You're asking WHAT?

I recently started watching a new show on TV called “It’s worth WHAT?” On the show contestants have to guess how much or how little an item is worth. As I was getting in my weekly fix of horse ads on Craigslist (yes, it’s addiction) I stumbled across the following ad:

Tri-color Tennessee walker for sale 3 year old gelding semi-green broke. Very quite under saddle so far. Walks and trots nicely but is young and needs work. I have had him started but don't have the time he needs because of my work schedule. This guy has enormous potential. He has a puppydog like disposition and loves people .he is smart and willing to learn but still has a short attention span since he is so young. Asking 4000.00 OBO

I am not familiar with TWH’s. Maybe they are worth more than your average quarter horse. I do know how to read between the not so subtly disguised lines, however. For me, this ad reads as follows:

Tri-color (ooo! He’s three different colors? Now that explains why you’re asking so much) Tennessee walker for sale (notice there is no mention of papers or registration) 3 year old gelding semi-green broke. (Hold the phone. $4k for a semi-green broke three year old? Hmmm… well, he IS three different colors… I will continue to read on.) Very quite under saddle so far. Walks and trots nicely (aren’t TWH supposed to be gaited?) but is young and needs work (AKA he has basically zero under saddle training). I have had him started but don’t have the time he needs because of my work schedule (I thought it was a good idea at the time to buy an unbroke horse, but now I am in waaay over my head and have no idea what to do with him). This guy has enormous potential. He has a puppydog like disposition (just what I want, a 1200lb puppy) and loves people .he is smart (I know this because he has cleverly avoided all attempts at training him) and willing to learn but still has a short attention span since he is still young.

If these people get $4,000 for this horse I will eat my hat. I don't know, maybe there is a raging market out there for young, unbroke, possibly unregistered TWH. Maybe if these people put a little more training into him, cut their price is half, and took some half decent conformation photos they would sell this guy with the fancy braids in his mane sooner rather than later. At the very least they're trying to be honest. I hope this guy ends up with someone who knows how to train him the way he should be trained.