Videos are a great way to showcase your horse and his talents. A video will show all emotions, expressions, and is a highly effective sales tool when done the correct way.

I can’t tell you how many times I have received such poor video tapes of a horse, where the people making the video give a terrible portrayal of the horse, even though the horse himself may have some talent.

The best place to take your video for a show horse, is AT THE SHOW. I find that the excitement, the music, the announcer, and color of the show ring add to your video immensely. Pick a part of the arena that gives you an unobstructed view of the horses. The best place is usually on the “50 yard line” and up high in the bleachers where you don’t obstruct anyone’s view. Video tape the whole class, if possible. A good entrance is always impressive. Getting a good ribbon at the end is also impressive. Showing off the horse’s leg move is paramount and is best done against a solid arena wall.

Center the horse and rider in the middle of your video screen at all times. Avoid shooting through any rails…find a higher point from which you can take your video so that the rails don’t interfere with seeing the horse and rider. Follow the horse and rider and when the horse approaches, using your zoom feature, pull back a little so the horse is still fitting on the video camera screen. Then, as the horse moves away from where you are, zoom in to keep the horse about the same size and in the middle of your camera screen. A nice close up head shot of the horse in line up is also beneficial.

Making a video at home has the same criteria as at a show ring. Try to video the horse going down some type of straight line (on a road, down a fence line, etc.) with an unobstructed view. There’s nothing worse than seeing a horse going through trees, swerving to avoid obstacles, etc. Avoid excessive talking and yelling at your rider…have a plan…don’t just get out there and ride around and ad lib during the video. It’s too disruptive to the viewer and the horse.

For a non-riding video, yearlings and weanlings for example, it’s difficult to get good footage. Try to get them to walk (not run) in a relaxed, purposeful manner. Don’t video a colt ambling along nibbling at grass etc. A running colt is not necessarily very good either….it’s too hard to keep them in the frame and usually people are more interested in their walking and middle gaits. Keep your videos as professional as you can. If your video does not turn out well, wait for another day. It’s worth the wait when you can have a great video in your library to send to prospective buyers.

Another suggestion may be to produce a MASTER video to send out to prospective buyers. This could encompass videos of your farm, training barn, and videos of each horse. It’s best done in sections….barn and property, breeding stud(s), broodmares, 2 year olds, yearlings, show horses, flat shod, built-up, etc. It would be good to have a short narration for each horse or subject, telling the name, age, breeding etc. Music is nice if you have the capability. Then, not only are you sending a video tape on a particular horse, but that same prospective buyer may see something ELSE he or she is interested in.

Hopefully, these suggestions will help you produce a great video library of your stock and increase sales. Ready? Lights! Camera! Action!

-------
Successful Walking Horse trainer, Jan Anderson of Magnolia Farms has shown one World Grand Champion and several World Champions and Reserve World Champions in recent years. She provides video editing services on her website at
http://www.magnoliafarmstwh.com/VideoService.htm