When you are bored- do what I do...

Since I can't ride my own horse yet, I thought of something I could do to salve that horsey jones I get! 
Dreamhorse.com of course.
I love that website anyway, and just browse on a regular basis....because you never know what you'll find. Kinda like the Goodwill Store.
But today I focused on the on line videos.
If you want to feel better about yourself or your horse- I recommend the online videos!

What a mixed bag!
The prices are outrageous I might add. I guess people think the economy has recovered! Or maybe they figure they and they alone have the very best horse in the whole world! And they have it priced that way. So what if Dobbin is sway backed and hasn't ever done anything except had a few babies or mowed down their back pasture all by herself- by god she's an own daughter of a grand daughter of a BIG Name Stallion!

I narrowed the search to Quarter Horses in California. Still a pretty big subject, but what the hey! I had nuthin better to do today! Just started at the top and worked my way down.

I saw what appeared to be a woman holding on for dear life to the gullet of an English saddle that was way to small for her, go around and around and around and around......What was the horse doing? suffering probably.
I saw young people over horsed, heavy people under horsed, jumpers maybe jumping, some WP horses that looked lame ...

I know that most of you already KNOW this stuff- BUT if you are thinking of doing a video PLEASE take these honest to gosh good intentioned TIPS to heart.

You are trying to $ell your horse- so fergawssake-bathe and clip and shine like you going to a show.

Invest in a tripod and set it up in the middle of your ring. Then ride your horse into the frame. So many shots of a little bitty horse way off in the distance doing something, but it is so far away I can't tell what....and I don't want to see the back of you jumping over some kind of obstacle- I want to see the front of the horse or at the least a side view~

Just because you are an English rider, don't just ride your horse English- take your saddle off, borrow a western saddle, ride a few laps around going western...and vice versa!

 If you are proud of a certain jumping video- don't just put that video up to sell your horse, the buyers might, just maybe, want to see what ELSE he might be able to do! Like say.... transitions, or roll backs, or for heaven sakes- stops.

Speaking of which- just because you think you are a reiner- I think NO. PLEASE don't jerk your horse into a stop, then look at the camera like you just won the lottery. 9 times out of ten your stop was horrible! Crooked, strung out, your horses mouth was gaped open and he was propping! ERK!

And the same goes for you barrel racers too. A grainy fast moving horse in poor light and lots of shadows does not show me that your horse is intended for gymkhanas. I don't want to see him charging out of the gate or doing a prop stop at the end of your run.

WP people- make sure your horse is on the right lead. PLEASE don't wear shorts and tenni-runners and then jerk and spur your horse like you might have seen some no name trainer do. If your two year old is just starting, fer heavensake- lose the spurs!

And for ALL of you- make sure you actually have someone else watch your video( Your mom doesn't count) to make sure your horse isn't lame, or sour, or aggravated at you for being a shmucky rider.


Things that BUYERS with MONEY want to see-
Your horse, without a saddle of any kind, both sides, front and back. HOOVES to Forelock. Moving away from the camera in a straight line and then back again ( without running over the camera operator). We want to see how your horse tracks, how his legs lift off the ground, how his head and neck tie in and if he is athletic for our purposes.
THEN we want to see the same horse under saddle going left, at a walk, a jog and a lope,( or walk trot canter) then STOP quietly. Back up. Roll slowly over the hocks.(if you are able or just move to go the opposite direction) Then repeat. THEN if your horse jumps add a jump, if your horse is a rope horse, then rope a cow, or use a trail obstacle or do a little trick, or run a barrel pattern...
You can do all of this in three minutes! Really!!!!!

And if your horse is good at his job- let someone who can show him off do the riding.

Last but not least- Price him right! Not what you THINK he is worth, or what he was worth when YOU bought him- but what he is worth TODAY. Be Fair! If you don't want him anymore, maybe someone that can bring out his athleticism will-price your horse with that in mind. Other wise you are going to have a pasture pet for a very long time...

Log on and have fun...if you can.