The next part in our buying and selling series looks at how to prepare your horse to be sold.
There are various things that a buyer will expect to see of a horse and also other things that will help increase the chance of a sale.
Before placing a horse for sale I would ensure the following are done.
– Pull mane and tidy up ready for photos- I would have the mane in a suitable condition to be plaited and may well actually plait for the viewing itself. This shows firstly that the horse doesn’t mind it’s mane pulled, or plaited and also will make it look 100 times smarter.
– If over winter clip it! Some people can look past a fluffy coat and see the diamond in the rough but others cannot so give it a smart clip to show it off.
– Make sure manners are instilled. Youngster or otherwise the horse should stand quietly tied up, walk quietly at the leader’s shoulder without pulling, have feet picked up etc
– Load. if you don’t have transport borrow or hire something. practice practice practice till it walks quietly up the ramp and stands quietly and patiently.
– Strange riders. It will be a shock to the system for a young horse especially if the first trial rider is the first new rider to have ridden it after yourself. Get it used to different riders asking different questions. Firstly this will check you have taught the correct aids and that it will behave appropriately.
– Different venues. If selling as a competition horse even as a youngster get it out and about even if only to school so that it sees different environments.
– Hack alone. Some people never hack alone as there is always someone to go out with. Many buyers though don’t have this luxury so take it out and find out if it will hack alone. If it will only hack in company so be it but then you can let potential buyers know this preventing any later comeback.
– Riding and cantering in company. Make sure when you go for a canter in company the horse stays chilled and doesn’t race off. Nothing worse than going for a hack with a potential buyer going for a canter and the horse buggering off with the now no longer potential buyer! You should also ensure it is happy working in a school or preferably a warm up with other horses and riders.
– Expose it to all weather. There are lots of fair weather riders who will only ride when dry and without wind but horse needs to get exposed to wind and rain as knowing your luck the trial will be during gale force winds and driving rain. Yes you will get cold and wet but layer up appropriately and you’ll be fine and it will be an extra tick on your horse’s to do list.
