What is expected when having trainer help find a horse?

[NJRider]

In using the trainer to help find a horse ($50K range), what is expected/normal on their end for a commission plus travel expenses covered?
I will sit down and go over all this with the trainer but want to see what services are expected:
-finding suitable horses to try, being involved with communication with seller/trainer/vet, traveling with buyer to try horses. What else?

If trainer does not network or actively find horses to try, and it is left up to the buyer, is the usual 10% commission arrangement normal?

[alibi_18]

@NJRider

In using the trainer to help find a horse ($50K range), what is expected/normal on their end for a commission plus travel expenses covered?
I will sit down and go over all this with the trainer but want to see what services are expected:
-finding suitable horses to try, being involved with communication with seller/trainer/vet, traveling with buyer to try horses. What else?

If trainer does not network or actively find horses to try, and it is left up to the buyer, is the usual 10% commission arrangement normal?

It really depends.

If the trainer is not actively networking or finding horses to try, and buyer is doing all the work, then there might not even have a commission.

Why would you give 5k to someone who’s done close to and/or nothing?

If your trainer help you trying a horse (that you’ve found yourself) for a few hours, than you could just pay him/her for her time+travel expenses if any.

[dressagegirl123]

10% is the usual commission + travel. When I was an agent, that meant finding horses to try, researching them to see if they would be suitable for my client, traveling with the client to try them, negotiating the price, organizing the vet exam, acting as a go between with the seller and buyer, finalizing a good contract, and arranging transportation, if necessary. Sometimes it meant going to see horses before the client came in to town to make sure I was presenting suitable horses. Occasionally, I would need to help when things did not go well after the sale. Agents EARN their commissions!
As a buyer, when I handle all of the above, I do not expect to pay a commission to my trainer. However, sometimes the seller, especially if they are a professional, will pay your trainer a commission. Nothing you can really do about it. I do go in to negotiations saying that there is no commission on my end. It usually gets you 10% off immediately.
There are some trainers who insist on a commission, just because they teach you, even if they did nothing. There are others who want 10% because they gave you a phone number. I hate that. The buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent, who do the hard work, are the ones who should get the commissions. Its a twisted world, and some buyers end up spending more on commissions (unknowingly) than on the horse.

[SillyHorse]

My arrangement with my trainer was was 10% commission and all her travel expenses. I’m not sure she really earned the commission, but I wouldn’t have wanted to do it without her.

[Hazelnut]

The trainer who helped me find my current guy asked me to tell her what I wanted in a horse. She watched videos, talked to sellers to weed out inappropriate horses, visited some horses with me, and talked through pros and cons of horses I went to try on my own. The horse I bought- she watched the initial video, talked to the trainer before I did, watched videos of me riding the horse on my visit, discussed the pros and cons of the horse, and helped me decide what to include in the pre-purchase. I went to see him myself. A year and a half later - I love my guy and remain in debt to the trainer that kept me focused on finding the right horse. It was worth every penny.

[NJRider]

Thanks! I would love to have the kind of assistance described by dressagegirl123 and Hazelnut! I will go into it with this in mind, this one has to be right since it is a lot of money for me.

[Lucassb]

@dressagegirl123

10% is the usual commission + travel. When I was an agent, that meant finding horses to try, researching them to see if they would be suitable for my client, traveling with the client to try them, negotiating the price, organizing the vet exam, acting as a go between with the seller and buyer, finalizing a good contract, and arranging transportation, if necessary. Sometimes it meant going to see horses before the client came in to town to make sure I was presenting suitable horses. Occasionally, I would need to help when things did not go well after the sale. Agents EARN their commissions!
As a buyer, when I handle all of the above, I do not expect to pay a commission to my trainer. However, sometimes the seller, especially if they are a professional, will pay your trainer a commission. Nothing you can really do about it. I do go in to negotiations saying that there is no commission on my end. It usually gets you 10% off immediately.
There are some trainers who insist on a commission, just because they teach you, even if they did nothing. There are others who want 10% because they gave you a phone number. I hate that. The buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent, who do the hard work, are the ones who should get the commissions. Its a twisted world, and some buyers end up spending more on commissions (unknowingly) than on the horse.

This is my expectation as well.

I was once “informed” that I would have to give someone ten grand for making a phone call when I was selling a really nice young hunter at WEF. I told that trainer/agent he was welcome to pay anyone he needed help from to make the sale… but it would come out of HIS commission, not my pocket. Interestingly enough, all of a sudden we didn’t really need that phone call after all. (For those who are wondering why that conversation even happened… my contract with my agents includes a non-negotiable provision that the transaction will occur between myself as the owner/seller and the buyer, period. Everyone pays their own agents and those commissions are disclosed in the contract.) I have gotten lots of pushback on that contract, but it’s not something I am flexible about. Transparency is not optional for me.

[NJRider]

I imagine especially with how easy it is to connect with buyers/agents with social media you have to be clear up front as to the expectation as to any compensation. I have a lot of FB friends who do a lot of selling. I can see how it could get messy if the word is out that I am shopping, people will message you and “volunteer” to find you something. I would just want to refer them to my agent/trainer if they have leads. Most people are happy to pass along info but have to be clear.

[MsM]

I have never used someone to help find a horse. But I have seen it happen with fellow boarders - and have seen hard feelings result.

Talk to your trainer about the process! The biggest issue I have seen is that the buyer/student thinks the trainer is helping as a “friend” and the trainer thinks it is a business transaction. And neither irons out expectations ahead of time.

Have a frank discussion including what trainer will do, what commissions might be included and what fees will be charged. Don’t accept “Oh, we’ll work it out!” Know your financial contribution every step of the way. Politely insist that you need to know to figure your budget. It is best to have something in writing, so if you work it out verbally, I would confirm in an email what the arrangement is.

I have seen the gamut from one buyer expecting the trainer to do all the work without payment (“After all she will have me take lots of lessons once I get him!”) to the trainer that charged $$$ for her time and a finders fee and an undisclosed commission on top!

[netg]

I’m really finding the discussion of how to handle online referral situations interesting. I’d love to hear more examples with situations and how to keep things clear if posting online.

I tagged a friend on a post by the OP, and that friend’s client bought the horse. I’m not a pro and it was a simple comment on a facebook post - CLEARLY I was not getting commission! However, since this is a question about a horse in a higher price range and will attract the attention of professionals - how does she avoid having people trying to charge her a “finder’s fee” if they’re pros who send her posts? It seems like in this price range those who are looking for money for almost no effort will swarm.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

I would GLADLY turn pro if I were to be paid a commission based on every sale I’ve "helped"with by tagging a friend or sending a friend a video. Seriously would be at LEAST 200k by now in commissions. AA status, buh bye!!

[netg]

@right horse at the right time

I would GLADLY turn pro if I were to be paid a commission based on every sale I’ve "helped"with by tagging a friend or sending a friend a video. Seriously would be at LEAST 200k by now in commissions. AA status, buh bye!!

Right?

It amazes me that people think that would mean ANYTHING. But I think a lot of people who do the pro dealer type thing think it should equal commission due. Maybe a disclaimer that any agents referring the ad need to work with seller on potential commission when posting a facebook ad, for example?

[NJRider]

@netg

I’m really finding the discussion of how to handle online referral situations interesting. I’d love to hear more examples with situations and how to keep things clear if posting online.

I tagged a friend on a post by the OP, and that friend’s client bought the horse. I’m not a pro and it was a simple comment on a facebook post - CLEARLY I was not getting commission! However, since this is a question about a horse in a higher price range and will attract the attention of professionals - how does she avoid having people trying to charge her a “finder’s fee” if they’re pros who send her posts? It seems like in this price range those who are looking for money for almost no effort will swarm.

Thanks for posting this, I am wondering the same thing but did not know how to word it as well as you did!

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

I used to do some recruiting. I did not send any candidates to companies with whom I did not have a signed agreement.

Some recruiters would send resumes blind, without an agreement. They did not get paid, and the company got the candidate for free.

[netg]

@right horse at the right time

I used to do some recruiting. I did not send any candidates to companies with whom I did not have a signed agreement.

Some recruiters would send resumes blind, without an agreement. They did not get paid, and the company got the candidate for free.

And in the horse world too often people try to bully and threaten to get things to happen. So ridiculous - and another indication of the lack of professionalism from so-called professionals. Thank you for giving a similar real-world example and how it would happen in a professional environment!