When did ex-racers get so expensive

[Henry02]

Browsing through various adverts... prices up to £2k for a horse just out of racing with very minimal re-training

 

[SpotsandBays]

The horse market at the moment all around is just mental

 

[Frumpoon]

Browsing through various adverts... prices up to £2k for a horse just out of racing with very minimal re-training

when people finally realised how absolutely awesome they are

however silly amateur jokers doing minimal reschooling and asking £6k plus makes me chuckle

 

[ycbm]

I don't think 2k is expensive for a sound sane horse of any breed. I was reschooling them and selling them for c£2,500 in the early 90's when that was worth about twice as much as it is today.
.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I still can’t get over £350 for a bog standard tabby Tom cat I saw advertised the other day so if it has 4 legs and is breathing it’s going to have a hefty price tag nowadays!

 

[Henry02]

when people finally realised how absolutely awesome they are

however silly amateur jokers doing minimal reschooling and asking £6k plus makes me chuckle

all the ex-racers I’ve had have required a fortune spending on them in vets/dentists/physios to sort out problems they have picked up during racing. (Or in the case of the dentist clearly never bothered using one.)

hence why I wouldn’t been keen on spending much money on one, as they are likely to need a lot of help

 

[TheMule]

Perhaps if horses coming out of racing have more value then they are less likely to go people who just want a cheap horse but aren’t necessarily experienced enough to do a decent job. They're also likely to have a bit more invested in them towards the end of their racing career by the owners/ trainers to ensure that they have a successful next career.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I don't think 2k is expensive for a sound sane horse of any breed. I was reschooling them and selling them for c£2,500 in the early 90's when that was worth about twice as much as it is today.
.

I was selling ones i retrained then for similar or more. Usually having taken a job lot of 4 for under 1k at a time. Obs not all worked out...

 

[stormox]

Whatever the breed a nice sound horse will make good money. And why not? I have had several horses out of training and they can be excellent at any job.

 

[criso]

The market for the right type of ex racer was not far off that when i was shopping a few years back. A gelding between 4 and 8, over 16h but not too big, lightly raced so he qualifies for ROR and retired because no good not through physical issues.

I follow a couple of people on fb who rehome directly and they know what they have and price accordingly. They know horses and can tell which have potential for a good competitive career, which are more of a happy hacker and which to push towards horseball or polo.

 

[ihatework]

The good ones have always been 2K+ off the track

The risky/ier ones have been the cheap ones

 

[Scotsbadboy]

The good ones have always been 2K+ off the track

The risky/ier ones have been the cheap ones

This.

You pay for what you get and sadly the ex racer market has been a hot bed for neglect, wrong owners and badly treated thoroughbreds for a long time! Why shouldnt a nice sound, often young, athletic horse be worth a minimum of 2k?

 

[dorsetladette]

A lady I know sold an ex racer in the summer. She raced it from her yard, then started reschooling. Advertised at £2500 but had no interest. Took the advert down and carried on schooling for a month or so. Re advertised at £4500 and finally took £5000 as the buyer couldn't view straight away but didn't want to miss out on the horse to other potential buyers. So basically bought unseen. I think horse was vetted before he tried or viewed it in the flesh. The market is crazy, but lets face it its not cheap to produce a horse to a decent standard is it?

 

[Flicker]

I would pay very strong money for a sound, well schooled ex-racer, having had one before. They make fantastic riding horses and are very loving. In South Africa, the majority of riding horses when I was a kid were ex-racers and most of them had been restarted very well. My first horse at 13 was an OTTB - my dad bought him off a mate, knowing nothing about horses. He saved my bacon on a number of occasions out SJ, did a very sweet dressage test, hacked alone with me for hours on end, and followed me like a dog in the field. His previous owners had done a really wonderful job with him when he finished racing. And he could shift when he wanted to!!

They can be a bit more fiddly in terms of keeping them comfortable, but if you have a decent farrier, a sensible routine, and take the time to get to know their needs, this is very manageable.

What does make me incredibly sad is seeing a lot of bin-end ex-racers picked up cheap by complete novices over here. There have been one or two arrive at my yard, clearly lame, ridden by riders far too heavy for them and just a mess. YO and YM have been very good with their novice owners and gently suggested that the pairing may not be in the horse or owner’s best interests. One went to a lovely hacking home and the other I think was retired or PTS.

There are some very good charities that rehome ex-racers and I would always enquire there first. They do a good job with reschooling and will be able to place horses in suitable homes, paired with suitable riders. But, if an ex-racer is coming from a sensible seller who has committed time and work into turning them into a nice horse, then they are definitely worth at least as much as any other breed or type out there.

 

[Goldenstar]

The good ones have always been 2K+ off the track

The risky/ier ones have been the cheap ones

I think any well comformed sound youngish TB with a nice mind under 5k should be the bargain that any keen young competent rider who wants to event should be sniffing out .
Sharp and quick to learn, developing one properly with the right trainers will teach someone so so much
The downside is that the running costs can be high for a TB .
Lots come up on my FB and it’s the one thing that makes me pissed off I am old I saw one just before Christmas that looked right up my street .
I still have my last TB ,on loan with a friend I have an empty stable for him just in case when I read threads about loans going wrong and horses coming back on here there’s a little bit of me that almost wishes I get a call about him but he’s very happy in his job now it suits him better than here .

 

[humblepie]

I was fortunately given my current one free as an 8 year old I often look at him and think how much he would have cost if not an ex racehorse. He has excellent confirmation movement and quality has scores BD in the 70%s, holds his own and wins non RoR showing including 3rd in a mixed championship at the British show horse nationals. i think it is good that there is a strong market price which reflects the quality of the individual horse.

 

[sherry90]

I’m glad - it means less numpties likely to pick them up at a ‘bargain’ price. I am seeing so many comments from people wanting an elusive all rounder (the type of horses that are hard to come by) for 2.5k, it just doesn’t happen that often. I’d expect to pay 2.5k for something green that needs bringing on, if I wanted something ready made I’d be looking at atleast 4K+. I often think some horse people just don’t understand supply and demand.