Pricing help.

[georgie0]

I have the chance to buy a horse I have just started working with. I love him but the owners have asked me what I think he is worth and I don't really have a clue! Just looking for some rough ideas.

He is 16.3, Irish gelding and 12 years old. In his youth he SJ'd in Ireland and hunted. Was brought over and then did some dressage, scoring about 67 -68% at Novice level. Since then he changed owners has had the best part of 18 months off. I rode him for the first time on Monday and he is VERY strong and 'gassy' and has some work to be done on schooling. He has been in a gag which has made him very tense and he overbends and tries to go. When I say strong, I mean you cannot touch him with your legs and keeping him steady is very tricky. I have changed him to a french link snaffle and a micklem bridle and have started gentle work asking him to relax through his back before we do anything! I think he won't take long to come 'right'; he is dramatically better for a change of bit and being ridden mainly with the seat and very light hands.

He is lovely to do everything with and a nice person, plus is well put together. Hacks etc. Any rough ballpark figures?

 

[Mongoose11]

£2k?

 

[SpringArising]

'Irish' means he could be literally anything, so he has no known breeding to speak of. And it's amazing how many horses 'have hunted' before being brought to the UK, with conveniently no evidence to prove it. He's 12, has had the last 18 months off and sounds like his schooling is at ground 0.

I wouldn't pay more than 1k for him.

 

[Shay]

I've bought a few of these over the years. Be very careful.

He's big - which often means slow to mature. They can ride them very young and very fast which is likely to mean he has at least pre-arthritic changes. Quite possibly he actually broke down at some point. He's had 18 months off. Why? And he has changed owners. What was his history with the previous owners? Why when he changed owners was he then off work for so long? Look beyond any "too bust" or "lost interest" answers. Was he lame? Too much to handle?

I'm sorry to generalise but "hunted in Ireland" often means hunted whilst still 3 or 4 and by a fairly directive male rider. They come with some often typical quirks the early part of which you are beginning to see.

I know you love him. But you should let your head rule your heart - not the other way around. Right now - not back in full work - he is unsaleable. You are possibly being taken advantage of. Once back in full work and fully fit - if he is still sound and still manageable then see if he can pass the vet. If he does - possibly £2K at current prices. But my bet would be that he can't pass the vet and as such his price is lower.

If they are sound and manageable in full work they can come good. Some of the most affectionate and lovely "people" I have had have come from that situation. And 3 or 4 years work can turn them into really nice all rounders. But they do not have long lives generally - I know there are exceptions! - and they can be walking vets bills from late teens onward. And if he doesn't come good once back in full work - or goes lame -you are going to be faced with the horrible decision to have him PTS.

If the owners will let you continue to work him whilst they pay all the bills until he is fully back in work and fully fit so you can then take a view then this is worth persisting with. (And get him vetted!!) If not -I'm afraid they have seen you coming and are looking to offload.

 

[spacefaer]

Until he's rideable, he isn't worth very much. You couldn't advertise him and get people to come and view him.

Potentially, he could be worth a reasonable amount, depending on how he takes to coming back into work, if he settles enough to be rideable at competitions for an averagely competent rider, if he settles back into hunting.

Until then.... I'd have to agree with SpringArising. If he was on the market today, I'd have to say about the 1k mark. He sounds like he could be a lot of fun though, and something I would enjoy (I hate kicking lol!)

 

[georgie0]

He is lovely and I think he has real potential. I know the owners and I have the ride on him for as long as I want. I'm not a novice, I have worked with many horses over the years and am a reasonably competent rider! I would have him fully vetted of course. He has been out of work as the lass can't manage him, he is just to much for her as she freely admits. It is a complete minefield with Irish horses obviously and I am very used to that factor but I do think that buying any horse carries real risk in that regard. He is never going to be a 'hobby' riders horse, he is a professionals ride and I think that is what would lower his price.

 

[georgie0]

Oh, during his time off he has been ridden very occasionally. Since Jan he has been ridden maybe 6 times. So he is by no means a reback case or anything extreme, his only fault is he is so tanky but never bucks/rears/ does anything more.

 

[be positive]

At 12 any potential he may have will be limited by time to prove it before he starts to show his age, that he is more of a pros ride will hold his price down as no pro will buy an unproven 12 year old to bring on, if he is what you want to have fun on then project horse money would be about all he is worth in reality so £1k max as he stands now, the fact that they cannot ride him means he is less than useless to them and will cost money to get ready to sell, depending on their circumstances they would probably be best gifting him to you to cut their losses.

 

[Clodagh]

He sounds lovely. £2k I reckon, you could end up with a superstar. I would have him vetted, at his age and with having jumped.

 

[georgie0]

Thanks everyone for your input. Its nice to have some ideas that reflect exactly what I was thinking!

 

[oldie48]

£1K, he could turn out to be the best horse ever or a complete money pit but its impossible to say until he's properly back in work and vetted!

 

[debsflo]

No more than £2000 Tops...

 

[SpringArising]

He is lovely and I think he has real potential.

Look at him as he is and not what you think he will be. He COULD have potential but don't do yourself an injustice by paying more than what he's worth now.

TBH if the owners thought he was any good they wouldn't be asking a buyer what they think he's worth (unless they're just really novice and genuinely don't care/have no idea).

 

[Micropony]

Sounds a bit like my first horse except he was a bit younger and had fancy dressage breeding. I wasn't really a good enough rider for him, but most people who would have been good enough to ride him really well would have wanted something with fewer issues and much more training. He was wonderful in many ways, but he was also a money pit and didn't make it to his 15th birthday. He was gifted to me because his previous owner recognised he was completely unsuitable for the job she wanted him for and she was totally intimidated by him on the ground and too afraid to ride him. She just wanted him to have a good home and was prepared to cut her losses. Not the obvious choice for a first horse I will admit! It did work out well for me but probably shouldn't have done IYKWIM!

 

[georgie0]

TBH the owners are just very inexperienced and genuinely don't know! Lovely people though. I have the ride of him for summer and they are in no hurry. I can do what I want with him and buy him in my own time, they just want a nice home for him where he will be used. Like I said, I am a competent, experienced rider and have worked with everything from advanced eventers through to youngsters, stallions, showjumpers and hunters. I'm no fool horse wise and balancing the risks I think he could be worth the chance. At the right price of course!

 

[Shay]

OP - best will in the world. But if you are as experienced as you now suggest why do you need help from a public forum to price a project horse?

If the current owners are happy to let you bring him back to full work and then see - then nothing lost. But in wording your original post as you did you come across as considerably less experienced than you now say you are.

 

[georgie0]

I may be experienced but I haven't bought, or sold for that matter, a horse for years! I didn't think my experience in the horse world was actually relevant information as I wanted a complete unbiased view. I had a figure in my head, I was just canvassing opinions to see if I was on the mark.

 

[georgie0]

To be fair, I worded my original post as briefly as possible to try and give the relevant information without bias. I'm sorry if that was unclear to you or that you thought I should have mentioned my experience.