How sellable are arabs?

SpottyTB

SpottyTB

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Hi there, Basically i am considering purchasing a 4 year old unbroken arab, he's a proper looking arab without the bulgey eye. He's a nice looking chap and has been shown successfully as a 3 year old - 5th at the national arab horse society.

I plan to break him, school him, ride him on, get him out in traffic, hacking alone or in company and popping the odd cross pole.. ( i have a year to spare)

my question is, how sellable is an arab that's done all of that? has a good temp and is fairly calm?

He is also pure bred and regestered:)

all replys welcome, thanks!
 
As an arab fan, I'd say very! :p

When you come to sell, put him on ArabianLines as everyone looking on that site, already likes the breed.

PS, I'd love to see his ad if you'd PM me the link. :D
 
Arabs can be very sharp so you need to have a really good seat to stay on board, and good hands to make the horse.
Buying to sell? . the market is going down down down, so you might have him for life!
so many people don't like arabs, you would be better to buy two common plods and break them if you want to make money.
To me there are two uses: endurance, and racing.
 
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Ridden Arabs always sell fairly easily. It is perfectly possible to pick up 4/5 year olds for not a lot of money, spend a year backing/schooling them and you could treble your money selling them.
 
Faracat - sent :)

MrsD123- Thank you, i no what you mean, I have a TB X knabstrupper who is EXTREMELY arab like, she's pretty quirky so im used to that side of things:) This is what im contemplating, buying a couple of cobs and selling them easier and for more money.. however i like myself a challenge and if im stuck with him, would that be so bad... :rolleyes: ;)

Perissa - Hoping to go and see him tomorrow, im feeling positive but wanted outsiders opinions on the selling side of things.. :) if i like him i'll have him and it will just be a risk - as is having any horse, my mare was a risk and now she's been valued at £5k :D so lets hope this one pays off:)
 
I would say give it a go, I have an arab myself and she has done evrything asked of her from showing, to showjumping, cross country, ODE's and dressage. When I first started taking her places people would look in disgust, but now they've seen what she can do peoples opinions have changed. shes qualified in a variety of classes for things and does what most all round horses do. I've also been asked if I would sell her, but being honest I love her to bits and wouldnt part with her!!!

She is very quirky and can be quite tempermenta (when ridden)l, but, she is very affectionate and actually quite a sweetie and produces some lovely work, its taken me a few years for us to build up a strong bond and now were seeing results.:)
 
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I don't know if you have a stud near you but it may be worth checking out if they will let you have an unbroken one to back and sell on. You agree a price and you get to keep whatever you make on top.

I know someone who does this. She sells them for whatever and the breeder gets 1K when they are sold. She backs them through the winter, does a spring show or two and then sells them usually for 2.5 to 3K.

Its not a lot for the breeder but then studs nearly always have the not so top quality ones, or maybe a blemished one that they have failed to sell and many don't want the cost of feeding/stabling through the winter.
 
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Zimzim said:
I would say give it a go, I have an arab myself and she has done evrything asked of her from showing, to showjumping, cross country, ODE's and dressage. When I first started taking her places people would look in disgust, but now they've seen what she can do peoples opinions have changed. shes qualified in a variety of classes for things and does what most all round horses do. I've also been asked if I would sell her, but being honest I love her to bits and wouldnt part with her!!!

She is very quirky and can be quite tempermental, but, she is very affectionate and actually quite a sweetie and produces some lovely work.:)
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That's really good to hear! I am leaning more and more towards him! What sort of price would be normal for a 14.3/15hh REG Arab (his breeding lines are in the breed forum) 4 years old, acceptionally pretty :p, i dont want to pay to much and tbh i dont think i will but what price would you say? baring in mind he's shown and done well..
 
Perissa said:
I don't know if you have a stud near you but it may be worth checking out if they will let you have an unbroken one to back and sell on. You agree a price and you get to keep whatever you make on top.

I know someone who does this. She sells them for whatever and the breeder gets 1K when they are sold. She backs them through the winter, does a spring show or two and then sells them usually for 2.5 to 3K.

Its not a lot for the breeder but then studs nearly always have the not so top quality ones, or maybe a blemished one that they have failed to sell and many don't want the cost of feeding/stabling through the winter.
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affraid there aren't any locally that i know off :(
 
You see arabs at both ends of the price scale. The ones that are higher priced tend to be proven show horses or endurance horses. If you have an arab that jumps add more to the price! You also see lots of untested yearlings at very high prices but that is usually to do with their breeding.

I think a well schooled arab, if sold to an arab person, can be quite sellable. A spooky nutcase less so :). I do think, however, that like tbs, it is probably a more closed market...as they are a bit like marmite of the horse world.

I think it would be safer to buy a cheap cob and sell higher...however IMO an arab would be far more interesting :). I personally go for an arab - but that is because I love them!

Hope the viewing goes well.
 
SpottyTB said:
That's really good to hear! I am leaning more and more towards him! What sort of price would be normal for a 14.3/15hh REG Arab (his breeding lines are in the breed forum) 4 years old, acceptionally pretty :p, i dont want to pay to much and tbh i dont think i will but what price would you say? baring in mind he's shown and done well..
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Its hard to say from your description, slightly taller Arabs are usually a bit easier to sell. Having said that I think it is a buyers market at the moment so take a large chunk off the asking price!

Have a look at the Arabian Lines Forum, in the sales section will give you an idea.
 
Fairytale said:
Breeding looks ok to me :) Crabbet/Egyptian if I'm not mistaken. Give him a go, I would!!! :D
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having a little looky tomorrow afternoon, taking deposit with us just in case :p, its so bad, i love him already and my mare will fall over she'll love him that much!!

Any more info/comments welcomed!
 
good luck with the viewing. I would say that the thing to remember about arabs is that they are a niche market. Having spent ten months a couple of years back looking for an arab before I found my mare I would say that there are people keen to buy a well mannered ridden arab, as a fun leisure ride rather than showing or endurance. There is no shortage of young and older unbroken arabs but this does not seem to translate into ridden horses available for sale, and so those can therefore command a good price even though they tend to appeal to a limited number of potential buyers.

Of course it may be that the reason there are so few decent arabs for sale is that people cannot bear to sell them because a good one is so beautiful, fun and personable: I know my mare will stay with me.
 
Real leg-at-each-corner, all-rounder, bombproof, family friend arabs who have done a bit of everything are pretty sellable. You've only got to look at arabian lines - there aren't that many of them for sale which says a lot. There are a lot of youngsters that have done nowt (apart from been twirled and psyched) but not many established horses.

Just a word of warning - if this is a leg-at-each-corner, all-rounder, bombproof, family friend arab, you will fall in love with it and you won't want to sell it when the year is up ;)

Arab pricing is weird though. The amount of ££££ doesn't related to the quality of horse or potential of the horse at all. Fashionable bloodlines will fetch more, but fashionable doesn't necessarily mean better. However, if you can get this horse out there and doing stuff, it widens your market from just the 'arab people' and brings you into the realms of the 15 hand all rounder that everyone apparently wants....

A good arab should be calm enough to live in your tent, but firey and brave enough to take you to war. Remember that when you're looking and you won't go far wrong. A spooky neurotic war horse is no good to anyone.
 
Thank you to the last few commenters, all Of what you said makes perfect sense to me and I shall remember that tomorrow.

Im feeling a little bit off about it now, I want a project and when I advertised I thought it was obvious that I was after a project- she contacted me.

She texted me tonight asking what I intended to do with him, I answered saying; backing, breaking, riding on and then sell in a year (to a friend- not certain, in fact quite un likely) but I just feel quite guilty. I will definitely ensure he has a good home when I do sell him and I also will do a home check. Should I feel bad? She wants him to go to a loving permanent home but I have told her I will see in a year (poss to a friend) and she still said 'c u tomorrow'. Ah :(
 
Tough call - I think you are right to be honest with her that you plan to sell him on but do feel for her as she obviously cares where he goes and wants to find him as most of us do a permanent home.

My mare is half Arab and she has formed such a strong bond with me I do feel they are a highly sensitive breed and are much better for a long term home. I am sure you would take the time to find him the right home so maybe she just needs that reassurance which is hard to do over the phone and much better in person.

Enjoy tomorrow :D pics please :)

ps you may fall for him and keep him anyway lol
 
I put a wanted ad on arabian lines and got offered some at eye watering prices, eg £6k for a 6yr old, lovely looking but basically backed and ridden away.
very very few being sold that are actually all rounders, seen a bit of life (sadly!)
 
As far as I can gather she's been trying to sell him since august and can't seem to sell him- youngster/un broken wont sell quick. She's got a new born baby and I think about 4/5 horses, she's downsizing before the winter.. I could offer him a good home, plenty of grass, an education - which I feel would open more oppatunitys in the future for him to get the best possible home..

I'm not trying to make money - or though a few bob ontop of my expenses would be nice. It's a hobby I enjoy and due to me having a year free I thought i'd fill it with a project. In his ad she has put ideal project..

I suppose all I can do is explain my plans and reassure her. There is a very strong chance I'll keep him for myself.. Would not be the first time:)
 
I'd say go see him, and just be honest with her, at least your willing to put in the time and effort and give him a good home and if later down the line you do decide to sell at least hes had the best start (but being honest you'll probably end up keeping him!!!). Sounds like she doesnt have the time now for him and she will probably want him to go somewhere good.

Good Luck!
 
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Yes i think honesty is the best policy, he'd actually go quite nicely along side my other youngster, but we'll see, It's not like i'm going to shift him off in 6 weeks time - that's precisely why I've chosen a more lively type because I want at least 6 months to get him going and then to perfect how he goes 6 months more...:D I like me a challenge! Not long now, if I buy him I'll post photo's.. but will up date you all anyway!
 
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