What is wrong with people? I'm so tired of buyers. People have no clue what it costs to get a foal here, get it broke, more riding. They will want a colt out of  great mare, popular stallion and then want to give 10,000. It takes that much to get them here. Maybe they should just go to sale barn and get a prospect.

A horse is only worth what someone is willing to pay. If your colt is bred as good as you say, and someone wants to give asking price, they will. If your advertising and and nobody is willing to give asking price and is offering lower, that's what your horse is worth. 

I'm happy for those who can afford to pay the 10, 15, 20, and on up prospect or even broke horse prices.   However, I cannot, so I do not.  

I realize prices are up.  But I guess the question becomes, do you need to sell the horse or are you going to continue to shove your own money into it?  If all of your genuine offers are less than you want, I guess you'll continue to continue to lose money if you don't accept them. 

Horses are 100% a money losing business.   

I agree with the OP. People are nuts. I had someone try to lowball me on a yearling, paid into all the incentives, and was snotty about it when I said no. It's so aggravating!!  Everybody is an expert and wants to steal something. 

I have always told my daughters about buying and owning horses.

Somebody sometime is going to eat the value of every horse.  They are all going to die.

How much are you willing to lose for the enjoyment of having one.

There have been lots of less than expensive horses that have taken their owners to some pretty lofty levels.

I also don't think that most people understand how much investment that people have in getting a colt on the ground and into a riding 3 year old.  Lots of money and time.  If you value your time as a job I bet you are working for minimum wage at best.  And that is if the colt doesn't kill itself getting to be a 3 year old.

My take on this, if the price thats being posted on a horse or horses that catch my eye is way over my price range then I skip on them, I see no sense in trying to talk someone down on their horse, I dont know what they have in them and what it cost these people to raise this animal, if its over any bodys price range then find something that is in your range, its not going to help you buy said horse by insulting the owners by low balling. Dont be looking at something with Champane eyes when you know you have only a beer budget to spend!!!

I know that a lot of people can't afford that.But what I am saying if u know a horse is by Royal Shakem out of NFR producing mare, u know that will cost. I would be embarrassed to call and offer u something low for that. I would not waste people's time.

Sometimes though, you get a lucky moment and the seller says yes.  Depressed, but yes. LOL  

Worst case, you get No, and a piffy seller who is angered at the offer. 

True. And the girl who gave me the low ball offer and was snarky about it won't get to buy my colt and double my price. 

Buying horses is no different than buying a truck, trailer or a home.  You have every right to try to bring the price down to what is affordable for you or what you're comfortable with.  These items and animals are often overpriced with just that in mind.  I think it's called free enterprise.  All the seller can do it say no or try to meet you in the middle.

Added to say we recently priced our 4-Star 3-horse gooseneck for $12,500 and were quite prepared to take less.  Happy buyer left with it for the price we asked and yep that was nice.  Doesn't happen very often.

I look at all the pretty horses out of my price range - but I don't call or waste a sellers time if I know the horse is not in my budget.

However - when I was shopping for a horse, I found exactly what I was looking for and she was a beauty but 1000 over my budget.  I called and explained this to the seller and offered her my whole budget - she said no - saying she had just started advertising her the day before - 6 weeks later she got back in touch with me and wanted to accept my original offer, but unfortunately I had already purchased my mare.

I don't think there is any need to bash all buyers - yes there are some that are difficut to deal with , but sellers are sometimes difficult to deal with as well.  I don't think it is right to call on a product KNOWING you cannot and will not pay the asking price - people know when they are being insulting with their offer.

The ones I don't get are the ones that call up and ask about the horse and if they need any maintenance, and when you say yes they do, they basically try to get you to give the horse to them for free because they are going to have to pay for injections or god  forbid a daily supplement like OxyMax, or they need once a year injections.

My mare, I had priced at $5k, she was 16 then, she was a 3D-4D horse, could be faster if I stayed off her face and hustled her. She was not a beginner friendly horse, I wrote it all out in my ad, she needed once a year injections, needed to be on Bleeder Stop, OxyMax or OXY2X Pro B when she was being used hard and going more than once a month,and she needed a pre-race paste like Race-X, she was hot at the gate, not stupid just hot, could rope on her, but she was hot in the box, just needed lots of scoring. Etc.

I had five people call on her. 1st said well she sounds great will you take $3k for her for my beginner kid. Umm No. 2nd caller, well will you take $2500 for her, I've been riding my whole life and want to get into roping and barrels, but she is way more than I want to deal with for maintenance, but I'll take her. 3rd caller was all about me knocking her down to $2k or less and selling her as grade. 4th was a combination of the first 3, and the 5th was her I sold her to for $4k for her daughter as a step horse. She liked her because she would do all the events the girl needed, and if need be the whole family could use her. She found the best home I could ask for with them, little girl rides her pretty much everyday. 

Yep, I have issues when sellers won't believe what their horse is worth!!! When they advertise as consistent 1D and trhey want 45K, I like to do a little digging, and find out they are 1D every thursday night at the local 4H horse show with 5 entered. They honestly don't think you will ask around, pull stats etc. Then they get offened when you low ball, but actually offering what the horse is worth. 

True.. doesn't ever hurt to ask but you better be ok with the outcome and being told to go pound sand or kick rocks.  Not near the amount of money, but when I bought my heeler I knew what the lady was asking and I offered pretty low and she told me no thank you... I told her I understand and thanks. I pouted a day or 2 then my hubby said to just go get him lol! I paid what she was asking... 

you showed her. 

Doesn't matter. Her offer was so low, it's clear she couldn't afford my colt. 

Pet peeve, as a buyer, is people not pricing their horse for the public and saying serious inquires only. Well, what if you want $40,000 for a horse that I think horses doing similar things are priced at $30,000. Or what if you have a $40,000 horse that has a vice and is half the price that horse could possibly be in my budget now. I understand people don't want everyone to know their business but if I have a budget of X amount I do not want to bother you if your horse isn't in my budget. 

Kind of off subject a bit because I haven't advertised a horse on BHW in years. When looking at horses that are private treaty do you have to give them an amount? Like when I'm searching for under $10,000 and a horse pops up in that price range that says "private treaty" is that horse in my budget? Obviously don't want to waste someone's time or mine if it's not. 

Seems pretty simple to say no I won't accept your offer. End of conversation, no need to be rude on either side. 

We sell babies and have our own studs. Had a person tell me one day that I should be able to sell my babies cheaper because we have our own stud---BLINK BLINK. YES, these studs were just given to me, no investment there, and they cost nothing to maintain or promote. Heck---I should just give the babies away. LOL

I'm not offended when people ask because it never hurts to ask. I purchased a fantastic mare for $4000 that was advertised for $8500. I was stunned when they agreed! I can say that mare is definitely worth he weight in gold so I got lucky. I think the most bizarre thing anyone has ever offered for a horse was three unregistered weanlings that were not halter broke . What made it bizarre was they were trying to trade for a $12,000 barrel horse. I was very nice but declined and they cussed me out! I was still nice lol!

Cussed you out? 

I don't mind an offer, and I politely decline if it's something I can't do.  But to be rude and snarky about it is just unnecessary.  If the buyer doesn't want the horse, they can just politely move on.  

yes, people think a stallion is free, lot of work and money to maintain