Marketing Delimma

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Running Arrow Bill

Running Arrow Bill

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Location
Texas Panhandle On US 83
First, I've already advertised my two Peruvian Paso mares on Cattle Today's "horse pages" via equine dot com.

Now...

I need to liquidate our last two mares. One a 12 yr old fully trained; the other, a coming 2 yr old filly trained in halter. My contacts with the Peruvian Association has been to no avail about finding leads to put these mares on consignment. We have also recently sent out about 125 direct mail packets to major Peruvian ranches in about 10 state area...results still pending on any responses (if any).

Does anyone know of any place that will take a registered Peruvian Paso (gaited horse) on consignment sale in Texas or nearby State? The places I have actually contacted have generally been indifferent to my delimma. It's very frustrating when you have one or more quality horses and cannot locate any resource to market them.

Any replies or comments are most welcome as well as any PM or email.

Thanks,
Bill
 
Sounds like your'e going about selling these horses the right way. You might also make up some fliers to hang a some of the right "type" of horse shows. Meaning I don't think you would get much response at a QH reining show, but you may at a Saddlebred show.

If the cost warrents it you may want to put the horse(s) with a Paso trainer and have them market them at a fair commission. But that gets costly.

Going into winter is a tough time to sell a horse.

Good luck,
Alan
 
Alan":1giasy5n said:
Sounds like your'e going about selling these horses the right way. You might also make up some fliers to hang a some of the right "type" of horse shows. Meaning I don't think you would get much response at a QH reining show, but you may at a Saddlebred show.

If the cost warrents it you may want to put the horse(s) with a Paso trainer and have them market them at a fair commission. But that gets costly.

Going into winter is a tough time to sell a horse.

Good luck,
Alan
Click to expand...

The 12 YO mare is fully trained in bit and rides very well. The coming 2 YO filly is trained in halter and grooming activities.

With training/boarding fees running between $600 and $800 in our geographical area (assuming you can find a place interested in taking in another horse), these costs would significantly increase present investment to a point where I would lose additional thousands $$. One facility won't even consider taking a young one under 3 YO.

The only $$ I'm willing to further spend on these 2 mares is to ensure their health care and nutritional care is quality to preserve their health and nutrition. Yet, I would have no problem paying a commission to a breeder (or gaited horse broker) to sell one or both. My asking price for either is what they are insured for. Posting info at shows is out of question due to fuel costs for "discretionary" travel.

Other options include "donating" one or both to a University Equine program that uses the horses for teaching students about horses and riding. At least this way I could get a tax write-off for the donation. So far, not sure where a qualified University program is located...

Horse people out there! Help! I need ideas, suggestions, comments badly...lol. I'm pretty much at my "wit's end" :)

Bill
 
Oregon State (OSU) has aprogram like you mention, donate the horse and get the tax write off for the value of the horse. How about TEXAs A&M?

Alan
 
Hippie Rancher":8l5o0lgx said:
not sure of breeds - know they have quarter and T-bred. What are you asking for the 12yo mare?
Click to expand...

Both have been advertised with an "asking price". However, I have NO idea what the market will bear on these 2 mares. Just want to move them out. Seems like people are afraid to make you an offer for fear of insulting you!

Just want to sell them...so we can cut our losses and get on with our lives...

Thanks!
 
Running Arrow Bill":32tqmf6j said:
First, I've already advertised my two Peruvian Paso mares on Cattle Today's "horse pages" via equine dot com.

Now...

I need to liquidate our last two mares. One a 12 yr old fully trained; the other, a coming 2 yr old filly trained in halter. My contacts with the Peruvian Association has been to no avail about finding leads to put these mares on consignment. We have also recently sent out about 125 direct mail packets to major Peruvian ranches in about 10 state area...results still pending on any responses (if any).

Does anyone know of any place that will take a registered Peruvian Paso (gaited horse) on consignment sale in Texas or nearby State? The places I have actually contacted have generally been indifferent to my delimma. It's very frustrating when you have one or more quality horses and cannot locate any resource to market them.

Any replies or comments are most welcome as well as any PM or email.

Thanks,
Bill
Click to expand...

I would forget the breed association and instead advertise them locally as pleasure horse, at least for the two year old. That also means that they need to be easy and pleasureable to ride. Throw in some words about how smooth gaited and ground covering they are. A lot of people don't want a three gaited horse or want something a beginner can stay on. I know a bit about the Peruvians and have trained several for people up here, but the group up here does not really show and usually gets together a time or two a summer for camp outs and trail rides in the National Forest.
 
hayray":3kmta83j said:
Running Arrow Bill":3kmta83j said:
First, I've already advertised my two Peruvian Paso mares on Cattle Today's "horse pages" via equine dot com.

Now...

I need to liquidate our last two mares. One a 12 yr old fully trained; the other, a coming 2 yr old filly trained in halter. My contacts with the Peruvian Association has been to no avail about finding leads to put these mares on consignment. We have also recently sent out about 125 direct mail packets to major Peruvian ranches in about 10 state area...results still pending on any responses (if any).

Does anyone know of any place that will take a registered Peruvian Paso (gaited horse) on consignment sale in Texas or nearby State? The places I have actually contacted have generally been indifferent to my delimma. It's very frustrating when you have one or more quality horses and cannot locate any resource to market them.

Any replies or comments are most welcome as well as any PM or email.

Thanks,
Bill
Click to expand...

I would forget the breed association and instead advertise them locally as pleasure horse, at least for the two year old. That also means that they need to be easy and pleasureable to ride. Throw in some words about how smooth gaited and ground covering they are. A lot of people don't want a three gaited horse or want something a beginner can stay on. I know a bit about the Peruvians and have trained several for people up here, but the group up here does not really show and usually gets together a time or two a summer for camp outs and trail rides in the National Forest.
Click to expand...

I meant for the 12 year old
 
Today I significantly reduced our prices on our 2 remaining Peruvian Paso mares. Can see info by going to our website. Not supposed to put "price" info on the message board...

We also advertise on the equine dot com site.

Last month I sent out some 125 3-page fliers in multi-state area to peruvian ranches. Not one response to date. Around our area, it's all quarter horses...cowboys & indians...lol.

Did have one (peruvian ranch) person inquire about our peruvians...however, they have failed to respond to our follow-up mails...guess they are procrastinating until we appear "desperate" and then want to offer us "two times the kill price" for ours...lol.

Delimma: If you ask too little for a horse, people think there's something wrong with it. If you ask too much for a horse, people think you are dreaming and/or overly impressed with your horses.

In general, I've come to realize that the horse market is a "Top Down" market terminating with the "terminal" buyer. Sorta like buying luxury items and toys. Think about the only people breaking even or making any money on horses are the hay producers, feed producers, horse boarders, horse trainers. If one doesn't "use" a horse in their work, then a horse is a very expensive luxury that there is no way anyone will ever break even on their purchase or care, much less show any type of profit. At least with cattle, we can eat one every year...
 
Running Arrow Bill":1pb4aecd said:
Today I significantly reduced our prices on our 2 remaining Peruvian Paso mares. Can see info by going to our website. Not supposed to put "price" info on the message board...

We also advertise on the equine dot com site.

Last month I sent out some 125 3-page fliers in multi-state area to peruvian ranches. Not one response to date. Around our area, it's all quarter horses...cowboys & indians...lol.

Did have one (peruvian ranch) person inquire about our peruvians...however, they have failed to respond to our follow-up mails...guess they are procrastinating until we appear "desperate" and then want to offer us "two times the kill price" for ours...lol.

Delimma: If you ask too little for a horse, people think there's something wrong with it. If you ask too much for a horse, people think you are dreaming and/or overly impressed with your horses.

In general, I've come to realize that the horse market is a "Top Down" market terminating with the "terminal" buyer. Sorta like buying luxury items and toys. Think about the only people breaking even or making any money on horses are the hay producers, feed producers, horse boarders, horse trainers. If one doesn't "use" a horse in their work, then a horse is a very expensive luxury that there is no way anyone will ever break even on their purchase or care, much less show any type of profit. At least with cattle, we can eat one every year...
Click to expand...

That is why I train and don't bother selling. I tried it years ago and it was always way too hard to sell horses. I think that is why the old time classic horse dealer that everybody has around their area tend to be more on the crooked side because it is too hard to get rid of what they have.
 
Bill, Sorry have been away for awhile,Have you tried Dreamhorse.com they have a free no pict. ad area. I have had really good responce with them. So have others I know of, some sent to England even. Good luck Cindy
 
Cindy":3tzuvgv6 said:
Bill, Sorry have been away for awhile,Have you tried Dreamhorse.com they have a free no pict. ad area. I have had really good responce with them. So have others I know of, some sent to England even. Good luck Cindy
Click to expand...

Yes, I have tried "Dreamhorse" also.

Biggest problem (perhaps) is knowing how much to ask for a horse! Yes, lot of horses DO sell in the $500 to $1500 range. However, when one has a quality registered horse you can't sell for that type of $$. For example I was originally asking $8,750 for my Peruvian 12 YO fully trained, calm, mare. One breeder offered $2,500. I said "no thanks". My asking price was definitely less than what I had invested in the mare...

We don't have near this problem in selling our Longhorn Cattle. People pay what we ask...no low-balling attempted.

If you price a quality horse TOO low, then you open the door for some naive sleeze-bag to get a good horse and then not have the $$ to maintain it properly. Or, the horse ends up at an "auction" and/or kill sale. I won't sell a horse like that!

However, we have lowered our asking price on our website--still no inquiries.

Since we have our own facility, the only expense we have for keeping any given horse is hay, minerals, bi-monthly farrier (trimming--none of ours use shoes), and annual vaccinations. Some infrequently need teeth floated. I'd rather keep one than sell one for next to nothing...quality registered horses aren't inexpensive...
 
I agree with some of the above posts. You're goning to have to look at other markets. Gaited horses, trail horses or even mounted patrol horses. There was a Sgt in San Antonio who swore by his Paso. I'm riding a Draft in South Texas who isn't worth nothing to a Cowboy but in his niche he's a $4500 horse.
 

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