The decision to sell a foal must be carefully considered and the sale must be properly managed. It must meet the needs of the client, while respecting the animal, and it must also – obviously – satisfy your interests.
Each buyer reveals preferences that we might consider to be whims, but that in their heart of hearts might have a logic that we need to understand in order to be able to exploit it to the full. In practice, when it comes to selling a foal, we need to apply a ‘pragmatic sales’ technique. But how can we get the most out of a situation that we might define as problematic? How is it possible to sell without speculating, but still make a good profit? Let’s try to analyse the situation together.
Suggestions that will help when it comes to selling a foal
Certainly, in these cases, a good dose of persuasive language helps, but always in moderation and with respect for all parties involved. Don’t forget that the sale of the foal could be facilitated by certain characteristics of the specimen, which could be explained to the buyer. These include health, family and future prospects in terms of resale or competitions… let’s go into detail!
Health, a fundamental element
A healthy foal is a valuable foal from every point of view. Selling a healthy foal is therefore easier and brings in a higher price. The foal should be neither too thin nor too fat, it should have healthy feet, it should be well-fed and have a strong body, but also sublime qualities such as beauty. If the foal meets these requirements, the starting selling price will increase considerably.
From this point of view, our Foaling Alarm is a tool that is a real ally for professional breeders. In fact, the equine birth signalling system, C6 Evo, or C6 Birth Control, is useful for monitoring the birth of foals and the health of the foal from the very first moments of life. In fact, since the mare often gives birth at night (and this sometimes leads to many sleepless nights!), this innovative tool alerts the breeder at the moment of birth, allowing the health of mother and child to be safeguarded and supporting them during this very delicate moment.
The importance of the family in the sale of a foal
The family of origin will also have a certain influence on the future of the young horse. Foals born of champion stallions and mares will have a high probability of making a career and therefore, when it comes to selling a foal, betting on them is a winning move.
Foals born to prized thoroughbreds can also be sold at a good price. They will mainly attract passionate buyers or customers who regularly participate in horse beauty contests and aspire to the top positions. The family is, therefore, an element to be taken into serious consideration when buying and selling foals.
The care of the foal and its future prospects
Clearly, a newborn foal has needs that must be met to allow it to grow healthy and strong: in fact, at birth it has no immune defences and therefore it is very important that it is kept in a clean and sterile environment. The foal’s antibodies are acquired through the first milk, also called colostrum, which the unborn foal must absolutely consume in the first three hours of life in a quantity ranging from 1.8 litres to 2.8 litres. After this period, the enterocytes are no longer able to absorb antibodies, or can only do so in small quantities.
As we have seen, the future prospects of a foal are linked to its health and its family which, as we have analysed previously, are essential factors for guaranteeing success. Therefore, before selling a foal, think carefully and try to understand how to highlight all its characteristics, then link them to the future prospects of the specimen.
Some tips for selling a foal
Finally, don’t forget that the aim of the sale is to get the most out of those foals that at first glance don’t have the right physical requirements. Also, before accepting an offer, remember that it’s important to understand whether or not the buyer will be able to meet the foal’s needs. Obviously, the foal’s dignity and a suitable life expectancy should not be compromised: it’s better to have an offer that isn’t too advantageous for the owner but excellent for the animal, than the exact opposite.
Furthermore, as already mentioned, to be sure of having a healthy foal, it is necessary to be present at the birth and to provide your animals with the necessary support in case of complications. If you want to use an effective system to monitor the birth of your mare, then you can rely on us and our Foaling Alarm, a safe and innovative solution. Get in touch with our experts to find out more about all the high-performance foaling alarm devices for horses that we can offer: we look forward to hearing from you!
