Writing a "for sale" advert

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1 January, 2005

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Simplicity is the key to writing a classified advertisement to sell a horse both online or in a magazine, but don't be tempted to leave out essential information to make the advert cheaper.

By putting more information into the advert you are more likely to sell the horse at the first attempt. A single more expensive advert is cheaper than having to advertise the horse twice, and you are likely to get fewer replies second time around.

Apart from giving your horse's vital statistics, (see list below) the ad should draw attention to anything that makes your horse sound special. A horse's breeding can attract interest from buyers, so it may be worth mentioning a famous or successful sire.

Photographs give prospective buyers a lot of information about the horse and can cut down on time-wasters, but it is important that it shows the horse at its best. In most cases an action picture is better than just a horse standing up as it demonstrates the horse's ability.

A colour photograph will help the advert to stand out in the magazine and online, but proofs and professional photographs can only be used with the photographer's permission due to copyright laws.

Read more advice on taking photographs for adverts >>

Most buyers have a budget and many are put off if a price is not given or if "substantial price required" or PAO (price on application) are used. There is no point in people responding to your advert if they do not have the funds to match your asking price. Not giving a price will also exclude your advert from any online search where a potential buyer asks for horses within a specific price range.

Remember to include the area of the country that you are based at the end of the advert and list a landline telephone number as well as a mobile if you can. An email address can also be a useful means of contact, although if used online you may end up receiving scam emails.

Once you have written the advert ask yourself "would it persuade you to go and see the horse?" If the answer is no then you need to rethink the advert.

When supplying the advert online, check it carefully for spelling mistakes. If you are giving an advert over the phone, ask the person to read the advert back to you to check they have got the spelling correct. The person you are speaking to may not have much equestrian knowledge so it can be easy for mistakes to be made.

What to include

The vital statistics which you should include in any ad include:

Height
Breed
Sex
Age
Price
Telephone numbers
Area in which you live

You could also consider including the following information:

Colour and markings eg: stunningly marked skewbald
Temperament eg: not marish/excellent temperament
Scope/disciplines eg: competing Discovery/Foxhunter
Level of fitness and training eg: working at Elementary level
Competition results/winnings eg: Won £300 BSJA
Name of trainer/rider if famous eg: competed/trained by . . .
Breeding if by famous stallion eg: by Clover Hill out of TB mare
Trial facilities eg: Good trial facilities/seen at livery
Reason for sale eg: sadly outgrown
Veterinary status eg: recent vets certificate
Vices eg: no vices/cribs at feed times

To place a classified advert in Horse & Hound magazine (tel: 0800 7310616) or use our new online booking tool >>. All adverts in Horse & Hound magazine are placed on H&H Online's classified marketplace free of charge.