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 Three in a Bikini
Posts: 2035
 
| IMO you should be able to buy a broke/papered/good looking horse for $2k.
Have I been successful with this theory? Yes and no.
But historically speaking the more I have paid, the better off I have been. |
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
  
Location: ND | Nevertooold - 2016-05-24 3:20 PM SaraJean - 2016-05-24 2:32 PM Last fall I sold a gorgeous buckskin gelding that I'd had since he was a couple months old for $7500. He was just a trail horse, has no desire to go fast or work, but was good looking & beyond safe. The gal that bought him flew to ND from TX to try him. I had a list of over 20 people wanting to try this horse so no he was not over priced & I could have easily have gotten more. Truly broke and safe horses are worth a lot of money. And he was worth every penny! 
And best part is I gained an awesome new friend and my boy got the perfect home!!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | spitzh - 2016-05-24 11:18 AM
Ive seen a few horses on FB pages over priced. For example: 8 year Non-registered mare hasn't been ridden in a year and bucks, the owner is asking $4k. That horse is still on the market. Its hard to come across a nice broke horse. I remember about 15 years ago, you could go out to a ranch and pick up a 5-10 yr old gelding, super broke for about $1,500-2,000..... I miss those days. :) I think if you have ridden a BROKE horse, its hard to lower your standards, so you will pay a pretty penny for one.
Yes, this is what I was talking about when I started the thread! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| One thing I think the op is not taking into consideration is the cost of training in a well broke horse.
Around here it is 1000 per month, so if I send mine for 2 months I have already spent 2k. Then I ride them to keep them solid, and improve on the training, so I put a few more months on, my time has to count for something.
If I was looking for a good well broke kid safe trail horse, I would have no problem paying 6k. I value safety. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1612
Location: Cocoa, Florida | My rule of thumb is to always price higher then what I expect to actually get. I sold two very very nice kid safe and broke/seasoned and papered 3/4D barrel horses last year and only got $4500 each for them.
I have one up for sale now that's green broke (green meaning I broke her, she knows all the basics - walk, Trot, lope, leads, bends, flexes, stops, rolls back, counter bends etc) all of which I can make her do but for a green rider they may not be able to keep up with her training, but because she's big, papered, and a buckskin for almost that same price - I've had a ton of interest so far.
It amazes me how many people skip through the actual ad though, I've had several ask me what times she's running (face palm). I can lope her through barrels at an exhibition that's it.
To me they're not broke broke broke in 30-60 days I don't care who's riding them.
Edited by RnRJack 2016-05-24 10:03 PM
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Miss Not Exciting
Posts: 3279
Location: Ft Worth TX | THE MARKET IS UP! A LOT! Even at the sales prices are really up! |
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| Pricing horses is so difficult because there are so many variables that must be taken into consideration. As a breeder I understand what kind of money it takes to get a foal on the ground. And I will price those accordingly. A performance horse is also going to hold more value. The problem I see is that so many people price based on emotion or what kind of potential the horse might have, but they aren't honest with themselves about their horse. For example, advertising a 5 year old or a grade horse as a futurity prospect is not reasonable, because the reality of it is that at 5 the horse is beyond its futurity years, and the likelihood of someone spending money on a grade futurity horse is very small (and I mean bloodlines totally unknown as I know there are some grade horses that simply can't be registered but are the product of known performers). Or claiming that a horse is going to be 1D and pricing it like a 1D horse would be priced instead of pricing it as the prospect that it is. |
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Veteran
Posts: 291
| cecollins0811 - 2016-05-24 8:37 PM
spitzh - 2016-05-24 11:18 AM
Ive seen a few horses on FB pages over priced. For example: 8 year Non-registered mare hasn't been ridden in a year and bucks, the owner is asking $4k. That horse is still on the market. Its hard to come across a nice broke horse. I remember about 15 years ago, you could go out to a ranch and pick up a 5-10 yr old gelding, super broke for about $1,500-2,000..... I miss those days. :) I think if you have ridden a BROKE horse, its hard to lower your standards, so you will pay a pretty penny for one.
Yes, this is what I was talking about when I started the thread!
Unfortunately the reason you can no longer go out and buy a decent ranch horse for cheap anymore is because the majority of ranchers no longer cowboy, too much work, they would rather ride a 4 wheeler. Give me a good cowboy with lots of miles over most horse trainers any day! |
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Expert
Posts: 2531
Location: WI | cheryl makofka - 2016-05-24 9:48 PM One thing I think the op is not taking into consideration is the cost of training in a well broke horse. Around here it is 1000 per month, so if I send mine for 2 months I have already spent 2k. Then I ride them to keep them solid, and improve on the training, so I put a few more months on, my time has to count for something. If I was looking for a good well broke kid safe trail horse, I would have no problem paying 6k. I value safety.
While this situation would be nice, I don't think it's realistic and why some of the prices are so high. I don't discredit what money you put into your prospect, but let's be real - this is not a lucrative business, I've never thought of a barrel horse as an investment.
In the end a horse is only worth what someone will pay!
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 Saint Stacey
| I think people are forgetting that prior to them closing the slaughter plants down in the USA, you couldn't find a horse for under $1,500. Even a crap one. Well broke geldings were around $5,000. Prices are dirt cheap now compared to about 15 years ago. |
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 Champ
Posts: 19623
Location: Peg-Leg Julia Grimm | SKM - 2016-05-25 8:36 AM
I think people are forgetting that prior to them closing the slaughter plants down in the USA, you couldn't find a horse for under $1,500. Even a crap one. Well broke geldings were around $5,000. Prices are dirt cheap now compared to about 15 years ago.
Ding, Ding, Ding! We have a winner.
Prices will vary depending on 16491951 things. There are too many to list. I paid $1500 for two of my best horses as yearlings. But that was back in 1980. The market was even depressed then. We were in a recession and the interest rates/inflation was through the roof.
Broke good looking geldings between 4-10 were 2500-20K. Depending on their level of training. That was at the horse sale yard, not private sales. I have no idea what they were selling for privately.
The horse market is still there for the right product. But you have to provide that special product to get the price. It's a very tough business to break even in, let alone make a profit. My hat is off to those that can.
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 Expert
Posts: 1889
Location: Texas | I haven't read this whole thread. However, I have noticed that prices are up as well. When the kill pens are selling horses for up near $1000..... |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | psaaat - 2016-05-25 1:01 PM I haven't read this whole thread. However, I have noticed that prices are up as well. When the kill pens are selling horses for up near $1000.....
That's just good marketing. When they can sell a green broke 1/5 arab 1/5 quarter 1/5 walking horse 1/5 paso 1/5 welch pony that is practically a skeleton, with no medical history for $1000. They have successfully mastered the art of playing on people's emotions.
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| I personally see prices all over the board... as someone who has been shopping on a budget, I am baffled by some of the prices. I saw a 7 year old gelding, bred decent, green broke and a known dirty bucker (says so in the ad), asking $4800. Then I will see another horse similar that is $1,000.
I totally understand the amount of money it takes to raise one but when you let it sit on the backburner until a late 4 year old or 5 year old... I don't think your prospect is worth 5k anymore. If it was 2 or 3 and it has some handling maybe...
But then I see some horses far underpriced. I think a lot has to do with all the new "horse flippers." I know people who buy them for 1-2k and relist them in 3 or 4 days for 5-7k its insanity to me. |
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Expert
Posts: 1695
Location: Willows, CA | I am kind of hoping that they are overpriced right now. I have a nice four year old going through a sale next month. For a lot of people with limited experience, a cheap horse can be the most expensive thing that they could buy in the long run. |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8555
Location: sunny california | linds - 2016-05-25 8:28 AM cheryl makofka - 2016-05-24 9:48 PM One thing I think the op is not taking into consideration is the cost of training in a well broke horse. Around here it is 1000 per month, so if I send mine for 2 months I have already spent 2k. Then I ride them to keep them solid, and improve on the training, so I put a few more months on, my time has to count for something. If I was looking for a good well broke kid safe trail horse, I would have no problem paying 6k. I value safety. While this situation would be nice, I don't think it's realistic and why some of the prices are so high. I don't discredit what money you put into your prospect, but let's be real - this is not a lucrative business, I've never thought of a barrel horse as an investment.
In the end a horse is only worth what someone will pay!
Horses are a loosing buisness and especially if you have to pay trainers. I have never expected to get my training bill back unless it is a winner. basically you loose on the average horse and make money on the above average Horses. Horses are an emotional investment.not a wise investment at all. the only breeders that make money are the ones with an edge like a lot of land and they have a considerably less feed bill.
If I bred a horse and had to buy feedstore hay I would not expect to get my money back. it would be me gambling on getting a winner and then cutting my losses if not. Many people think they have to get every dime back and it is not realistic if you are an honest seller.
Horses are an expensive hobby for most people and it will not be long before the average Joe can not afford one. actually the average Joe can not afford one... I think we loose sight of how lucky we truely are
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| linds - 2016-05-25 10:28 AM
cheryl makofka - 2016-05-24 9:48 PM One thing I think the op is not taking into consideration is the cost of training in a well broke horse. Around here it is 1000 per month, so if I send mine for 2 months I have already spent 2k. Then I ride them to keep them solid, and improve on the training, so I put a few more months on, my time has to count for something. If I was looking for a good well broke kid safe trail horse, I would have no problem paying 6k. I value safety.
While this situation would be nice, I don't think it's realistic and why some of the prices are so high. I don't discredit what money you put into your prospect, but let's be real - this is not a lucrative business, I've never thought of a barrel horse as an investment.
In the end a horse is only worth what someone will pay!
Guess it all depends on where you live. As where I am from people are still willing to pay for a broke horse.
At a ranch horse sale this spring the high selling horse was 4 yrs old and went for 15000. The average price at the sale was 7500.
Heard about a ranch horse dispersal sale, a few of the ranch horses went around the 10k mark.
It all depends on what you want and how much you are willing to spend.
I shake my head at people wanting a well broke patterned on barrels nicely bred futurity eligible horse for 2k, this I don't believe is realistic. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 422
Location: Fort Bragg North Carolina | Absolutely!!!!!
Edited by charlenenh 2016-05-26 3:36 AM
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | Nope not at all. I think its just finally getting to the point that people are starting to price them for what they are worth. There will always be those that way over price a horse. Or way under price one for that matter. But it drives me nuts when breeders regularly basically give their young stock away. It so devalues all horses out there. Dont get me wrong there will always be those people that have to sell and sell quickly and will under price a nice horse but if everyone with a nice horse would stick to a decent price it would help out everyone trying to sell. Buyers would have no choice but to either save up a couple thousand more before purchasing. Or go find yourself a no name, off brand, hidden behind an old barn prospect and hope for the best. and I am not talking about the super high end horses but more those nicely bred middle of the road $3K-$6K horses. Honestly if that is above your budget then just stop shopping, and put the money aside that you would spend each month on feed, bedding, vet, shoes, supplements, entries ....... and in a few months you have another grand. and so on and so on until you have a budget to fit your needs. |
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Location: Not Where I Want to Be |  |
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