Selling Yearlings

[dominobrown]

I have retained last years foals over winter. Both May foals.
I am looking to sell them but they are fluffy and I just don't think they look great. They have been wormed, vaccinated and taught to be led and groomed etc. Both standing at about 14.2hh to make around 16.2hh, both warmblood sport horse types.
When is the best time to sell? should I wait until summer when they are little sleeker and maybe pop out to a few inland shows? Are they worth trying to sell as yearlings at all?
Also I would be interested to know how much yearlings are worth/ should I wait until they 2?
I maybe should of got them sold when they were cute little foals. I know its hard to guess prices but don't want give details about breeding/ etc here.
Also best place to advertise youngsters?

 

[ihatework]

Sorry to burst any bubble but yearlings and 2yo are notoriously hard to sell unless very competitively priced.

This time of year don’t bother. Wait until they are out of winter woolies and looking slightly more attractive.

If you want to send me their bloodlines and a picture I’ll have a stab at valuing them for you.

 

[TheMule]

Yearlings don’t sell well at all, you can try, but otherwise keep till 3 if you want to get their true value

 

[dominobrown]

Sorry to burst any bubble but yearlings and 2yo are notoriously hard to sell unless very competitively priced.

This time of year don’t bother. Wait until they are out of winter woolies and looking slightly more attractive.

If you want to send me their bloodlines and a picture I’ll have a stab at valuing them for you.

Don't think you are bursting any bubbles! seems like people will be more willing to buy a foal than a yearling. They look like fluff balls, they have been coming in a nights but out every day in any weather, and unfortunately are at the stage where they are massively bum high, one is chunkier and one is so leggy. think they will make nice horses but you need to use your imagination at the minute!

 

[dominobrown]

I just mention I did start horses for a living for a long while and work in bloodstock so breaking\ handling etc doesn't bother me (I mean I wouldn't have to send them away to start etc), have broken in around 100 or so horses. sold my last homebred rising 5. He was a PITA as a youngster but when started under saddle and then over fences really came into his own and really changed into a pleasant horse.

Do you think the next most desirable phase is rising 3 unbroken? Or would people prefer them started?
I don't want to 'advertise' but they weren't cheap stallions they were bred to.

 

[ihatework]

If they haven’t gone as a foal then you kind of have to assume you are stuck with them until 3/4.

Sometimes there are buyers - I mean this time 3 years ago I was starting to look at 1&2 yo but it was mostly because I knew I could get very good value for money with world class bloodlines.

ETA advertise unbroken at 3. If you don’t get any takers back late summer and try again.

 

[Equi]

Do you need to sell? If you do get them out showing this year but don’t expect much price wise. If you don’t, keep them until 4 and have been green broke.

 

[dominobrown]

If they haven’t gone as a foal then you kind of have to assume you are stuck with them until 3/4.

Sometimes there are buyers - I mean this time 3 years ago I was starting to look at 1&2 yo but it was mostly because I knew I could get very good value for money with world class bloodlines.

ETA advertise unbroken at 3. If you don’t get any takers back late summer and try again.

Yeh I have bought 2 years olds often as bargain project before 2.
Probably with breeding and costs etc there will be little/ no profit at selling at 4/5k.

 

[ihatework]

Yeh I have bought 2 years olds often as bargain project before 2.
Probably with breeding and costs etc there will be little/ no profit at selling at 4/5k.

Yes, gutting huh!

 

[dominobrown]

Do you need to sell? If you do get them out showing this year but don’t expect much price wise. If you don’t, keep them until 4 and have been green broke.

I need the money ideally but its a bit of complicated situation. I am in the process of packing up the livery yard and getting a new job out of horses. I am unsure in the mean time how that leaves me, certainly I will have more time but it depends on how much I will save/ loose having liveries. If I have job out of horses, I still have 12 stable 25 acre yard to 'hobby' breed on. Only worrying thing is how quickly I can progress in a new career to support that but since livery was operating at loss most of the time anyways I should be able to at least devote more time to youngsters.

 

[Green Bean]

Just jumping on this thread with nothing useful but I would have thought there would have been a market for unspoilt 1 and 2 year olds. I understand people want a ready to start horse but would have thought breeding would speak for itself. If they have great bloodlines surely that is what is being sold? If I had the time and money, that is the age I would be looking at as you have time to bring them up with the best of care rather than hoping that the breeder would work on manners, feet, reducing chance of injuries, loading etc. All those things that we cry about when we buy a horse 'with a history'

 

[Equi]

Well the beauty of them being the age they are is you can effectively turn them away until they are 3, no need to over handle them. That gives you time to get your job going, maybe get another foal or two on the ground and have a year between to focus on getting these two going while other foals mature.

 

[TheMule]

You will get more money at 3, but they also have to survive that long and not get into too many dramas in the meantime. If you ideally need to sell then accepting a bit less than ideal might be the smarter financial move longer term anyway

 

[dominobrown]

I think somewhere they could be 'long term' advertised, so they are on the market, would accept a sensible offer, not like £1500 (!), but be in no mad rush to sell.
Correct me if wrong but the 'auctions' in the UK selling sport horses never seem to do very well. I think they are better for continental dressage bred stuff, one of mine is more SJ bred, other eventing bred. I think people like to see them loose jump but loose jumping youngsters is a bit *cringe* for me, personally I am a bit put off watching videos of 2/3 year old massively over jumping on a lane being chased about and not sure howe many of those 'loose jumpers' actually go on to do much.

 

[eggs]

I was always told to sell as foals or wait until they are 3. However as The Mule said above, it might be better to cut your losses now and try to sell them. I lost three of my three year olds for unrelated issues so speak from bitter experience although none of them were going to be soldl

 

[maya2008]

My rising 2 year olds are worth the same as they were as yearlings, despite the cost of keep between then and now. They’ll be worth a bit more at rising 3 (but not enough to cover the cost of keep for their ‘childhood’) and a lot more once backed. Sorry to be pessimistic!

I worked out that the cost of keeping a 12hh pony from birth to 3yo is at least £3000 (living out, renting land). You couldn’t sell an unbacked 3yo of that size for that price if you coated it in gold and gave it wings! Everyone wants something that is cheap (so the breeder makes a loss) or perfectly mannered age 5+ (definitely a loss when you add in further keep and cost of time to produce that kind of horse/pony). Yours will cost more to keep and be worth more, but still I doubt there’s much/any profit in it.

Anyway…I would sell as soon as the summer coat is in, and they in a not-too-fugly growth stage. Emphasise breeding and competitive expectations, a show or two is always good.

 

[Horseysheepy]

I've bought three yearlings since COVID prices put me out of the rising three-year old price bracket!
So there are buyers out there possibly?

 

[TheHairyOne]

Is this why i cant find many 2 year olds advertised anywhere?! My sister and I have bought 4 between us over the years and I am tentatively looking for another to put out with the yards youngstock herd for 12 months or so then stick in our small herd when the old man has to be let go. If the old man does another 2 years not really any bother waiting to move him to the herd then Ive a ready to back 4 year old!

Dont want a 3 year old as leaving till 5 wouldnt be ideal, and dont want to put a yearling in with a bunch of 2/3 year olds.

 

[Gloi]

I prefer to look at yearlings/2yos rather than anything older and unbroken. With older ones unless I know and trust the seller there's always the chance of not buying an unbroken one but rather one someone has tried and failed with and are keeping quiet about it.

 

[daffy44]

I've bought yearlings, but only because I know its a good way of getting a bargain. If I was the one selling, I'd sell as a foal or as an unbacked three yr old.

 

[ihatework]

Just jumping on this thread with nothing useful but I would have thought there would have been a market for unspoilt 1 and 2 year olds. I understand people want a ready to start horse but would have thought breeding would speak for itself. If they have great bloodlines surely that is what is being sold? If I had the time and money, that is the age I would be looking at as you have time to bring them up with the best of care rather than hoping that the breeder would work on manners, feet, reducing chance of injuries, loading etc. All those things that we cry about when we buy a horse 'with a history'

I get what you are saying but I suppose it depends what you mean by a market! There is a market but on the whole a market that doesn’t expect to pay what it has cost to get the young horse to that point.

I’ve got one due any day. To get to a weaned foal this will be the approximate cost (which does not include the not insignificant cost of buying in the dam as a yearling and keeping her until weaning as a late 4yo)

Stud fee - 2k
Shipping and papers - £200
Pre breeding costs (exam/swabs/strangles test) - £150
Vets fees and livery (1 chilled cycle) £500
October scan £100
Vaccination (EHVx3, RV x 3) £400
Foaling livery - 8 weeks plus foaling fee (approx £1500)
Post foaling vet fees (check, Igg, passport markings, microchipping, dna) £300
Passport £100
Routine foal worming/trimming £200

So around the 5.5k mark for a weaned foal done well. Keep for a winter to sell as a yearling 6-7k?

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

I prefer to look at yearlings/2yos rather than anything older and unbroken. With older ones unless I know and trust the seller there's always the chance of not buying an unbroken one but rather one someone has tried and failed with and are keeping quiet about it.

This exactly ! Once I had my own land I bought nearly all of mine as unspoilt 1/2/3 year olds ( ranging from well handled to pretty well feral ) because I like to do all the basics and breaking myself ! Actually much easier than dealing with someone elses failed attempt ! A lot of youngsters seem to go through an ugly duckling phase as yearlings though , so for a buyer it can be hard to visualise what you'll end up with ( defo helps if you know the breeding ) ! As a result I've had some absolute bargains with fugly babies who have turned into swans ! You do get a much better idea of what they're going to mature into with a 2/3yo so I would expect to pay more for a nice 2/3 yo .

 

[Gloi]

This exactly ! Once I had my own land I bought nearly all of mine as unspoilt 1/2/3 year olds ( ranging from well handled to pretty well feral ) because I like to do all the basics and breaking myself ! Actually much easier than dealing with someone elses failed attempt ! A lot of youngsters seem to go through an ugly duckling phase as yearlings though , so for a buyer it can be hard to visualise what you'll end up with ( defo helps if you know the breeding ) ! As a result I've had some absolute bargains with fugly babies who have turned into swans ! You do get a much better idea of what they're going to mature into with a 2/3yo so I would expect to pay more for a nice 2/3 yo .

My current pony who I bought as a foal was the fugliest yearling ever

 

[southerncomfort]

If I'm buying a youngster, I'd rather buy as a 2 year old.

I'm not that keen on 3 year olds, but bought my last as a 4 year blank canvas straight from his breeder and would do that again.

 

[tda]

If they haven’t gone as a foal then you kind of have to assume you are stuck with them until 3/4.

Sometimes there are buyers - I mean this time 3 years ago I was starting to look at 1&2 yo but it was mostly because I knew I could get very good value for money with world class bloodlines.

ETA advertise unbroken at 3. If you don’t get any takers back late summer and try again.

Agree with this, just waiting for my two yearling Colts to be ready for gelding, then they will have to go back in the herd til they are 3. Plus they've gone gangly so not the most attractive atm

 

[millitiger]

How are they bred?

I bought a yearling last year, however his sire's stud fee made up around 30% of the price I paid so he was sold at a loss- he is very correct and flashy and has lovely breeding so I'm pleased but the breeder probably less so!

 

[Ali27]

I bought a just turned 2 year old (ID with 1/8 welsh) last July for 3.5k and she was pretty much unhandled but that’s what I wanted, a complete blank slate! I’m loving doing all the groundwork and will start her under saddle next Spring when she is 4! There are lots of people who want youngsters!

 

[gallopingby]

I think it’s best to sell as a foal or possibly a yearling when a youngster should have been well handled and maybe out to a couple of shows. These days l see little benefit in selling as a 4 year old. At this age people expect a horse to have been broken, which will have cost time = money, plus you’ll have ‘experienced’ novice riders turning up for a free ride. Maybe abit cynical but you really need to try and cover the costs unless you just breed for your self / family.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

I like youngsters. I've purchased 2 yearlings, one in 1994, who became my riding pony and stayed 27yrs. The other I bought last year who will hopefully my next rider.

If selling them I'd wait a few months until they have shed their coats. Getting them out somewhere isn't essential in my opinion but it depends how you intend marketing them.

Yearlings are trickier to sell but there are people who do buy youngsters. Personally I prefer a blank canvas. I think you either need to sell as foals or be resigned to the fact that you may end up keeping them til they're backed.

 

[dominobrown]

How are they bred?

I bought a yearling last year, however his sire's stud fee made up around 30% of the price I paid so he was sold at a loss- he is very correct and flashy and has lovely breeding so I'm pleased but the breeder probably less so!

One is by Comfort, other Future Hepsilon both out of sport horse mares (kwpn, Irish, tb lines, don‘t want to say too much, but recorded breeding etc, relatively well bred etc)