"I wanna do that! ... But not really, because that's scary."
But they'd be petrified to actually have to ride or deal with that type of a horse. What they really need and want is the old steady eddy horse. But they won't BUY that type of horse. Oh no, that would be much too logical. I think it's the same reason parents always inquire about my 'hot' or green horses for their kids.
Whenever I have a horse that I say is for experienced or confident rider, I get beginners asking if it's suitable. ... .... ... No, it's not.
And when I have a horse, Blue, that's perfect for that kind of rider.... Eh. Not so many.
I stress in the ad how laid back he is. The other day I decided to add some bareback pictures to the Western and English ones. And I finally got Blue to canter! And the very best part is that I got it on camera! It was a heck of a leg workout by the way..
You can see the visible look of shock on my face when he finally did it.
Still, the moment I made this my display picture for him- BAM calls come rolling in. Emails all over the place. He's still the same laid back horse and getting him to do that is a workout (I was sweating!) but apparently it drives people crazy.
They all say they want the laid back horse that he's described as, but they're all attracted to the type of horse they don't need. Or because in their imagination they can hop on that horse and ride like they're crazy teenagers.
So the key I've found for successful marketing is to show them the black stallion, and sell them ol' nelly.
So much leg... And kissing.
He kept trying to run me into this tiny tree....
He looks like a barbie dream horse here... He just needs a unicorn horn!
So damn big...
Moose would like to remind everyone to Smile!
I got myself a Black Stallion! I have seen that movie so many times, that I wouldn't be surprised if it had an influence on my decision.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I had the experience to handle him--and had him gelded before I got him. I bought him when I lost my beloved gelding who had the personality of Blue. I loved him, but he drove me nuts because he was so laid back. In the end, he taught me that I needed the fire that you get with some Arab blood. It definitely requires experience and nerves to deal with the hotter horse, and though anyone can handle Cole, now, getting there was tough at times. I couldn't imagine a novice managing him too well.
When we purchase horses, it is so important to get not just what we want, but what we need. People just tend to get wants and needs confused...Big decisions are usually made with emotions, not logic--a recipe for disaster when it comes to horses!
My TB's old owner had a bad case of Black Stallion Syndrome. That's why I got him for free even though he's a VERY nice and very talented horse. She needs more of a 20+ year old quarter horse mix.
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