Selling Your Horse: 10-Point Checklist for a Successful Sale

1. Decide to sell — and define your goal

Before you take the first photo, answer three questions in writing:

• What price is realistic? (market price, not wish price)
• Which buyer fits this horse? (pro, amateur, leisure rider)
• Which target region makes sense? (Germany only? EU-wide? US too?)

Clear answers to these three points make for better listings, better photos and faster filtering of enquiries.

2. Gather the paperwork

Buyers ask for documents early. Have these ready (digital AND on paper):

• ✅ Equine passport (legal requirement)
• ✅ Ownership certificate / previous owner's contract
• ✅ Pedigree certificate for breeding horses
• ✅ Competition results / federation records
• ✅ Veterinary records of the past 12 months
• ✅ Current pre-purchase exam (if available) or willingness to have one done
• ✅ Vaccination and worming logs

3. Professional photos — the game changer

90 % of buyers decide in the first 5 seconds whether to keep reading. Photos are the deciding factor. Minimum 10 photos, ideally 15.

You absolutely need these shots:

• Conformation left (full size, groomed, legs ordered)
• Conformation right
• Front view & rear view
• Head portrait
• Under saddle (walk/trot/canter — one photo each)
• Jumping (if a jumper)
• Detail with rider

Tip: sun in front, neutral background (arena, not stable), horse groomed, rider tidily dressed. No phone shots into the sun.

4. Make a video

A good video replaces 30 enquiries. Length: 2–4 minutes. Content:

1. Presentation in hand (walk, trot in triangle)
2. Under saddle: walk, trot, canter — both reins
3. Jumping (one small line, one larger fence) if relevant
4. Loading / character / open stable door
5. End frame with name and key facts

Shoot in landscape and portrait (for mobile buyers), good camera or modern phone, music optional.

5. Set an honest market price

Search ehorses for 10 horses very similar to yours in age, training level, breed and results. The average is your market price.

6. Write the listing professionally

A good listing has this structure:

1. Headline — key facts in one line ("8-year-old Hanoverian gelding, successful at Medium, calm")
2. Fact sheet — name, age, breed, height, sex, colour, sire/dam, location
3. Description — character, training, results (3–5 paragraphs)
4. Highlights — bullets: calm, good to load, good to shoe, healthy
5. Who's the right buyer? — "Looking for an ambitious amateur"
6. Price & contact

Write in 4 languages (DE/EN/ES/FR) if you want to sell internationally — it triples your buyer pool.

7. Publish on 5–10 portals

See our portal comparison. Recommended mix: ehorses + equidia + 2 niche portals + Facebook groups.

8. Answer enquiries quickly and professionally

Buyers usually contact 5–10 sellers in parallel. If you don't reply within 24 hours, you're out.

Filter questions for the first reply:

• What is the horse supposed to do?
• What's the buyer's riding experience?
• Is the budget realistic?
• Where are they based?

9. Viewing & test ride

Prepare the horse: groomed, properly warmed up, normal feeding (no "calming" tricks — buyers notice). On the test ride: you ride first, then the buyer.

Safety tips:

• Helmet mandatory for the buyer
• Ask for proof of riding experience if needed
• Never alone with an unknown buyer
• Settle liability in writing (test-ride agreement)

10. Contract & handover — close it cleanly

Never sell without a written contract. Must include:

• Full details of both parties
• Horse details incl. UELN
• Price and payment terms
• Warranty exclusion (private sale)
• Vet check status
• Date and place of handover

Hand over the passport and ownership certificate only when the money is in your account (not "on its way").