It's Not Just the Cheap Horses

oregon woodsmok · #1 02/19/12, 02:38 PM

It isn't just the bottom end horses that are going cheap. Prices have seriously dropped on the upper end horses, too.

It looks like a good time to buy.

Just yesterday, dressage trained warm blood, $1800, and photos looked really good.

Really nice looking Halflinger mare, 7 years, 90 days professional training, $1,000.

Reg Andalusian colt, extremely handsome photos, $8,000. Seriously? Since when can you buy a top quality Andalusian for $8,000?

I'm seriously glad I gave up raising horses years ago. This market is a heart-breaker. Not only the old and lame that are unloved and being given away or turned loose to starve, but good horses that people have a lot invested in and can't sell for anything near what they are worth.

Joshie · #2 02/19/12, 03:08 PM

If I had a need for a horse like that I'd buy it out there and transport it here. They're not that cheap here.

SFM in KY · #3 02/19/12, 03:28 PM

It does vary a little from one region to another, but prices for high end horses are down significantly as well. The dressage horse would be cheap for this area, the Haflinger a little high and the Andalusian as well.

About the only thing that comes close to decent prices now are the trained hunter/jumper and dressage horses and pony hunters that are going well under saddle and have some show miles. You can't give breeding stock away of any kind ... or get anything close to a decent price for weanlings unless they are absolutely wonderful ... and not a lot of money.

I have seen more interest this past year than I have for 2 or 3 years now, which might be an indication things are looking up a bit. Most of the stallion owners I know say their bookings seem to be a little higher as well.

birchtreefarm · #4 02/19/12, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmok

Reg Andalusian colt, extremely handsome photos, $8,000. Seriously? Since when can you buy a top quality Andalusian for $8,000?

Friend of a friend is selling this Andalusian mare:
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse...rse_id=1696789

Apparently the breeder has come down quite a bit on the price. She doesn't ride much anymore, isn't breeding anymore, etc.

Farmer2B · #5 02/19/12, 06:27 PM

Oh my! The last high quality PRE I saw sold for 60k!

southerngurl · #6 02/19/12, 06:45 PM

High end horses are luxuries, and people can't afford many of those these days.

I don't see an end in site other than our dollar continuing to be devalued to the point that fuel gets so high people are forced back to using horses to travel at all.

SFM in KY · #7 02/19/12, 06:47 PM

With just a quick look at one classified ad site, I found several decent registered mares for sale from $5,500 to $15,000. The halfbreds used to be quite pricey as well and I see they have dropped considerably in price ... and in fact, I was given a 6 year old Andalusian/Arab cross mare last year. Not registered, as the Andalusian dam came through a rescue situation, but still ...

The only ones I saw at that kind of price currently listed were the 'colored' Andalusian stallions.

Kazahleenah · #8 02/19/12, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshie

If I had a need for a horse like that I'd buy it out there and transport it here. They're not that cheap here.

Same here. Horses haven't really dropped in price that much.

malinda · #9 02/19/12, 07:20 PM

"Warm blood" to some people means draft cross, and "Dressage trained" usually means "I've had a lesson or two with a Dressage trainer". A quick look at the horses listed as "sold" on a warmblood sales site has sold horses listed for anywhere between $1800 and $90K.

Two ladies I know are horse shopping right now and I've been looking at horse ads/videos with them. Both have something somewhat specific in mind, and neither have yet found a suitable horse, even after several months of looking. One lady has now vetted two horses, with both horses coming up with some issue in the vet check. The other lady had a horse on trial, but sent it back because of another issue. They have expanded their search to encompass a very large region of the US, one has upped her price range considerably, and the other has decided to now also consider mares (she was only looking for a gelding originally).

When these ladies first started their horse shopping journey last summer, I thought they would have no problem finding a suitable horse, considering the economy and what I hear from local horse prices, but it is proving to be far more difficult than you'd think. Neither are looking for cheap horses, one is looking in the 5K range, the other in the 10-15K range. Both ladies have already spent considerable amounts of time and money looking at several horses, sometimes several states away and have found the sellers to have somewhat misrepresented the horses, or to be completely ignorant about the type of horse the buyer is looking for.

There are buyers out there, but not all that many honest and knowledgeable sellers, it seems.

SFM in KY · #10 02/19/12, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malinda

There are buyers out there, but not all that many honest and knowledgeable sellers, it seems.

I think some of it can be miscommunication. I know I had a great deal of trouble when I started breeding warmbloods, selling youngsters, not started horses so you'd think it would have been easier. But the buyer (almost always east coast or west coast) would call and ask questions. I would answer the questions as I understood them ... send videotape ... and then discover that I had misunderstood what they were asking, or they had misunderstood my answers ... or both.

We simply weren't speaking the same 'horse' language. I got better at interpreting, but I still do have some problems because my horse background is so much different from most of the people that I deal with.

malinda · #11 02/19/12, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFM in KY

I think some of it can be miscommunication. I know I had a great deal of trouble when I started breeding warmbloods, selling youngsters, not started horses so you'd think it would have been easier. But the buyer (almost always east coast or west coast) would call and ask questions. I would answer the questions as I understood them ... send videotape ... and then discover that I had misunderstood what they were asking, or they had misunderstood my answers ... or both.

We simply weren't speaking the same 'horse' language. I got better at interpreting, but I still do have some problems because my horse background is so much different from most of the people that I deal with.

Yes, that can be true, but I could tell you loads of stories of sale horses marked as Dressage horses who simply are not quite what a Dressage person would look for. I see barely-started Draft crosses being touted as upper level prospects (not that it's impossible, but it is rare), or Arabs advertised as Endurance prospects because nobody can get them to stop! Western Pleasure horses who had a lesson or two with a Dressage trainer, and can do a walk/jog/trope pattern are not going to score well even at a local schooling show. I once was looking at a TB gelding who I was told "loved to jump". As soon as I turned him towards a jump he kicked it into hyperdrive and the only thing stopping us was the wall on the other end of the arena (and the seller with a huge smile saying, "see, I told you he loves to jump!). Sellers seem to tick off all of the boxes for every discipline imaginable in their ads to try to reach more buyers in their searches.

I've been on the selling end a few times too, and I know how some buyers can be. Though, the last horse I sold was within 2-3 months of advertising him, a lady from KY brought her trainer and trailer, they vetted him, and bought him that day. I wish everything were that easy.

spinandslide · #12 02/20/12, 03:58 PM

I think sometimes there are alot of factors that effect horse's prices..including the area of the country they are in.

There are some horses who people overpaid for when the market was good..so they are definantly going to be loosing money. There are also good horses, who were worth decent money..which now are worth less then what was paid for them..or the $$ the owner has put into them..(training,ect)

littlebitfarm · #13 02/20/12, 06:17 PM

I just bought a registered Haflinger mare. 14 years old. Broke single and double. Rides western and will stand for the dog to jump up behind the saddle! Paid way less for her than I sold untrained grade Haflinger colts for 10 years ago!

Kathie

sidepasser · #14 02/21/12, 11:26 AM

I was horse shopping and I think it depends on the type of horse, the area of the country and just how bad people need to sell and whether a good home is a must or not (some people will reduce the price to get a great home for their horse).

I just put a deposit on a mare that should have cost me twice what I will be paying for her. I didn't argue at all about the price..she is under priced for her training, age, disposition and so I figured she was already "discounted". No argument from me, just wrote the check for the deposit and will see how things go over the next couple of weeks. If she works out, I will mail the owner a check and be happy I got this one at the price I am paying.

SFM in KY · #15 02/21/12, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidepasser

I just put a deposit on a mare that should have cost me twice what I will be paying for her. I didn't argue at all about the price..she is under priced for her training, age, disposition and so I figured she was already "discounted".

This is exactly how I felt about the Welsh brood mare I bought last summer, registered Section B Welsh and licensed/approved Weser-Ems. I would have had to pay at least 3 times as much for this mare just 6 or 8 years ago.

oregon woodsmok · #16 02/21/12, 06:10 PM

It has never been easy to buy a good horse.

There are a lot of low quality, faulty, or unsound horses out there and a lot of sellers who have an opinion of their horse that the horse doesn't deserve. Everyone with a dog food ugly horse thinks their horse is gorgeous, I assume because they don't know the difference.

Right now, I am occasionally seeing screaming good deals on horses that meet my standards for looks and the prices are really low for what the horse is. I haven't been out to see the horses in person, nor ridden them, nor had them vetted, so maybe they are seriously flawed.

Still is is difficult enough to get a good photo of a horse and it is not possible to get a photo of a gorgeous shoulder and long hip if the horse doesn't have them. And it is tough to get a photo of a horse on the bit, balanced, and extended, if the horse won't do it.

I wouldn't buy from a photo, but I've seen a few that I would sure take the time to go and see after looking at the photo.

1sttimemom · #17 02/22/12, 09:53 PM

Yep, it's a terrible time for sales. I know that prices are down. In the past I literally had people practically waiting for foals to be born and putting $$ on them right away or even in utero sales! My foals were always $1500 to $4500 as weanlings. Now I'd be extremely lucky to get those amounts. Last couple foals I sold were more in the $1000-1200, same bloodlines, same quality, only economy had changed. Starts to become less worth breeding, other than for my personal horses to ride and enjoy.

lamoncha lover · #18 02/23/12, 06:01 PM

i have had several people get ahold of me wanting to give me a horse. several folks had babies too...a solid colored appy stud colt and a registered apha gorgeous filly. these were nice,,and free. I passed for now since I am at capacity until i get to my land. These were good blodline babies..prob worth a thoudand or 2 a few years ago.
so sad

Judy in IN · #19 02/23/12, 07:00 PM

There's a Fjord mare for sale for $800. Lucky for me she's in Montana, and I already have a project mare.

Shhhhh! Nobody tell DD.

I've seen SEVERAL FREE horses lately, from Morabs, Arabs, to AQHA and mules. This economy is rough, rough on horses.

Cissie is starting to cover those ribs and that backbone. A few more weeks, and I'll send her to the trainer. After that, I'll probably be looking for a home for her. I've got one horse to train to drive this year, and one that needs riding. I really didn't need this horse, but she needed me.

mayfair · #20 02/24/12, 11:39 AM

I have been offered a number of free horses in the past couple of years but none were horses I wanted to take...most had some issues. Good horses that are trained and relatively sound, sane and safe are still holding some value around here. You can't get those for free unless you know someone who is interested in a good home above all else.