Sale Videos

[J-Lu]

I like to see a pic of the horse standing on solid ground for a conformation pic and I get agitated when people tilt the camera to make the horse look more uphill. Put the bloodlines in the video - sire and sire’s dam and sire, dam and dam’s sire and dam. I hate when people only list the sire and the dam’s sire.

I prefer an unedited view of the horse working - w, t and canter with minimal editing. I HATE slow motion shots. Add movements from of a test the horse is supposedly schooling and supposedly solid at. Personally, I would rather see a slightly longer video than a shorter one. So do most trainers I know. Short ones often hide bad transitions/bad behavior/bad whatever and everyone can skip through a longer video. Short videos often waste peoples’ time UNLESS they are coming from a reputable trainer. I would want to see a longer video for any horse of interest.

I really don’t care that much about the quality of the video as long as we can see what we need to see. I’d rather not have the price of the video tacked on to the sale cost.

[islgrl]

I’m going to echo those that say no slo-mo. I will NOT look at a sales video in slow motion.

[GraceLikeRain]

I agree with everything said. The pieces about how a horse is on the ground are great but I want it at the end. I don’t care if Dobbin stands like a statue if he moves like a dump truck. Show me WTC both directions in one clip, then level of training, and then if you want to circle back to tacking/mounting block/etc great. I find most people show too much trot and not enough canter below second level. I’m suspicious of a horse that’s only shown doing a single 20 m circle with no transitions. Take them down the long side, ride a simple transition, do a shallow serpentine. I’d rather see the bobbles and how a horse responds than wonder what’s being hidden.

[trubandloki]

What they say. Though I am in the crowd that sees no reason at all to include still shots in a video. Still shots can be shared as still shots. No reason to stick a bunch in the video.

I like the idea of more than one video if you want to include stuff about the horse being easy to catch, groom and tack up, do it in a separate video.

[soloudinhere]

I like to see a still shot. I look at dozens of horses a week and it reminds me which one I’m looking at since it’s also usually the same shot that’s in the ad.

[Hawkridge]

I like no music and NO SLOW MOTION
I also want to see transitions between gaits
If you claim the horse has show miles on it, I want videos
If you claim the horse is schooling at a certain level, I want to see videos of those specific movements at said level.

[TheDBYC]

Just this morning I saw a photo of a woman standing on a horse doing Natarajasana (Dancer) pose & sacking into her hip & sickling her ankle. It was double-whammy for me as an equestrian & yoga teacher

[cardinale]

If a sales video opens with slow motion, I automatically think that the horse lacks suspension or expression and that the seller is trying to obscure deficient movement. Brief slow motion clips to show details of movement, AFTER showing all 3 gaits in real time, is OK by me.

And, no montage of still shots, in a video. Again, if this is what the seller starts with, I assume they are trying to create a positive impression before the letdown of seeing the actual gaits.

[Lunabear1988]

Lately I’ve seen something even worse than the slow motion video. I’m not sure if it’s an accident or not, but I’ve seen time lapsed video, so like incredibly sped up. It’s awful.

[Willesdon]

I’ve just spent 4 hours of my life watching videos of Eventing stallions on a Virtual Stallion Parade organised by Britush Breeding. Fortunately, there were plenty of informative shots of all the things people say they want to see but… I do worry about myself. 4 hours !?! No one had background music though.

[SusanO]

If the horse is under saddle and first level or above - no video of him loose being chased around with a whip. Who cares what he looks like snorting around. That is not what you are going to get under saddle.

[TheDBYC]

@SusanO

Who cares what he looks like snorting around. That is not what you are going to get under saddle.

At least, we hope not! There’s some sellers locally with whom you never know what you’re going to get

Eta: not a sale vid, but I watched an ad for a PRE standing at stud the other day that was pretty amazing. I sent to a friend who is an animal photographer as a joke: “Hey, Meg, think we can do THIS next time you come take pics of me & the horse?” They must’ve spent more on this video than it cost to make than the Blair Witch Project I don’t know enough about cameras to tell what it was shot on, but it was camera quality commensurate with major network prime time TV in the US.

Most amazing to me was that the stallion knew how to work the camera. He & a groom stroll leisurely past a lake to a dock. Then he’s standing alone on a pavillion overlooking the lake, thoughtfully surveying the area where they walked, like he’s reflecting on how far he’s come in his life & career. Then he turns & shoots the camera a contemplative glance over his shoulder. Then his rider arrives & they enjoy a quiet moment together surveying the extraordinary architecture of the yard while the camera pans in on the 9 zillion pounds of silver adorning the saddle. Finally, we see him at liberty in what looks like a bull fighting arena. The music was tasteful, but unfortunately did take the place of the live ambient noise.

It actually worked in the sense that you got a clear demo of all gaits both U/S & at liberty, extremely well-executed conformation shots from all angles, & a sense that he likely has a very calm personality based on the relaxed body language of both humans & horse in the parts with people. I can overlook the music because it is a stud ad & not a sale ad. And honestly, if it were my horse I’d feel obligated to get Antonio Banderas to follow him around playing classical Spanish guitar 24/7.

[My_Two_Cents]

There is some good info here https://sporthorseauctions.com/videos-that-sell There are a couple of videos at the bottom of the page that are really good.

[J-Lu]

Tonight, the NCDCTA had a zoom meeting with Eliza Sydnor Romm about videos for buying/selling horses.

She suggested a) still shots somewhere in the first video with bloodlines to show conformation because realistically, the video is going to be shared and not separate still shots b) show the horse working at the level it is supposed to be working at c) a 5 min or less video meant to catch the seller’s eye. There are many ways to do this. Then, be prepared to prepare a longer unedited video with specifics that a potential buyer is asking for (Trot the horse to and from the camera in a straight line, show an unedited schooling session, show the horse being caught in the field,whatever the potential buyer is asking for). Esp in the potential buyer is out of state.

Be honest above all about the horse and the level of the potential buyer. She is very fair on the buyer and seller end to make the best possible match. I really love her approach to buying and selling horses (I have worked with her previously and know people who sold horses through her). Be fair to the horse and the people involved. A very refreshing approach.

[TheDBYC]

@islgrl

I’m going to echo those that say no slo-mo. I will NOT look at a sales video in slow motion.

Not even set to the theme from Chariots of Fire??

On a serious note, the owner of the barn where we board has a few horses for sale in the mid-5s to low-6s range. Including two really nice, fancy, been-there-done-that ponies. Perfect, sought-after heights within their respective sizes. They’re not getting much interest, according to BO. Weird. The market is on here – my boss has been run off his feet writing policies since before the holidays.

On the way home, I ask my teen what is up. Are the horses overpriced? “No,” she replied. The ads are just terrible. Blurry stills, pics & vids that are almost a decade old. And (for the ponies), “They need to buy the pics & videos from Pony Finals. Any pics at Pony Finals catch attention.” Also, “Dobbin went to Pony Finals & Devon. They don’t even mention it in their ad. And they should include the USEF #.”

Now, I’m fairly adept at marketing on social media due to the nature of my business. It was still eye-opening to hear what someone her age thinks – they’re social media masters, after all. She has a point. Digital sale ads are very much like an online dating profile. Lead with your most flattering, eye-catching photo. As a woman, online dating is swiping left past a million shirtless bathroom selfies with a dirty mirror, hats & sunglasses, guys holding dead deer or fish, and a guy claiming he’s 25yo with a profile pic with the World Trade Centers visible in the background (true story!). Scrolling down Big Eq, any thumbnail with the Pony Finals scoreboard does catch my eye, though I never quite realized it.

More food for thought!

[soloudinhere]

I don’t include USEF or FEI numbers on horses I sell in the public ad. I’ve had cases where people used the photos/record to represent a different horse and scam people.

So it’s available on request to a buyer who appears to be serious.

Otherwise I will just say scores or “qualified for pony finals” etc and discuss directly.

[TheDBYC]

@soloudinhere

don’t include USEF or FEI numbers on horses I sell in the public ad. I’ve had cases where people used the photos/record to represent a different horse and scam people.

Makes sense. On a tangent, do you find that using photos with watermarks cuts down on scammers?

[soloudinhere]

Yes and no. People can be pretty blatant, and a huge watermark makes it difficult for an actual potential buyer to see the horse clearly, so I kind of strike a balance. When FB got rid of animal sales it did cut down on the picture stealing and reposting by a lot.