$200 Consignment Fee · 8% Commission · No Pass Out Fee · Soft Close · National Individualized Advertising
New horses/ponies listed on Wednesday evenings, closing on second Sunday evening, starting at 7pm CST. Consignments need to have all required materials submitted 1 day prior being listed.
1. Complete Consignment Request Form
2. Once accepted (please allow 3 business days to review), a consignment form will be sent to be completed electronically.
3. After approval, all the following MUST be submitted, via the online consignment form (step 2), by 12pm CST the Tuesday before the sale.
a. Current Coggins (copy emailed)
b. Registration papers (copy emailed)
c. YouTube video link, clearly showing movement and ability (see tips below)
d. Minimum of 4 HIGH QUALITY photos showing all sides (see tips below)
e. Signed Terms and Conditions
f. Signed Fitness and Health Guarantee
g. Paid consignment fee (PayPal, Venmo or Credit Card)
h. Completed ONLINE consignment form
4. Listing is now LIVE!
a. Soft Close – Auction is open until no new bids for 4 minutes
b. We will handle securing funds from the buyer (due 48 hours after auction close).
c. You get paid within 10 business days from completion of payment by the buyer.
Video Tips for Sale Horses
High quality video is extremely important when getting top dollar for your horse/pony. This is not a place to ‘settle’ and is definitely worth your time to get it right. Follow these tips:
a. Use a HIGH quality camera or cell phone – Avoid zooming in/out!
b. Keep each clip 3 minutes or less to keep file size small enough to send
c. Make sure to hold the phone or camera HORIZONTALLY – not vertically – and avoid movement (do NOT video from horseback).
d. Send RAW, unedited, video clips to edit and use in promotions
e. Do not add music, text, graphics, etc to video clips
f. Final YouTube link to be sent to sales@cowponysales.com
We offer video services if needed. Contact Us for pricing.
Photo Tips for Sale Horses
Selling your horse online requires you to provide high quality photos that showcase the best parts of your horse. The photos you provide will be the first impression people get of your horse, and first impressions matter. Photos are worth the investment to hire a professional if at all possible. If there is not a professional available, you can achieve quality photos with a standard smart phone camera. As experts in online horse sales, we have experienced firsthand the difference in sale prices based off of photos alone. Top tips for achieving quality sale photos when hiring a professional isn’t an option:
- Don’t Rush it. Give yourself 1-2 hours to take photos. You cannot do this task quickly, and by trying to do them quickly you will not get the quality needed.
- Ask for help. Ideally you will 2 additional helpers to get the job done in a quality manner.
- Time of day matters. You want proper, natural lighting to achieve the best color and reduce shadows. Outdoor photos are best, even in winter. An overcast day is better than a sunny day, you’ll have less shadows.
- Grooming. Yes, a bath is ideal. A clean, shiny horse will photograph better than a dirty one. Take the time to make them shine! Brush mane and tail, clean white areas, remove dirt. Horse should be DRY when photographing and hooves should be trimmed to show proper care and maintenance.
- Equipment. Often overlooked and one of the most important details. Tack should be clean and proper fitting. The halter/lead rope should NOT be noticeable. Meaning, select a color that closely matches the horse, avoiding bright colors and patterns. Halter should fit snuggly and show proper head shape.
- Background matters. Select and area that has limited distractions, such as a landscape, side of building or road. Avoid multiple buildings, vehicles, other animals, humans, mailbox, power poles, etc.
- Fill the frame. When you’re taking photos, the animal should be the majority of the frame. This will keep a high quality image. Move as closely to the animal as possible, verses using zoom. This will help create a clear picture.
- Setting up the horse. This is EXTREMELY important and why it’s helpful to have an experienced handler. The horse should appear natural, yet structured. All four feet on the ground (no resting) and visible. Ears should be forward, eyes open and neck at its natural rise – not overly raised/arched and not stretched low. This will be your most time consuming part – but worth doing right!
- Angle matters. You want to be shooting from the center of the horse’s body. You may need to kneel to get the right height. Mid-barrel is ideal. Shooting too high will make your horse look smaller and short legged.
- Be patient. Don’t check each photo. Keep taking photos, even when you may have gotten a good one. The more you can plan and prepare, the smoother it will go. Make sure to give yourself enough time!