Horse prices

Squeak

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i just wish they came in smaller! 16hh and up is just too big for me nowadays. I used to enjoy helping re-school some back in the day though. I remember being unceremoniously dumped by one once, never sat on a horse who could spin so quick before ?

There are plenty that are 15 - 16hh if that's small enough?
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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I honestly can’t find bargain bin end anymore. I’ve been keeping an eye out but the coloured cob green as grass that used to be ten a penny and around £1-2.5k are still sitting around £3-4k and up.
Very average horses with health issues (anything from hocks, metabolic, kissing spine and more) are still £1k +

In theory I have the budget to buy something half decent but I personally won’t sink that much money into something that will inevitably lead to vet bills and heartache. Seems my cut off limit of money I could write off as lost is a couple of grand max, that limit will be different for everyone else of course! And for me it’s tarnished by my last one being a walking vet bill which is why I’m cautious.
So I am minus a ridden horse right now.
Thankfully given as I don’t know what I’d want next (do I want to find a schoolmaster ready to drop down the levels or a 3 year old to back and bring on or something in the middle?!) and have a couple to ride I’m embracing a healthier bank balance and my gym membership for now!

Curiously when I was looking last night, I felt amateur performance/more competitive horses didn’t seem to have increased in price so much (the £10-25k bracket)?Although I admit I’m less familiar with that market.
I can help you source a newly backed or unbacked for your budget, downside is it might look like B Fuzzy......as would be a relative ??
 

McGrools

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i just wish they came in smaller! 16hh and up is just too big for me nowadays. I used to enjoy helping re-school some back in the day though. I remember being unceremoniously dumped by one once, never sat on a horse who could spin so quick before ?
They do! A lot are under 16hh esp flat racers and if you met them would be surprised how tiny they are, they are like little whippets. I have just boughta 16hh mare but there is nothing of her. She is tiny xx
 

Melody Grey

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i just wish they came in smaller! 16hh and up is just too big for me nowadays. I used to enjoy helping re-school some back in the day though. I remember being unceremoniously dumped by one once, never sat on a horse who could spin so quick before ?
They do come up smaller too- 15hh or thereabouts and sometimes really small, almost pony-ish. A lot of them are snapped up for polo ponies though!
 

chaps89

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I can help you source a newly backed or unbacked for your budget, downside is it might look like B Fuzzy......as would be a relative ??

Nowt wrong with that ? I could definitley be tempted if the right option came along, just pondering on my options at the moment but I have to say it did cross my mind about whether to see what you knew of
 

LEC

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i just wish they came in smaller! 16hh and up is just too big for me nowadays. I used to enjoy helping re-school some back in the day though. I remember being unceremoniously dumped by one once, never sat on a horse who could spin so quick before ?
The only ones I ever see are midgets! I have seen 3 this week all under 16hh on various pages. Look at seamus Mullins racing FB as had 3 from 15hh
 

maya2008

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I don’t particularly have an issue with prices, but I do wish everything wasn’t selling overnight and still often without time for a vetting. I have met horses even as young as 5 who were already injured - no way would I want to play Russian roulette with that kind of money!
 

Bay.chestnut.coloure

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I don’t particularly have an issue with prices, but I do wish everything wasn’t selling overnight and still often without time for a vetting. I have met horses even as young as 5 who were already injured - no way would I want to play Russian roulette with that kind of money!

To be honest the more I look the more depressing it seems… I just been scrolling through the sights and where even are the good quality horses? Even for five figures… not that I could afford to spend that much right now but say I did save up five figures I can’t even seen anything up for sale right now that I like, is it just a really bad time of year to buy?
 

snowcloud

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To be honest the more I look the more depressing it seems… I just been scrolling through the sights and where even are the good quality horses? Even for five figures… not that I could afford to spend that much right now but say I did save up five figures I can’t even seen anything up for sale right now that I like, is it just a really bad time of year to buy?

Totally agree! I have a mid-five figure budget for a smart all rounder and some would have seen my previous post for a dubious vetting for an unfit and overweight cob for £10k! I’ve also had a £14k horse fail a vetting at the 2nd stage. I think even if I had a £100k budget, I wouldn’t find a smart allrounder that will pass a vetting, and I’m not even looking to do anything serious - just fun!

On another note, all the full livery yards near me are full (South East). I’m not sure where all this money is suddenly coming from with NI tax hikes, energy hikes, property prices booming along with rent prices and general inflation on the horizon.

Maybe it’ll all come crashing down next winter, but it doesn’t look that likely. My search is on hold again for now and I might go down the unbroken route.
 

iknowmyvalue

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I’ve see quite a few reputable dealers around here with nice looking horses for high 4 - low 5 figure budgets. I bought my new one for just over £10k last July (so height of covid prices), but had spent months searching and had 2 failed vettings. I know that if he hadn’t been very green on the flat and a bit nervy he’d have been well out of my budget! It’s a minefield.
 

Bellaboo18

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Totally agree! I have a mid-five figure budget for a smart all rounder and some would have seen my previous post for a dubious vetting for an unfit and overweight cob for £10k! I’ve also had a £14k horse fail a vetting at the 2nd stage. I think even if I had a £100k budget, I wouldn’t find a smart allrounder that will pass a vetting, and I’m not even looking to do anything serious - just fun!

On another note, all the full livery yards near me are full (South East). I’m not sure where all this money is suddenly coming from with NI tax hikes, energy hikes, property prices booming along with rent prices and general inflation on the horizon.

Maybe it’ll all come crashing down next winter, but it doesn’t look that likely. My search is on hold again for now and I might go down the unbroken route.
I'm curious on the mid-five figure budget as to me that's 50,000 but I don't think that's what you mean?
 

chaps89

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The only ones I ever see are midgets! I have seen 3 this week all under 16hh on various pages. Look at seamus Mullins racing FB as had 3 from 15hh
Luckily for my bank balance the sweet looking smaller bay with the white face has found a new home already. Will keep a casual eye on the page, thankyou
 

McGrools

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Its a minefield out there! I know 3 people who have paid in the 5 figures for horses recently all 5 stage vetted and have barely sat on them scince buying them for one niggle or another. I’ll stick to the project cheapies. I couldnt take the pain of losing five figures x
 

Bobthecob15

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A LOT of riding schools have shut post covid, I know of 3 near me. I think this has spurred people into buying their own horse if they want to continue to ride, I have certainly seen more people who are perhaps a bit less experienced buying horses. This might also explain the increased demand.

We recently bought a pony for my daughter, the prices were crazy but what was even more mad was the stampede for a viewing, literally like house buying...far more people looking than available horses...we had to scramble just to get a viewing before anyone else (or be 4th in line and hope someone doesn't turn up!). That may be due to the fact that 'the good ones' don't get advertised and sell by word of mouth though when it comes to ponies! We spent 2k over what we intended (and probably 3-4k more than what it would have been pre covid!) but we got a cracker and he is worth every penny :)
 
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Bay.chestnut.coloure

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A LOT of riding schools have shut post covid, I know of 3 near me. I think this has spurred people into buying their own horse if they want to continue to ride, I have certainly seen more people who are perhaps a bit less experienced buying horses. This might also explain the increased demand.

We recently bought a pony for my daughter, the prices were crazy but what was even more mad was the stampede for a viewing, literally like house buying...far more people looking than available horses...we had to scramble just to get a viewing before anyone else (or be 4th in line and hope someone doesn't turn up!). That may be due to the fact that 'the good ones' don't get advertised and sell by word of mouth though when it comes to ponies! We spent 2k over what we intended (and 3k more than what it would have been pre covid!) but we got a cracker and he is worth every penny :)

Yes that’s true one near me shut down too and the waitlist for the remaining ones I heard were like a year… wonder if it’ll ever calm down though so surely there won’t be endless amounts of people looking to all buy at once like during covid will be interesting to see but I think I’m going to wait a year or so, if by then it’s still not drop I think it’ll be fair to say these prices are staying
 

Crugeran Celt

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I have been looking for a happy hacker between 14.2hh and 15hh, must be a mare and over 8 years old. Don't want anything special but must be safe and sensible in traffic and open spaces. i have just found one that states "home more important than price" but they are asking £12000 for her!! This seems a very high price for a horse that has done no more than hack, ideal for what I want but way over priced I feel for what she has done. I wonder if I am going to have to have this sort of budget for what i would like.
 

AdorableAlice

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Tatts and Goffs if you are capable of re training and confident enough to buy at auction. That is where Irish Horse Imports buy a lot of their youngstock and re advertise them a few days later. They buy at £1000 to £3000 and make a good profit on them without doing anything to them other than peeling the stickers off their bottoms. They bought a lot at Jan 2022 Goffs, including a Frankel gelding.
 

chaps89

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I have been looking for a happy hacker between 14.2hh and 15hh, must be a mare and over 8 years old. Don't want anything special but must be safe and sensible in traffic and open spaces. i have just found one that states "home more important than price" but they are asking £12000 for her!! This seems a very high price for a horse that has done no more than hack, ideal for what I want but way over priced I feel for what she has done. I wonder if I am going to have to have this sort of budget for what i would like.
If you’re near/happy to travel to Surrey I know of one of those about to come on the market. I’m not sure on price but I don’t think it’s £12k region!
 

FestiveFuzz

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I would say that the comp horses are up

2019/2020 RC all rounder you in the 6/8k something nice
2022 - 15k is a budget to find a comp all rounder

BE100 horses are at 25k and certainly many are more at what would have been 15k

Not saying this is wrong. I would say are less about at the good end of the non pro competitive market which is also prob keeping price high

I’d tend to agree. Previously £8-12k could get me something with a reasonable competition record and decent dressage potential. Now I’m finding horses at £15k with soft tissue injuries, KS, recently back in work after 6/9/12 months off or quite visibly lame in videos. To get what I want now is upwards of £20k.
 

Sossigpoker

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Totally agree! I have a mid-five figure budget for a smart all rounder and some would have seen my previous post for a dubious vetting for an unfit and overweight cob for £10k! I’ve also had a £14k horse fail a vetting at the 2nd stage. I think even if I had a £100k budget, I wouldn’t find a smart allrounder that will pass a vetting, and I’m not even looking to do anything serious - just fun!

On another note, all the full livery yards near me are full (South East). I’m not sure where all this money is suddenly coming from with NI tax hikes, energy hikes, property prices booming along with rent prices and general inflation on the horizon.

Maybe it’ll all come crashing down next winter, but it doesn’t look that likely. My search is on hold again for now and I might go down the unbroken route.
My yard has had two full livery ponies abandoned there. Ponies acquired in lock down as owners had more time and money (not commuting I guess). Now circumstances have changed and they can no longer afford them. So after much wrangling YO has ended up with two ponies she doesn't want or need and that need a lot of work to be sellable.
I suspect this may be happening a lot elsewhere too.
 

Crugeran Celt

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If you’re near/happy to travel to Surrey I know of one of those about to come on the market. I’m not sure on price but I don’t think it’s £12k region!

I am just looking about at the moment, I have six horses here three minis and three elderly retired/injured so no room really but looking to a future when I will be able to get another to ride.
 

Equigirl123

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Have I paid a good price?

I have just brought a 7, rising 8 15hh ISH. No known bloodlines. Very green, ability to walk, trot, canter (canter unbalanced though), popped a few jumps. So far so good in traffic although slightly worried at some things e.g. barking dogs, loud sounds. He hasn't had any desensitizing training yet.

He is barefoot, no known medical problems to date. Very sweet temperament. I paid 8k, and based surrey/london border. Do you think this is reasonable?
 

Bay.chestnut.coloure

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Have I paid a good price?

I have just brought a 7, rising 8 15hh ISH. No known bloodlines. Very green, ability to walk, trot, canter (canter unbalanced though), popped a few jumps. So far so good in traffic although slightly worried at some things e.g. barking dogs, loud sounds. He hasn't had any desensitizing training yet.

He is barefoot, no known medical problems to date. Very sweet temperament. I paid 8k, and based surrey/london border. Do you think this is reasonable?

In this market I’d definitely say that’s reasonable
 

Birker2020

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nutjob

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https://classifieds.horseandhound.c...-showjumper-oldenburger-gelding-16-2hh-639571

This is a super deal by the look of it, for what this horse has done in the past. Stuff like this makes me suspicious though.

Not too keen on greys (no offence) but probably would have looked at this before buying my present one given he's reached the age of 7 and not lost his lovely dapply grey colour yet.

This is a scam advert, they have stolen the details and pictures from an overseas horse

https://salesporthorses.com/horses/cartier-lb/

I am going to report it as this woman is at this type of thing a lot lately.
 

Puzzled

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Just back from Ireland and since October prices have increased between 1500-2000 on most horses. Smart 3 yr old Connies were fetching around 5500-6500. Obviously u can buy a cheaper one (4500ish) but there’s often a reason why such as poor conformation, unhandled or not a great mover.
 

Ceifer

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This is a scam advert, they have stolen the details and pictures from an overseas horse

https://salesporthorses.com/horses/cartier-lb/

I am going to report it as this woman is at this type of thing a lot lately.
I saw that advert and twigged something wasn’t right. Bit of a thick question but how do people run a scam like this? Surely if you called you’d want to go and see the horse? Or do they ask for a deposit before seeing?
 

Caol Ila

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In July of 2021, I paid £4K for an approximately ten year old unregistered ex-feral Highland who had lovely ground manners but was green as grass under saddle. He could hack in company but did not really do anything in the school. Was the market that crazy? Probably.

He is, however, a true mensch, and he’s pretty.
 
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