Anyone else priced out?

[Merrymoles]

Yep priced out after spending all my savings on vet bills for the horse I lost in November.

I keep trawling all the charities but they only have ponies, despite saying that they are being inundated with rehoming requests from people in financial difficulties.

I am too old to want anything very young or with serious quirks so my budget would seem to have to be £8k minimum. Even then, there is hardly anything for sale in my area.

 

[ester]

I don’t really see how I would manage to buy or keep one for the foreseeable without a whopping pay increase/cash injection.

 

[SO1]

New forest pony sales are at the end of June you might be able to get something suitable there for that price. I think it may be online again this time and you can sometimes arrange viewings with vendors before the sales. Not sure how it would work if you wanted to do a vetting.

https://www.scauctioneers.com/Sales/Sale-Types-and-Locations/Beaulieu-Road-Pony-Sales

 

[webble]

When Indy was PTS last year and I was poor from vets bills I ended up with Kiki and he was v low four figures. He wasn't what I was looking for and he can be a bit quirky but we are out and about doing fun rides, lessons etc they do seem to be a very undervalued breed

 

[I'm Dun]

I was looking the other day and was surprised how many cheap projects there were all of a sudden. They are very rough and ready, but if you have a decent eye there's definitely bargains to be had, especially if you are looking at ponies.

I went the ex racer route and he was still 3.5k. Pre covid he'd have been 1.5k give or take!

 

[scats]

I’m totally priced out of the market now. Got to prioritise house buying over paying huge amounts for very ordinary horses.
I’d breed from my girls but I’ve decided I don’t want to risk them.
Think I will embrace a non-horsey lifestyle after these two!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Racehorses are funny ones. Some yards still sell them cheap. Some price them to market. Some over price them. Some still loan them.

We sold a lovely 4yo the other day for 4k. He had been with us 10 months and in those 10 months he was broken, galloped away, hurdles and raced 3x. He was just useless at the job he had been given. He was 16/16.1hh but had plenty of growing to do so by the time he matures he will be a nice, solid 16.2hh type. He had no injuries, was a nice all round chap with no vices. So in reality what you were getting was a 4yo that had been broken and ridden away, seen a jump but had no proper flat work or show jump work put into him. Probably could/should have sold him for more.

I could have brought one of "mine" home from work last work for nothing. But he wouldn't have done the job I wanted him to do and so I sadly said no. He has gone to an amazing hunting home which will suit him down to the ground and I am allowed to visit him whenever I want and possibly have a days hunting on him. He was sold for 2k and he could easily have sold for 8k but the home was far, far more important.

 

[L&M]

Yes - although I am lucky enough to have a reasonable amount of savings there is no way I could justify blowing them on a horse.

My current lad cost me £2400 as a 4yr old, and probably worth around £10,000 in the current market......I couldn't sleep at night if I spend that much on what is in essence a hobby, especially with the current economic situation.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

Yes, we are. Gave up on the search for son. Managed to get a smaller height project for under 2.5k which seems rare now! My mare has eaten into our pot too with her monthly vet bills.

 

[GreyDot]

I went the youngstock route and bought a 10 month old at the start of lockdown. He's coming on 2 and a half now and although I am obviousy not doing anyting with him, he has cracking paces in the field and a star personality as far as habdling is concerned. The patient route is the way to go - I could never have bought such quality at an older age and at least I know he won't be spoilt or mishandled and will grow up well.

 

[mariew]

Yup. Also I think running costs are worth keeping an eye on over the winter, I reckon it will be much more expensive to feed hay, not just buy one.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I'm another who definitely couldn't afford to buy now
I do think that there will be a whole different story in 12 months when the rising costs etc really start to hit home.
I have 2 on local grass livery and absolutely bricking it as to how I will be able to keep both long term with the way things are going.

 

[Red-1]

I guess I was lucky as I sold my sporty horse during lockdown so there was an uplift in price on her sale.

I bought... Rigsby, who was not expensive at all due to his numerous issues. He worked out great though, did what I wanted him to do and is a huge character, plus his issues have reduced or disappeared. I couldn't have known it at the time, but Rigs was a bargain!

Then, last year, I wanted another more youthful riding horse, sane with the potential to event. I started with a 12-15K budget but there was nothing. Upped it to 15-20K and still couldn't even get to view much at all. Plus, it was scary to be risking 20K!!!

So, I took the plunge and bought, off video, a 4yo from Ireland. He was well under 10K and is doing really well.

I bought both current horses, including vetting and transport, for less than I sold the sporty one for. The sporty one was in competition work already though, and evented with her new owners after just 6 weeks, so she was a bargain for them too. Put it this way, there was an uplift in price, but I think I could have charged more and got it. She had a waiting list for viewing and sold on 2nd view after the advert.

 

[MissTyc]

There are more and more reasonably priced ones on Dragon Driving if you know what you're doing (not a site for novice buyers lol), suggesting the market is slowing down.
Over there the ones with 4 legs start at about £2-3,000 and you can probably get a sound one for under £5,000

 

[SO1]

There is a 13.2 for 4.5K 5 yr old NF on Facebook new forest ponies UK Facebook group, looks nice.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/391168074265316/permalink/4995440717171339/

Abit big for me. I'm only 5ft2 so prefer to aim for ponies!

 

[Btomkins]

Have you got the time to get a youngster and back it? Some great diamonds in the rough about although you have to be quick and take a gamble. I’ve picked up 3 over the last year from either DD or Preloved for cheap (the luso x was a bit more than the other two). I’m happy to take a gamble on them and for it to not work out long term, but I’m much happier doing this with blank canvas youngsters with no instilled issues. A real mix but three lovely babies that I’m enjoying watching grow up


Belgian draft to make 17.3ish


Lusitano x Welsh/Arab to make 15.3

Little cob to make 13.2

 

[I'm Dun]

Are we allowed to go shopping for you? I had a nosey on DD yesterday and saw lots that would be nice little projects for a shorter rider.

 

[Goldie's mum]

Seems to be a mismatch between what's available & what's wanted , (round here at least).
Plenty of smallish youngsters for sale if you don't mind unseen from Ireland.
All the wanted ads are looking for "15hh+, hacks alone in traffic, suitable for novice".

 

[dorsetladette]

I've bought babies. I've a 2yr old and a yearling now. I am getting impatient to start something, but I'm getting over that by showing the 2yr old.

Have a look at Georgie Jenkins on FB, she has quite a few in on sales livery at the moment. What she's selling have dropped in price over the last few weeks also so I think sales are starting to slow.

 

[Apercrumbie]

I certainly couldn't afford to buy what I would need now. I'm not a good enough rider to reschool an ex-racehorse (and I would need a tough one anyway because I like mine out 24/7 outside of emergencies) and frankly everyone wants a safe, straightforward average-sized horse that is good to hack but could do a dressage test/low level eventing if you want. The price for that kind of horse would just be too high for me now sadly.

 

[chaps89]

Completely priced out.
I’ve never spent more than £1400 on one before. They were projects but sane sound ones.
I couldn’t imagine spending upwards of £3k on the same type now. And I’d probably be lucky to spend ‘just’ £3k now.
Admittedly I last bought one back in 2014, though it’s obviously much more recent that prices have changed.
I have screenshots of adverts I’ve taken over the years and prices were pretty consistent right up to 2020 tbh.

 

[Goldenstar]

how about something like this?

So I feel a project coming on and am in the early stages of thinking of looking .
It will be a TB or another ID .
This chestnut would worth research he’s a little small me ( he looks bigger than 16 HH)but he’s a nice type and he’s in his racing yard which to me is a big plus , they don’t want their horses in the wrong place .
If he where in Yorkshire not Somerset I would follow this one up .
He’s eight which is a good age for the vetting it’s enough time for stuff to be going wrong .
For 8k or under I will find a beautifully put together TB the budget for the ID will be more than double that .
It’s disposable income you need for a TB you need to factor in that I have found they they do take a bit more keeping on the road than my other horses .
Having said that I have one now he’s 18 still hacking with a friend and second last one worked into his twenties .
I have had one that I lost to unsoundness young and that’s the one that had not been in training and I bought young .

 

[Jellymoon]

I think there will be more and more ‘projects’ coming up for sale as people’s rushed covid purchases start to seem not such a great idea after all. Might not even be a project as such, could actually be quite an easy horse that’s been bought by someone inexperienced on a whim, and become somewhat difficult.

i found one a few months ago, 13.2 section B 10 yr old ended up on sales livery, story was that it had been bought by inexperienced mum for beginner daughter as something to do during lock down, but the pony had proved too much for them. Sales livery said it hadn’t out a foot wrong with them, and I chose to take a punt on it. Hasn’t put a foot wrong here either. He was very reasonably priced and is a quality pony, passed a 5 stage vetting etc. I wouldn’t actually describe him as a project at all, he just needed a normal horsey home, and a kid that wasn’t a total beginner.

Be nice to see more of this happening, I do feel for the poor horses, so keep looking guys!

 

[planete]

I was certainly priced out of the market for the pony I should have bought which would have been a patent safety experienced hack able to school nicely. I could afford my 13.2 project so it was him or nothing. The fact that he is as tough as old boots and lives on fresh air out 24/7 is an added bonus. I cannot take too many risks any longer so our progress has been slow but it is keeping me amused and in the lifestyle I am determined not to give up for as long as possible. He has been the most expensive, the smallest and the most cantankerous one of all the horses I have owned before but we are getting there.

 

[dorsetladette]

I feel our 'luxury' hobby will become a stretch to far for many people in the not to distant future.
I'm down sizing our hens over the summer as the cost of a bag of corn has gone from £6.80 to £13.20 since this time last year. With feed prices alone increasing that much keeping horses is just not going to be affordable for the majority.

 

[gallopingby]

These ‘affordable’ posts keep cropping up almost as if it’s people right to own a horse / pony. There will always be projects about - there always were and this is how many of the now ‘old school’ learnt to ride. Times were different, smart livery yards few and far between abd often the way to keep one was to own or rent a field. Petrol and cars were also cheaper, people had bicycles and didn’t mind getting wet and muddy. Please think of the people who have been attempting to breed over many years, lots of them have had to give up as it’s no longer viable. IF you are prepared to put in the work you may still find a project or youngster but if you’re looking for the safe, sound abd sensible well schooled version then you’re going to have to pay the going rate, easily as much as a new mid range car and maybe more if you want to ‘hit the ground running’ ? maybe that’s not quite the correct terminology but easier to make a comparison.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Assume you’re keeping an eye out on nfed? Although my jaw did drop at someone asking £8,500 for a 12.3 bog standard pony the other day! Wondered if they had added an extra 0 by mistake.

Unlikely...I saw one first ridden pony last month for £12500 including tack, £10,000 without ? the advert said "don't even bother contacting me if you want to pay less" ??

 

[Wishfilly]

Everybody's costs are going up, and that includes breeders and dealers. They won't drop their prices until they absolutely have to.

I do think more horses are coming onto the market than this time last year, but prices haven't really fallen yet- and people will only sell on cheap if they are really desperate- a slow squeeze on prices is different to a sudden job loss, for example. Equally, lots of people can make the move from full to part, part to DIY etc, or cut some costs, before they have to think of selling.

I also still see wanted ads on facebook, especially for kids ponies- something 14hh that's safe/sane/sensible will get snapped up quickly.

It sucks to feel priced out of horses, but it's probably a good thing for the horses that they're at least somewhat holding their value still!

 

[spotty_pony]

I am currently. Not looking yet, but my boy is 23 and I’d like another one in the next couple of years. Have considered buying a foal/yearling so I can buy something with quality that I can afford!

 

[The Irish Draft 2022]

Yeah I would be priced out if I was looking. I was lucky enough to have bought a 9 year old in 2018 before it got crazy with prices. This horse will be my last horse I will ever own because of the cost of living and horse prices skyrocketing. Once prices go up they don’t come down unless a recession hits.