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Selling your horse in this economy isn't as tough as you might think. By following these three tips, you could be well on your way to finding your horse a great new home!

1) Keep your contact information current. We receive emails every day from frustrated buyers because the seller used either the wrong email address or doesn't answer their emails. Also include a phone number on your ad -- many times buyers prefer to call instead of email, especially if a buyer is seriously interested in your horse!

2) Take clear, color photos of your horse both standing still unsaddled as well as in action doing what he does best. If your horse is a jumper, show him in a clean jump over fences. If he's a reining horse, show that sliding stop that kicks up dirt!

3) Include a video with your ad. Today with the Internet, many prospective horse buyers are considering horses further away than before. By creating a video and attaching it to your ad, they're able to see the horse in motion, and get a better sense of whether or not it would be a fit for their needs.
 

It is a tough decision to sell your horse. Here is a guide to help you get your horse sold on Equine.com. Not only will you target a worldwide audience, you’ll provide detailed information about your horse not often seen in typical classified ads. GET READY Now that you have decided to list your horse online, gather all the important information about your horse. First, have your vet fax or mail you your horse's records. If there are any health or soundness issues, make a note of that as well so buyers have all knowledge of your horse's health. If your horse is registered with a breed association, be sure to have his registration papers available. For show horses, keep a record of the shows he has been to as well as any high placings. Note your horse's height, age and any distinctive markings. YOUR MESSAGE Equine.com's photo ads offer unlimited text to describe your horse. Use this section to tell buyers why they should buy your horse. Be sure to let the buyer know your horse's personality, show record or current training level, immunization and worming record, and whether he is on a regular shoeing schedule. There is also a section to add your horse’s pedigree. If your horse is AQHA-registered you can also purchase a certified pedigree. Buyers should have all of their basic questions answered and should feel ready to contact you for an appointment to try out the horse.

VIDEOS

Videos have become a very powerful marketing tool when selling your horse. The video should show your horse at all three gaits. . The video selling your horse is not the time to tackle any training or behavioral issues. Show your horse doing what he does best, even if the horse is young and you only show movement on a longe line. Nothing sells a horse faster than a polished video clip accurately portraying his best attributes. This also helps narrow down the right buyer for your horse.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Buyers can contact you directly on your ad. After they hit the "contact seller" icon they can then send you a message or give you a call. For your protection, we do not release your email address until you have responded to the buyer. Be sure that your account information is correct and your phone number is listed. You can update your account under the "My Equine" tab and click on "Edit Account Settings." Be sure to respond quickly to all potential buyers. Even someone who appears to be a "tire kicker" could end up being just the right buyer for your horse.

The key is to keep your Internet ad friendly and informative. Feel as though you are having a personal conversation with the buyer. With the combination of great photos and sincere words, you horse will soon be on his way to a good home with a happy new owner.

We are constantly monitoring the site for scammers. Our goal is to remove scam ads within 24 hours of posting. Some scammers may post innocent looking ads and then try to convince buyers that they are an "Equine.com agent". We never have and never will be part of your purchase transaction, we sell classified ads and do NOT provide financial services of any kind. Another term you might hear is “Safe Harbor Agent”. We are not a “safe harbor” company or agent, and have nothing to do with any transactions outside of sellers purchasing a classified ad with photos to list on our site.

Here are some helpful tips when evaluating ads. The most important thing remember is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you do encounter a scammer, you can send the information to us at scams@equine.com. We archive all of our ads and messages and we work with all law enforcement agencies to provide any information needed that may help stop these scammers.

Currently Common Scams:

There are three basic common scams that are currently being attempted on many horse classified sites. These scams all have one thing in common – they are offering something at thousands of dollars below market value and always have an excuse as to why. Examples include: “My sister is sick and I am selling the horse for her very cheap to get rid of it.” Another one is “We just want the horse to go for free to a good home, but to be safe we want you to use OUR transportation company, we’ll send you an airbill.”

For many of the horse scam ads, what the scammer does is copy someone’s legitimate classified ad and then just change the price to free or ~$800. Beware if they want to rush a sale as quickly as possible – this is a big tip-off that you might be dealing with a scammer.

Many people fall for this scam because they think they’re getting a $10,000 horse for just the $2,000 cost to ship. In reality, there never was a horse for sale, and that victim is out $2,000.

• “The Friesian Scam” – This is one of the most popular horse scams currently circulating internet classified websites. The seller is always offering a very expensive breed of horse for anywhere from $1000 to free. Common other breeds used are Gypsy Vanners, American Walking Ponies, various Warmblood breeds, and others. They specifically target more expensive breeds and make the buyer think they are getting something at a steal of a price. Common terms used in their ads for these types of scams are: “Loving horse for adoption”, “Friendly horse for rehoming”, and frequent mentions in the description about the horse having had all of his shots and friendly for family use. When you see an ad of this nature, please email us and we will assess whether the ad is indeed valid, and remove the ad if it is found to be fraudulent.
• “The Transportation Scam” – This scam often goes hand-in-hand with The Friesian Scam. Here, the seller is giving away a horse for free with some excuse as to the reason. Because they “care so much about the horse”, they will give you the horse, but require you to use their shipping or transportation company. They will send you a fake airbill or transportation invoice, with instructions for you to wire the money via Western Union or MoneyGram for several thousand dollars.
• “The Trailer Scam” – Beware of newer model year trailers for sale at thousands below market value. No matter what the excuse, most of the time it’s a scam. We recommend to always view the trailer in person if possible. The scammers rarely have possession of the trailer, they operate by stealing another seller’s photos and try to get you to send them money sight unseen. Sadly, it’s quite common and many people fall for it. This also falls under the old adage, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”

When Viewing an Ad, Use Caution If:

• The price is too low. The most common mark of a scam ad is a trailer or horse priced far below market value. A new trailer with living quarters priced at $5,000 could very possibly be a scam. A Friesian horse normally worth $15,000 that is selling for $900, is generally also a scam.
• The ad has an invalid phone number, or one that goes to a fax machine or other business.
• The photos list an email address or other strange text such as “not sold on Ebay”.
• The city listed is not a valid city for that state. Examples such as “Utah, Utah”, “Chennai, Texas”, etc.
• There is an email address directly on the ad, in the "Message from Seller" with no other description.
• The information on the ad does not match the photos. Example, a trailer listed in Phoenix but the photos show a trailer in a green grass lot with a forest.

When a Buyer or Seller Contacts You, Beware If:

• They claim to be from out of the country and is using Equine.com or another 3rd party such as eBay motors to complete the transactions.
• They want to use an "Equine.com approved agent" to handle finances. Equine.com does NOT get in the middle of any transactions nor do we ever have any “agents” that work for us.
• Seller states that they will only accept Western Union or MoneyGram payments. ALWAYS beware of a transaction going through Western Union or MoneyGram, as you have no recourse if your money is lost.
• Seller will not answer specific questions but wants to discuss a method of payment immediately.
• Buyer or Seller uses poor spelling and grammar. Many scams are run from Nigeria, parts of Africa, or other non-English speaking countries.
• Buyer claims to be a broker and promises more money than your item and wishes some returned for his commission and the rest you keep.
• Heavy accents over the phone using poor English. Many of these scammers work from call centers in countries such as Nigeria and Lagos, and have very thick accents.

What to Do if You Think You’ve Been Scammed:

• Contact us at scams@equine.com so we can pull the ad immediately. Please provide a link to the ad itself, or the seller’s username.
• http://www.IC3.gov is a government-regulated agency that handles fraud across the Internet. Be sure to file a complaint with them so they can investigate the matter.
• We will work w/state and federal organizations by providing them the necessary information to help your case.