Help please... Pricing a horse... COB - SJ -affiliation prospect

Queenbee

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Hi there, I'm a little out of my depth here... A friend has an awesome MW cob for sale, she has asked me to help write the advert... Fine, can do. However, I have a feeling that price wise - she could be asking a lot more than she is.

Basic info-
5 year old MW cob mare - 14.2/3

Nicely put together... Been placed in top three in her showing classes including first... Novice ridden, cob, workers etc

Working nicely in 3 paces - still room for improvement

Would do well showing but she has an amazing talent for jumping. Bold and careful xc, jumps anything - anything you ask of her.

Been sj this season... Hardly had a pole down... Always in rosettes. Qualified for cricklands this weekend in the 80/90 class of 20 + entries, fast against clock and jumps carefully and consistently. Jumped 1.30 at home the other day with ease... Would affiliate tomorrow.

Can't fault this little mare... Fun for competent adults but has also had novice children on her back, immaculately behaved on ground good in every way.

This is NOT an advert, but I would really like some help advising on price as I am sure she is "one of those" horses that people will pay hand over fist for.

Can anyone help - can pm pics etc :)
 

CMcC

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Just seen an ad on Facebook for similar sounding 15hh, 6 year old, cob mare. Dressage prospect rather than jumping. Asking £4,500. TBH that sounds very expensive to me, I would think closer to £3,000.
 

Shay

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The fact she is a "prospect" to affiliate isn't going to help. Everything is a prospect! Most people prefer something more warmblooded for BS. If she really has the potential it would be better to keep her a year and get the first rounds and a proven competition record. I'm afraid her showing record isn't really enough to attract either. Could you get her height certificate (she's too young for the life height but it would start) and maybe aim her toward working hunter if she'll make the height? You'll find more classy cobs there than in BS.

Otherwise she's a nicely started but still very young mare with no real proven record. Depending on your area I think even CmCC might be overestimating. But then the photos / conformation / movement might be amazing. No way to tell from a forum!
 

WelshD

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I think if be tempted to get her measured and then depending on the result would decide what market she should be pitched at and price from there as the inch of uncertainty won't help
 

FfionWinnie

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Yes the issue here is "prospect". If she was proven that would put her up at around 4K I should think. Plus wrong time of year. If there's no rush to sell I would affiliate her and get some results over the winter ready to sell in the Spring as a 6yr old which also sounds far better than a 5yr old incidentally lol

As she is I would say about 2500. I paid that inc delivery from Ireland for my talented cob mare.

Also 14.3 is a nothing height. If she is 14.2 say so.
 

honetpot

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I think a height certificate could make a difference, if she is truly 14.3,and will finish under the stick full up 15hands she is a good height for workers. Its a small market but they pay good money for the right pony. There is bound to be a local WHP in October half term, I would get her out and seen, presented correctly I could see her going for 3K but she has to half a decent show and look the part.
 

Toby_Zaphod

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Firstly you need to know what height the horse/pony is. If it's 14h2" then great it's a pony, if 14h3" then not so good it's a horse.

Affiliation prospect doesn't really mean anything. Affiliate the pony & go out jumping & get a record of achievement. There are so many horses/ponies out there that have allegedly done this, done that & done the other but without a record it means little. What a horse jumps at home is totally different from at shows. Affiliated courses are totally different from unaffiliated at club shows, the jumps are at full height & width. They look huge when comparing with a local club show course. At home you may have a couple of jumps at that height but at a show they'll have to jump a course with probably 14 efforts. The selling adverts are full of them. The only way you can get really good money is with a record if you want the show jumping route.

At this stage I wouldn't put a price on the horse/pony because it's a totally unknown quantity with no record, unknown height & unknown ability. Qualifying for a show is fine but loads of others have as well. Good Luck with selling but I think more needs to be done to assess its ability & value. :)
 
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be positive

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I think a height certificate could make a difference, if she is truly 14.3,and will finish under the stick full up 15hands she is a good height for workers. Its a small market but they pay good money for the right pony. There is bound to be a local WHP in October half term, I would get her out and seen, presented correctly I could see her going for 3K but she has to half a decent show and look the part.

She is a mw cob not a quality worker so hardly a route worth taking, she would be best at 148cm doing pony classes and will probably measure in, her showing record is fairly irrelevant as she is too small to be a serious cob prospect, her market is as a really decent allrounder which in itself is more desirable than something that is being sold as having potential in any specific field unless it really shows something special which from the sound of things this pony doesn't other than being genuine and ready for someone to have fun on at PC/RC with possibly a bit of BS/ BE in the future.

The advert needs to sell ALL of her good points now not her "potential" or what she may do in the future, I would expect somewhere in the region of £3k but if she could get a few mornings cubbing where she behaves perfectly onto her cv possibly a little more.

Measure her and use cm's if she is 148 or under as that is more relevant than hands in the pony world.
 

muddy_grey

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Agree with others get her measured so you know if she is a pony or a horse (148cm).
If she is 148 or less then affiliating and jumping some pony classes will probably add value, if she is over don't bother. Few people looking for a horse specifically to SJ are looking for a 150cm cob and it would be a waste of money. Qualifying in a class of 20 is nothing, at hickstead the smallest 1m class is over 150 entries.
She sounds like a lovely allrounder and that is what you should push her as. As be positive said if you could get her out hunting a couple of times that would be great. I don't know a huge amount about this market, but they are a dime a dozen and I think £2.5-3k would be pretty good.
 

vam

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I had this horse, I could have sold her 100 time over and for a good amount but not because she jumped aff but because she was a good, safe, go anywhere, do anything allrounder.
She cleaned up un aff and would school round 1.20 but would struggle making the distances after about 1.05/1.10 affiliated so I'm afraid what she does at home isn't massively important.
If I was you I would market her as that safe allrounder, get her out doing a bit more. If she can measure in as a pony then you have more options but I think the family/RC/PC home will be your ideal market.
I got mine at the same age with less on her cv as she was in a riding school, I paid 2k about 20 years ago and got ripped off really. I would put her about 3k if she is as safe as you say.
 

Nappy Croc

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Equally if she is under 148 that rules out cob showing for her....(including working cob class). Realistically the cobs doing well are over 15hh. Knowing what bracket she falls into will help :)
 

Queenbee

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I had this horse, I could have sold her 100 time over and for a good amount but not because she jumped aff but because she was a good, safe, go anywhere, do anything allrounder.
She cleaned up un aff and would school round 1.20 but would struggle making the distances after about 1.05/1.10 affiliated so I'm afraid what she does at home isn't massively important.
If I was you I would market her as that safe allrounder, get her out doing a bit more. If she can measure in as a pony then you have more options but I think the family/RC/PC home will be your ideal market.
I got mine at the same age with less on her cv as she was in a riding school, I paid 2k about 20 years ago and got ripped off really. I would put her about 3k if she is as safe as you say.


Sorry guys, I should have been a bit more clear on the jumping front - it was so late last night I just quickly tapped out a post...

re: would affiliate... this is not said at all lightly it is a 100 percent certainty, yes she is competing at unaffiliated competitions, however - the main competitions we go to are essentally BSJA bar the affilliation. They are built to BSJA standard, single phase 14 odd jumps, with the latter half being 5 -10cm higher, run under BSJA rules... They are up to height & spread... substantial courses.

she has jumped the 70/80 & 90 courses, and would easily do the 1m & 1.10, but has not as yet as she is still learning and owner does not want to push her.

So while she has not been affillated, the courses she is jumping clearly show that the only next step would be to affilliate, the jumping would be no different.

As for qualifying for cricklands being no big thing... I agree, many, many horses/ponies qualify. However, what I failed to say is that she came second in the class - a strong class of 20 plus, and this is not unusual. Most of her ribbons from jumping are 1st, 2nd, 3rd.

Height wise, yes - advert will be put in cm, but right now - I could not tell you if she was 14.2 or 14.3 - I have not measured her although if I had to guess I would say closer to 14.2.

With regards to showing record... She certainly would show, and do well... although at local level... for someone who wanted that, she would be a good addition, and I think that is certainly worth mentioning, however... but her real talent certainly lies in jumping. I could also see her doing really well eventing, or PC

I am not someone selling a horse and thinking more of it than it actually is, because its my baby... Its not mine, I am impartial, but there is some huge talent there, and I know that a good affiliated pony or a good pony that you could (with absolutely no hesitation) affiliate tomorrow, is a highly sought after thing.


Its not just about helping my friend get what the horse is worth, its about how to go about finding that kind of home for her. Advertising on FB is perhaps not the best target audience
 

milliepops

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the problem remains that she's not the traditional type that people wanting a sports horse would go for - so it might be hard to command a higher price without an affiliated record. The courses might essentially be BS courses, but she isn't actually building a record.

I was thinking similar about my section D, she would have a very limited market as not many people would want a 14hh welsh for dressage, but with a decent record to search, things start to look a bit different :p

Is there a reason her rider wouldn't do a bit on a ticket? if you think she has scope to do PC eventing etc, then she needs to do that too but she'd need to get her skates on for this season. Otherwise she might have to accept a lower price, as someone would be taking a punt, a bit.
 

stormox

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Height wise, yes - advert will be put in cm, but right now - I could not tell you if she was 14.2 or 14.3 - I have not measured her although if I had to guess I would say closer to 14.2.



I am not someone selling a horse and thinking more of it than it actually is, because its my baby... Its not mine, I am impartial, but there is some huge talent there, and I know that a good affiliated pony or a good pony that you could (with absolutely no hesitation) affiliate tomorrow, is a highly sought after thing.

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Definitely measure her, if shes a pony she will have more value, a cobby type pony will often reach quite a high level. The same doesnt go for horses, a 15hh cob would have difficulty with the 12ft strides a horse course is built around.
70/80s means nothing, nearly every horse can do that, she would have to be doing 90+ to make it worth affiliating.
I would estimate her worth at around £2500 - £3000 depending on her looks.
 

oldie48

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I think there is always a very strong market for safe talented all rounders especially if they are nicely put together, have good manners and easy to do in all ways. This is exactly the sort of pony/horse that sells well into the PC for good little riders that wants to do teams and ditto for RC people who want to do well and be safe. I'd also work her over the winter as sell as a 6 year old having got her out to local shows etc. If she does well over the winter I'd put her up for at least £4K and be prepared to come down if there are no takers. When I was looking for suitable ponies for my daughter (and it's now some 15 years ago) I was more than happy to buy a rising 6 for £3.5 K or more if it was a bit special and we never lost money when we came to sell (usually made quite a lot). I don't know where in the country you are but in this part of the world, parents will pay for something nice especially if it's been seen by some of the trainers who do the PC rounds.
Just noticed you are in Cornwall, you'd probably do better price wise further north, I'm afraid.
 
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eggs

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You will need to get her properly measured as it could make quite a difference as to what she she would be eligible for. At 14.3 she doesn't scream competition SJ to me. There is also a big difference between being competitive at 90 cm and being competitive at 110 cm or bigger. There are plenty of horses out there how have the potential to affiliate but until they have been proven to do it it really won't mean much to a prospective purchaser. I agree that going down the super safe but with talent riding club or PC would be the better route for getting a decent price. If she hacks well both alone and in company, is easy to handle, could turn her hoof to SJ, dressage, XC and fun rides and is a horse you would want to be around then she could demand a reasonable price.
 

pepsimaxrock

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I bought this horse! Except she was 11. I paid £3.3 for her as a confidence giving jumping mare - and thats exactly what she is - now - after a miserable year recovering from colic surgery xxx
 
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