Overpriced TB's

[FabioandFreddy]

As i'm perusing the sale ads on a daily basis, i've noticed there seems to be a lot of ex racers for sale with rather hefty price tags. The one's i've seen have been priced between £4-5k and just had basic retraining of a bit of schooling and popping a small jump. Most not even competing! This is over priced right? I often wonder how people think up prices for horses they're selling as realism sometimes doesn't seem to come into the equation sometimes!

Not looking for an ex racer, just happened to notice lots of this sort popping up in the searchs.

 

[guido16]

You are probably right but I will add my two pence worth.
What annoys me, I have a lovely event bred TB, for sale, professionally produced, going really nicely and people think he should be the same "low" price as an ex racer!!!!!

Where is the sense!!

 

[millitiger]

Yes, they sound like very stupid prices.

We all know ex-racers can only be worth £5 tops regardless of temperament, scope, potential, rideability etc.

 

[FabioandFreddy]

You are probably right but I will add my two pence worth.
What annoys me, I have a lovely event bred TB, for sale, professionally produced, going really nicely and people think he should be the same "low" price as an ex racer!!!!!

Where is the sense!!

See we went to see one similar sounding to yours - professionally re-trained, out competing. We thought he was fairly priced at £4k but OH didn't really gel with him.

If there's a reason behind the price then wouldn't discount them at all, but some people seem to think if they buy cheap and put in 3-4 months of basics they can then sell for a ridiculous price after!

 

[Goldenstar]

There are TB' s and TB's a weedy individual with poor conformation not a straight mover not that well trained but able to walk trot and canter able to jump a small fence verses a beauifully put together straight moving individual well started with all the basics in place showing a lovely jump with event horse stamped all over it.
Both TB's both the same age very different values.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Agree, there is nothing more lovely than a good stamp of TB and nothing more offputting to look at than a badly put together one!

 

[Suziq77]

The RoR and TARRA showing classes are very popular - an ex racer with good conformation and good basic schooling can totally justify a decent price tag IMO.

It really saddens me how out of favour TBs seem to have become, they are the most beautiful animals and make a much better all rounder than many of the more 'fashionable' breeds people seem to favour these days

 

[FabioandFreddy]

Agree Goldenstar, seem to be a lot that confuse the first with the second though!

 

[ghostie]

I paid £4k for mine recently and he is worth every penny Nicely schooled with a lovely natural outline, good paces, easy to do and loves his work - was nicer than every other horse (all non TBs) I looked at for the same money or more

 

[DragonSlayer]

If someone is prepared to pay the given price, then that's fine.

A horse is worth what someone is willing to pay surely?

 

[FabioandFreddy]

I think half the issue is that people think there's a quick buck to be made so there are a lot out there that haven't been particularly well re-trained by people who want rid as quickly as possible to turn a profit.

It is a shame that the good ones get over looked. We said absolutely no TB's - then ended up with Freddy who was super! Very laid back and a nice character.

There are a lot of horses that seem overpriced on a supposed buyers market at the minute though, just that these have caught my eye!

 

[Princess Jess]

I agree there does seem to be a perception that just because its a TB it should be going cheap, which is ridiculous as many of them a quality animals.
Whilst there are certainly many cheap 'poor quality' ex-racers out there, there are also some that are very well put together with good potential to event/show etc. Most racehorse trainers are knowledgible enough to spot which ex-racers have potential as eventers and price them accordingly...

 

[Goldenstar]

Agree, there is nothing more lovely than a good stamp of TB and nothing more offputting to look at than a badly put together one!

Exactly a good one is a joy to look at and to ride.

 

[Jesstickle]

It really saddens me how out of favour TBs seem to have become, they are the most beautiful animals and make a much better all rounder than many of the more 'fashionable' breeds people seem to favour these days

Me too And I own one of each as well. I know which I prefer!

 

[AmyMay]

A nicely put together young horse, doing all the right things riding wise is worth what someone will pay for it. Just because its a tb, it shouldn't be devalued.

 

[guido16]

And the problem is, they are so out of favour as people just presume they will be like an ex racer, not realising the two are VERY different!

For those that don't know TBs, they really are the most honest horse and like mine, ARE NOT crazy, hypo maniacs! My TB is more laid back than my ID...

This is a subject close to my heart that really rips my knitting...

 

[Cuppatea]

if a horse (whatever it has/hasn't done before) has potenial to go on to do very well why shouldnt it be priced like that? Look at the yearling sales(any breed - jumpers, dresage etc) - theyve done NOTHING except stay alive for one year and can go for seriously high prices because of their potential.

 

[marmalade76]

Someone on my yard has just paid £3k for a green ten year old mare. She's never been in training so not elegable for ROR, not nice enough to show, not a bad hack but won't do gates, very green in the school and over fences and not quiet out in the field or in the stable. She did pass the vet though! To me, this horse was way over priced regardless of it's breed and I've seen less green TBs with better mannners for sale at a fraction of the price.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I have to say there is a world of difference between someting bred/produced to event and something someones got for nowt spent 3/4 months riding then tries to sell on for a profit.

I know which one Id pay the money for was I that sort of person

 

[guido16]

I have to say there is a world of difference between someting bred/produced to event and something someones got for nowt spent 3/4 months riding then tries to sell on for a profit.

I know which one Id pay the money for was I that sort of person

I just wish that buyers would realise this!

 

[Goldenstar]

And the problem is, they are so out of favour as people just presume they will be like an ex racer, not realising the two are VERY different!

For those that don't know TBs, they really are the most honest horse and like mine, ARE NOT crazy, hypo maniacs! My TB is more laid back than my ID...

This is a subject close to my heart that really rips my knitting...

What's the issue with horses out of training ? with the correct retraining they can make fabulous competion horses or in the case of the less athletic lovely all rounders .
people who retrain them well deserve to recieve a good price for them.

 

[winterhorses2]

What's the issue with horses out of training ? with the correct retraining they can make fabulous competion horses or in the case of the less athletic lovely all rounders .
people who retrain them well deserve to recieve a good price for them.

Well said. I'm currently on my 6th ex-racer that i have either owned or ridden and they too are NOT crazy hyper maniacs. I'm not a dealer but surely an ex racer properly re schooled and with a good temprament should be worth the same sort of price as an unraced tb?

 

[Goldenstar]

Well said. I'm currently on my 6th ex-racer that i have either owned or ridden and they too are NOT crazy hyper maniacs. I'm not a dealer but surely an ex racer properly re schooled and with a good temprament should be worth the same sort of price as an unraced tb?

I would rather have a well trained horse who had come out of training than a bolsy indulged homebred any day.

 

[Buds_mum]

Personally I sold a tb last year.

He trained for the two year olds but was too slow, I bought him for meat money at rising 2. Broke him at 3.5 and sold him at 4.5.

Loveliest person you could wish to meet, very honest, abit 'tb'ish at times and a total clutz.

Showed promise on the flat and hacked out very well, very traffic proof. I never jumped him but he's a horse so I was sure he would pop a fence.

He was (is) stunning, bright chestnut, four even white socks, straight as a dime, lovely head and filling out beautifully.

Put his advert on with lots of pretty pretty photos and a price tag of £1500. I have never had to deal with so many idiots, timewasters and tyre kickers in my entire life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just idiots, 'is he a mother daughter share', 'I want to event this season' 'my son is 10 and a brilliant rider' 'would he carry 15 stone' aaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhh!!!

The only sensible veiwing I got was when the phonecall started with ''why is he so cheap?''. She bought him and they are doing fantastically!!

I wish I had put him for 2.5 - 3k really, not for the money it was a geniune home more important for price sale but because imo after that experience the majority of people looking for a cheap horse are idiots! (mind my complete generlisation(sp?) but i'm still fuming after a year lol)

Just because its a tb does not mean its not worth what a genuine sensible buyer wants to pay for it, it shouldn't have to go to the lowest bidder.

I see nowdays far more badly put together 'hairies' which are overpriced due to being 'safe', but thats another thread
Just to add if he had been anything other than a tb he'd of been nearer 4 - 5k easily! But this tb reputation just puts there price down so much...

 

[FabioandFreddy]

See i'm not talking about the good TB's with good confo, good paces and well re-trained. I get why they could be priced at £4-5k. I've actually seen some very nice ones priced around £2-2500k that any other breed would probably be priced higher! I mean the ones that aren't any of the above that people put the word 're-trained' on and hope to get a ridiculous mark up on what they've paid.

You can get equally good an ex-racer as a non raced TB too. Fred had raced (albeit he wasn't very good!) and was very sensible. People are quick to label them as lunatics when they're not - not all of them anyway!

 

[Littlelegs]

I think its pretty sad, if it was another breed then people wouldn't argue the value. It's just this silly preconceived idea some people have that all tbs are dangerous lunatics that are rarely sound, die if not stabled 24/7, & are too fragile to be any use. And if I had £1 for everytime I've heard that ex racers are difficult to hack & bad in traffic, 'because they've only ever raced' I'd be a millionaire.

 

[TicTac]

The RoR and TARRA showing classes are very popular - an ex racer with good conformation and good basic schooling can totally justify a decent price tag IMO.

It really saddens me how out of favour TBs seem to have become, they are the most beautiful animals and make a much better all rounder than many of the more 'fashionable' breeds people seem to favour these days

Well I have just bought myself an ex racer. An irish Tb and I have to say that he is a kind and genuine chap with paces to die for, forward going with out being a nutter and a very well put together chap. I reckin he'd give any warmblood a run for it's money!

 

[Jesstickle]

Well I have just bought myself an ex racer.

O have you now I think we all need a picture!

 

[cptrayes]

OK, a bit of realism. Yes a good horse is a good horse, and of course there are exceptions to every rule, BUT

Thoroughbreds -

- tend to need a vet callout for the tiniest knocks and bumps and tend not to be the most robust horses to keep. If there is an injury to be found, they will find it.

- tend not to live as long as other breeds of horse. I would say that they typically have a working life at least 5 years shorter than more solid makes of horse.

- tend to cost more in food to keep because they are not normally good doers.

- of 100 TB's more of them will be idiots, especially out in company, than you will find in 100 horses of any other breeding (except perhaps Anglo Arabs which can pick up the worst of each breed). That doesn't mean you don't get plenty of great TBs but you won't necessarily know whether you've got one of the idiots or not until you get it home. The risk is therefore higher in buying a TB than other breeds.


Ex flat racers -

- have usually been broken and shod at or before 2 years old and tend to have ruined feet and even worse life expectancy than TBs as a whole.

Ex jumpers -

- have done a lot of heavy duty work if they have done several seasons and are much more likely than other horses of their age to have arthritis and other work related problems.

- are quite likely to have fallen at speed at some time during their career and can have hidden injuries which catch up with them as they get older.


In my opinion, most people who just want a nice RC horse would be better off long term with a 3/4 TB 1/4 ID than a pure TB, especially a pure TB off the track. And that's why they tend to be cheap, because supply is plentiful and demand is low.


Of course there are exceptions to every rule.

 

[McNally]

A good friend of mine paid 5K for her ex racer a few years ago- at the time we thought she was nuts however now she has the most amazing horse who if i had the money id pay that and more for (sadly i dont!)
He's competing and cleaning up. Eventing, dressage, team chase, hunted and proven fab at everything. Then my daughters also been hacking him from the age of 9 (her not the horse he's younger!)
Priceless.