Ooh thanks! I’ll look at this!
Auctions do make me nervous though. I feel like I don’t have any control over whether she’d go to a good home or not.
Has anyone used these?
I want her off my plate and out of my wallet, but don’t want to compromise her safety to get that.
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Most of the trainers that sell on it are very reputable and I know they give a flip about where their horses go.
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My friends and I have used Dreamhorse to sell trail and pleasure horses the last few years, because it’s easy to do a search on that site for a horse in a certain geographical area. However, the Facebook groups that feature a specific breed, riding discipline or price range are definitely more lively. It’s easy to message back and forth and send videos.
The main drawback to most of the Facebook groups is that you’re reaching buyers from hundreds of miles away. If they want Honey, they need to have their own transportation to come get her, or they’ll be adding on a whole lot of money to her purchase price in shipping fees. That often ends up being a deal breaker.
So, look on Facebook for a group dedicated to horses for sale in your state. The one for my state, Arizona, includes horses of all breeds, types and prices. If you’re marketing to people in your own state, they might be more likely to consider your horse simply because they’re closer than being halfway across the country.
Whether you rely on Dreamhorse or Facebook, make a short but decent video of Honey being handled and, hopefully, ridden. These days, pretty much everyone expects a video. At least that’s been my experience.
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Some trainers primary business involves prepping and marketing sales horses, others specialize in coaching clients, others specialize in training young horses or problem horses … etc.
My personal experience when I have needed to sell a horse, is that it is most effective to place them with a trainer who has a strong sales program… and then listen to the trainer’s advice on pricing the horse, and to let the trainer handle marketing the horse. Trainers who sell a lot of horses tend to have a good idea as to what price points are most appropriate given market conditions , and what marketing strategy will be most effective.
From what I am seeing right now, horses under $5000 are still selling pretty quickly, and sport horses over $30,000 with specific popular breeding or a decent base of training/show record are still selling pretty quickly… but there seem to be a fair amount of decent horses for sale in the middle of this range who are taking a bit longer to move.
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Guess I have to add that regardless of where you market your horse-- online, by word of mouth or through an auction-- you rarely have any real control over where your horse eventually ends up.
People misrepresent their level of horsemanship. Or their knowledge of horse care. Or their future plans for the horse. Or their financial resources for supporting the horse. Just market her honestly and be candid in your descriptions. That’s the best way of ensuring she’ll end up matched with the best possible new owner.
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Good to know, thank you!
Yeah this has been my problem. The people who were most interested were in Florida or Alabama, and so the shipping turned them off.
True. I’m definitely answering questions as honestly as I can, and refer them to the trainer for training questions
You might want to consider having some professional pictures taken of Honey. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to really get some attention to your ad.
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Agree about the professional (or at least very high quality) pics. And video - whatever she does under saddle in one video and maybe some clips of grooming/tacking/lunging in another. Some buyers want that, some can’t stand scrolling through a bunch of ground stuff. Keep your videos to 1-3 minutes long, you can always send more stuff if they ask.
Seconding the consider a sale barn route, as well. Honestly anything I have for sale will likely go to a sale barn I know personally if it doesn’t sell in my local network. Way easier and they’re usually quite good at pricing realistically (and handling all the back and forth).
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If you have her priced at that then that may be why you still have her ? Is she actually ridable or is it that she isn’t a match for you? This thread is so long I can’t remember.
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I found her ad. She’s cute in the video. She w/t/c on a loose rein with no funny business. She’s fussy in her bridle a bit, but nothing crazy.
Why couldn’t she be a lesson horse? Not all lesson horses are for beginners.
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At a saddlebred barn she would be a much more acceptable lesson horse than a western or hunter barn. She could likely do the job.
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Agree. The ad is very nice and professionally done. Honey looks fabulous (good job OP).
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I about choked when I found the ad. I’ll just say that I’m quite closely connected with your trainer and the farm you’re at, but not via horses. 
That said, I know her, from talking to her at family parties and such haha.
Everything will turn out, OP. You’re on the right path, for sure. I recommend you stay with this trainer, I don’t think she will lead you astray. She’s an excellent horseman, kind and fair, and in my experiences with her 100% has your best interests at heart.
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And it’s on Dreamhorse?
I’ve searched in every possible way and it doesn’t show up for me. At all.
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I do not see it now, maybe OP removed it. But it was there a few days ago.
Oops!
Oops.
