going to be key. No slow motion. No ridiculous music. Preferably no music at all. Very brief, showing all three gaits, and a snippet of relaxed walk outside. You can always follow up with more detailed videos later. Really get the best videographer you can.

Be ready to provide a recent set of good x-rays.

[hoopoe]

Agree with Arlo. Take advantage of the Winter circuit season in Florida and market to the trainers who go there. You can find results for last season .
Video include stood up conformation shots and then the basic gaits then upper level work.

No razzle dazzle, no music no production cuts.

[Tropical_Dressage]

Hi everyone, thank you for all the advice!

Those two schoolmasters are 17 and PRE. That’s why we thought of pricing them affordably. They are pretty movers and one of them has been a national team horse. They are owned by a breeder who’s main concern is just that- breeding. So on that area they just don’t appeal to him anymore, since he’s already used them for it.

There’s also a current team horse that’s a PRE but scores consistently in the 70’s as a Small Tour horse. He’s 9. That one does have a higher price range. I also have a bunch of young ones 3-4 year olds that are 20-25k, and are really well bred and good moving Iberians. So it definitely varies. I used the schoolmasters as examples just because they are the most appealing ones pricing wise.

[BigMama1]

Create a website or a Facebook business page and follow the advice above to make quality, detailed videos. Include the age, height, and price in the video, along with Amy maintenance needs or significant injuries. Will save you from answering tons of questions and eliminate some tire kickers.

Whatever level you are advertising them at, show that work in the video in both directions.

If you had a Facebook page or website like that and the horses are as advertised, a bunch of us here would likely send to trainers / riders we know who are looking. I would buy the 17 yo PRE myself lol. Everyone is looking for a horse like that!

Are they South American bred or European bred? And if Europe are they Piro free?

[Tropical_Dressage]

Thank you!

They are all bred here from European bloodlines. They are all piro free.

[SusanO]

I agree with the rest of the posters but I want to add that the Iberian market is hot right now. Good videos of the horse in work doing what you say it will do, no slo mo and PLEASE no music. Good luck! I think this is the right time to be selling an Iberian horse.

[Mersidoats]

Also, if you do a video of a horse you are selling as a schoolmaster, the video should show correct movements. No late changes/close behind changes, head-tilting half-passes, etc. some things can be forgiven for young horses, but not in seasoned schoolmasters.

[SusanO]

If you do a website I would do a FAQ about importation - both what is required quarantine wise for a horse coming into the US from Costa Rica and an estimate of importation costs for a foal, mare, gelding, stallion. Also what transport companies will service this route. This information would make the whole horse shopping process easier and people less likely to just think “Naw. Too expensive and complicated.”

[SpicyPRE]

I think that wanting to price fairly and not capitalize on the currently inflated horse prices is AMAZING! Thank you!

[AnnaKarena92]

As someone who spent 20+ years in the business of helping people buy and import horses…and having lived with imported horses in Costa Rica for 6 years, here are some things that come to mind.

1. GP anything for those prices will scare people, so you are going to have to work extra hard to prove that they are legitimate GP horses. Do they have competition scores at GP? Be accurate, if they haven’t shown the level…list it as “schooling” or “ready to compete x level”.
2. Make sure that you have ALL export blood tests done. There are several that are high risk other than piro. Spend the extra money to have them done by a computer that is matched to the sensitivity of the USDA computers to avoid any issues.
3. Make your sales videos, but be prepared to happily make a lot of other videos too. Handling, in the stable, schooling, on a hard surface towards and away from the camera at walk and trot without a rider. Do NOT edit out any undesirable behavior. Your buyers need to see it and they will appreciate your honesty.
4. Show photos and provide information on where the horses live, where they will stay for export quarantine, etc. Costa Rica is a fairly unknown thing for most American horse people and they will be curious.
5. Talk about the riding and training the horses receive. Who are the riders? Are they trained in Europe too?
6. Get a set of quality US specific xrays done and evaluated in English. Send me a PM for more info on how to get that done.
7. Build your US contacts. This takes time, but it’s worth it!
8. Make sure you have good and fair contracts that are in English.
9. Spend time building relationships with buyers. Yes, there are a lot of tire kickers. But they talk. Good talk will build your reputation. Bad talk will ruin you. Don’t be impatient if someone talks and looks for a long time before they buy.
   Good luck and I’d love to see what you have (pm pls).

[Tropical_Dressage]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate all of this. Yes, both the GP schoolmasters and the Small Tour horses will have show and schooling videos at the level they’re being advertised. We’re also ready to do flexion videos, trot outs and lunge videos. I will have them filmed on the ground as well, taking baths and just being handled in general if necessary.

Both of the farms and breeders I’ll be working with were carefully selected due to that exact reason. They are piro and anaemia free farms with constant testing done. I have my vet ready to go with all export testing, nowadays we work directly with a USDA approved lab in the US.
The riders in these farms as well are pretty good ones, one of them is European and the other has lots of experience and has represented CR in Pan Ams and Central American games. The other rider would be me not as good as them but I’ve trained in the US and shown in the FEI levels.

[BigMama1]

I would love to see video of the 2 17-year-olds and details of any maintenance / injuries if you can please PM me when you’re ready

[SpicyPRE]

And a couple of things to add re: the video - make sure to show corners and transitions up and down.