Day in the Life Interview with Peter de Boer

 

This is our “Day in The Life” segment with Peter de Boer of Virtual Zone Horses! Read about Peter and his business below!
Name: Peter de Boer
Businesses Location : Reusel, Netherlands
Bio of you and your horse businesses (tell us about yourself):
I’ve been riding sins is could walk, been full time in the equine industry sins my 16 years old. 16 years ago I met my partner Jan-Bas de Jonge and we run Virtual Zone Horses now 15 years together. We can home maximum 24 horses at our barn. We do everything with the 2 of us. I do train the horses and help with mucking out 1 day a week, deal with clients, our website and everything in the internet while Bas does all maintenance, administration and the main care for the horses (and me ). I have been competing International, Grand Prix, but that’s not really my favorite part of the horses. Breeding but maybe even more that matching horses on the right rider is my thing! We hade horses that competed at national as international championships, European championships, World Equestrian Games and even Olympic games. But to match a horse for a Grand Prix rider or a amateur 3 rd level rider does not make a difference to me. When I get a message, he or she is the love of my life, my once in a lifetime, that’s where I get my kick from! I also do have a thing for proving people wrong… So horses I believe in but no one else does at first. Luckily up to now I’ve always been right. I love to give a horse the chance to prove themselves. We do focus on the higher end of the dressage horses. We always have several high quality 2 till 4 years old horses. And we try to have some older higher trained horses as well. But as its difficult to find horses matches my standards…. I cannot sell I don’t like so that’s a bit a difficult thing for me as I don’t like horses that are strong in the hand, lazy on the leg, stiff in the body, … So that means only a very few remain…
How many horses do you sell a year?
I don’t really know… I have a quick look at my HD and found 1200 maps of horses and there photo’s so…
What do you think the most importing thing is in advertising horses?
I think everything is as important… Good photos and video to start with, clear details of the horse and a honest story. And the positive sides are just as important as the less positive sides! When I’m looking for a sensitive horse, it’s a waist of everyone’s time to go a see a not sensitive horse. We sell 90% unseen and to do that the most important is clients get what they expect! Otherwise you cant keep doing this for so long! Honesty is a guideline for me, I even have the Japanese sing from honesty tattooed on my back. People looking for the perfect horse I wont sell a horse as I cant deliver a perfect horse. Simple as that! But for one a sensitive horse is a must, for the other one a no go. Just be up front about it, its not a problem! And you can better not sell a horses then that you must take a horse back or end up in court. I did take in 16 years’ time once a horse back, not because I had to but because I felt so sorry for the horse. We’ve never been to court. And we can sell horses unseen simply because clients trust us and we have a very good reputation for it. Might not be the easy way at the beginning but… So be clear in how a horse really is and be a bit natural. For a unexperienced rider a horse can be wild, while this same horse can be near death to a experienced rider used to very sensitive horses. So as privet seller you can tell how your perspective of the horse is, but then always add your own personality in there as well. If you have a spooky horses but you’re a 2nd level quiet insecure or scared rider yourself makes a big difference to when a international evening rider say a horse is spooky! That way you make it easier for buyers to get a idea how this horse will suit them, it does save you tons of people coming to look and you directly get the buyers that have a much higher chance to be a match with the horse your selling.

 

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