Horse Prices - your predictions of where they are going

[twobearsarthur]

I haven't yet worked out exactly who was doing all the buying. Anyone know? Was there a large untapped market of knowledgeable horsey people who just didn't own before lockdown, or were the buyers mainly (at best) novices?
Also wondering - horses sold last year were already a few years old. Has there been an increase in breeding in anticipation of the buying spree continuing? Will there be a glut of perhaps not very well bred types in a few years time?

I bought during lockdown after being horseless and miserable for the past 2 years (due to a costly divorce). I lost three of my colleagues to Covid and realised I was waiting for the right time to buy another horse and the right time might never happen. Best thing I’ve ever done I actually smile again these days. I think Covid made a lot of people evaluate their priorities that’s why seven of my friends are pregnant too I guess!!!!

 

[Lipglosspukka]

I think Covid made a lot of people evaluate their priorities that’s why seven of my friends are pregnant too I guess!!!!

You have too many friends.

 

[Jango]

I bought a project horse with a friend in Jan this year, she will be for sale in the next few months. There is no way I would want a second (half!) a ridden horse in normal times as I enjoy socialising and a few other sports, but it's been great at the moment to ride 7/8x a week instead of 5x to give me something to do! Most people I know in corporate jobs won't be going back to the office 5 days ever, most are letting their staff do a hybrid model of some home/some office. I think prices will stay high this summer, then in the winter prices will stay high as people hold out for what the prices were, but horses won't be shifting. If we have a crap winter weather wise I would expect prices to start properly dropping in January for average horses as demand drops. No idea on the elite end to be honest!

 

[maya2008]

I think a good allrounder that's sound and can do a job is worth 10k all day long, it's just that the value of being able to do stuff like hacking or even riding safely and enjoyably alone has become more evident in the last year.

That is a scary thought - our lovely gelding (who cost £800 unbacked three years ago) is a sweet, sensible, kind horse who you can put almost anyone on. My OH is nervous at times, and that sweet gelding just ignores his nerves and plods along as if nothing is happening, keeping his rider on board and safe. We wouldn't have £10,000 to replace him - makes me feel like wrapping him in cotton wool, even though he's young and should be fine for many years to come!

 

[Bernster]

I got a 2nd (on loan) during COVID. It was partly due to having more cash, more time, and a bit of ‘life’s too short’ . I was thinking of buying although the loan was great to see if I could have a 2nd. Not sure what things will be like after lockdown though, once I get out more and have less spare time and cash.

 

[ihatework]

The lame poorly bred dealer yaks that idiots have been buying - one would hope these prices fall again.

Quality horses have been steadily rising for a while, I think prices will level off but I don’t think they will fall dramatically. It will depend a little on the brexit fall out and what the long term importation impact/costs are.

 

[blitznbobs]

Deleted (misread the question)

 

[mossycup]

I'm desperately hoping for unis to go back to normal so I can snag a fun, forward horse that loves it's job on loan off a teenager heading out in to the world....otherwise I'll be saving forever

 

[Ouch05]

I am hoping that when people start to return to the office that they switch back to livery. I have been on DIY for nearly 15 years and now having to relocate all the DIY yards are full but they have space for livery.

I guess when it hit to save money everyone switched as they also had the time to spend at the stables.

 

[EASTIE17]

Dunno about horses, but looking at supply and demand when it comes to ponies in particular that market for reasonable quality showjumpers and eventers its only going one way for the next couple of years, which is up.

 

[Wishfilly]

I think a lot of people won't ever be going back to the office full time. I think a lot will work a few days in the office and a few days at home. It's win win, as people spend less time commuting, and companies can rent smaller spaces.

Obviously there are lots of jobs that can't be done from home though.

I've seen a few horses on Facebook that I remember back from when I was looking, that have gone back to their sellers/dealers. In one case, a nice youngster looks like it has been messed up (although of course you only get one side of the story).

So it might be we are reaching the stage where some people feel they have bitten off more than they can chew.

 

[mossycup]

I think a lot of people won't ever be going back to the office full time. I think a lot will work a few days in the office and a few days at home. It's win win, as people spend less time commuting, and companies can rent smaller spaces.

Obviously there are lots of jobs that can't be done from home though.

I've seen a few horses on Facebook that I remember back from when I was looking, that have gone back to their sellers/dealers. In one case, a nice youngster looks like it has been messed up (although of course you only get one side of the story).

So it might be we are reaching the stage where some people feel they have bitten off more than they can chew.

The connie that has gone back to Amy Derber? The poor thing looks so sad and he was absolutely stunning with her before. Hope she can get him turned around

 

[twobearsarthur]

You have too many friends.

I definitely have too many pregnant friends right now! Lol

 

[Wishfilly]

The connie that has gone back to Amy Derber? The poor thing looks so sad and he was absolutely stunning with her before. Hope she can get him turned around

Yes, although I have seen a few others that have also gone back. Obviously you only hear the dealer's side of it but it does sound like people have bitten off more than they can chew.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I think they will crash. The full financial impact of COVID hasn’t been felt yet and the worst is yet to come when the government closes the treasury and starts to claw back the money the have grudgingly given out due to COVID and Brexit. I have put my business plans on hold for the next five years until I see the fallout.

 

[Jellymoon]

It’s the prices of the unbacked/just backed youngsters that I’m finding most shocking. Where once you could get a nice normal 3/4 yr old connie for £2-3000 to bring on for riding club/pony club/hunting, they are now two or three times that price.
I’m not so concerned about the price of the established lovely safe all rounder - these have always been high and rightly so.
But where once I knew I could afford something nice to bring on, I’m not sure I could now. There would be too much risk, if it doesn’t turn out to be safe or sound, that’s a lot of money to have just chucked away. I suppose market forces will come into play and if other people can’t afford them either, they will have to drop the prices eventually.

 

[sport horse]

It’s the prices of the unbacked/just backed youngsters that I’m finding most shocking. Where once you could get a nice normal 3/4 yr old connie for £2-3000 to bring on for riding club/pony club/hunting, they are now two or three times that price.
I’m not so concerned about the price of the established lovely safe all rounder - these have always been high and rightly so.
But where once I knew I could afford something nice to bring on, I’m not sure I could now. There would be too much risk, if it doesn’t turn out to be safe or sound, that’s a lot of money to have just chucked away. I suppose market forces will come into play and if other people can’t afford them either, they will have to drop the prices eventually.[/QUOTE

It is not possible to breed and rear a 3/4 year old anything for 2 - 3k which is exactly why breeders have cut down massively. Young horse prices will never drop again except for animals with a very big ? attached to them.

 

[Dexter]

It is not possible to breed and rear a 3/4 year old anything for 2 - 3k which is exactly why breeders have cut down massively. Young horse prices will never drop again except for animals with a very big ? attached to them.

It absolutely is, especially Irish horse which are farmed in a similar way to cattle, minimal care, minimal interaction, minimal costs.

 

[ihatework]

It absolutely is, especially Irish horse which are farmed in a similar way to cattle, minimal care, minimal interaction, minimal costs.

It really isn’t!! Unless you are talking about the lowest of the low, in which case do you really want to buy a young horse that has literally had no thought put into its breeding or early healthcare?
Add in the expertise of sympathetic backing and some buyers live in cloud cuckoo land.

 

[Dexter]

Of course it is. Thats why so many were being bred and sold for those prices with a profit being made. I've got a friend in Southern Ireland who made a living from it well before Covid prices came in to it.

 

[Jellymoon]

Weeelll, this is simply not true, and although I do live in cloud cuckoo land most of time (and love it, thanks very much Ihatework, hahaha) it was only a couple of yrs ago when I bought a lovely connie/tb unbacked 3 yr old for €2000, and just a year prior to that a pure connie just backed 4 yr old for €3600. Both super, sound, no issues, amazing temperaments, they hunt, pony club, hack safely. They’re not world beaters but they are fun and easy to do.

We are not talking fancy future event horses with fashionable breeding here, they were probably both bred on a farm and ran in a herd on the hills before being rounded up and off to the sales.

 

[Jellymoon]

Just to clarify as all these posts get muddled up, I’m agreeing with Dexter, but I think we are taking more about the Connemara/Irish bred family horse types which the Irish farmers have been churning out for years rather than the sports horses!
Well, I was anyway.
I’m just staggered at how much those prices have risen, that’s all.

 

[AdorableAlice]

It absolutely is, especially Irish horse which are farmed in a similar way to cattle, minimal care, minimal interaction, minimal costs.

Or reworded. Never wormed, feet uncared for, no rectification of conformation faults, no mouth health and no balanced feeding for even growth

Of course there will always be a market for them, as there is for farmed puppies. There is no educating the public sadly. Pay the money, take the chance.

 

[Jellymoon]

Or reworded. Never wormed, feet uncared for, no rectification of conformation faults, no mouth health and no balanced feeding for even growth

Of course there will alwaysmarket for them, as there is for farmed puppies. There is no educating the public sadly. Pay the money, take the chance.

Wow, so all the people who go to the sales in Ireland are little better as people who buy from puppy farms? Uneducated and immoral?
You can’t tell by having a good look at them which ponies have been cared for and handled well?

 

[AdorableAlice]

Wow, so all the people who go to the sales in Ireland are little better as people who buy from puppy farms? Uneducated and immoral?
You can’t tell by having a good look at them which ponies have been cared for and handled well?

I didn't say that at all. The last Irish young horse that I was involved with sourcing was 18k.

 

[Jellymoon]

I didn't say that at all. The last Irish young horse that I was involved with sourcing was 18k.

But that’s a completely different market isn’t it? Most people looking for a family horse for mum to hack/hunt and son/daughter to do pony club on would not spend that amount of money. And why should they? They don’t need to. To liken those people to uneducated morons who buy from puppy farms is a little harsh, I feel. I should think most of the kids at our pony club are on these ‘pony farmed’ animals, and if they weren’t available to buy, we wouldn’t really have a pony club!! Or it would just be for an elite of extremely rich kids!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

It very much depends what you are buying. I got my boy from the sales. Public record what I paid for him which wasn’t much didn’t even break the 1k mark to get him bought fees paid and home from Wales to Scotland. He’s got fantastic breeding, not a mark on him when I bought him and in good condition, been wormed and handled and halter broken not stressed and loaded like a pro.

Cheap youngstock doesn’t mean it’s been tossed on a hill and left.

 

[sport horse]

It absolutely is, especially Irish horse which are farmed in a similar way to cattle, minimal care, minimal interaction, minimal costs.

Of course it is. Thats why so many were being bred and sold for those prices with a profit being made. I've got a friend in Southern Ireland who made a living from it well before Covid prices came in to it.

Interesting, on the Irish Horse Breeders facebook page only today, they are saying that horse prices in Ireland have gone up - many breeders have swapped to warmbloods, and many have given up due to prices not covering costs. It may be that your next horses are more expensive.

 

[AdorableAlice]

If anyone is looking to sell big weight carrying types that are straight forward, the Police are crying out for them. Three forces contacted me today for my lad.