# CL ads ... the other side ...



## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

Just for fun (procrastinating on going out for chores this AM with all the ice) I checked through our 'local' (Lexington, KY region) Craigs List for horses to see if there were any professional looking ads and good horses for sale ... and there are ... certainly not the majority, but maybe a third are well bred and presented with good photos.

So here is the "other side of the story" ...

http://lexington.craigslist.org/grd/4307530909.html

http://lexington.craigslist.org/grd/4283149246.html

http://lexington.craigslist.org/grd/4298759076.html

http://lexington.craigslist.org/grd/4314526771.html

http://lexington.craigslist.org/grd/4314195260.html


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

The last horse on the list (the grey OTTTB gelding) looks like he was put together with spare parts. 

He looks like he'd be a sweetheart tho.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

I keep going back to the first one on the list and drooling over that appaloosa/Arab cross colt. Drop dead gorgeous and the photos to prove it (and I'm not even a big appaloosa fan!)


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## KareninPA (Jan 7, 2010)

The bay mare in the 4th ad is nice, although she looks a bit too straight in the front - but again the pictures don't help. If only her head was up in that first picture, that one would have been a great shot! I am a sucker for that coloring.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

http://nmi.craigslist.org/grd/4316218018.html

Here is a very clear photo of a stallion. I'm no expert on saddle horses, so won't judge. Does he fit into the good Craigslist ads or is he as odd looking to experts as he looks to me?


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

haypoint said:


> http://nmi.craigslist.org/grd/4316218018.html
> 
> Here is a very clear photo of a stallion. I'm no expert on saddle horses, so won't judge. Does he fit into the good Craigslist ads or is he as odd looking to experts as he looks to me?


:happy2:


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

haypoint said:


> http://nmi.craigslist.org/grd/4316218018.html
> 
> Here is a very clear photo of a stallion. I'm no expert on saddle horses, so won't judge. Does he fit into the good Craigslist ads or is he as odd looking to experts as he looks to me?


Yuck. It goes back to Impressive at least 5 times (top and bottom) and his sire is n/h (meaning he carries the HYPP gene) and I can't find this stallion's HYPP status anywhere- so I'm assuming he's n/h as well. 

He's a pretty typical AQHA halter puke, unfortunately. :yuck:


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

Irish Pixie said:


> He's a pretty typical AQHA halter puke, unfortunately. :yuck:


I agree. Good photo that shows the horse for what he is but unless you are looking for something to lead into a halter class and nothing else, this is not what you want. As Irish says typical AQHA halter type. Small feet (probably, can't see them in the photo), light bone, heavy in front, overly muscled even in pasture condition.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Irish Pixie said:


> Yuck. It goes back to Impressive at least 5 times (top and bottom) and his sire is n/h (meaning he carries the HYPP gene) and I can't find this stallion's HYPP status anywhere- so I'm assuming he's n/h as well.
> 
> He's a pretty typical AQHA halter puke, unfortunately. :yuck:



Absolutely disgusting, that this horse would win ANYTHING.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> Absolutely disgusting, that this horse would win ANYTHING.


When we were breeding/showing QHs in the 70s the AQHA high point halter stallion was an 'aged' (10/12) year old stallion that only had halter points. He won state and regional year-end awards consistently and I think he went to the nationals a time or two. However, in the 'working' AQHA circles it was common knowledge that he had never been under saddle ... the owners could not keep him sound long enough to train for anything. 

I don't remember the name or the bloodlines now, though I suspect heavy Impressive breeding. There were a couple of bloodlines that were noted for unsoundness at the time, including Impressive. You could see it at the auction sales in the early spring when ranchers were buying young, unstarted geldings to get started for the summer ranch work. A nice looking gelding would come through and the pedigree would show lot of those bloodlines and none of the ranchers would be bidding. A lot of them went to the horse traders, who would get them started and green with very light work and take them out of 'ranch country' to sell to show/hobby people that didn't know what they were getting into.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

SFM in KY said:


> When we were breeding/showing QHs in the 70s the AQHA high point halter stallion was an 'aged' (10/12) year old stallion that only had halter points. He won state and regional year-end awards consistently and I think he went to the nationals a time or two. However, in the 'working' AQHA circles it was common knowledge that he had never been under saddle ... the owners could not keep him sound long enough to train for anything.
> 
> I don't remember the name or the bloodlines now, though I suspect heavy Impressive breeding. There were a couple of bloodlines that were noted for unsoundness at the time, including Impressive. You could see it at the auction sales in the early spring when ranchers were buying young, unstarted geldings to get started for the summer ranch work. A nice looking gelding would come through and the pedigree would show lot of those bloodlines and none of the ranchers would be bidding. A lot of them went to the horse traders, who would get them started and green with very light work and take them out of 'ranch country' to sell to show/hobby people that didn't know what they were getting into.


Even if he were sound, it's hard to imagine riding something that heavy and downhill. Looks like his little legs will snap.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> Even if he were sound, it's hard to imagine riding something that heavy and downhill. Looks like his little legs will snap.


That's why about the only classes you would see this type in other than the halter classes would be the pleasure classes. The feet and legs just did not hold up to the stresses of reining, cutting ... and ranch work. The young horses that sold well in the ranch auctions were the older foundation type breeding, King Ranch bloodlines, Hancock, Poco Bueno and in the 70s and 80s a lot of the Doc Bar horses as well.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> Even if he were sound, it's hard to imagine riding something that heavy and downhill. Looks like his little legs will snap.


Halter horses, especially that look like this one, *don't* ride at all. He would never be found in a pleasure class because he can't move like a pleasure horse- for exactly the reasons you said. 

Disgusting is right.


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## KareninPA (Jan 7, 2010)

Yeah, silly owner should have taken a blurry photo of him grazing a mile away, preferably at a weird angle.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

KareninPA said:


> Yeah, silly owner should have taken a blurry photo of him grazing a mile away, preferably at a weird angle.


With an old cell phone.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

KareninPA said:


> Yeah, silly owner should have taken a blurry photo of him grazing a mile away, preferably at a weird angle.


Better yet, just whack off his stallion parts and call it a day. No picture needed at all.


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## krische1012 (May 3, 2009)

I have a nice young horse that I really need to sell (we've moved and new farm is not set up well for horses so I need fewer of them until we have the time to build better fencing/facilities) and I've resorted to Craigslist to advertise him. 

Selling horses is sadly frustrating at the moment


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## KareninPA (Jan 7, 2010)

krische1012 - don't feel bad about using CL to sell your horses - I sold one on CL a few years ago. It's actually a fantastic way to sell anything in your area because it's so popular, and FREE. The only sad parts are some of the ads themselves and sometimes the prices that the owners are trying to get! I think my horse was sold within a week, but we were lucky that the buyer was a decent, knowledgeable horseman. I hope your experience goes well and good luck with your move!


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

krische1012 said:


> Selling horses is sadly frustrating at the moment


It certainly can be. It's getting better but still very difficult during the winter months and for 'middle aged' broodmares ... which is what I had to place when I was downsizing. Since I've gotten my numbers where I want them, I've started breeding again but slowly and if I have weanlings left that don't sell, I cut back on the number of mares I breed.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

When taking photos of a horse you want to sell:
1. Sun at your back. If you want another angle, move the horse.
2. Be within 50 feet of the horse.
3. Be on the same side of the gate as the horse.
4. If the horse is standing on three legs, has both hind feet up under him, is grazing, has his ears pinned back against his neck or itching his ear with his hind leg, get your finger away from the camera's shutter button.
5. Comb his mane and tail, brush the snow off his back, remove matted manure off his hip and put the nice halter on him.
6. Resist the temptation to take the picture while laying on the ground or standing on top of the shed.
7 If there are other horses on your ranch, that are not for sale, get them put in the barn until you are done with the photo session with the horse you are selling. Extra horses makes it less clear which one you are selling and more clear that you are culling this one.
8. If the snow outside is 4 feet deep and your ad shows leaves on the trees in the background, explain what year the photo was taken.
9. If you are selling a horse and a horse blanket, use two different photos.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

The halter stallion shouldn't have been lined up against something with horizontal lines on it, his butt is at least 2" taller than his withers! Good clear picture that shows him as he is, but not to his best advantage. 

I agree that this sort of horse is pretty useless. I'm sad to see what Quarter horses have become over the years, the halter, Western pleasure, etc... all the movement with the nose on the ground, no trace of athleticism in that! The tiny legs and feet, the front heavy horses. I know there are good ones out there, but it pains me to see some of what is preferred in the show ring!


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

GrannyCarol said:


> I know there are good ones out there, but it pains me to see some of what is preferred in the show ring!


Judges and 'fads' are one of the big reasons I quit showing. There is absolutely no correlation between what the judges place in the show rings and what constitutes a useful horse under saddle. Even 'working' classes like reining isn't really practical ... so much emphasis on the sliding stops, etc. which aren't useful for a working ranch horse. Most arena show horses you couldn't take out and do a day's ranch work on, unfortunately.


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## DamnearaFarm (Sep 27, 2007)

Bless his heart, that QH stallion looks like crap!


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Should be ready to butcher come fall, though.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

Don't you guys recognize a mountain horse when you see one? His higher butt will keep him closer to level when going up hill!


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

BTW, I thought the Arab/Appy colt was stunning! What a lovely boy in conformation, style AND color! I would love to see him when he grows up.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

GrannyCarol said:


> BTW, I thought the Arab/Appy colt was stunning! What a lovely boy in conformation, style AND color! I would love to see him when he grows up.


I couldn't believe he is actually in my area! Found their website and they're within 25 miles of where I live. I'm really, really tempted to pick up the phone! Well, maybe ..... just to look ....

:umno:


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

The horses in the original post may be good horses, but the advertisements and photos still leave a lot to be desired...

The best presented ones might be the Halflingers, because they actually have photos of the horse showing in the discipline they claim they are trained to do! (and they still have a horse standing in the pasture photo)

The other ads have photos of horses grazing, awkward angle photos of a yearling, loose horse with pasture clutter and other loose horses in the background, photos taken from a video camera screen (with words covering part of the horse!).

It's really not all that hard to get decent non-professional photos!


This one was taken from a video camera, so we could click forward or back for the perfect frame.



You have to have an OK looking background somewhere on your farm? If not, take the photo against your neighbor's farm. Teach your horse to stand in the manner appropriate for his breed/discipline. Take several photos and delete the ones with the tail swishing or ears floppy or back.



Another photo taken from a video still frame. Again, showing that the horse can do what the ad says it can do!

BTW, the horse in the first two pictures sold within weeks, sight unseen, to a buyer on the east coast. The third horse just recently sold, less that three months after being advertised. They were both in the five figures range, and sold through their warmbloods-for-sale ads, though we did also put them on the warmbloods for sale facebook page.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Sharon - That Appy colt is expected to be 16 hands tall though!  What you need is his few spot mother that will put color on anything she's bred to, then you can use your pony stallions and get your sports ponies! 

Malinda - lovely photos. Too bad so many people just don't know how to get good ones!


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## krische1012 (May 3, 2009)

KareninPA said:


> krische1012 - don't feel bad about using CL to sell your horses - I sold one on CL a few years ago. It's actually a fantastic way to sell anything in your area because it's so popular, and FREE. The only sad parts are some of the ads themselves and sometimes the prices that the owners are trying to get! I think my horse was sold within a week, but we were lucky that the buyer was a decent, knowledgeable horseman. I hope your experience goes well and good luck with your move!


Aww thanks! Our move went well and our new farm is fantastic but until Spring gets here we can't do much to improve barn/fencing etc! So I need to have as few horses here as possible! One of my broodmares is leased and leaves at the end of March which is great but my 3 year old gelding needs to go as soon as possible! 

I've found lots of good things on Craigslist (including the woman leasing this broodmare! lol) and hope that whether through this avenue or another my gelding finds a great home too!


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## AugustRED (Apr 18, 2010)

All you have to do to make your horse look amazing on craigslist is put up a professional add. It could be an unbroken 20yo mutt stallion but you get pictures at the right angle, write up an add with correct English & punctuation & wa-la! Your horse looks better than all the rest (at least the uneducated eye). I use it, I'm not embarrassed to use it. Be prepared to deal with some idiots & people that don't know which end of a horse to feed but if you don't mind hanging up on a few people it can be a great way to advertise.

At least they took a good picture of the stallion so smart people can avoid him. I personally love QH's, they are my breed of choice - that being said I wouldn't own most of what's available if they gave them to me. You know something is wrong when they have to add a "performance" halter class. Say what? There are already breeds of every shape, size & purpose - instead of changing the breed you're in why not just switch to the breed you want? Hmm...


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## Fetherhd (Aug 16, 2012)

OHHHHHH....that arab/appy colt is a lovely little fellow. If I were settled I would be scarfing him up!!


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

Fetherhd said:


> OHHHHHH....that arab/appy colt is a lovely little fellow. If I were settled I would be scarfing him up!!


The breeders are 'local' for me ... I keep saying I need to go look! :help:

It's probably a very good thing he is not a pony!


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