For the 20th (30th? 40th?) time, I see the same post on my feed.16h perfect horse for sale!! Shes great in every way, why wont some one buy her? NO TIRE KICKERSThis is paraphrased on purpose, Im keeping it vague.I havent sold many horses, so Im looking at this from the lens of a purchaser, which I have been many times in my life. To me, as the purchaser, this says, Dont come look at my horse unless you plan 100% to buy it no matter what. Or even, a bit more sinister, This horse is perfect, it is, so dont you dare question me. Buy my horse now.This person has posted enough comments to her own posts that I have seen her thoughts on the horse buying process. She is outraged that people wont just buy her horse, because in her mind, the horse is perfect. Shes angry that people are wasting her time coming to look at the horse, but not handing over the money. She thinks very little of these people. She literally said that they are too picky, and making up issues with the horse.Most of us have heard the term tire kickers before. It originated from car buying, but the principle is the same. Its someone who comes out to look at the mode of transportation for sale, examines it, maybe takes a test ride, and then disappears into the mist, never to be seen again. They were the main character, and the seller just another NPC The main character has no appreciation of the amount of effort that went into this visit. They just enjoyed this side quest, and went back to their main quest.But Im going to let you in on a secret that some sellers apparently dont know this is what selling is. The horse is not presold just from the initial contact. The buyer has to be sure that this is exactly what they are looking for, and its the sellers job to show them that. Or, if they have a conscious, to also show them that a horse isnt the right fit. Or that the horse is worth a chance. And despite this effort, sometimes, to the apart shock of some sellers, people do decide they dont like what youre selling.Horse buying is deeply personal for most people. The typical amateur horse owner does not have a lush farm, able to support an infinite amount of horses. They have one, maybe two horses that they board, while they work full time jobs, and carefully manage their time so they can ride. This means they can be picky, because they want their singular horse to be a perfect fit for their needs. They cant afford to pay for something that doesnt suit their needs. So even if a horse seems perfect on paper, if they show up and something doesnt fit their expectations, they arent going to want to get the horse.I believe that most people arent trying to intentionally waste peoples time. Of course it does happen, theres going to be situations where its a recipe for the non-serious buyer. Theres going to be kids who are overly excited about a horse, and maybe dont know how to deal with adults and theres a good reason for that, they are literally children. Theres going to be the person who wants to visit the horse, and then wants to get their trainer out later. Theres going to be the person who actually isnt quite sure they are allowed to get a horse, as their spouse isnt on board, but is hopefully if its a really cool one they can convince them of it.But theres a solution to all of this- have a thorough conversation with people before you allow them to come look at your horse. Ask questions like:Are you under 18? I can only make contracts with adults, so have your parent or trainer call me.Are you working with a trainer? Do you need their approval before purchasing? What would your trainer need to know? Can I speak with your trainer?Is this your first horse? Where are you going to keep it? Who are you going to train with? Is everyone on board with you getting a horse? (I think this one might get a bit iffy, as I sure wouldnt want to be prying into a strangers personal life, but I think people can get a sense the level of horse experience a person has before they come out.A full conversation with someone before they come out could eliminate a lot of non-serious buyers. Just like with job interviews, you want to make sure its a perfect fit on both sides. You are interviewing them, while they are interviewing the horse, although the horse cant speak, so they are interviewing you by proxy.Lets say you already do that, and your still someone plagued with people coming out to look, yet not purchasing. At this point, I doubt they are tire kickers. What they really are is disappointed with the horse. Whatever youre saying to advertise the horse, its not measuring up to what they are expecting. Reevaluate what youre saying is the horse really like that, or were some creative liberties given?Maybe the price is an issue. They might have been willing to pay $XX,XXX for the perfect horse, but they dont think this one is the perfect horse. When high cost is involved, they arent going to just settle.Now, this was just thoughts from someone who doesnt sell horses. I personally wouldnt want to be in that business, it does seem annoying. But having people come out and look at the horse you have for sale and not purchasing it for whatever reason seems really really normal.Do tire kickers exist? Of course. But I would guess that a lot of these tire kickers are really thoughtful, careful people who want to be certain of an extremely expensive purchase and commitment.And its probably best not to rant about them online. They also might not want a horse enough to deal with a rude person.The post In Defense of Tire Kickers appeared first on An Equestrian Life.