24/10/2019
What are your thoughts about the ISO post?
A note on ISO posts:
I understand them. Wading through a million bay geldings, conformation shots, and bad jog videos is a pain. I will occasionally comment on one with a horse as long as there are only a few comments under them. It can be a good way for others to search for horses as well, as the original poster certainly has no rights to the advertisements under a public post.
That said, I am seeing a lot of them recently, maybe more than usual, and there’s a sense of entitlement around them. And for those commenting, there’s a sense of desperation, like being the last kid picked in dodgeball or waiting to be invited to prom.
Here’s the thing: we are in search of buyers, rather than the other way around. We are looking for people who are educated, or if not as educated, knowledgeable enough to know they need a trainer to help them. I love getting a message from a trainer looking for something for a client, asking good questions, and determining if a horse could be the right match. A lot of people don’t know enough about what they are truly looking for, and so the ISO posts become a waste of time, time that should be spent training and caring for these horses, instead of sucking the souls out of the sellers who feel like they have to answer every darn ad to do right by the horse.
Instead of just posting an ISO ad, go in search. Research trainers you like, non-profits you like, have your budget in mind, and be honest about what you are looking for. Better yet, speak with your trainer about what you’d like and what they think you need, and pay them to help you search. Their time and experience is valuable.
If you DO post an ISO, do put your budget (even if it’s a range) because there is zero point in 75% of the comments you’ll get if you don’t, and do be as specific as you can about level and experience and type and mind. Mention if the horse is going to a training program, a boarding barn, or your backyard. It matters. Then just remember that everyone teases about people who search for color (but you do you), and if I see “must pass PPE” I just scroll on by because I have no idea what that means. But more on that another time...