False Advertising?

[Freezin Cold B]

What do you think of breeders who use gimicks to lure people to buy from them? "Rare" "Arabian" "Best" "Most" ect.... Do you think this can be false advertising? Do you think its just a marketing and sales tactic?

Also what do you think of people who are incorrect about the description of their horse? Say someone advertises a horse and says "level top line" when in reality the horse has a back that looks like a roller coaster? Do you think they are false advertisers? Do you think people have the obligation to describe the horse correctly if there is a picture available? Do you think people can describe horses in whatever way they choose, as long as a picture is available? Where is the line drawn between false advertisement and presenting a horse in the best light possible?

I'm just curious what everyone thinks about these things. I'd also LOVE to hear from people who use gimicks. Why? Does it work? Is there ever negative backlash? Is there a lot of positive reaction?

Sorry for all the questions. Horse advertising and sales are interesting to me. It's one of those things that some people so well and others have no luck.

 

[Leeana]

Even with photos, a photo does not always show what you can see with your eye in real life with the hosre standing infront of you.

I think allot of people use 'arabian type' as sales pitch, and will call anything refined. I think it for some people, if you look at their sale horses, they are all described in the same way and everything in the same order.

I do agree with you

 

[mininik]

I have no problem with someone using their imagination when describing their animals, for sale or not. You can tell me in caps, bold and italic or to my face that your "stunning, long-legged, swan-necked, rare liver chestnut pintaloosa, Quarab type filly" is "one of a kind" and "worth more than her price of $10K," but if I don't see what I want in her myself I'm not going to buy it. In truth, I think it's kind of fun reading descriptions that I find incredibly off...

 

[sdmini]

I feel it is just a sales gimic, no more no less. Calling a horse arabian "type" is not a big thing to me. Consider the following two descriptions of the same gelding.

Older pale palomino gelding, cute head, heavier boned and built like a mack truck. Tame to the point of a pest.

Eight year old, Isabella Palomino gelding. Gorgeous bubble eye, hooky ears and tiny muzzle, built to drive. Loves people and is always first to greet you and last to leave.

Now which one of the two is going to garner more intrest.

There is a difference in using colorful, descriptive words to paint a picture and out and out lying.

 

[shalamara minis]

Okay Marlee, You get to write my ads from now on!

 

[Riverdance]

People advertise with some of the words that you have seen like"Arabian" look, because they are trying to sell their horses. If they are breeding for the"Arabian" look, then they are going to use that word. I for one do, but then I am trying to breed my horses to look like little Arabians. It is no more false advertising than any ads you see for anything. Like The "Best" price for this home or only Fedx does it better.

When discribing their horse, some people are missleading and it can be seen in the photographs. Some may do it intentionally, but others really do not know. Perhaps someone told them that is what their horse had. That is why it is so important for people to get educated in this breed before purchasing so many horses. If they were educated, then they could see what was wrong with the horse in the picture.

What really bothers me is when the seller tampers with the picture and creates a look that is really not there. Like level toplines, high tail sets, more exotic heads or more refined necks. THAT is false advertising and can be really expenisve for the buyer when they find out they have been scamed. When the horse gets to its new home and looks nothing like the picture, to me that is the discription of false advertising. Unfortunatly I am sure it has happened to many, as it has happened to me.

I try to be totally honest with what I am selling, to the point that I sometimes talk the buyer out of a horse. I advertise that my horses have the "Arabian" look as I feel that many of them do. But, I will only advertise the ones that I feel have the beautiful heads that deserve the saying "Arabian" heads.

 

[LittleRibbie]

I dont know if false advertising would be the correct way to descibe it. I would like to give most people the benefit of the doubt and say ......some times the beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. They may think their dog/cat/horse has a great top line, tail set, straight legs and that is what they are describing to the seller. It is up to the seller to look the animal over and see for them selves what is under all that fuzz. my perfect tail set....throatlatch...or straight legs may be totally different than what say Marty, Jill, or you think.

What does irck the crap out of me and really p%$$&6 me off is when I see people that breed any thing to any thing and what ever fults that animal has the buyer seems to turn it around and use the word rare in descibing it. They tend to ask for more money because its such a " rare " thing...and often times these " rare " things are things that can cause health issues later on and the buyer is stuck with a long list of medical bills that were not expected. I see it often with animal owners who just want a unique animal and can afford to pay for these oddities.

For Sale; Very friendly... will stand for hours....tiny tiny mini horse. The smallest ever recorded 22inches. Stallion. His head looks just like a big horse but his body is the size of your sheltie. Perfect for people who live in an apt. He will fit in your living room and will fit comfortablly in a large dog crate. Easy to house train. You can own the smallest horse in the world and breed him a couple times a year and get your money back in no time. Dont miss this opportunity to own the smallest horse in the world. Asking 5,000.00 for a limited time only.

Now I'm sure most of us see this ad and shake our heads...but there are alot of people that are just not educated or they just have enough money and want something "rare". This person is seeing a tiny horse that she/he can brush and fuss over ( his feet/legs are so bad he couldnt walk if he wanted to ) ....recorded does not mean registered....poor little guys daddy was a 13 hand welsh pony...he did have a big head. Mommy was a little mini and dropped this foal 2mo early....blah...blah....blah. These are the sellers that I hate...but I also think people like this are just that way with any thing in life. They are scammers in everything they do.

 

[Jill]

I think when it comes to horses, listen to what the "advertiser" says but also use your own eye and your own mind to decide if you want to buy the horse or breed to it.

We all see things in our own way and it's not always (or even usually) a matter of dishonesty (ie false advertising) but rather a difference in opinion. When it comes to this breed, theres a wide range of knowledge and preference.

Rather than trying to fault someone else (supposed false advertiser), I try and just be as educated as I can be so I make my own good choices and don't have to read what's good about a horse rather than seeing it myself for what it I think it actually is.

 

[love_casper]

Well, I think a lot of it is the general lack of education in sellers. A lot of the people I see selling horses, minis especially, have no clue about conformation. They know what words sound pretty and what we all supposedly like - arab this or arab that, refined and whatnot - and a lot of them are barn blind. A seller may not know how to pick out a well built horse, but will market theirs as such.

But that's only acceptable to a point. If they have experience, yet they market their ill-conformed horse as a national quality thing or make it sound worlds better than it is, I just laugh. Honesty is important to me for buying a horse, but then I challenge any of you to find an ad like this: "big headed, short necked, roach backed, goose rumped mare with antisocial attitude and crooked legs. but, she's a pretty color!" now that may be everything the horse is, but you're a thousand times more likely to find an ad for the same horse like this: "gorgeous miniature arabian type mare, long legs, flashy color, dishy head, would make great show horse." In truth, those two ads are the farthest thing from each other. It's all about point of veiw, and how much of it is being uneducated vs. exageration vs. a marketer lying flat out.

If it matters, 99% of the ads i see that say "dishy head" or "arab type" are grade horses that wouldn't stand a chance in a halter ring. Either that or Pigs In Dresses as they say... not so good horses cleaned up and presented nicely. Some may mistake that for quality whereas the experienced eye will see the conformation disaster underneath the show halter, clip job, and hair gel.

One of my favorite pastimes is the sale board. Not just this one but horsetrader magazine and others too. I am not in the market for another horse at all, but I do like to keep an eye on the market, see what's selling for what....but mostly it's for a laugh. To see people's marketing strategies, and to see what some people see as quality. i get a KICK out of someone calling a horse beautiful, fabulous, amazing, fantastic, stunning, gorgeous, flashy....all in the same sentence!

The serious buyer oughtta be more interested in the horse under the pretty words, not just how flowery someone can get with their adjectives. hmmm, I'm off to the saleboards for the daily rounds of *thinks what dramatic name i can call it* ... "Adjectives, Lies, and the Internet Equivalent of Infomercials "

 

[wiccanz]

I don't mind people being "descriptive" - in fact, I often have a good old laugh when the picture and the words simply don't match...

What annoys me is people making outright false statements, e.g. when advertising their horse, their website says "unbeaten this season in limited outings". When in fact, you know it was beaten because it was your own horse that beat it!!!

But I don't let it rip my undies - I know which horse I'd rather have in my paddock!

And at the end of the day, that's all that matters.

 

[MyBarakah]

Hi!

I think in some people's minds they think thier horse truly is "Arabian Like". And in "thier" eyes..... they have something great...... and something great or "Arabian type" can mean allot of different things to different people!

I don't know if it's exactly "faulse advertisement"......

 

[Freezin Cold B]

I'm going to throw another couple question into this discussion. Do you hold a big breeder or a trainer more liable for what they say than a small breeder? If someone say's "show horse" does that automatically mean halter, or could it be a showmanship, costume or performance horse? If someone advertises a horse as "undefeated" does that mean a horse can have shown in a class where it was the only horse, or would that be unethical? If a horse is a National Champion Showmanship horse, should you advertise it as a National Champion?

What makes the "arabian" look so marketable? If someone say's "Saddlebred" type do you think it's less marketable?

 

[Brandi*]

I was browsing websites the other day and ran into one that actually made it sound like they were breeding "actual" mini arabians! I wonder if the owner of the farm knows that there is no such thing? If I didn't know better I could very easily think from reading their advertisements that there was such a thing. I think stuff like this happens in every industry though.

 

[mini1]

First, I don't think these are "gimmicks" they are attention grabbers and most people I think really believe what they are saying. If everyone looked for and bred for the same thing, we would all have the same horse. How boring is that.

Second the term "Barn Blind" applies, alot. Some people just cannot see the faults in their own horses.

This does not apply just to horses, cattle industry is the same way.

Lets face it, no one is going to advertise the following horse:

For Sale:8 yr old stallion, 33.5", cow-hocked, roman nose, overbite. He walks with a limp but makes it to the feeder every day. Good breeder, he pasture breeds 10 mares every year but we haven't got a baby yet. He has pig-eyes but seems to see o.k. He has been shown but stood dead last every time (we think the show was "fixed").

Etc..

There is an old saying, Let the buyer beware!!! There are many, many, many reputable breeders out there but as with anything there are a few who are sleazy, no-good liars and unfortunately they make things tough for everyone else.

Anyone who buys anything sight unseen and goes only by the sellers comments is not doing good business on their end either. Don't ever assume that the horse is exactly what it is advertised to be. I think you can be pretty sure they have the sex right but always, always check it out for yourself or have a trusted friend check it if you can't. If you think the horse is everything it was represented to be, BONUS!!!!!

Kelly

 

[LaraP]

Mini 1

For Sale:8 yr old stallion, 33.5", cow-hocked, roman nose, overbite. He walks with a limp but makes it to the feeder every day. Good breeder, he pasture breeds 10 mares every year but we haven't got a baby yet. He has pig-eyes but seems to see o.k. He has been shown but stood dead last every time (we think the show was "fixed").

That is just a riot. I think I would like you to write my ads..

 

[Freezin Cold B]

What about people who don't know any better? What about a person who is about to purchase their first horse? Should someone who is barn blind still be expected to give an accurate description of their horse? I know there are things you can argue but there are things you can't like knock knees, roach back, roman nose, club footed, ect... If you say "sraight legs" and its obvious the horse HAS knock knee's is that false? Thats the question.

"First, I don't think these are "gimmicks" they are attention grabbers and most people I think really believe what they are saying. If everyone looked for and bred for the same thing, we would all have the same horse. How boring is that."

Aren't we all trying to breed for the standard of perfection? If not than what ARE we breeding for? Can a mini just be a plain mini, true to our standard, and still be considered marketable? Or does it need to be an Arabian, Quarter Horse, ect...?

sorry.. I'll "try" to stop asking questions OH!

 

[mini1]

O.K. - I think you are getting WAY to analytical about this!!

Yes, a mini can be Arab type or quarter type or draft type. Don't everyone jump all over me for this but the "standard of perfection" is open to interpretation. If your horses are quarter type or draft or arab because that is what you like as a breeder then great.

Everyone buys their first horse at some point and yes some people get taken but I think that is IN PART because they don't do enough resesarch first. HOWEVER, that is part of the business of owning and breeding and if that person learns from the first horse, then they will constantly improve their program through breeding and subsequent purchases of breeding stock.

Does everyone who buys their first car ALWAYS get a gem because the salesperson was sooooooo honest and disclosed everything about that car? No, but they learn and the next vehicle will be better.

No one has a sign over their barn door stating "I am barn blind about my horses so please don't take everything I tell you seriously." You can't lable someone and spread the word not to buy from them because they can't see their horses for what they really are. This goes back to doing your research and learning and seeing the animal in question in person.

A mini does not have to be a National Champion contender to be "marketable." Any mini that does not have any major health problems (i.e.. dwarfism, physical abnormalities etc..) has a purpose. It may just be to make someone happy or give someone a reason to get up in the morning but isn't that enough.

If Snickers candy bars say "Snickers is the best tasting candy bar on earth" and you don't agree because you like Milky Way, is that false advertising?

Let me ask you this, I think you said you were in college. What are you studying? By chance are you taking a business/marketing/advertising class?

Kelly

 

[Freezin Cold B]

I'm an Anthropology/Sociology junior. I've never taken a marketing/business/advertising class.

I'm the person who designs our website, World and Journal Ads and sales lists. I'm curious to know all this as someone who does all these things. I'm also curious to know as someone who frequently searches others websites and the Sales Board. I want to know what people's opinions are, what people think is okay and what people think isn't. Why certain things sell and why others don't. What is false advertising and what is creative wording. I've always thought horse people we're the best at gimicks, sales pitches and marketing tricks. Its why a horse who never saw the show ring can bring $$$$$. Its why a poor quality horse can bring $$$$$.

It's a BIG subject, and thats why I'm trying to refrain from asking anymore questions. I think all the questions I've asked so far "tie" into each other.

BTW I like Snickers and hate Milky Way LOL but yes, IMO its false.

 

[Jill]

I'm going to throw another couple question into this discussion. Do you hold a big breeder or a trainer more liable for what they say than a small breeder? If someone say's "show horse" does that automatically mean halter, or could it be a showmanship, costume or performance horse? If someone advertises a horse as "undefeated" does that mean a horse can have shown in a class where it was the only horse, or would that be unethical? If a horse is a National Champion Showmanship horse, should you advertise it as a National Champion?

What makes the "arabian" look so marketable? If someone say's "Saddlebred" type do you think it's less marketable?

Again, the BUYER needs to shoulder some responsibility and ask the questions to clarify things that are important to them. I can see what you are questioning happening and not being unethical.

Personally, to me, the classes that carry the most weight as far as National titles are halter and driving. To someone else, it may be a performance class, or a color class, or whatever. A buyer needs to ask questions to understand what the horse acually has done if that is important to them.

As far as what makes the "arabian" look so marketable, you could also ask what makes buckskins so marketable, or what makes upright horses so attractive. It's just about what a lot of people decided they like... And there are plenty who don't.

 

[Margaret]

I think if your horse has Arabian qualities than it should not have to be mentioned in the ad..

The picture of the horse will show the evidence of it or not.

I see so many ads nowdays claim to have Arabian type horses, and they just are not.

over the years, several people have mentioned to me that the horses that I have sold have that Arabian look to them, and that's one reason why my picture ads compelled them.

But with all the false claims out there, I would feel odd saying that I am breeding Arabian type miniatures.

The Arabian look is either going to be recognised in the eye of the beholder, or not.