Horse prices

[milliepops]

i guess for the same reason I'd prefer to get a 4 or 5yo, because if it's a good straightforward younger horse then you potentially have 15 years of good times ahead of you. it's a different prospect buying an older horse, though I'd argue a sound 10 or 12 yo doing a job is still a very good bet if it ticks all the buyer's boxes, if, say those boxes are staying within the sort of range the horse is already capable of.

I wouldn't choose to get a 12 yo horse trained to novice with the hopes of producing to GP because it just takes too long and it would be getting to the point where it was physically incapable, just at the point you were wanting to shine but if my aims were to compete at medium then it would be potentially a good match still.

but that's just my 2p and people who are in the position of being choosy will probably think differently.

 

[sam72431]

I personally wouldn't look at anything under 9 mainly because I like bringing on horses myself and I think over about 8 then you can potentially have problems that are harder to correct. That's just my personal preference but obviously a lot of good 'older' horses on market. Saw one currently being advertised for £17k and is 13yo looks lovely but for me I think I would start to worry about how much work that horse could stand up to but maybe that's just me and for someone else they would obviously be happy to pay that for a been there done that. Similarly there is also a lovely 11yo produced for badminton grass roots fit ready to go and is £5k?! So just think market makes not a lot of sense to me anymore ?. I am just going to wait and save a lot more pennies

 

[Adoni123]

Horse prices since covid have gone mad - this winter those people who have got back into horses as they are bored during lockdown will remember how bad the winters are and they horses will be back for sale and prices will drop (my prediction anyway).

Horses always seem to be cheapest around Christmas time! Wait and see I think

 

[Leandy]

I disagree there is no demand for older horses. True schoolmasters sell like hot cakes. I don't think there is an issue with selling proven older horses with a good soundness and performance record. What there isn't a good market for is older ones that have no proven record because there is usually a reason for that. You don't buy an older horse for its potential to bring on, you buy it for what it can do for you now.

 

[Wishfilly]

I think it is really tricky- I do agree that breeders/producers need prices to stay at a reasonable level to break even, but equally if prices become unaffordable, then demand will drop and they won't be able to sell. I guess in some cases it is perhaps worth considering the business model and if it is truly sustainable, I don't know.

I also agree there is a demand for older horses/ponies. When I was looking (end of summer/September) ponies in the 10-14 bracket seemed to be moving very quickly- I guess people were after something that they could get on and ride straight away.

In a way, I sort of hope horse prices don't crash, because I think that would be symptomatic of a welfare problem, but I do hope the market slows a bit, because I am not sure people rushing into purchases is good for welfare either.

 

[sam72431]

I think older ponies definitely sell much quicker mainly because they are for kids and generally parents want kids to be safe?! Maybe "older" horses are selling well for teenagers moving on to horses or like you say people returning to horses who want something safe and ready to go? At end of day a horse is only worth what someone will pay and obviously people are paying otherwise they wouldn't be up for so much money. It just means I will wait as I'm not in a rush ?

 

[pinkypug1]

These days even the amateur buyer Looking a nice Allrounder wants to see ‘big quality’ names on the passport. To get these names the stud fees are much higher hence the cost of the horse is higher yet the amateur rider wants a bargain. You might love a Ferrari but can only afford a ford, does that mean Ferrari need to reduce prices? no it means a select few will drive them and most other people will drive a Ford. Sometimes you need to come to the realisation that you will own a horse but it might be an ex racer or have unrecorded breeding & a few quirks etc. There will always be those few who bag a Cheap diamond in the rough but if you want quality expect to pay!

 

[Scotsbadboy]

These days even the amateur buyer Looking a nice Allrounder wants to see ‘big quality’ names on the passport. To get these names the stud fees are much higher hence the cost of the horse is higher yet the amateur rider wants a bargain. You might love a Ferrari but can only afford a ford, does that mean Ferrari need to reduce prices? no it means a select few will drive them and most other people will drive a Ford. Sometimes you need to come to the realisation that you will own a horse but it might be an ex racer or have unrecorded breeding & a few quirks etc. There will always be those few who bag a Cheap diamond in the rough but if you want quality expect to pay!

I really do agree with you but it seems horse prices (any horse) are stupidly high at the moment. Some of these Fords are priced like Ferrari's!

 

[Steerpike]

I just enquired about a horse in France, prices aren't going down what would normally be a 15-20k horse is now 30k, so I don't think it's just the UK.

 

[SO1]

Basic economics - supply and demand. Nearly everyone wants the same sort of horse now and there are not that many of them so people selling can charge more and people with money are willing to pay.

I think a lot of middle aged women with a decent budget who may in the past have gone for a flashy warmblood type are finally realising that these sort of sports horses may be too sharp for them and they are after an easier ride. More people are starting to appreciate and enjoy hacking. People's ambitions are changing perhaps from wanting to event and dressage at high levels to being able to have perhaps a slightly less athletic horse that is easier to manage and ride but can do the RC level competitions.

Unfortunately these nice all rounders are in short supply so the prices are going up. What is being produced and breed over the last few years has not catered for the changes in the market. So we are probably seeing a lot of dressage horses being bred and produced for the WAG/ladies who lunch brigade but not enough all rounders.

 

[pinkypug1]

Because there was no money to be made for the breeder of the Quality ‘all rounder’ more and more top end horses have been bred. If these don’t sell to the professional market then they become available to the amateur market but at a greater value due to their breeding & potential! Hopefully now the market has improved more people will Breed quality low/mid level
Types to meet the demand of the changing market. There will still be the doggy guys who breed Indiscriminately and end up getting way over the odds for crap because buyers don’t want to pay a few thousand extra for A much better horse and wonder why they have issues That prob cost them more in the long run!!! Buyers need to be prepared to pay for safe, sound, quality horses.