Difference on here when people are looking to buy and those asking for sale prices

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SplashofSoy

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Seems to me that there is always such a disparity between the prices people give out when asking "how much is this horse worth?" and "how much would i have to pay?". If you are wanting to sell its not worth much and if you are looking you have to pay the earth. Just thinking of that thread below with a budget of £2k is too little but loads of posters have asked for prices especially in NL (prices i note tend to be high in comp riders) and they rarely get above £2K if at all.

This is what i have 16.3 gelding, 12 years old, done Riding Club and unaffiliated dressage, SJ and XC/hunter trials and rarely comes home without a rosette. Basically not a world beater and not good if you always want to win but safe and a pleasure to do things with. 100% to hack and in traffic both alone and in company. Fine to clip, catch, travel (trailer or lorry, alone or with others), load. In fact really easy to handle in all ways.

If i was selling what would he be his price (please note he is not for sale - he is too fabulous)?.
If i was looking to buy a 100% bombproof hacking, low level comp horse what would i have to pay?
 
Over and above it's value for meat the value of a horse is subjective .
I rarely sell but if I do my main concern is is the horse going to do the right job for it in the right place with the right person.
When I buy I sort of know the market and of course you know what the seller is asking but then all I am interested in what is this horse worth to me I explain to the owner what I am prepared to pay and why I have put that value on the horse I don't barter I tell them what i will pay that i will arrange a quick vetting and get the horse away at once usually you can do this within 48 hours ( this is a huge carrot with sellers ) they accept my offer or they don't .
Don't hang about that's the way to get a deal try once decide quickly drive the deal forward yourself of course this easier when you are experianced if not more time is needed.
 
I have a very similar sounding horse to the op who I am planning on selling at some point in the next year and will be advertising for 3k
 
The prices on here are ridiculous sometimes.

So many people thinking they can buy a super alrounder, who is safe, flashy, around 16.2hh and has no issues for around a fiver.

I remember people telling me on here my coloured mare was worth around £2.5k- I sold her to the first viewer, without any advertising, for nearly £4.5k and had an instant waiting list!

Your boy sounds like he is worth between £3-5k depending on how flashy is he, what height he is jumping and dressage level he is competing at.
Also, whether he has/would hunt which would bump the price.
 
millitiger said:
The prices on here are ridiculous sometimes.

So many people thinking they can buy a super alrounder, who is safe, flashy, around 16.2hh and has no issues for around a fiver.

I remember people telling me on here my coloured mare was worth around £2.5k- I sold her to the first viewer, without any advertising, for nearly £4.5k and had an instant waiting list!

Your boy sounds like he is worth between £3-5k depending on how flashy is he, what height he is jumping and dressage level he is competing at.
Also, whether he has/would hunt which would bump the price.
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That first bit was what i was getting at, one breath people are saying the buyer needs to up thier budget and in the next breath that a horse for sale is worth so much less.

My horse will hopefully circumstances permitting never be sold it was more just an illustration of a point (ps he is not flashy and the having thrown everything at him and never phased him at all, the one thing that he cant do is hunt, tried and failed - you know its bad when the master says "well sat and offers to buy you a drink after!).
 
I think the prices vary a lot depending on where you are in the country, and how long the seller is prepared to hang on to the horse. Supply and demand!

Some sellers are happy to drop the price rather than pay x months livery costs while holding out for a buyer who is willing to pay more. Some buyers find a horse they really really want and go to great lengths to get it, others are more flexible and willing to put in offers, travel quite far and will move on to the next if they don't get the price they like. Everyone's circumstances are different.

I think a horse can easily have two prices - one at which you'd be fairly confident it would sell immediately, and another 'ideal price' which you think the horse is worth but it may be more of a wait to find that one buyer who is looking for just this horse. A fashionable breed (PRE vs TB), colour (palomino vs chestnut) etc etc will help the horse stand out from the crowd.
 
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Agree with millitiger and _CJ_ that the values put on horses are often incredibly low. However, as has been said a horse is always only worth what someone will pay and if someone will only pay or only has a smaller amount they may be successful in achieving something they consider acceptable at that price.

The key I think when puchasing is to get as much information, pictures and videos before viewing and that way you are clearer about the quality of the horse you are about to view and how closely it matches the vendor's description in your opinion. I do sell horses we have to produce with some regularity and I don't experience people making offers as I provide lots of information of that type and make it clear from the outset that I don't negotiate. Information and communication is the crucial element and any serious vendor who wants their horse to go to the right home should be happy to provide that, whether private or in the buiness of selling.
 
I think part of the problem is that the "what do I need to pay for this sort of horse" threads usually describe idealistic 'perfect' horses and the sort that everyone is looking for. However, when a 'real' horse is described here on the forum, and a price guide sought, it is rare for the horse to be 'perfect' - there is normally some sort of glitch or quirk (sarcoid, old tendon injury, bit dodgy in traffic, not easy to load) that reduces the price from that listed for the 'perfect' horse.
 
As a private seller, valuing your horse is really difficult, because we love them and have probably forgotten about their faults.

My daughter has a perfect horse - he is in the PC teams events upto BE100 (competed at Novice previously), has qualified for PC SJ and dressage area finals. And you can put a beginner on him to hack out, jump etc. Totally safe. But I do know he's not worth much really, though the thought of having to part with enough cash for something similar fills me with horror.
The point of this is: I'm used to him and don't mind having to have a (useless) companion in his field, or that he snaps at me when stabled, or is very grumpy when groomed or clipped and he's 16. Others might.

Friends have a nice alrounder - nothing special. Put it up for sale at £4500 and I was staggered when the first person to ring was happy to have it at that price, but they pulled out. The horse was advertised everywhere, good advert, the price kept dropping and they still have it more than 2 years later. They don't want to drop below £3000 because someone will get a bargain, but in the mean time they are paying out on it all the time.

I think the selling price often depends on individual circumstances - do you have to sell the horse or would you like to sell.
 
TGM said:
I think part of the problem is that the "what do I need to pay for this sort of horse" threads usually describe idealistic 'perfect' horses and the sort that everyone is looking for. However, when a 'real' horse is described here on the forum, and a price guide sought, it is rare for the horse to be 'perfect' - there is normally some sort of glitch or quirk (sarcoid, old tendon injury, bit dodgy in traffic, not easy to load) that reduces the price from that listed for the 'perfect' horse.
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This, definitely :) I could go out tomorrow and spend a few hundred pounds and buy something to make into my 'perfect' horse, but I have the time, experience and back up to help :)

Most would be buyers on here seem to want the 'perfect' horse, and want it now.

I think people undervalue true schoolmasters, and think that for a first horse, you are better off buying something with a track record (and therefore quite possibly more £££) but for your average, low level competition horse, with a quirk or two, it is a buyers market.
 
I'm not very good at pricing but for the riding club market if he is safe then people are willing to pay for a reliable horse, I think you would easily get 5k, maybe more depending on his ability. I could be underestimating though!
 
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