Selling Horses

I frequently get asked if it is hard for me to sell my horses. My response is: "Yes and no".

On the emotional level it is hard to see a horse leave that you have built up an emotional attachment with and it is impossible for me not to do that, especially with the ones I have bred and watched grow up. But as a business owner I know that they are all for sale, so I do my best to insure that they will go to a good home. I make sure that they have been well trained and are easy to handle. I also try to find out as much as I can about the buyer so that I know they are going to a good home and will continue to be treated the way I have treated them or even better. It is much easier to watch your horse go to someone who is excited about them and has demonstrated that they have the resources to properly care for and train the horse according to it's highest possible abilities. I also try to keep in touch with the new owner so that I know that everything is going well.

On the financial side, marketing young horses is challenging. There are not many people in the market for young horses that have not been started under saddle and it seems that the people who are are looking for a bargain. It is reasonable to expect to pay less the younger the horse is because you are gambling that it will grow up to be the horse you are expecting and that it won't injure itself before you get started. If you have the resources to keep the babies until they can be trained and ready for someone to ride you will usually make more money, but if the right person comes along that you know can do as good a job or better raising a young foal to a successful career it makes sense to sell it for a reasonable price for it's age.

Some horses are easier to sell than others. They are all special to me and so I want them each to have their own special owner. It is more like matchmaking than selling!