Horse market right now

[Horsekaren]

Sooo, I am officially starting to dip my toe into the horse market but I’m unsure whether to swiftly remove it and wait a little longer.
Having only ever brought one horse I’m not very experienced at it, and let’s face it the horse ibrought probably was one most people would have ran away from, instead i ran towards him and here I am three years later with an uninsurable, unridable, lawnmower ( all be it a handsome lawnmower that I love )

So keeping in mind I already have a money pit of a horse. I’d need the new one to be -
14‘3 plus
6 years plus
Sound with clear history! Insurable fully!
Straightforward
Vice free
Happy hacker
A bit of an all rounder to do a bit of everything.
Not strong / not lazy/ not sensitive ect
any breed but I do like cobs, be able to carry 10stone and 5’9


so basically it would need to tick many boxes, a lot of which are basic and desirable.

I have a reasonable budget, let’s say around 5k ish. Is that reasonable right now or should I wait for things to settle? The longer I wait the more I save.
I’m not in a rush!!!

At the moment I have two lovely old horses I have recently started riding, I’m starting up lessons with a fab instructor again and I’m hacking out on my own and with others a few times a week. The two horses are the sweetest girls but they are older, they can’t do as much as they used to but they are great for confidence and telling you when your doing well. So I have no shortage in riding but it’s just not the same as when it’s yours, your own horse, you know inside out and take on things together ect.

So basically has anyone sucessfully brought anything Recently or is the market really a bit nuts, I don’t know if this is it for horse shopping or should it be a bit calmer out there?


Strawberry is still my number one, I’m lucky I have horses to ride so I’m not desperate But I am yearning for a brother or sister for strawberry.
Just after a bit of sensible advice

 

[PeterNatt]

My advice would be to try and buy one locally where the locals know it's history. Put up some 'Wanted' Notices in local tack shops/feed merchants/livery yards/riding schools and also ask local riding instructors, farriers and vets. Good Luck and I hope that you find what you are looking for. (My two last horse came via the local pony club and Horsemart. They are both 'Happy Hackers'.

 

[angiejo]

it is nuts!
i have been looking for the past few months and its driving me mad, its really hard to just find out the price to see if it's in my budget and where it is, never mind get any more info. i have enquired on lots to be told they already had viewings booked so wouldn't take anymore, one i was booked to see but then very last minute before i left the house i found out it was sold (after chasing the dealer to check given it was a 3 hour drive) but then it was back up for sale the very next morning where i had asked to let me know if the buyer pulled out but nothing.

What i thought was a reasonable budget has almost been laughed at by some pretty reputable dealers and i am not after a badminton horse, just the same as everyone else it appears a good all rounder, pref 15h +, just nothing nasty. i am happy with something green and unschooled but at the minute i am shying away from unbroken.
i am having no end of trouble just trying to get to go and look and i am looking pretty much country wide. I am far from a 'hoof kicker' i will only go and see something that i would be buying but fear of being called a time waster but i am not prepared to buy unseen or on the back of a warranty given i dont want to buy something with the thought that it could go back. i have asked dealers to let me know as i have the cash waiting if they have something suitable, but they dont seem interested.

i have had 2 failed vettings, but one thing its teaching me more and more, is i am getting to know more specifically what i am looking for. Dont even get me started on the vetting process! i have rang some practices who are only doing them if you can take the horse to them, and some that have a 3 week wait.

i almost feel like giving up (i say that but it wont happen!)

 

[spacefaer]

The market is slowing - probably due to the miserable weather as well as the unsustainable prices .
Good horses will always sell but the ones with an ' if' or a quirk are starting to hang around.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I predict that there will be plenty of good horses for sale by October.

 

[Patterdale]

Definitely starting to slow down. You should definitely get what you want for that budget, but you will need to devote a lot of time to the search! They’re out there though.

 

[Jayzee]

Certainly agree the market is slowing. But there are still some extortionate prices for average horses. Agree with Pearlsasinger that come October it will be a different story

 

[ycbm]

What area of the country are you looking? I'm sure we'd all love another find a horse thread. That budget should be plenty quite soon, with redundancies by the thousand every night on telly the ridiculous prices are beginning to fall.

.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

If you are anywhere near Derbyshire, a local yard is selling a 5yo welsh cob. 15.2 and very sweet, easy and sensible. Several of my friends have bought off them and I can vouch 100% for their honesty.

 

[Horsekaren]

Oooh that’s good it’s starting to slow. I’m being nosey but I won’t allow myself to become obsessed with looking as I know I’ll just want want want and probably end up with something I don’t really want if that makes sense.
Ycbm - I’m in the south east but I’m happy to travel. I feel like I’m up against it as I literally can’t compromise on anything in terms of medical history, I need to be able to insure it to the eyeballs and then if anything happens I’ve got 5k of insurance and a year. Then I can keep building my vet pot for the uninsurable. I also like the idea of if 5 years down the line if I have a change in life circumstances I can sell them or loan them. I don’t think I could pay anyone to take on strawberry lol so I have one lifer. I know it can’t always be avoided but I need to set up for success.

I’m happy to wait as my confidence is growing, I’m back in the saddle and I’m having fun but it’s not 1000% perfect. My worry is come Winter a load of horses will flood the market that have been snapped up on lock down and run ragged, or left doing nothing and become a bit asbo and will be missold.
I also don’t want to pay through the nose for something that in 6 months time won’t be worth anywhere close to what I paid.

hmmm I think horse shopping has to be more stressful than house shopping.
On the bright side I now have two beautiful saddles, two bridles ( one being a bit special) all the kit I could ever need, a trailer and no horse I can ride hfffft I think I’ve got that all the wrong way round lol!

 

[Polos Mum]

.
I also don’t want to pay through the nose for something that in 6 months time won’t be worth anywhere close to what I paid.

Sadly that's horses, they can trip coming off the trailer while being delivered and cause themselves all sorts of trouble ! Insurance with loss of use might be worth looking at if you want every eventuality covered.
My 7 y/o who passed vetting and my vet commented had nice confirmation has just been turned out for 6 months to see if Dr Green can ease the pain from his bone cyst. Nothing that insurance / vets can do - even with all the cash in the world, he's still largely a write off.

 

[Horsekaren]

Sadly that's horses, they can trip coming off the trailer while being delivered and cause themselves all sorts of trouble ! Insurance with loss of use might be worth looking at if you want every eventuality covered.
My 7 y/o who passed vetting and my vet commented had nice confirmation has just been turned out for 6 months to see if Dr Green can ease the pain from his bone cyst. Nothing that insurance / vets can do - even with all the cash in the world, he's still largely a write off.

Aw that’s so sad, let’s hope some time will do the world of good ey!
I know it’s always possible, I tend to insure for everything including loss of use. I can cope with the unfortunate things that might happen but I need that insurance buffer so I can go all guns blazing then if nothing can be done, out to grass they go. Lol I’ll end up opening a sanctuary if I end up with the same luck as I had with my lovely strawberry :/

 

[indie1282]

I would wait until Oct/Nov. People have gone crazy this summer buying horses and dogs, the prices for both are massively over inflated at the moment.

Once everyone goes back to work from furlough or sadly get made redundant then there will be an influx of horses for se at low prices.

 

[angiejo]

i find it ironic for me, i didn't expect to be buying a horse this year but i did plan to add another dog to the family and its looking likely that neither will happen. i am not in a rush its just frustrating, may work in my favour though as i was thinking of selling a lot of horse bits that i have accumulated so i can start from scratch when i find one.

 

[Horsekaren]

i find it ironic for me, i didn't expect to be buying a horse this year but i did plan to add another dog to the family and its looking likely that neither will happen. i am not in a rush its just frustrating, may work in my favour though as i was thinking of selling a lot of horse bits that i have accumulated so i can start from scratch when i find one.

I agree very frustrating, I don’t understand how people can just buy animals on a whim as an excuse to get out the house. I know a lot will have brought for the right reasons but I think animals are such a big commitment especially a horse. I hope people have really thought it through.

 

[angiejo]

I agree very frustrating, I don’t understand how people can just buy animals on a whim as an excuse to get out the house. I know a lot will have brought for the right reasons but I think animals are such a big commitment especially a horse. I hope people have really thought it through.

i totally agree, i have seen so many posts of people buying things like saddles because they have money that they would usually have spent on going on holiday. Its a real shame if people have been doing the same with animals then suddenly reality hits when people go back to work or worse loose their job.

 

[Cheval Gal]

I know this thread is a few months old now, but I'm seeing prices coming down now. I'm beginning to look at buying in the near future and this has given me some hope.

Just sad for all the horses bought as a pastime for lockdown rather than because it is a passion.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

A girl on our yard put a horse up for sale, 15h3", nicely marked coloured, 8 years old & could do a bit of everything. She was inundated with texts, something like 50+. She arranged viewings for first 4 people & the horse was sold to second person to view. She cancelled the remaining 2 viewings. There were too many people who'd text to reply to. You need to be quick to contact to view a nice horse, you need to phone rather than text & sellers are not being rude if they don't always get back to you. Good horses get alot of attention so loads of people are interested. Text messages don't really show intent, a phone call does.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Theres girl I know advertising a 15 yo cob, no comp record, wont load, needs sedating to clip, has sweet itch and rears/broncs regularly. No talent in any area. No recorded breeding...... 6k!!!! Has 2 viewings this weekend.

 

[Cheval Gal]

Theres girl I know advertising a 15 yo cob, no comp record, wont load, needs sedating to clip, has sweet itch and rears/broncs regularly. No talent in any area. No recorded breeding...... 6k!!!! Has 2 viewings this weekend.

?

 

[Bernster]

Theres girl I know advertising a 15 yo cob, no comp record, wont load, needs sedating to clip, has sweet itch and rears/broncs regularly. No talent in any area. No recorded breeding...... 6k!!!! Has 2 viewings this weekend.

Lawks. But I wonder if the ad makes it out to be a bargain at that price ?

 

[Red-1]

Theres girl I know advertising a 15 yo cob, no comp record, wont load, needs sedating to clip, has sweet itch and rears/broncs regularly. No talent in any area. No recorded breeding...... 6k!!!! Has 2 viewings this weekend.

 

[canteron]

Theres girl I know advertising a 15 yo cob, no comp record, wont load, needs sedating to clip, has sweet itch and rears/broncs regularly. No talent in any area. No recorded breeding...... 6k!!!! Has 2 viewings this weekend.

I’m guessing the advert read slightly differently? ??

 

[Rowreach]

I do think it's strange though that when someone posted on here recently about buying a £3k horse that went wrong pretty quickly, they were told that that's what you get for buying a "cheap" horse, and yet nobody wants to pay a more realistic price (in terms of what it costs to breed, produce, school etc) for a genuine all round type of horse, that most of us are looking for, because they're "too expensive".

 

[Flicker]

Canteron my guess is it will read something like:
”15 years young cob for sale through no fault of his / her own. Lots of potential. Now ready to go out and compete. Has spent all his / her time on the yard so may be unsure to load but fine in the right hands. Never a problem to clip but can be ticklish. Can be nappy, so no novices please”...?

 

[canteron]

Canteron my guess is it will read something like:
”15 years young cob for sale through no fault of his / her own. Lots of potential. Now ready to go out and compete. Has spent all his / her time on the yard so may be unsure to load but fine in the right hands. Never a problem to clip but can be ticklish. Can be nappy, so no novices please”...?

You are good at this!!!!

 

[Flicker]

Sadly trawled through *way* too many similar ones...

 

[Goldenstar]

I bought a 16.2 ten yo cob in September hideously fat and paid 6.5k .I liked him and his back story had hunting in it of course you can’t be sure what a horse has done in a previous home to one its come from and he was at an sales agent who was only able to tell me what he had been told .
Hes lovely he looks after MrGS and is a lovely boy ( apart from the fence breaking )
he was a bit care worn but with healthy food a Diet and daily work and he’s changing every day .
Why should a nice but heavy horse who is sane friendly and calm and has obviously had time spent on him some point not fetch good money slim and fit he would easily fetch more .

 

[Rowreach]

I bought a 16.2 ten yo cob in September hideously fat and paid 6.5k .I liked him and his back story had hunting in it of course you can’t be sure what a horse has done in a previous home to one its come from and he was at an sales agent who was only able to tell me what he had been told .
Hes lovely he looks after MrGS and is a lovely boy ( apart from the fence breaking )
he was a bit care worn but with healthy food a Diet and daily work and he’s changing every day .
Why should a nice but heavy horse who is sane friendly and calm and has obviously had time spent on him some point not fetch good money slim and fit he would easily fetch more .

Quite, I think people are woefully unrealistic about what a good all rounder horse should cost, and, after all, the purchase price is the least of your worries when you think what a horse costs to keep and maintain.

 

[DrSeuss]

I do think it's strange though that when someone posted on here recently about buying a £3k horse that went wrong pretty quickly, they were told that that's what you get for buying a "cheap" horse, and yet nobody wants to pay a more realistic price (in terms of what it costs to breed, produce, school etc) for a genuine all round type of horse, that most of us are looking for, because they're "too expensive".

I'm searching for my first horse at the moment. I agree that people are sometimes unrealistic about what their budget will cover, but I've been encountering the opposite problem - sellers who are asking a lot of money for horses who have potentially significant problems. I'm hoping this was just related to the bizarre lockdown horse-buying silliness and things will settle down now.