10/7/2016 by Thoroughbred Catalog
Over the course of the past six-to-eight months, it has occurred to me that not every consignor or seller wants pictures or videos of their horses posted where the buying public can see them, while other consignors post as many photos and videos of their consignments as their time and resources allow.
I have noticed that several major farms in Kentucky seem to have a policy of not allowing the photographing or posting of any pictures of yearlings or weanlings on their farms prior to their arrival at the sale grounds, though I haven't been able to officially confirm this policy. If this is truly the case, buyers should be highly suspicious of what is being marketed to them by the consignors.
You, the buyer, have a say in the process. You can demand that the seller be more transparent about what they're selling to you, or you can decline to do business with the seller.
Thoroughbred sales are now a global industry, with buyers targeting sales in all reaches of the globe, and the buyers themselves can be located anywhere. Travel doesn't always allow the buyers to inspect the horses in person.
Leading consignors like Taylor Made Sales have leveraged the online virtual inspection catalog for quite some time, and it seems to have served them well. Why aren't any other large consignors doing this as well? We may never find out why, but I suspect the answer lies in doing things the way their fathers and grandfathers did them, with a deeply-rooted resistance to change.
Please encourage consignors to embrace modern technology in promoting their consignments!
