Selling a horse can be a bit of a headache. Between marketing the horse and dealing with no-show potential buyers, selling a horse takes some serious time. But have you ever thought about consigning your sale horse? Consigning a horse removes much of the responsibility for the sale, and consigning can even potentially lead to a faster sale for higher prices. Here’s how.

How Consigning a Horse Works

When you consign a horse, you are putting that horse in the care of a trainer or a consignment barn to market and ultimately sell the horse. Most trainers take a commission of 10 – 15% of the horse’s sale price when the horse is successfully sold. Generally you are responsible for paying for the horse’s care until he is sold. Consignments should always be based on a contract signed by both parties.

Why Consign a Horse?

Consigning a horse removes the time demands of marketing a horse for sale. More than that, though, consigning a horse to a reputable trainer means that the trainer’s connections and networking can help to sell your horse. Since knowing the right people can be so important in finding a horse his next home, consigning a horse can be an effective way to increase the horse’s marketing. If a trainer is marketing the horse to the right audience, they may be able to get top dollar for the horse.

What Horses Should Be Consigned?

In truth, any horse can be consigned if you have a trainer willing to take on the task. However, remember that if your horse is sold, the trainer will take a percentage of the sale price as commission. Some trainers may not want to bother taking on consignment horses with lower asking prices, because it simply isn’t worth their time. Generally, show horses are suitable for consignment. When marketing an upper-level horse there is a refined market, and a trainer may have existing connections to potential buyers. However, consignment barns also exist, and typically accept horses which will fetch a range of prices. When finding a suitable consignment opportunity for your horse, you will want to make sure that the trainer or barn’s goals for a suitable sale home match up with yours.

Before You Consign Your Horse

When you consign a horse, you are entrusting its care and marketing to a trainer. You should be familiar with the trainer and the other types of horses that they consign. Ask yourself what that particular trainer can do for you, and how well oriented they are to find your horse a new home. You will also want to be sure to thoroughly read the consignment contract before signing it. And if any changes take part that would alter the contract, then make sure that both you and the trainer sign a contract alteration.

Consigning a horse can save you valuable time and can even lead to a faster sale. But whether or not consigning your horse is the right option is a choice that only you can make.

Original Source: How To Consign a Sale Horse