Horse market has simply gone nuts.

I've given up looking at the moment & I'm going to look for a loan to have some fun on until people get more sensible! :p
Its not just the prices, its the rush!
I live beyond the back of beyond & by the time I've made travel arrangements someone has put down a deposit unseen.
When I bought my last horse we had a long phone chat, then I booked time off work for the following week, tootled down to Wales for a visit, came back without the horse because the vet was busy for a few days , (owner was fine with no deposit, I left a cheque with her but she cashed it after the vetting) & I pottered back down a couple of weeks later with a friend & her box. The whole thing took several weeks & was a thoroughly relaxed, pleasant experience. I refuse to take part in the current bun fight so there!:pAnnie stamps her foot
 
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I’m another one who’s given up looking and holding out hope for next winter, but I saw someone say they don’t think prices will drop that much as there’s a huge back log of people like us “waiting till next winter” so demand will still be high. Might be a few years yet before it drops (if at all) I guess we can only wait and see!
 
I actually don’t think prices will drop I think sellers won’t allow it because they now there true value of there horses so won’t allow underpricing. I think you will see less people owning horses because people won’t be able to replace horses when they pass away, people won’t be able to afford there first horse/ pony. So I think people are going to priced out but sellers still going to make a profit.
 
PipsqueakXy22 said:
I’m another one who’s given up looking and holding out hope for next winter, but I saw someone say they don’t think prices will drop that much as there’s a huge back log of people like us “waiting till next winter” so demand will still be high. Might be a few years yet before it drops (if at all) I guess we can only wait and see!
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There certainly wasn't a shortage of people looking last winter, we were and it was horrific, the stampede to view things was absolutely nuts!!! I can't see it being any different this winter...prices did not drop last winter at all
 
hock said:
I have an ISH on the market right now and he’s super but my reluctance to sell him has shone through as he’s by the sounds of is too expensive as not had a call about him. Everything else I’ve ever sold has either been spotted in the field or gone to the first to see after a huge amount of calls. Ironic really as he’s the by far the best of the lot! I do want to sell him but to someone deserving of him. I’m going to price drop him this weekend but I’m dreading it as he’s only a 3 yr old and I don’t want some gangster trying him ?. Bizarrely I had a load of messages from FB for him but no visits but. It a single enquiry from HQ. 3 year olds are tricky to sell though.
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I was desperate for a 3 year old unbacked! Found an ISH but failed on heart murmur! Now found a nice 2 year old and paying 3.5k
 
Ali27 said:
I was desperate for a 3 year old unbacked! Found an ISH but failed on heart murmur! Now found a nice 2 year old and paying 3.5k
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I think a 2 year old is where the best bargains are to be had weighed up against the length of time you have to wait. My very bestest boy I bought as a 2 year old. I wouldn’t have afforded him at 3+ and at 16 now I definitely wouldn’t lol.
 
PoppyAnderson said:
3 year olds are a piece of cake to sell. Unbacked and less likely to be ruined.
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When I was looking for a dressage bred 3yo, I struggled to find one that was unbacked and not ruined.

I saw three who were rising 3, already backed and being professionally schooled - two were shown with being lunged with gadgets and ridden on tight circles.

One had already had chips removed from her stifles. They wanted £15k.

One had become aggressive in the stable (where it lived 24/7) so they were prepared to drop the price from £12k.

One was lame.
 
LadyGascoyne said:
When I was looking for a dressage bred 3yo, I struggled to find one that was unbacked and not ruined.

I saw three who were rising 3, already backed and being professionally schooled - two were shown with being lunged with gadgets and ridden on tight circles.

One had already had chips removed from her stifles. They wanted £15k.

One had become aggressive in the stable (where it lived 24/7) so they were prepared to drop the price from £12k.

One was lame.
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I have heard many horror stories like this and it makes me very sad. I will never be rich or even financially stable but I sleep very well at night knowing my babies mothers would be happy with what we’re doing ?.
 
Tardebigge said:
I rarely post on here these days, but I remember a time, long ago, when interest rates went even more crazy than was normal at the time.
I had two horses in the 70's, a yard of my own and rented extra grazing. Inflation was running at 10 - 15%, then we had the hot summer of 1976. Due to the scorching summer most people started feeding hay in August as the grass was burnt off. The hay crop had also been very small. Then the price of hay tripled, and of course hard feed was rising by the week. Suddely keeping horses became a liability. Prices dropped and it was difficult to sell them (although there was and always will be a market for the creme de la creme). I dropped down to one, but it was a very hard time.
I agree that horses seem to have been underpriced for many years, but I don't see how the current (apparent) demand for horses, and people willing to pay what seem to me to be very high prices for some very ordinary beasts, can continue. Inflation is going to continue to rise, along with interest rates. Times are going to get very hard indeed with another change to the energy cap in September which means another thousand or so on our power bills. Add that to the cost of fuel - well the cost of everything - and it going to become a matter of priorities.
Perhaps people are asking higher prices to enable them to create a cash cushion for themselves? I know that if I had horses now I would be looking at all ways of saving money, like buying all winter hay and bedding needs now (prices are only going to rise) and getting rid of surplus beasts - preferably at a profit. We are already seeing the price of puppies falling and more and more are being abandoned or put up for rehoming. I can see similar happening to horses come the autumn and prices will drop. Times are going to be very hard indeed.
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Personally, I think times will be hard, but only for those who they are usually hard for. I’m not saying people who are quite comfortably off won’t have to cut back, but I genuinely don’t think it’s going to be the dire situation being predicted. We run 3 businesses, 2 of which are in the hospitality industry, and our experience is that often when times are hard, this is the first industry to see a downturn, so far, we’re not seeing this, thankfully. You would think the cost of fuel would be keeping people off the roads, nope, not on my travels it seems the roads are as busy as ever! Eating out is another area which doesn’t seem to be affected at the moment, everywhere we go, and we eat out at least once but often twice weekly, places are very busy?‍♀️ Either folk are burying their heads in the sand, or they’re a lot better off than they’re letting on. The housing market used to be a good indicator of a country’s economy, it’s still over inflated too so truly I’ve no idea what’s really going on tbh?‍♀️
 
Absolutely gem of a horse next door coming up for sale. He is stunning to watch move. He is a lovely person too. Not been hands on but is my type an Irish sport horse I believe lovely head and kind. My ponies are madly in love with him. Think he is about 16.2 but hard to judge as he was up hill of me. They were thinking of a price for him he is green just ridden away by a very kind professional rider.
 
I actually don’t think people are going to sell there horses with the cost of living going up and I don’t think there is going to be a drop in prices on what people are predicting . A lot of people can still afford there horses and go out competing. It’s only people who couldn’t afford in the first will end up selling . People who Saying prices are going to drop that’s just wishful thinking. if you can’t afford to buy a horse just get a loan or save up because cheap horse won’t exist anymore. Sorry for being hash but people should just be honest a say they can’t afford to buy now
 
I’m not sure if the market’s started falling slightly now. Certainly not online adverts but I had a flick through h&h magazine today and prices seemed much more sensible. Ponies but 14hh/14.2hh all rounder riding club level £3500/4k
 
Smoky 2022 said:
I actually don’t think people are going to sell there horses with the cost of living going up and I don’t think there is going to be a drop in prices on what people are predicting . A lot of people can still afford there horses and go out competing. It’s only people who couldn’t afford in the first will end up selling . People who Saying prices are going to drop that’s just wishful thinking. if you can’t afford to buy a horse just get a loan or save up because cheap horse won’t exist anymore. Sorry for being hash but people should just be honest a say they can’t afford to buy now
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It'll certainly be interesting to see what happens. The cost of living is biting hard and will only get worse and people have to make tough decisions. All the livery yards round here (cheshire) are increasing their prices. Let's see how it plays out by the year end. Lockdown aren't coming back and reality is hitting for a lot of people.
 
In the 1970's due to lack of money a lot of horses/ponies were unsellable.

I bought a saddle for my pony for £5 but had to also take a pony with it.
 
rabatsa said:
In the 1970's due to lack of money a lot of horses/ponies were unsellable.

I bought a saddle for my pony for £5 but had to also take a pony with it.
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In the 70s it was also a lot easier to sell a pony for meat . Late 70s there was a dealer not too far from me that picked up ponies from auctions around the country and held them in a field before taking them to Turner's. Occasionally my friends and I would look round the ponies and they were all for sale for meat money. I got a little Shetland x who I put in the trap and 2 friends had ponies from that field.
 
In the early 70s I was offered shetland ponies at if you pay a fiver you can have its friend free. Top notch register ponies
 
And here I sit with a yearling I decide I am selling one minute and not the next, trying to figure out what would be best to do! She is a little too independent to do the job I bought her for, and her prospective playmate actually prefers to hang around my son’s pony. We already have ponies the size she will grow to be, also. She is very lovely though - pretty, sweet, adores children and will be that elusive mother’s dream when she grows up. She’s well handled and polite and my kids love her.
 
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I don't know if I just got lucky, but I found my horse at the beginning of the year via a wanted post on FB. I was contacted privately by the owner. She wasn't silly money for what she is and she was exactly what I was looking for. I was equally starting to lose hope after being messed around by a dozen people. Sometimes people care more about the right home than getting as much money as possible for their horse.
 
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