Horses - how much extra would you pay for a certain colour?

Meowy Catkin

Meowy Catkin

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I've been browsing the ads (because it's fun, not because I'm looking to buy ;) ) and I've seen a few adverts where you are essentially paying a premium for the horse's colour.

One in particular, would have been priced at about 50% of the sellers asking price if it had been bay/chestnut/grey.

I'd rather get the better horse in a plain colour, than the average horse that's a pretty colour. I'm not a breeder though, so maybe that makes a difference? Having said that, I have seen geldings priced higher due to their colour.

Would you pay more for the right colour?
 
Those prices are for breeders. Certain colour genetics are able to produce certain desirable colours which are very rare.

Lots of colours have been lost through centuries of selective breeding mainly for speed and endurance etc. now breeders want to bring back these colours and every so often one comes displaying a particular genotype that may pair well with what a breeder has, to produce something spectacular. It's a chance they take but the fact the genotype is displayed means it is dominant.

The coat colours seen in akhal teke's once appeared in more oriental lines and European lines. It is possible to selectively breed these back in but it takes a lot of skill.
 
Capriole said:
what about all those palomino Haflingers too :)
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and arabs...

I wouldn't pay extra for an unusual colour, I too would rather buy the best horse I could for the money :)

ETA would disagree that these prices are for breeders, palomino/buckskin GELDINGS are often just as overpriced IME.
 
LauraWheeler said:
I'm not fussed about colour.
But it makes me cross when I see a bay roan advertised as a strawberry roan :mad:
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It's shocking how many people don't know what colour their horse is, although my favoutite is when people describe their horse as 'bay with black mane and tail' - oooooh that's so rare, bays never have black manes and tails. :p Now if it was a bay with a grey tail, then my interest would be raised as I used to own a gulastra plumed horse, so I always look aout for them.
greytailedcolt.jpg

^ Not mine, but I saved the photo because he's stunning.
 
I believe that there is because many people will pay more for an unusual colour. My big lad is buckskin however he was priced very similarly to a similar horse that the same breeder was selling.

They are out there. Sensible breeders and sensible buyers
 
I also think in the case of breeders buying for colour (after considerations on temperament and conformation of course!) then yes a horse might attract a premium, I don't think that's wrong persay.
 
Faracat said:
The thing is - one of the horses in the ads was a gelding and the other (a mare) was not IMO good enough conformation wise, to be a broodmare.
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well the two previous owners of mum's palo (from 2-4 and as a 4yo for 10 weeks before it wasn't going well!) bought her because they had always wanted a palo. We wanted a dark coloured gelding :rolleyes:. Have been frequently asked in the past if we would breed from her, I usually point them in the direction of legs and bum highness etc in answer to this ;)
 
Alphamare said:
I also think in the case of breeders buying for colour (after considerations on temperament and conformation of course!) then yes a horse might attract a premium, I don't think that's wrong persay.
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Legrande would be a good example of this - he is stallion quaility through and through - his colour is the cherry on top. I don't know how much he cost, but he would be worth extra for his colour.

Would you pay more for a black horse? It's not a fancy colour, but it is eye-catching.
 
Faracat said:
The thing is - one of the horses in the ads was a gelding and the other (a mare) was not IMO good enough conformation wise, to be a broodmare.
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Conformation considered, but still, very desirable to a home that shows. The more the colour is advertised, the better it is.

If I were to breed, and I had a WARLANDER filly with a special gene, I would pay more for a stallion with a matching gene. The chances of getting I.e. a buckskin may be 50:50 but a chance I would be willing to take because the breed is predominantly black or grey.
 
Ah yes, black.... A black stallion.... Maybe people romanticise e.g. The black stallion from braveheart as an example...

Emotion sells many horses...
 
I just had to look Warlanders up. ;) I suppose that because PRE studbooks have increased their acceptable colours, that Warlanders will also start to get a bigger colour range. I'm sure that I once saw a photo of a chestnut friesian which would open up red based colours (if I didn't miss remember).
 
Friesians come with a heart price tag, I wonder if that has something to do with their colour.

I'll relate your question to Arabs as you don't see many blacks, they do seem to come at a price. If I felt the rest of the horse warranted that particular price tag. I would pay that but not because of the colour. I wouldn't go looking for a black horse per say. But then I speak as the owner of two bays lol!
My buckskin boy I found because I liked and researched the breeder. He showed me a selection of horses one was a roan so not just my boy was unusual in his colour. I chose the best horse. His colour was a bonus I guess but I feel I paid for him not his colour.

Wow that was an essay I hope some if it made sense.

Would you pay more for a specific colour?
If I had decided to breed from my mare I had a fabulous selection of stallions and colour could have been a way to choose between horses of similar quality.
 
Exactly!!! You got it, this has meant that certain colours have made more money. Guess what? The stud book is now offering free genetics analysis................... Make of that what you want.
 
I didnt pay any extra for my dun boy :). Although having noseyed at some other duns for sale they do seem to go for more than other colours, I just ended up with mine because I liked him, I actually wanted a grey mare.
 
A horse is worth what someone is willing to pay.

I was offered £5000 for my appaloosa on a hack once, I was flattered but the only reason they wanted him was because "he was the most beautiful horse they're ever seen" for all they knew he could have been a little so and so.
 
Kokopelli said:
A horse is worth what someone is willing to pay.

I was offered £5000 for my appaloosa on a hack once, I was flattered but the only reason they wanted him was because "he was the most beautiful horse they're ever seen" for all they knew he could have been a little so and so.
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Aww bless, he was very very beautiful xxxxx

Re Duns: Duns in certain breeds is hard to come by so it depends on breed too!
 
Now see you couldn't pay me to have an appy or any other kind of spotty. They are not my cup of tea so I guess my point is its all very emotive isn't it. It's personal preferance. If people are willing to pay more then prices for unusually coloured horses are higher.

I went to the sales once and two badly put together coloureds went for twice what a very nice bay cob went for! What does that say
 
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ah cool thanks :) Its a combination of two breeds that dont take my fancy :D

I know a few people that only like to have 'fancy' colours, and they do seem to pay a lot of money for not a great deal of horse. Each to their own I guess.
 
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