I, myself, don't have the expendable funds that I did two years ago. I don't understand this inflation on luxury items like horses and trailers. Are they actually selling or do sellers list them and end up keeping them? Yesterday, I saw an 18 year old mare advertised as a barrel prospect for 4500. I'm thinking this one is a prospect for the graveyard. I saw one advertised as good outside, uncontrollable on pattern, and blown stifles for over 10,000. I see multiple ads daily for grade geldings and mares for over 20,000 and they are 3-5 D horses. Also, here's my buyer vent. I have contacted a seller about trying her  horse, gave her three possible days, and was told she didn't know what she would be doing. Never heard back from her. Another girl strung me along for five days with messages, pics, and videos. When I tried to pin her down about making the 3 hour drive to try horse, she told me someone else had shown interest before me. She'd let me know how that turned out. I told her never mind. I wanted to buy from a seller that had integrity. I'm super frustrated. Anyone else having these thoughts?

yes, they are selling. And yes, its is crazy.  

Luxury items like trucks and trailers have a mark up of about 25% in the COVID era - they blame that increase on the price of the parts and supply shortage issues and stuff is still selling (I'm not buying any of it with those prices). 

Now the prices of horses - all over the board. You just have to shop and inquire.  The sellers not getting back to you or wanting to schedule - they clearly don't care if they sell.  Makes it a PITA for the buyer to deal with a seller like that.  I'm too blunt and up front about my time and selling or buying. I am a straight forward, no fuss buyer and seller. I respond to everyone and most potential buyers don't make the cut to own one of my horses. So, I look like a collector. And, I have purchased horses during the COVID era, so horses are selling.  Boils down to being the right deal and situation for you and things will fall into place.  Gotta kiss a lot of frogs first.  

Pocob- you sound like me. No BS tolerated on either end. I can't believe they're selling. I can't believe common folks have that much disposable cash.

There's a lot of people that take out loans for them 

I'm so glad you asked this because I was thinking the exact same thing! Who are these buyers? I'm in the market for one, but I don't have $35k to spend, nor am I looking for what I believe a $35k horse is. So many horses posted here are in their late teens priced at $15k plus. It's insane! Thankfully I'm not in a rush because this may take some time lol. Does anyone think the horse prices will come down at some point? 

If fuel prices stay this high or go higher. 

Horses should get softer. 

I dont know where they are selling cuz I cant even get a nibble. I feel I have them priced fair. 18k for a 2d-4d in north texas 14 yr old mare. No issues, sound, sane, and just an easy mare. Safe and youth suitable.. 5k for a 4 year old sunfrost/ hempen. Has had 30 days. No buck. No silliness. Just a good minded, pretty mare. NOT A BITE. Other than 1 tire kicker who offered me half my asking price on the young mare cuz she needs training...... Its crazy how the market is right now. The 2 I have do not have to sell but would if I could. 

I think it's a little bit location dependent and absolutely incentive dependent. Here in IL a weanling enrolled in the big incentives will sell for the same price as a nice horse thats running & not enrolled in anything. A horse that would place top 5 at almost every race in this state was listed for $25K and sold a couple months ago. Huge names on the papers, but no incentives. I've seen people wanting more than that for pink buckle 2 year olds barely broke all over BHW & FB here. I think that plays a HUGE role in whats selling, it's like horses that aren't in any incentives are turning into the new "grade." Every ISO ad I see is listing what they require to be enrolled in or at least eligible for. 

Prices are so varied by location that it limits the buyer pool sometimes too. You probably are priced fairly for TX, but if someone can get the same caliber horse in another state for cheaper guess where they're gonna go. And its not the sellers fault or the horses fault, its just geography and the market. You can pick up a solid 2D horse 8-14 years old here for $12-14K all day long, so someone here probably isn't going to go travel to TX or wherever to get one for more money. Unless they can't find what they want here. But someone from TX probably would come up here to save a good chunk of money on a horse they like. And I think the stereotype of midwest horses not being good enough has really stared to fade, so people are more willing to shop here now. And I'm just comparing these 2 states as an example, it's going to change for any states you compare. But I do think that has an impact in the current market, especially for a buyer like me that just wants to go to jackpots and 2-3 day shows weekends and doesn't care if its pink buckle or whatever else. And people who don't intend to utilize the incentives still want the horse they buy to be enrolled, so if it doesn't work out its easier to sell. Or if they want a project to flip, etc. Incentives I think have really divided the market 

I agree with you!!!! Neither of these are in incentives. I think the incentives have ruined the market some. I wont complain because the foals I have coming are eligible for multiple ones and if I choose to sell, that will be a selling point . Both of teh mares I talked about are bred nice. I am off for a bit, thanks to a messed up foot, and I cant ask my husband to do everything I do, so I put them up for sale to try and lighten the load. They dont have to sell. My finished mare is a unicorn in my opinion. She is sane, sound and so easy. I figured someone would jump on her, especially for a kid. THeres no BS with her. I wont give her away though, cuz tbh, if she sells, I will eventually get me something thats hotter and quirkier than her. They arent cheap. She can stay here and get a break while Im down. When I am better, she will pick right up where we left off. 

I guess a perk and a downside to living in north Texas is the races are tough and the markets saturated with really nice horses!!!!

I decided to start racing again at the worst possible time. I found a nice mare thats probably 2D but with me starting over shes 3D. I paid more than I wanted but it was not terribly bad. I had sticker shock for sure. Then the price of gas hiked up so I cant afford to travel too far from home so I know this new mare is never going to pay for herself. But we love the hobby so we do what we gotta!

Horses that work and are safe are selling very well. So are prospects.  But if you have a 3D horse and expect to get 30K - that is unrealistic.

The market for youth and senior horses is very very strong!

Same!!! Thankfully I started looking 2 years ago before the prices really took off.  What I found in my real budget were older horses that needed maintenance , I already have 3 of those which was why I was looking for something younger and if I was going to pay $$$ on maintenance it would be for the warriors that I already have, or well bred weanlings/yearlings or unstarted 2 and 3 year olds which I no longer have the job that allows me to be consistent enough to start and train the young young ones.  Thankfully Diane Guinn took pity on me and sold me one of her horses at a price that I could make happen and still feed my other horses and eat myself, LOL!!! .  Horse prices at our last gelding sale here were outrageous, 50K plus for the top seller for what used to be a ranch horse sale.  You would have to be a child of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to spend 50K on a horse and ranch on it on this ground around here, most of it is lava cap.  

I see so many horses selling at crazy prices but as a seller I have also seen a lot of tire kickers. I tried selling my 3 year old for $9,000 - 4 months with a reining trainer. I got bombarded with interest with 1,000 questions and than crickets. I was so frustrated I gave up. My friend told me I should have asked for a higher price and he'd probably sell. It's crazy all around.