COOPERATIVE EXTENSIONUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

DAVIS, CALIFORNIA 95616 REPLY TO:Animal Science EXTENSION

916 / 752-0526April 1986

EQUINE EXPRESSReuben Albaugh, Editor

Marketing HorsesAudrey S. Jenkins, Staff Research Associate

Contributing Author

Are you in the busines of selling horses? Or maybe you have justone riding horse that you'd like to sell. Not many of us areborn salespersons yet selling a horse is a business transactionthat requires certain skills which we can learn. Consider thefollowing advice from Ben Scott of Scotland Farms, Lake Stevens,Washington, which was presented at the 1985 Ninth ColoradoHorsemen's Seminar.

Make an appointment with a potential buyer to see the horse soyou can have the horse ready. You should also be prepared forunannounced customers if you have advertising or signs thatwould lead a buyer directly to the ranch.

To ready the horse to be shown to a buyer, grooming is the firstand perhaps most important step. Never underestimate the powerof first impressions, they are lasting impressions. Do the bestpossible job of grooming the horse, as if you were entering ashow. A halter horse should be presented as it would be in ashow ring, complete with silver halter. If you're selling aperformance horse, fit the horse with saddle and show tack.Remember, the buyer will leave with the impression of the horseas it was presented to them.

If a customer arrives unannounced, try and have someone chat withthem until you can prepare the horse. Showing the horse in adark stall with straw in its tail or covered with mud will notmake a good first impression.

The University of California Cooperative Extension in compliance with Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Rehabilitation Act of1973 does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, sex, or mental or physical handicap in any of its programs or activities. Inquiriesregarding this policy may be directed to: Warren E. Schoonover, 317 University Hall, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, (415) 642-0903.

University of California and the United Slates Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Show horses in the best shape for their purpose. Brood maresshould not be ridden; weanlings not halter-broken should be shownloose. Put the best tack you have on a riding horse and don'tuse training equipment except on a green horse. Don't ask thehorse to do anything unless you know what the result will be(this isn't the time for surprises!). It may be better if onlyone person shows the horse. Be careful about giving informationnot requested and giving personal opinions. If the purchaserdoesn't agree with your opinion, you may lose the sale.Showing and discussing other horses on the ranch is a mistake.Concentrate on the horse for sale and don't confuse the buyerwith other horses not for sale. Only after you're positive thatthe buyer is not interested in the horse should you show anotherhorse that is for sale. An exception might be to point out thesire, dam, or siblings of the horse you're selling IF theycomplement and add value to the horse.The surroundings on the ranch will make a strong impression andadd to or subtract from a buyer's feelings toward a purchase.The size of the ranch, barns, etc. and the amount of moneyinvested in them isn't as important as a location that is well-kept, orderly and clean. The horse industry is no different fromany other business. There are those who are successful at it andthose who are not. There are those who keep a clean store andthose who have one so unkept it is difficult to find anything.There are those who keep good records and those who keep poorrecords. Through the years, the most successful people are theones who keep their places up and their horses in good condition.This doesn't have to reflect dollars spent or volume turned.

Lastly, consider that selling a horse is a business venture andif you're really serious about developing selling skills, studyresource material such as books, videos and seminars on sellingand marketing. Such material may not have anything to do withlivestock, but the same principles apply.

Good luck!

Buyers of old were often influenced by this limerick pennedby an unknown horse dealer: "One sock — buy him, two sock —try him, three sock — shy him, four sock — fly right by him."

Artificial Insemination (AI) is not new. In fact, if legendis correct, the process is said to have originated in the year1322 when an Arab Cheiftan, who prided himself for breeding swiftand noble horses, used artificial insemination to impregnate aprized mare. He used semen that had been stealthily collectedduring the cover of night from a prized stallion belonging to arival chieftan of an enemy tribe.

Research B^ort

EFFECT CF VTEAmi A SUPEIFl^IimTasiCN THE EERRCCUCrrVE PERPCRMANTS CF STALLIQB

ky Scot Jad^scn, S.L. Ralstcn and G.A. RichColorado State Oliversity, Fort Collins

An experimoit conducted at Colorado State Oiiversity to evaluate the effects of supplemeitalVitamin A on seminal quality and quantity, sexual behavior and goieral health of stallicns.Fourteei stallicns, four to ei^teei years of age, were paired based cn age and spermatozoaoutput. Qie member of each pair was randomly assigned to one of two treatmeits; 1) 3 ml ofcom oil (control), 2) 132,000 lU Vitamin A in com oil (treated).

Treatments were given every other day as a top dressing cn oats. Ejaculates were dotained e/eryother day for four weeks prior to initiation of treatment and compared to those cbtained duringthe final four weeks of the treatment period. All. ejaculates were evaluated for: gel-freevolume, gel volume, total volume, progressive motility, pH, number of ^^eriratozoa per milliliterand number of ^rmatozoa per ejaculate.

The percQitage of morphologic normal spermatozoa was determined in the last three ejaculates ofeach collection period. In addition, samples of semm were processed for a glucose pho^hateisomerase assay, this assay designed to detect subtle differences in cellular membraneintegrity.

Total scrotal width was measured at the beginning and aid of each collection period. Boc^ wei<^twas measured at the beginning of pre-treatmait and weekly throughout the experiment. Sexualbehavior v;as quantified by measuring three time intervals and by the number of imounts requiredto achieve ejaculation. The time intervals were: 1) time to erectiai when presaited to ateaser mare, 2) time to first mount, and 3) time from mounting to ejaculation. Blood sampleswere drawn imiDediately before SLpplemaitatioi (0 hr), and at 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours pestsupplementation. This schedule was performed for the first sipleinentaticn of the experiment andagain after the last.

There was no significant effect of supplemoital Vitamin A cn spermatozoal conceitraticn, totalspermatozoa and progressive motility in ejaculates from tr^ted stallicns. Total scrotal width,boc^ wei^t, sexual behavior and spermatozoal membrane integrity were similarly unaffected. Thepercaitage of morphologic normal spermatozoa increased in ejaculates from treated stallicns.The administration of Vitamin A increased the level of Vitamin A in the serum of treatedstallions.

Admiinistration of 132,000 lU Vitamin A every other day was not effective in increasing ther^roductive performance of stallicns. Therefore, any supplementaticn above and beyond minimumNFC requirements is unnecessary.

New Bulletins Available frcm CSD

"Care of the Pregnant and Foaling Hare", by RX Shideler, EVM and James L. Voss, lws,DVM,available for $12J30, The bulletin covers care of the mare up to parturition and describes indetail the foaling process. It discusses problems to be aware of during foaling and some commonproblems with the neonatal foal.

"Etabtjo Transfer in Horsed, by Edward L. Squires and Vau^un Cook, available for $12J30. Coverstopics including estrus synchronization, selection and care of recipioits, success rates withsurgical versus non-surgical transfer, and other embryo transfer subjects.

To purchase these bulletins, contact: Animal Reproduction Laboratory, Colorado StateUniversity, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523. Ehone 303/491-6666, Checks must be UJ5, funds only.