When selling your horse, a well-executed video can be a game-changer. It serves as a digital showcase, allowing potential buyers to see your horse in action and gauge its suitability for their needs. This complete guide to crafting an outstanding horse sale video guide will walk you through the key elements that make a horse sale video truly effective.
The Importance of Detailed Descriptions
What to Include: Begin with a comprehensive description of your horse, detailing its age, breed, height, and any unique features. Also, include its training level, and health background. Be as accurate as possible.
A rich description sets the stage for the entire video. It not only educates the viewer about the horse’s basic attributes but also guides them through the video, helping them understand what to expect.
If you are not absolutely sure of height, measure the horse. If a prospective buyer comes to look at the horse and it is obviously not the height listed the buyer will wonder what else the seller is not accurate.
Obviously not 14.1!
List the asking price or not: Many sellers use this as a way to encourage the home that they want for the horse, quoting a lower price for a more desired home. This is a risky tactic because that person could have heard your asking price from another potential buyer, which makes the seller look dishonest.
Other times the seller is hesitant to state the price for high-priced horses for various reasons. However, advertising a high-priced horse often attracts buyers outside your horse’s price range, leading to wasted time for both parties. If you’re hesitant to list your horse in the 5 to 6-figure range, consider partnering with an agent.
The Role of Conformation Photos
What to Include: Before the video footage, consider incorporating confirmation photos that capture your horse from various angles. When you are taking these photos keep in mind what you want to show. Confirmation photos are similar to new photos and not artistic photos. The goal is to show the horse’s confirmation, not the horse’s pretty mane. If the horse has a confirmation flaw do not try to hide it with a creative angle omitting that photo altogether. If you do this you are doing the horse a disservice and possibly putting the horse in a less than desirable situation when the buyer finds out. Yes, they will find out, so no sense in hiding it.
Why It Matters: These photos offer a quick yet thorough look at your horse’s physical condition, providing insights into its health and suitability for different activities. They act as a visual portfolio that complements the video footage. Remember that the desired confirmation can vary depending on what the horse will be used for.
Great example of confirmation pictures!
Show, Don’t Just Tell
What to Include: Use the video to demonstrate your horse’s abilities. Capture it walking, trotting, cantering, and performing specific skills or maneuvers. Every buyer has their own idea of what they are looking for to do what they are going to do with the horse. Let them decide if the horse is suitable for what they are looking for. Stating what you think the horse will be good for does not help them and often does just the opposite.
Why It Matters: Seeing is believing. By showing your horse in action, you substantiate the claims made in the description, adding a layer of credibility and making the video more engaging. For instance, if you are selling a reining horse and they are a poor lead changer or another flaw or condition you don’t have to point it out but also don’t hide it.
Versatility and Skill Range
What to Include: Highlight your horse’s versatility by showing it engaged in various activities—be it trail riding, jumping, or working with livestock. This is where you justify your asking price. Whatever your asking price this part of the video is directly related and should reflect the abilities of a horse with that value.
Why It Matters: A multi-talented horse appeals to a wider audience. By showcasing a range of skills, you can attract different types of buyers, increasing the likelihood of a successful sale. Often buyers are looking for a horse skilled in one area but wanting to do something different with the horse.
The Art of Making Cuts in the Video
What to Include: Be mindful of when to make cuts in your video. Include continuous shots to demonstrate skills or behaviors, but use cuts to transition between different activities or settings. A smart buyer will always question why a cut was made and what was cut out. A continuous video with cuts only between obviously different videos is best.
Why It Matters: Strategic use of cuts makes your video more dynamic and believable. However, excessive or abrupt cuts may raise suspicions about the horse’s performance or behavior. The key is to find a balance that maintains the video’s flow while providing a truthful representation of the horse. If you cut out a section that is obviously the same video before and after is suspicious.
Registration Details
What to Include: Clearly specify the horse’s asking price and any registration information, such as breed registry numbers. For horses that have been shown it is easy to look up a show record and if you omit that information it makes the seller look like they are trying to hide something.
Why It Matters: Transparency in pricing and registration adds another layer of credibility to your sale. The only reason to hide this information is if you are asking more than what the horse is actually worth. An educated buyer all spot this tactic immediately. That leads to a point on the buyer side, if you are not an educated buyer, use an agent.
Authenticity is Key
What to Include: Strive for authenticity. Capture your horse in natural settings and avoid over-editing or over-inflating the horse’s true abilities. You might have an emotional attachment to the horse but the buyer does not. On that subject any buyer that puts conditions like the option to buy back on the sale I always walk away. When you are selling a horse you are selling all rights and interests whatsoever to the horse. Trying to retain anything is a bad idea. The only exception to this is when selling shares to a horse. This only applies to very high-end horses.
Why It Matters: Authenticity fosters trust. A video that genuinely represents your horse will instill confidence in potential buyers, making them more likely to take the next step in the purchasing process. Any conditions put on the sale only drives buyers away. If you can not part with all rights to a horse then you are not an earnest seller.
Conclusion
If you would like some examples I have a YouTube playlist where I critique internet sale videos. It could be very helpful to you when you are putting together your own sales video. You should also read my Guide to Spotting Red Flags When Buying a Horse. This will give you a perspective from the buyer’s point of view.
Creating an impactful horse sale video is a multi-step process that requires thoughtful planning and execution. This complete guide to crafting an outstanding horse sale video and paying attention to details, from the initial description to the strategic use of video cuts, can produce a compelling and trustworthy showcase for your horse. This not only highlights your horse’s best qualities but also simplifies the buying process for potential buyers. My horse training journey has brought me from winning world titles to now trying to make every horse the best they can be and to help you improve your equestrian knowledge.