Is the horse market getting worse?

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angel7

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Just wondering what folks think of the market just now? Please note I am in no way advertizing these horses just giving examples of what I found in my area.
Youngsters seem to be particularly bad... Lots of nice sorts on horsequest and adhorse for little money.
I went to see a comtois filly today, 2yr british bred quality one I always fancied and know the full history of. Very little handled and 15h already. Breeder wanted 1K for it a year ago, now going for half that a year later...
I also went to a local dealer for comparision as I am thinking about a project. Found a nice couple I'm thinking about.
1yo Reg Highland X Sports horse gelding, 15h already, halter broke only and very athletic looking, dealer wanted £550.
4yo Reg Sec D X TB gelding, 16h to make 16.2h as bum high, halterbroke only, make nice middleweight hunter type, unblemished and fully papered, wanted £750.
I was really shocked at how cheap he was, these were in show condition just needing handled. 2 Years ago the same dealer was selling Reg Sec D's 2 year old colts unhandled, all colours, for £650!!
I see reams of horses advertized but how many are actually selling?
 
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The market for ponies is dire, worse for youngsters, its all horrible at the moment!
When I put my show pony mare in foal (to a HOYs winner) I was pretty much guaranteed a 1.5/2k foal unless something awful went wrong....as a yearling, and after being advertised everywhere, my county level plus filly has just been sold to her sire's owner for a heartbreakingly pitiful price, but at least I dont have to find the money to keep her - she was never ment to stay with me to this age, and I am finding keeping all of them a struggle!
I was chatting to a show producer/dealer friend the other day, and she told me she can pick up very smart, in the ribbons ponies for as little as £80 at the moment. Ridden horses are more expensive, but unbroken youngsters are 10 a penny it seems.
Theres no way I would be breeding in this climate, I only wish I had the money to buy a couple of these beautifully bred, cheap as chips youngsters!
On the other hand, the high end of the market, the 25/30k DR horses I work with are still selling well, and retaining their value....its swings and roundabouts!
 
Dealers I spoke to agrees with you rosehips. He said he had stopped buying 10 -13h ponies last year as they were taking forever to sell (he usually sells stuff in 1 -10 days).
He said he was only buying the odd small cute thing or wierdly marked hairies, as people were still buying something a little different.

Even coloured prices are slipping into silly money.
Demand for ridden horses remains high and he actually struggles to find sound and safe sorts as the market is flooded with "lame nutters" in his words!
He says he has tried out many unusual cross breds with the likes of friesians, andalusians, lipizanners (sp), fjiords and halflingers, and they look pretty but tend to be difficult to deal with generally- one extreme or the other in his experience. I can't comment on this.

Riding schools especially are calling him daily looking for 16.2h plods safe for novices. When he gets a good un its sold the same day!
I'm up north so maybe things are not this bad down south?
 
I haven't cruised the net for a few weeks as I've got a horse on trial but I did take a peek yesterday and it looked to me like prices had dropped again even for ridden horses.
 
angel7 said:
Just wondering what folks think of the market just now? Please note I am in no way advertizing these horses just giving examples of what I found in my area.
Youngsters seem to be particularly bad... Lots of nice sorts on horsequest and adhorse for little money.
I went to see a comtois filly today, 2yr british bred quality one I always fancied and know the full history of. Very little handled and 15h already. Breeder wanted 1K for it a year ago, now going for half that a year later...
I also went to a local dealer for comparision as I am thinking about a project. Found a nice couple I'm thinking about.
1yo Reg Highland X Sports horse gelding, 15h already, halter broke only and very athletic looking, dealer wanted £550.
4yo Reg Sec D X TB gelding, 16h to make 16.2h as bum high, halterbroke only, make nice middleweight hunter type, unblemished and fully papered, wanted £750.
I was really shocked at how cheap he was, these were in show condition just needing handled. 2 Years ago the same dealer was selling Reg Sec D's 2 year old colts unhandled, all colours, for £650!!
I see reams of horses advertized but how many are actually selling?
Click to expand...

so could you pm where you are and where this dealer is?;)
 
I think the lower end of the market is indeed pretty poor.

However we're looking at the moment and I would say the type of horses that were around £6K over winter have jumped up in price. I guess many people advertising now have purposely held back to sell them in the Spring and don't "need" to sell them.
 
Agreed - bottom of the market has fallen off completely, especially for ponies I think. It's the first 'luxury' item to go for people struggling to pay the bills. Doesn't help the ponies tho'. Trouble is I see situation getting worse in some ways. People that can't sell putting them in foal!
 
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