I have just returned from the June sale at Shawnee, Oklahoma.  On the way home I tried to count how many times I had been to that sale.  As near as I can figure this was my 82^nd trip to a Triangle Sale Company sale.  And I have been down that road to the Haymaker Sale, the Out Front Sale, the World Sale and a few others.  That’s a lot of trips across Kansas and most of Oklahoma.  Besides becoming aware of every bump and road construction on I-70, I have watched a lot of people sell a lot of horses.  Some good, some bad.  As always, upon my return home I had several phone calls from people asking “how was it?” or “how is the horse market?” or “was it as bad as it is here?” (wherever ‘here’ is).  I never know how to answer those questions.  I am a firm believer that the horse market is pretty much what you make it.  Horses are not like wheat, cattle, wool, or any   consumable commodity.  For the most part the value of horses is determined by their ability to compete at various kinds and levels of competition or to produce competitive foals.  Or they can just be for recreation and pleasure.  The “market” is determined in large part on how attractive you make your horses to people wanting to compete or to have a really nice horse for their personal pleasure. 

I usually come away from sales fairly satisfied and generally get the price I want for a horse.  Some people find this kind of odd and ask me how I can get what I think a horse is worth.  So, I thought this might be a chance to suggest a few do’s and don’ts and share some things that work for me.  

DO choose the right sale and the right time of year.  Young horses can be sold at about any time.  Breeding stock usually sells better from late fall through early spring.  Usually spring and fall is the best time to sell horses.  In the winter, weather can discourage prospective buyers and in the summer people usually have their breeding horses in place and have their show prospects chosen or already showing.  As a general rule, summer is considered the slow time of year to sell horses.  (Although, the highest price horse I ever sold was in July.  There are exceptions to every rule.)   

As far as the right sale is concerned, different sales work for different people.  Don’t be afraid to call a sale company and ask questions.  It’s their business and any reputable sale company will be glad to answer any questions you have.  They want your business.  If they are not cooperative, drop them from your list.  If they have reservations about selling the type of horses you have for sale, take them seriously.  They want to succeed as much as you do so look around and find a sale that has a format and situation that suits you.  If at all possible, attend that particular sale before you take horses.  You can figure out a lot about how the sale is run and what your horses might bring by taking note of similar horses being sold. 

DO have your sale horses in shape!  One misconception that I have been aware of for several years is that you don’t have to have horses going to a sale in as good condition as a horse going to a show.  That’s nonsense.  You never have a horse that is in too good a shape to sell.  When you have a horse at a sale, you are competing with every other horse there for the buyer’s attention.  Certainly, breeding, color, quality, and size all play a part, but the best way to get someone else to consider breeding, quality, etc. is to have the best conditioned horse at the sale.  Condition is something you can control and no detail should be overlooked.  Any horse at a sale should be able to step out of that sale ring and into a show ring.  The only exception to the last statement would be bred mares.  If you sell them in the winter, some winter coat is acceptable.  These mares are usually turned out and need some winter coat to keep warm.  But, other than that every part of the sale horse must be seen to and prepped so that the horse is as attractive as possible.  Conditioning a horse is a topic for a separate discussion but it’s not hard, it just takes a little effort and a little time each day. 

If you are selling a horse that rides, have him riding well enough to ride in a horse show.  Easy to ride and gentle always sells.  Don’t try to make your horse an NRHA reiner or a finished rope horse if you don’t have the time or the knowledge.  Anybody can ride a horse that is quiet and gentle.  Let the professional trainers do the spins and sliding stops.  If a horse requires this kind of riding, send him to a trainer to be sold.  NEVER show what your horse can’t do.  Show the positive. 

DO have all papers and forms in order.  Have your registration papers and transfer current and in order.  If a breeder’s certificate accompanies the consigned horse, have that.  Most sales will require a Coggins test and a current health certificate.  Give your self plenty of time to get that done and picked up from your vet.  If you are from a brand law state or going to a sale in a brand law state, have a current brand inspection or proof of ownership.  If you are not from a brand law state, the sale company can clarify what they need for that requirement.  DO NOT go to a brand law state to sell horses without proof of ownership.  When you arrive at the sale, be prompt about checking in and giving the sale company the required papers and forms.  I always put each horse’s paper work in a separate envelope with the name of the horse and lot number written on the envelope so when I am checking in there is a minimum of confusion.   

DON’T be late.  Arrive at the sale with your horses in plenty of time for a variety of reasons.  If you have trouble on the way you will have time to get whatever has gone wrong fixed and still make it to the sale.  If you are going to a strange facility, give your self time to see it in the daylight and figure everything out.  And arrive in time for interested people to see your horses.  There is nothing that annoys me more than to wait on a horse that is in the sale.  After making several trips to that horse’s stall and he is not there, I and everyone else will loose interest.  For example, the sale at Shawnee is on Friday, Saturday and sometimes Sunday.  The horses I take usually sell on Saturday but I have a rule that all the horses must be there and unloaded by 5 pm on Thursday.  Most people would be surprised to know how many people come by and look at horses on Thursday evening.  If I send horses to the Horse Creek catalog sale near Denver, I will get them there by mid day on Friday.  It is usually a one day sale on a Sat.  If I send horses to a monthly sale to be held on a Saturday evening, I will try to have them checked in by ten o’clock that morning.  People won’t buy horses they can’t look at.  Yes, an earlier arrival may cost a few dollars more in meals, motels, etc. but those dollars invested can pay of many times over. 

DO appear and act professionally.  Keep your horses with feed and water.  If it is a barn type of facility, bed the stalls.  Comfortable, well cared for horses make a good impression and a good impression on prospective buyers pays off.  Horses standing in unbedded stalls without feed and water are never attractive and will attract only the wrong kind of attention.  While you are taking care of your horses, be sure you dress and look like you know what you are doing.  Clean, pressed clothes always make a good impression.  Don’t overdress.  Look at the people who are selling horses successfully and see what they are wearing.  Chances are its pressed jeans and a nice colored shirt without any extra accessories. 

An example of what I am talking about is this.  A few years ago at the August sale in Shawnee there was a rather slovenly middle aged man selling a middle aged mare.  It was hot like only Oklahoma can be in August but horses were selling well.  No one objected to cooler summer clothes but this man took it too far.  He was dressed in baggy shorts, a dirty tee shirt and torn up sneakers.  The mare’s mane and tale looked like they had been combed with a hay rake.  I think you can get the picture.  Sure enough this man complained about the sale and the horse market.  It looked to me like he had done everything possible to give a bad impression and that his horse and owning her was a hopeless proposition.  Look successful and you will be! 

DON’T be indecisive about what you want.  Here’s is where a lot of people fall apart.  They have gone to all of the work and effort to get their horses consigned, they have gotten them to the sale, and everything appears to be fine.  But, this is where the whole deal falls apart.  Everyone knows what you will take for your horse.  There are lots of amounts that go on into millions.  It’s the amount that you won’t take that you need to consider.  Be realistic.  What are similar horses bringing?  How do your horses look compared to others at the sale?  Do your horses have a show record?  Are there a lot of people looking at your horses?  All of this has to do with what is about to happen.  Maybe you intend to sell your horse regardless of the price.  If that’s the case, decide on a realistic figure that the horse should and could bring.  If someone asks what your horse will cost, they are trying to figure out if they can afford the horse.  Simply tell them that you would like to have X number of dollars without further explanation.  If there is a bottom figure on your horse, answer the same way without any further information about your decision. People selling horses tend to tell too much needless information.   

As you enter the sale ring, tell the auctioneer that you would like to have X number of dollars but to sell the horse regardless or that you are firm on a certain amount.  If you “NO SALE” a horse, have plan B in place.  Don’t “no sale” a horse and then decide that enough was bid.  Once the auctioneer is done, it is over.  If the last bid is close to your asking price, go ahead and sell the horse.  You will make up the shortage on the next horse you sell.  NEVER, NEVER, NEVER  give the auctioneer a price and then “no sale” a horse if he gets more.  If you are that indecisive, stay home.  It is not uncommon to “no sale” a horse and have someone come to your stalls and negotiate an agreeable sale price with the seller.  If that happens, have the transaction go through the sale office.  As long as you are at the sale, all transactions should go through the sale office.  The sale company has spent a great deal of money in advertising, staff, catalogs, etc.  They are entitled to their commission if you sell a horse because of their efforts. 

WHAT, NOT WHO   This is the most important point that I am going to make to anyone trying to sell a horse.  All of us as breeders, get intrigued and interested in pedigrees and the breeders represented in those pedigrees.  That’s fine.  But, we as breeders have used those pedigrees (WHO) to create the individuals (WHAT) that we are offering for sale. Whether it is fortunate or unfortunate, the great majority of people buying horses are buying them for WHAT they are, their ability to compete or be a pleasure to own.  Relatively few horses are sold because of pedigrees.  There are a few of our members who have been in the business long enough to have well established breeding programs that have produced winners.  They may rely on pedigree recognition more than the average person selling a horse but I think they would agree that the bottom line is that you are selling horses for WHAT they are, not WHO they are.

A final thought.  Anything you can do to promote your horses and make them more desirable should be done.  Don’t wait for others to buy them and do your promotion for you.  Make your breeding program credible by winning something.  There are all sorts of formats at which to do this.  The Skipper W. show in August is one opportunity.  Any horse who wins the Champion of Champions halter trophy or the All Around saddle will sell well.  Or they will represent a breeding program and help the produce of that program sell well.  That is only one of a thousand venues to promote your horses.  There are horse shows of every kind as well as races, rodeos, team pennings, trail rides, etc. Winners represent WHAT a horse is and that sells!  Good luck at the sale.

                          John Hayes……

Editors Note:  This is an Excellent Article written by John Hayes.  What a wealth of information he has shared with all of us.   If we want our horses to sell and be in demand to the public we must promote them.  I once heard someone say “If you want something done right, then do it your self”.  How true those words are.  It applies to every aspect of life, including the promotion of your horses. 

                                               Connie Durfee, Secretary

If You Always Do What You Have Always Done.... 
You’ll Always Get What You Always Got!

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