Pricing horses for sale?

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kdoug

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On the advice of my coach, I am possibly considering selling my horse (between the bouts of tears at the thought..!) But am unsure at what a fair price for him would be. If people could please offer a ball park figure of what they'd be willing to pay after a description, it would be of huge help!

He is a 15.1hh fully registered, 9yr old Connemara gelding, with fantastic conformation (I've been advised to show working hunters on by various people as they said he's a fantastic stamp of the breed, just not been my interest!)
I bought him as a very green 6 year old so had a slightly late start in life but has been to Senior Camps, PC rallies, ODEs, Hunter Trials and all sorts over the past few years. He has a neat, scopey jump, competed at 90/95cm but happily schools 1/1.05m at home with potential to go higher. He is a sensitive ride who requires a confident, sympathetic rider as his greenness can come through in his jumping and can be slightly spooky at bold fillers, but with a strong leg (and the occasional growl!) He is jumping fairly consistently nowadays!
His flatwork is well established at home, happily works mediums, collection, lateral work and rein backs very nicely. He does however get quite tense at competitions but probably my fault as again, pure dressage hasn't been my main interest and he doesn't have a vast amount of pure dressage competition experience.
He hunted in Ireland and I plan to hunt him a bit this season.
Absolute gentleman on the ground as well, and fantastic to bath, clip, shoe, load, etc.

I think that's about it... I'm thinking a ball park figure of £5500, but would like other opinions! Thanks very much!
 
with him being spooky and tense I'd think 1500-2K max sorry! no one will really want to pay5.5K for a sensitive horse without a super competition record. you dont mention hacking? Hard to see where his market will be- competitive teens don't want a horse who is going to spook at fillers.
 
I think 5.5k is seriously over priced, sorry.

- 9 years old but no comp record
- spooky at fillers
- needs experienced rider
- gets tense at shows

The heights that he's jumping are pretty normal so he's basically an all rounder who can have a bit of a wobble!

Being a Connie you might have a slight advantage just because they're fashionable at the moment, but swap him for a Welsh D or a New Forest and I'd put it at about 2k.
 
He sounds fab and certainlya sought after sort but until he is more consistent and could be ridden by a less experienced rider I think £5.5k is a bit too much.
 
I think perhaps I've been a little mean to him in attempt to not gloss him not too much..! He's evented a season at PC novice with me (a competitive 17yr old) but you just have to be capable giving him the confidence when presented with a big challenge or question. Strong legs and eyes up, and he does fly! And again for the dressage, perhaps I've been slightly mean to him, it's not his strongest phase (as with a lot of these low level eventers!) he usually starts the test a bit above the bit but settles by the end- usually scores 35-40 depending on the judge, but I've never had higher than 40, and that was on a windy, pouring day!
As for hacking, perfect alone and in company, open fields or roads, it's more schooling he requires an experienced rider! So would you think more £4500/5000, or still a bit high until he's more confident?
 
It really depends what you mean when you say spooky and tense. If you means looks at a filler on approach and backs off a bit, and needs reassurance from the rider, that's one thing, but if you mean ducking out, slamming on the brakes, big leaps sideways as you canter past a fence with fillers, that would be a much bigger deal. Similarly with the tension - do you mean he's a bit tense and looky, or do you mean he's going up, spooking, being a bit of a nightmare?

He sounds like a lovely type, but needs a bit more on the clock - I'd aim to get him out and get some decent performances under his belt at competitions over the winter, which will probably help with the tension as well, and jump over as many scary things as you can find!
 
You say he competes at 90/95 but give no idea of how well he does, for 5.5k I would expect some good results in at least a few spheres and to see proof of those results, as you are or were a PC member has he done teams?

His breeding as a Connie is not really relevant as he is overheight so cannot be shown in the classes that would put real value on him, so he is restricted to open classes against all types and at 15.1 he is not big enough for open WH classes yet may be too big for the 153cm ones.

If he has a few decent results and is a good sensible, safe in all traffic hack then may 4.5k but if he is sensitive or nervy out hacking then lower, I would be interested in why your coach is suggesting you sell as that may have a bearing on his value.
 
ok, how often does he stop? Or run out? Does he win at 90/95? Is he affiliated at that level? Does he do ditches/water?
 
A horse like him that had a relaxed temperment could easily go for 5k imo. However because he is slightly quirky is his personality you may struggle to get that much for him, however you could produce him to make abit more. If he's quick and can turn on nothing and rarely knocks/refuses you can increase his price. I think if you get him out and about over winter, this could also add to his value a bit so long as he does resonably well, as he is talented at dressage get him to do some relaxed tests and show this off. lots of people i know are looking for eventers that are strong in the dressage, so many can go clear xc and sj but their dressage knocks them out of the placings so he could get a decent amount if thats what you wanted to advertise him as, prehaps around the 4k mark. Despite hunting when he was young in ireland he may prove to turn into a bolder pony that isnt so sensitive, I have had some hot headed warmbloods that i've been told would blow their minds if hunted, but after a few outings they learn to behave like the rest and become easy natured all rounders; not like your typicall wb at all! If funds allow it its really worth while to affiliate him because this really bumps their value up, prehaps he could compete at a meter and then people will be less picky about personality so long as they can jump a decent height, if you wanted to hold onto him a bit longer you could take him round a few BE100s and then advertise him as a grassroots potential. At the moment i think he could get 3k maybe 3.5 if your lucky, but with good breeding and some more work put into him he could get more. Good luck with selling him and it sounds like your intending to sell him after winter which is a good plan, prices always increase at the start of the eventing season till midway through. Sorry for the ramble
 
Your coach knows the horse well so will be better able to advise. If you are in PC and he is a good sort then he will be able to get 'references' from the DC and sell into a PC home.
 
If he's in excellent health, hacks and hunts well, then I'd pay 5k for him. Shame you weren't advertising him earlier this year when I was Ned hunting, I may very well have bought him.
 
Rambles are more than welcome as it's interesting to hear others thoughts! Hunting him for this season definitely sounds like a good plan then, then maybe reassess sale in the spring... I was debating over trying it this year or not! Thanks very much for all your ideas guys!
 
be positive said:
I would be interested in why your coach is suggesting you sell as that may have a bearing on his value.
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My coach said my riding abilities are good enough to take me far higher (in the least vain way possible!) and I could easily be doing Novices/ U18 Teams with something else, which is my major goal before I'll have to take a break for uni! Although my current fella is a lovely lower level horse who loves to please and work, realistically he will be happiest at 100s I think, and I wouldn't want to push him too far and ruin him when he could be fantastic and happy at that level for someone else!
 
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kdoug said:
My coach said my riding abilities are good enough to take me far higher (in the least vain way possible!) and I could easily be doing Novices/ U18 Teams with something else, which is my major goal before I'll have to take a break for uni! Although my current fella is a lovely lower level horse who loves to please and work, realistically he will be happiest at 100s I think, and I wouldn't want to push him too far and ruin him when he could be fantastic and happy at that level for someone else!
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Fair enough, you haven't got long in reality, from experience though it is not easy to find/ buy/ get going with another horse while you are doing A levels, a fair few people I know have tried and failed to succeed in the juggling act, not saying it cannot work but it is tough, if you only have next season and possibly 2018 do consider keeping him and going the grassroots/ under 18 100's, whatever they are called, route to get more experience under your belt without the stress and expense of a decent novice horse, this chap sounds as if he could do far more with you and you already know where you are with him, not saying your trainer is wrong but just putting a different viewpoint on it.
 
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