Cost of Connies

pistolpete

pistolpete

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Im so lucky one of my share horses is a smashing 15.2 over height Connie. Love riding him. Hes great fun and still very fit even though he’s 22.
There’s a five year old for sale on my friends yard and I casually asked the price. Couldn’t buy him if I wanted to but was gob smacked how expensive they are. He’s done about what you’d expect of a five year old. Maybe a bit too much jumping for my liking but he’s a nicely put together little chap about 15 hands
£14250! I’m guessing this is going price? Glad I’m not in the market for one.
 
My ‘heart horse’ was a 15hh Connie. We bought him when he was 8 and had him until he was 21, when he was taken by an acute attack of lami - his first ever. Up until then he was still hunting and loved his work.

He was relatively expensive at the time (£4500 in 2006) but I wouldn’t have parted with him for any amount of money, he was so amazing.
Having said that, these fantastic horses are certainly very expensive and I couldn’t afford another one like Finn - plus, there’s no guarantee that another over-height Connie would be as good.
 
pistolpete said:
Im so lucky one of my share horses is a smashing 15.2 over height Connie. Love riding him. Hes great fun and still very fit even though he’s 22.
There’s a five year old for sale on my friends yard and I casually asked the price. Couldn’t buy him if I wanted to but was gob smacked how expensive they are. He’s done about what you’d expect of a five year old. Maybe a bit too much jumping for my liking but he’s a nicely put together little chap about 15 hands
£14250! I’m guessing this is going price? Glad I’m not in the market for one.
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No that’s too much, you’d be looking at paying that for one with a bit of a competition record but not for a green horse!
 
Yeah it’s Connie just now then it will Move on to another breed. Warm bloods were the thing for a while, then ISHs, then cobs, now it’s Connie’s. Some lovely ones about and doing enough to deserve that price tag but some are just gouging with barely 5yr olds that have done little to nothing but are on the bigger side so more what people are looking for height wise. It’s quite ridiculous. Just the horse world really 😅
 
I think there seems to be a lot of people who import them to resell in the UK, not considering the quality of the pony, mostly chasing height and then expecting to sell for the overinflated prices. When I was looking in the last couple of years, there was very few quality Connies available.

There are lots worth the money, but they are the high quality, well bred, well conformed ponies. My imported boy was for my own enjoyment and I dread to think how much he would cost to buy having put the work into him now that he looks fantastic, having invested a lot of time into pre-purchase research on breeding and offspring success before deciding on what to purchase.
 
They are expensive but that is a bit steep. If it is really well put together and a lovely temperament, with solid basics I would be thinking about 10-11K. More if it is dun!
I have just sold a 15 hand 10 year old dun, competing elementary and jumping 90cm--1m tracks. Lovely comformation, temperament . He went for substantially more than your example. He was 7k as a 3 year old, so a few years ago, when I bought him to bring on.

To put it in context nice quality unbroken 3 year old ponies were mainly selling for between 4k and 9k at Clifden pony sales in Ireland last week. 4 year olds already broken were mainly between 8k and 13k.
 
Never mind the over height ones, I'd like a tiddler, 12.2hh to break to drive and for my grand daughter in a few years. But they are now like hen's teeth and the Irish hang on to them.
 
There's one on m yard.
14.2 7yr old mare, beautiful pony but packs up in the arena.
TBF she was bought as a first pony for a novice kid who isn't a great rider.
Pony is sour and stops at 80cm fences at shows, BUT will jump a single 130 fence in arena at home so owner reckons she's worth 15K.

Their delusional, but I just give my opinion when asked, needless to say they didn't ask again. 🤷‍♀️ 🤣
 
Widgeon said:
I hope you actually used the word "delusional", because I'm enjoying imagining that exchange.
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I didn't want to totally make them hate me but I did say she was probably only worth 7/8k because shes pretty and safe, but because she will randomly just pack up in the arena, even on the flat, no one is gonna pay 15k for her.
I think when I said that they got the backs up as they paid 8k for her as a 4yr old. 🤷‍♀️ 🤷‍♀️
 
You compare Connie’s and warmbloods
The best warmbloods are the best competition horses on the planet they can be worth millions and millions or they can be useless or they be great lowlevel alrounders and all point in between.
Connie’s are well represented at the very high levels of children’s sports and they are also often very easy allrounders.
Good Connie’s have always been sought after in the past for small ladies to hunt .
I do think that as the demand for children’s performance ponies has grown the temperatures of the Connie’s has changed you always saw tricky ones but I think there’s more about now .
 
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A good kind Connie will always fetch good money because older small ladies can ride them.

To bring another line of discussion the biggest percentage of horses are doing all rounder jobs .
Horses that are easy hack go out on the road alone, do a bit everything well are valuable if they are pretty and sound or even better a Bonnie colour ,they are rare , the best all rounders should and do fetch good money.
The more able you are to deal with the quirks and training issues horses have the easier it is to ferret out a bargain .
 
IrishMilo said:
Connies have always been popular, fashionable and the more expensive M&M. I've tried multiple times but don't gel with them. I have always found them stubborn and stuffy compared to Welshes and prone to issues like PSD and arthritis.
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Ditto.
Being Irish people expect your favorite breed to be Connie, I don't like them at all. Stubborn, pig headed and no real length of stride. Unless their oversized :D
 
Goldenstar said:
A good kind Connie will always fetch good money because older small ladies can ride them.

To bring another line of discussion the biggest percentage of horses are doing all rounder jobs .
Horses that are easy hack go out on the road alone, do a bit everything well are valuable if they are pretty and sound or even better a Bonnie colour ,they are rare , the best all rounders should and do fetch good money.
The more able you are to deal with the quirks and training issues horses have the easier it is to ferret out a bargain .
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Funny you say that about the all round horses,
My own mare has been advertised for well over a two months(have removed her now as no interest) and she does as you say hacks alone, events, showjumps, fun rides, pony clubs, beach rides, bareback you name it she does it and I had 1 couple (in their 60s) view in all the space of time.

I have decided to keep as shes a very versatile horse, and very pretty so will just enjoy her and maybe take her to the RDS next year for some showing classes.
 
I love Connie’s and New Forest’s and have owned or loaned both over the years. When I lost my loan Connie, I soon realised couldn’t afford anything like him so decided to look for a New Forest instead. I am not far from the New Forest so they are def easier to source 🤣. I found a lovely, oversized New Forest. He’s super - does everything, is polite, easy to be around, lovely to ride. Best of all? Everyone comments on my lovely “Connie”….. 🫣 🤣🤣🤣

FWIW: all natives can be stubborn….🤣
 
mustardsmum said:
I love Connie’s and New Forest’s and have owned or loaned both over the years. When I lost my loan Connie, I soon realised couldn’t afford anything like him so decided to look for a New Forest instead. I am not far from the New Forest so they are def easier to source 🤣. I found a lovely, oversized New Forest. He’s super - does everything, is polite, easy to be around, lovely to ride. Best of all? Everyone comments on my lovely “Connie”….. 🫣 🤣🤣🤣

FWIW: all natives can be stubborn….🤣
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I think what we perceive as stubborn is their really strong survival instinct and a desire to keep themselves safe. Can be very helpful at times!
 
mustardsmum said:
FWIW: all natives can be stubborn….🤣
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Agreed. I think it depends on whether you get on with ponies in general - I'm used to stubborn, I would take that over sensitive and sharp any time, even if it does mean that sometimes it takes twenty minutes to get a young horse through a puddle!

TBs: This is a horse eating puddle! (flees at speed, possibly sideways)
Natives: This might be a horse eating puddle. I refuse to move my feet any closer to it. (spends half an hour goggling at it before forcing their human to get off and wade through to demonstrate safety)
 
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What a person perceives as "stubborn" will vary from person to person as well as horse to horse. And might have very little to do with what the horse is actually "being" 🤷‍♀️

Someone I know is currently yapping about how stubborn and "dominant" her horse (not a pony) is being. When I look at them I see a creature so insecure from inconsistent treatment she doesn't know up from down. People call my pony stubborn because her spook reaction is to freeze and plant rather than go sideways at speed. I think "stubborn" implies the horse is making a choice to behave that way when that usually isn't the case. Language thoughts!
 
smolmaus said:
What a person perceives as "stubborn" will vary from person to person as well as horse to horse. And might have very little to do with what the horse is actually "being" 🤷‍♀️

Someone I know is currently yapping about how stubborn and "dominant" her horse (not a pony) is being. When I look at them I see a creature so insecure from inconsistent treatment she doesn't know up from down. People call my pony stubborn because her spook reaction is to freeze and plant rather than go sideways at speed. I think "stubborn" implies the horse is making a choice to behave that way when that usually isn't the case. Language thoughts!
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Totally agree. Think those horses are the most misunderstood. A freeze takes a lot of emotional energy. It’s sympathetic nervous system in overdrive.
 
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