Horse prices

[sam72431]

So sorry if this has been done to death. My current mare is semi retired due to injury. She will have a home for life with me and is going no where but although it's incredible to be back on board I am in my heart of hearts missing doing more than 20 minute hacks in walk only. I've never really paid more than 2k for any of mine and I think after browsing horse and hound and horsemart I must of been really really lucky! What would you expect to pay for my list: mare, between 4-9 years old, I like Irish sports horses, or tbx not ror, good jump, sound, good travel clip etc, no vices, ideally just a nice all-rounder. I don't want a plod but I don't want anything massively unsafe I like horses that I can school on but I'm not going to get chucked off of if that makes sense. My mare for instance has her own opinion on things and isn't a novice ride but I have never felt unsafe on. Anyway prices vary from about £4-20k! Anything under 4k seems to have some sort of issue?

 

[ihatework]

For anything nicely started under saddle, without a significant if/but and fairly easy on the eye you are going to need at least 6k I’d say. If you can drop everything and travel a distance then you might get 4k.

Equally you will see lots advertised in your description at 10k

 

[sam72431]

For anything nicely started under saddle, without a significant if/but and fairly easy on the eye you are going to need at least 6k I’d say. If you can drop everything and travel a distance then you might get 4k.

Equally you will see lots advertised in your description at 10k

Yes this is what I'm seeing! Have prices just gone up drastically do you think? Even in Ireland you seem to need well above £2k now! I used to see good ones coming over for £1500! I was half contemplating getting a project over to have some fun school on and make a small profit but I think that's fairly unlikely unless very lucky! I've seen some being described with fairly major behaviourial problems for £1800-2400 they would of been sold for £800 a few years ago!

 

[PoppyAnderson]

Yep, there's been a significant change in prices this year. You won't find what you want for £2k. Emma Greenwood has some lovely youngsters around the £5k mark...... a bit less for some.

 

[sam72431]

Yep, there's been a significant change in prices this year. You won't find what you want for £2k. Emma Greenwood has some lovely youngsters around the £5k mark...... a bit less for some.

I expected prices to of dropped due to people not having as much money with the recession but maybe people just want to be out and about?

 

[Ceifer]

I think as @ihatework said, prices have gone up. I think as with Everything- inflation.
Currently it’s the worst time to be looking for a horse. The market has gone insane, there are horses that are going for at least 2-3 times what they are worth.
Prices may drop come the depths of winter/early spring.
If I were you I’d try getting something by word of mouth. Ask around at local riding clubs, instructors, Facebook groups. I’ve had 2 friends pick up horses lately through word of mouth. One horse was £1, the owner had a drastic change in circumstance and home was more Important than price. The second friend has a fantastic horse on loan.

 

[teddypops]

Are you anywhere near Wales or prepared to travel? They are cheaper there!

 

[Goldenstar]

For what you describe I would want a budget between 6 and 10
nice easy allrounders are quite rightly valued now , all rounder used to be a veiled insult now it’s what loads of people want .
I paid 6.5 in September for a very nice but grossly fat 10yo cob ,lovely roan colour though very striking ,good temperament but would be naughty in the wrong situation he’s has hunted but not in last home .
I had to move very fast to secure him .

 

[sam72431]

Are you anywhere near Wales or prepared to travel? They are cheaper there!

No I'm not really. I think I might just wait until spring and save a lot more pennies!

 

[Wishfilly]

I think that during furlough/lockdown/working from home a lot of people didn't have that much less money, but suddenly had a lot more time, which made horse buying seem more possible/affordable. A lot of people also seemed to buy projects to bring on during this period, which overall pushed prices up. At one stage, the market was insane, with horse literally being sold the next day. In that sense, I think things have calmed down a bit, but prices haven't gone down yet.

I think job losses etc haven't really started to bite yet for most people, and although incomes have dropped, people aren't quite in the situation where they are desperate to sell in most cases.

You might get lucky, but I think at the moment you will need £6k+ for what you are looking for. But I do think the market is slowing, so if you're willing to buy in the winter, you may get what you want more cheaply.

 

[dorsetladette]

I've been having a look and was shocked by the prices of what I'm looking for. I'm going to keep looking as I think the prices will come down a little as we approach the end of the year. Fingers crossed anyway.

 

[sam72431]

Thank you everyone will hold on for a bit and save as not in a rush ?

 

[poiuytrewq]

I wonder if prices will drop after Christmas, proper winter time?
Many people are sadly out of work or having hours cut and will feel the pinch.

 

[dorsetladette]

I wonder if prices will drop after Christmas, proper winter time?
Many people are sadly out of work or having hours cut and will feel the pinch.

This is what I'm hoping although after seeing a video on FB yesterday of 3 beautifully bred welsh foals being dropped off at a slaughterhouse I think some breeders are already feeling the pinch.

 

[gallopingby]

I’m not sure prices will drop very much, there will be some people who have to sell for whatever reason but maybe people complaining about high prices should take a reality check and consider the cost of rearing / breaking / schooling. The current market maybe has at last reached a level where it will see a very tiny break even for some breeders, maybe even enough to consider breeding again for those who have stopped. There simply aren’t the number of potential all rounders being bred anymore. Yes plenty feral low end types who frequently turn up with poor conformation and issues due to malnutrition which cost more to keep / maintain than the more expensively bred planned types.

 

[sam72431]

I’m not sure prices will drop very much, there will be some people who have to sell for whatever reason but maybe people complaining about high prices should take a reality check and consider the cost of rearing / breaking / schooling. The current market maybe has at last reached a level where it will see a very tiny break even for some breeders, maybe even enough to consider breeding again for those who have stopped. There simply aren’t the number of potential all rounders being bred anymore. Yes plenty feral low end types who frequently turn up with poor conformation and issues due to malnutrition which cost more to keep / maintain than the more expensively bred planned types.

I think stud prices have gone up as well so this is most likely pushing prices up further along the line. As for reality check I am fully aware of cost of keeping, breeding, breaking etc as have done all of that myself in a professional capacity ? was more amazed that horses with confirmation/behavioural/lameness issues being sold for the price of what most of mine have cost and none of them had those issues just needed bringing on correctly ?

 

[sam72431]

This is what I'm hoping although after seeing a video on FB yesterday of 3 beautifully bred welsh foals being dropped off at a slaughterhouse I think some breeders are already feeling the pinch.

Oh my goodness how sad that breeder was driven to that.

 

[Nicnac]

Finally people are paying correct prices for what it costs to breed and produce a horse. People don't blink at paying £20k+ for a car which devalues by the day, but won't pay for something that could, with a fair wind and good training, increase in value.

 

[Ranyhyn]

Just lay in wait.

 

[Annagain]

The furlough scheme ends at the end of this month - that's when it's going to start to bite for lots of people I think.

 

[Scotsbadboy]

I can agree with those who say, rightly so, that horses are now beng valued correctly but what about those who simply cant afford 10k for a horse? will it become an elite hobby or will people wise up, stop paying stupid money and get back to the horse only being the value to what someone is prepared to pay!

Difficult one all round and yes, slightly bitter right now that my budget wont stretch to a 10k horse! ... 10k!!! could come in from the field broken the day after you parted with the money! Im firmly still in the 2/3-4k for a nice allrounder brigade thats likely a bit quirky and i'll wait till winter hits properly and we are over this Covid madness which seems have caused this 6k horses now being sold for 12k!

 

[milliepops]

I can agree with those who say, rightly so, that horses are now beng valued correctly but what about those who simply cant afford 10k for a horse? will it become an elite hobby or will people wise up, stop paying stupid money and get back to the horse only being the value to what someone is prepared to pay!

Difficult one all round and yes, slightly bitter right now that my budget wont stretch to a 10k horse! ... 10k!!! could come in from the field broken the day after you parted with the money! Im firmly still in the 2/3-4k for a nice allrounder brigade thats likely a bit quirky and i'll wait till winter hits properly and we are over this Covid madness which seems have caused this 6k horses now being sold for 12k!

it already is an elite hobby

I understand your POV, becauseI want another horse to ride at the moment but there's no way I can afford to buy one, unless I get lucky with a freebie. But equally, I have no right to have horses, and if I can't afford to buy other things (nice car, holidays etc) no one thinks the market should shift to accommodate my wants, it's just a case of *too bad*

 

[ihatework]

I’ve made it my (unasked for) mission to find you a nice free horse miliepops ?

 

[Tarragon]

Horse prices are an interesting topic. I think we paid £100 for my first pony (a naughty middle-aged Section A) in the early 1970's, and you can probably by another Section A pony for the same amount of money today. You can pay hundreds of £££ for an overbred puppy these days! Perhaps it is time for horse prices to truly reflect the effort and cost in producing them.
If you can't keep your horse or pony at home and have to pay livery, the running costs will be the same whether you paid £10K for the occupant of the stable or £1K.

 

[Lammy]

There will always be ex racehorses, our cheaper native breeds or youngstock for those with the lower budget. It’s what I’ve always had to do no matter what the average going price of a horse is.
If you can’t afford the going rate for a nice, smart, allrounder then you either have to make it yourself or save up ??‍

 

[milliepops]

I’ve made it my (unasked for) mission to find you a nice free horse miliepops ?

haha! thank you all assistance is gratefully welcomed

 

[Scotsbadboy]

So the breeding and producing is mentioned and yes, i can well believe its expensive but once that horse has sold on a couple of times and the breeder, the producer, the watever isnt involved then and its just a horse, a nice horse worth, in my mind anyway, 4-6k .... so why is it still 10-12k and people are throwing around the reason its expensive is because its expensive to breed and produce horses ... ok the horse is now ten so does that reasoning still apply?

Lammy you say the 'going rate' for a nice, smart allrounder but before covid those nice smart allrounders were 5-6k and now their 12k!

 

[milliepops]

again for my personal circumstances I wish it was different....but if the horse is genuinely a good one, each owner will think they have added something, whether that just be costs incurred bringing it to rideable age, breaking it in, teaching it about the world, competition success etc.

no one wants to be the one to take the hit on the price (would you buy a horse for 6k and sell 2 years later for less, having improved it?) and if there are people prepared to pay 5 figures then that's what it's worth.

 

[ihatework]

So the breeding and producing is mentioned and yes, i can well believe its expensive but once that horse has sold on a couple of times and the breeder, the producer, the watever isnt involved then and its just a horse, a nice horse worth, in my mind anyway, 4-6k .... so why is it still 10-12k and people are throwing around the reason its expensive is because its expensive to breed and produce horses ... ok the horse is now ten so does that reasoning still apply?

Lammy you say the 'going rate' for a nice, smart allrounder but before covid those nice smart allrounders were 5-6k and now their 12k!

Nah, those that had the quality to sell for 10-12k as a young horse at 10yos that are still sound, showing they are going well for an amateur with a record to back it up, are more ? Pre-covid, you want a horse that was scoring well enough to be within a shot of Badminton Grassroots, you needed to hand over 20-25k.

Now obviously if said horse is now ruined or lame then yes at 10yo they are significantly cheaper

 

[Scotsbadboy]

again for my personal circumstances I wish it was different....but if the horse is genuinely a good one, each owner will think they have added something, whether that just be costs incurred bringing it to rideable age, breaking it in, teaching it about the world, competition success etc.

no one wants to be the one to take the hit on the price (would you buy a horse for 6k and sell 2 years later for less, having improved it?) and if there are people prepared to pay 5 figures then that's what it's worth.

No way disagreeing with you, just musing So why is the demand for 4-8 yr olds totally different once they reach there teens? I see people time and time again refusing to look at anything over 10! like ten is old and god forbid there 12+ .... so for the average allrounder, nice, smart, does a bit of everything, by the time it gets to twenty is should in theory be worth ... well A LOT of money ... but no one, or i should say, very few would go view it let alone buy it and let alone buy it for massive amounts of money.