Horse prices compared to 11 years ago and help to find an absolute saint?

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Fifty Bales of Hay

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I just wondered what people thought re horse prices of now compared to 11 years ago? This is when I bought my last "saint" of a horse - who sadly now after all these years needs retiring due to arthritis/lameness.

Obviously there has been inflation over the years - but also a recession and a decline so I hear in horse prices, so I was sort of thinking I'd pay about the same or a couple of hundred pounds more but not thousands more.

In 2002 I paid £2500 including good quality tack and rugs (possibly worth about £400-£500) and my horse was a rising 8 year old.

He has been an absolute sweetheart throughout, completely safe, trustworthy, hacking showing, dressage, WHP - he has done the lot and with great success. I have never had a moments grief from him.

Will I be able to buy the same kind in 2013 with this sort of budget? (15hh-15.2hh) The other problem I have is that I cannot travel too far to view/try. Am limited really to around 80 miles of my home on the Oxon/Bucks border.
 
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You might do if you are lucky, but even in recession, quality safe horses keep a premium.
Depending on looks & what they have already achieved, a proven 8yo with some quality yet safe I reckon you would need at least 4-5K.
Perhaps consider a 4/5yo with good temprement, you might find something nice under 3K then? Or older, 11+
 
Thanks - yes my 8yo had the quality, but he'd not had a huge amount of competition experience, nor proper schooling, so I did all this with him. And prepared to do it again.

Would rather go younger 4-5 year old with the right temperament, than an 11 year old, as can then "get it together" whilst schooling. But I would look at all ages really.

Unfortunately the budget will not stretch to £4-£5K so I will not be able to look at all available. Perhaps someone who's genuinely more interested in a "home for life" long term home, than the money might come along? I'm putting out feelers locally as well as browsing some of the websites, but most seem to be too far away or just not suitable - or people lie about them!
 
Depending on where you are, whether you are intent to purchase, and if you need to keep with you, I have a cracker that will shortly be going for loan (caveat being I have decided to keep him with me). I would be pretty local to you, Henley area. Superb yard, reasonable cost as I will part fund it.
 
I'd agree with ihatework, a nice, straightforward, sound, vice free 15.2 8 yr old that had done PC, RC or maybe BE90's would usually be around £4-£5k.

However, you should definitely be able to find a 4/5 yr old to bring on for under £3k, i don't think that you'd get any tack included for that so maybe horse prices have crept up a bit, or you were just incredibly lucky with your boy?

I must be fairly close to you, i'll keep my ears open & drop you a PM if i can think of anyone locally selling. Do you prefer TB or cobby type?
 
Thanks Hazy

LOL re the type - as I prefer slap bang in the middle of those two. And current horse is Welsh D x TB - and I would class him as a middleweight, he has a little bit of feather on his legs. We don't need a heavyweight to carry a big weight, ranges it might be expected to carry would be 6.5stone-11.5stone.

If you could keep an ear open and if you hear of anything.

Someone else told me to look on my local facebook - but I have absolutely no idea how to do this although I do have an account but rarely use it. Any ideas?
 
Middleweight sounds good, my type too :-) I like TBX native & also ISH, have you looked at any of those?

Lots of local FB pages for horses, i'm off to the dentist :-( now but will have a look later for you.

I'm sure there must be something out there for you :-)
 
I had to pay £4k for a very handsome but not done much except hunt 6yo 17 hand IDxTB from a dealer in 2002. No tack or rugs.

Still have him :-)))

Reckon the same horse would be 25% cheaper today.
 
I think for a general allrounder about 9-13yrs you'll be looking around £2500/£3k. No-ones selling much atm, and the prices have dropped. Also a horse is only worth what someones going to pay for it, many people make the mistake of putting their horse up for sale for too much then end up dropping the price.
 
Very unfortunate that you want a littl'un, because I know an equine saint, who ticks all the boxes, and the some, but is 17.3hh! And he's close to you! He belongs to a friend, and is a delight, so if size isn't a massive (;)) issue - I could tell you more!
 
Thanks Auslander, size unfortunately is a big issue for me - I'm a midget at 5'1" and 8 stone something, and just never really moved onto horses. So 15.2hh is even a big jump for me. I'd not even be able to get a rug on a 17 hand horse without a step ladder unless he was taught to bow LOL.

Its good to hear I'm not completely "off target" or unrealistic with my budget. Its just a case of finding one now? I keep looking on websites, but perhaps I'm not looking in the right places.

How do I access riding club websites I wonder?
 
I bought (or rather my mum bought for me :)) a 14 year old 14 hh probably mostly welshie gelding for me to do general pony club type stuff with. He'd been a show pony so I don't think he'd done the most jumping. We paid £1950 inc tack and rugs.

In may I bought a (turns out to be) 16.1hh ex p2p tb gelding, 8 years old. Done a lot of riding club stuff. Not going to win badminton but enough to go to riding club shows without being embarrassed, think he won a fair bit at local RC shows with his old owner. Paid £2600 inc tack and a rug.

I know they are two totally different types, so not really comparable, but I spent my undergrad years doing thorough market research, either we didn't look in the right places 10 years ago, or prices have come down. I think it's mostly the latter.
 
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