How much is reasonable to pay for a cob?

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Scottynewbie

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This is my very first post on here so hello to everybody! I think I might be asking for quite a bit of advice in the coming months!

I've owned horses in the past, but have had a break of a LOT of years so think this classes me as a newbie again (I certainly feel like it).

Basically I've found a lovely cob who I'm considering buying. I just don't know if I'm being asked for quite a lot, if they've 'seen me coming' or if it's reasonable?

She's 7 years old and lovely looking (14.1hh), a skewbald. Very laid back and calm but also not at all a plod, a very responsive ride. Been backed as a 3 year old and in the same home since a foal. Done lots in the meantime - shows, a little jumping, hacking, teaching novices to ride. She's in good health and a good weight carrier.

But £2000 with no tack? Seems kind of steep? But as I say, I've been out of the game for many years!

What do you think, is it in the right sort of range or over the top??

Many thank yous for helping me.
 
I think perhaps I'm a bit out of touch then! I will follow my instincts and go for her! Will arrange for vetting as soon as poss and hope all goes smoothly. Thank you so much. I hope I'll be a fully fledged 'new' horse owner again soon. Can't believe how excited I am at the thought of owning my own again!!
 
Sounds very reasonable to me too. Good cobs hold their price the same way a good amateur competition horse does. (They are good amateur competition horses - and pro horses in the right field!) Hope the vetting goes well. I know I'm cynical about buying horses after all these years but that price actually seems a bit too reasonable for what she is described as!
 
I would say trust your instinct and go for it. There are good genuine horses out there and the price feels on the cheap side of right. Get her vetted and go from there.
 
An odd question, along the lines of how long is a piece of string, but if the horse is right for you get it vetted and pay up.
I am assuming it has good conformation and good feet.
The owner has not made a profit, done all the hard work, taken all the risks.
I see horses sold with tack by dealers, and the tack does not usually fit the horse.
 
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Bonkers2 said:
An odd question, along the lines of how long is a piece of string, but if the horse is right for you get it vetted and pay up.
I am assuming it has good conformation and good feet.
The owner has not made a profit, done all the hard work, taken all the risks.
I see horses sold with tack by dealers, and the tack does not usually fit the horse.
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She's only asking Bonks ;)
 
tallyho! said:
She's only asking Bonks ;)
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Yes, I realise that, I should be fluffier, the price of a nice horse is something difficult to gauge.

The price of a bad horse is easier in many ways, as it is minimal. OP needs to avoid a bad horse.
If anyone is buying a horse, they may be lucky or unlucky, it can be a high risk transaction.
To reduce the risks:
Learn to recognise good conformation: use books and also real horses in the flesh, they should have a kind eye and a good head, ie nothing nasty. There should be a wide space under jaw between check bones so that the horse can breath easily.
The bum should be just that, a good bum from behind.
The horse MUST walk straight, not like a crab.
Get a five stage vetting from a good equine vet.
Buy a horse that has been with the owner for more than a year.
Buy one that you like.
This horse should suit, and OP should seriously consider buying it.
If I were her I would ask owner if she could help with the purchase of a suitable saddle as she is more knowlegeable, and ask for the bit the horse is normally ridden in. If it is a special bit, then owner should explain why this one suits the purpose.
I always use a lozenge bit , from Neu Schule as horses never object to that in their mouth.
The other thing OP can do is to take her instructor along for a second viewing, the arrangement being that instrucor and OP both ride it for ten minutes.
 
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IMO good horses that are genuine confidence givers are hard to come by and should be worth much much more... some good advice there Bonks!
 
It sounds fine to me, as others have said some simlar will be advertised for more. Have a look at ads for similar horses, across the different web-sites and you will get a feel for the kind of prices that they fetch.
 
I don't think I need fluffyness, it's ok! But I must admit I didn't think it too odd to ask. As I'd ask my local mechanic the average price to pay for an X make of car that's done Y miles. It's the same sort of principal, there's always a certain price range that's applicable. I've owned horses over an awful lot of years but due to illness I've had to step back for several years. I used to bring on my own youngsters but am too old for that now! So the price that a horse is 'worth' is something I'm very out of touch with. Advice on what sort of price to pay seems reasonable? PS I didn't mention conformation etc as she's excellent to my eye, sorry I should have said. Just waiting for vet to confirm a date!!
 
Also, the market has changed in the last few years. Horses don't seem to be worth as much as they were a few years ago.
 
Scottynewbie said:
I don't think I need fluffyness, it's ok! But I must admit I didn't think it too odd to ask. As I'd ask my local mechanic the average price to pay for an X make of car that's done Y miles. It's the same sort of principal, there's always a certain price range that's applicable. I've owned horses over an awful lot of years but due to illness I've had to step back for several years. I used to bring on my own youngsters but am too old for that now! So the price that a horse is 'worth' is something I'm very out of touch with. Advice on what sort of price to pay seems reasonable? PS I didn't mention conformation etc as she's excellent to my eye, sorry I should have said. Just waiting for vet to confirm a date!!
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Yes but you can go online, enter EXACT model and mileage and condition , service history, mileage etc etc, all these things can be measured. Three prices come up: top retail wth warranty / private sale / part exchange.
Non of these cars can have HOYS potential and anyone can drive any car.

I am not critcising you for asking, it is a good idea, but difficult to give a definitive answer. It is odd because there can be no answer other than in economic terms, it is worth what the buyer is prepared to pay, or what the vendor is prepared to take. A good transaction will be somewhere in that range.
Some vendors like to haggle, some [like me hate it]. Some purchasers want to buy "a bargain", I don't like to deal with these people as they will sell the horse on. I ask the price I want. Its just me, and means I usually buy dear and sell cheap!
 
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Dear Bonkers (and all other helpful replies). It's all academic now. I am this week extremely upset as the owner, at the last moment, has decided to keep the pony. This is on the day before the vetting was due. No reasons given, just decided not to sell. As this was meant to be my venture back into the equine world I feel that perhaps it's not meant to be after all. Yes, very upset.
 
That is a shame - to me, from what was "on paper" that sounded like a great option and actually on the cheap side. But there will be others! And you never know - perhaps something was up and the owner didn't like the idea of a vetting...
 
Scottynewbie said:
Dear Bonkers (and all other helpful replies). It's all academic now. I am this week extremely upset as the owner, at the last moment, has decided to keep the pony. This is on the day before the vetting was due. No reasons given, just decided not to sell. As this was meant to be my venture back into the equine world I feel that perhaps it's not meant to be after all. Yes, very upset.
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It could be worse. A few years ago a vendor decided to keep the horse I was purchasing AFTER I'd forked out £200 for a vetting, which he'd passed - she couldn't understand why I was upset!

I'm a definite believer in, what's for you won't go by you. Good luck with your search.
 
After you'd had the vetting??!! Now that's more than I think I could cope with! I rather did feel a bit suspicious that it was because I'd decided on a vetting. Who knows?! I am trying to be stoic and do believe you're right, it just wasn't meant to be and now onwards in the search! Thank you everybody.
 
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