For those with sale horses....

[wannabegifted]

Have you noticed the market slowing down any? In what price ranges? I am just wondering if this economy is taking a toll on the lower prices (under 10K), higher prices, or all. Have you seen a particular type of horse get sold more often recently? Or are people just more picky?

[purplnurpl]

Seems as though the lower price ranges are harder to sell these days.

My student is in the process of vetting a flippin FANCY TB. 5 y/o never raced. Fancy mover (and that is not just a matter of opinion) great confo, great personality, great movement, and over all wonderful horse. for only 4K. w/t/c quietly jumps around quietly o/f and XC.
A horse that I would post at $7500 the moment he stepped into my barn.

I have one on dreamhorse with great stats as a hunter. I haven't received a single inquiry...except for a scam. nice, eh?

[foxhavenfarm]

Yes, things are definitely painfully slow right now. Our prices range from $1000-$25,000 and we haven't had any serious inquiries on ANYTHING.

[Jleegriffith]

I have several Tb's under $8500 that have months and months of solid mileage eventing, trail riding, h/j shows and much more and am getting emails but no real follow ups. I would consider the market very slow right now compared to what I have seen in the past. I have one CANTER horses who has almost had a year of retraining and he is below $4500 and still not any interest. He is 15.2 and many people simply will not consider a horse of that size which is always puzzling for me especially as an event horse.

I am doing the typical advertising of dream horse, equine.com, usea 2 site and anywhere else I can think of.

When I look at the ads that are out there I see a lot of horses but you have to weed through a lot of duds to find something good and many of them are horses that are green with no mileage.

[Marney]

I have a horse for sale that is green but does have training and is totally sound. He is a bit hot but all in all a nice all arounder for an experienced rider. He is priced at $1500 which I thought would be a low price for a horse with professional training and some experience. I need to sell him since we are moving and I would give him to the right home but I have had just a handful of people interested and only one that actually came out to see him. My next step is the giveaway forum because I need to find him a good home. The crazy thing is I had emailed a gal about a thoroughbred on dreamhorse a long time ago and she just emailed me back saying she had dropped the price and she needed to sell. I feel because of the economy and the pure number of horses for sale none of the lower priced horses are selling.

[tuppysmom]

We just sold one eventing prospect for our asking price of mid 5 figures. He is an exceptional jumper, though. He sold by personal contact/word of mouth. I have several to sell, but have not advertised them yet, so we'll see how it goes.

[FrittSkritt]

Jlee, I'd take Indy, but I am just waaaaay too big for him. :( No fault of his own, just me and my gargantuan legs and arms.

[2869]

I have 9 horses to sell ranging from $3500 - $50,000. Arab, connemara, wb's and tbs. Actually the 3500 got sold this week and one other is being vetted this week, so I feel pretty lucky; however, I get a lot of inquiries but not much follow thru. I think the issue is that the market is saturated w/horses, buyers have a lot to choose from, so you either have to drop your price or your horse really has to have something special about it in order for it to move.

[nickisautner]

As a buyer I can tell you that I have looked at tons of horses in a lot of different price ranges but with the market the way it is I have found I can be as picky as I want.

I am looking for a 17ish hand horse (I am 5'10) and since I have been looking I have decided to go with a dream horse for me which would either be a gray or black.

I think the way the market is people are being extremely picky. A horse that was out of my price range a few years ago is now within my range.

[cranky]

I have several Tb's under $8500 that have months and months of solid mileage eventing, trail riding, h/j shows and much more and am getting emails but no real follow ups. I would consider the market very slow right now compared to what I have seen in the past. I have one CANTER horses who has almost had a year of retraining and he is below $4500 and still not any interest. He is 15.2 and many people simply will not consider a horse of that size which is always puzzling for me especially as an event horse.

I am doing the typical advertising of dream horse, equine.com, usea 2 site and anywhere else I can think of.

When I look at the ads that are out there I see a lot of horses but you have to weed through a lot of duds to find something good and many of them are horses that are green with no mileage.


Wow. I'd be interested in a nice 15.2 event horse for that price. I am only 5'2" and so the 16+ H horses are usually a bit too big for me. I can ride them, but usually do better on horses in the 15.something range. Too bad you're not in New England.

[subk]

I think the market has been pretty soft for the less than 10K horses for a while. I sold a lovely young horse this spring significanly below asking because we'd had had so little interest in him. When a young rider who was a beautiful "match" for him came along I didn't even counter their low ball offer. I think they were pretty stunned, but I really wanted my guy to get her as his rider!

With as soft as it was 6 months ago I think the bottom may now be dropping out of the horse market, and the less than 15K will get hit the worse. I know a lot of people with piles of money re-thinking ALL their major purchases.

Personally, I'm still hoping to buy a young 'un before of the end of the year. Since my new barn just got finished and the fencing is going in this week I'm already in so deep that it seems silly not to make the final step with a horse purchase. That and being horseless for the last 6 months is distorting my personality and making my family crazy! :wink:

[maxxtrot]

i also have several nice horses for sale. have lots of people looking, but nobody is writing a check. have a couple on my website, but a handful at other barns. i sell a lot of the hunter/jumper horses, and several event horses as well. seems like others have said, the market is at the bottom, so the cheaper horses are not selling. seems the people with the money to buy in that high 5-low 6 figure are still buying.hopefully something will give or we all may be in big trouble.

[Kwdf3day]

Same goes for my sale horses, not many inquiries right now, even for the solid competition mileage horses I've got for sale, they have ribbons on the wall and are nice to ride, but no interest. I'm not even bothering to list the young prospects. On the flip side, I agree that now some nice young horses that were previously out of my price range are more affordable, and I too am being picky, it better be exceptional to part with the money at this moment!!

[yellowbritches]

The market SUCKS. Vernon, who I am now keeping instead of selling, as was the original intention when we bought him last fall, still has ads up...we've gotten maybe two calls on him in the last 3 or 4 months. And he is a NICE young horse. Lucky for me, though, that the market sucks. :lol: If it was the way it was a year or two ago, he'd have long since been gone!

However, I can't have two horses, which means Paco has to go...I have NO idea how I'm going to market a quirky, somewhat tough horse with very little experience as anything in this market. :no: Thank god he's cute...that'll help.

We also have a nice dressage horse that I'm terrified we won't be able to sell for her owner, or will have to sacrifice at way less than she is really worth. Argh....

[WakeRider]

Agreed. Things are not looking too good for horse trading. I have a super nice small training TB mare, super young rider horse with one more year of work. Very affordable priced just because i am at school (can't handle more than 4 down at school! yikes!). In years past these horses have been very easy to sell... but now, not so much. oh well, maybe i'll just breed my Rolex horse?

[RealityCheck]

Yep, definitely slowing down. I have a great little horse for sale... novice/training, pony club type mare, we started off asking 12k which was actually lower than what many people told us to ask (some people advised as high as 20k :o) and 2 months later have bumped down to 10.5k because nobody has come to look yet. We've had a few calls/emails but nobody has followed through. Sure she's a mare, but a year or two ago she'd have already been gone...and at a higher price I'm sure.

[tuppysmom]

I know where there is a 17.1 blk TB gelding, eventing prospect. Wonderful disposition. He could maybe be bought.?
He's not my horse, but I can give you the email addy for the owner if you want to ask about him.

[horsetales]

Even though I just sold one, it has slowed. I have two 08 colts that there was alot of interest in, but recently nothing and forget my TB filly who is in training but is on the small side.

[Toadie's mom]

I've sold 2 nice broodmares this yr. 1500-2000, but everything else forget it. I have an event "prospect" that I'm actully getting more interest in since I raised his price from 4500 to 6500. Maybe I'll just jack it on up to 10k and see what happens :lol:

[yellow rose]

I get more hits on my unbroke babies than anything else. Just sold a lovely Hol/TB that I recently backed. yay. Have gotten quite a few bites on my young hunting and eventing horses but they are pretty high quality nice all around horses.. but mostly your typical looky-loos that come once have a lesson and never call again. Oh well good thing I love all my sale horses and don't mind keeping them around. I am getting pretty good response this fall, at least one person a week comes out to try horses for sale.

[Toadie's mom]

.. but mostly your typical looky-loos that come once have a lesson and never call again.

I know there's been a thread about this b4, but how can you stand it!? Someone tried my horse yesterday morning. I have his height (15.3) clearly listed in the ads. We had a lengthy phone conversation in which she ask again "how tall is he?". I spent close to an hr. bathing and clipping b4 she came out. When she gets here, she wants him longed 1st. Tacking and longeing approx. 30min. Then I ride him, maybe 10min. Then she rides him FOR ALMOST AN HOUR! As soon as she gets through, she says "thanks for letting me try him, but he's too small." :mad: I've gone and looked at horses that as soon as they brought them out of the stall I wanted to tell them just to put it back up, but out of courtesy I at least said let's longe him (so I can see if he moves straight even though he toes out worse than any horse I've seen in my entire life:lol:). Anyway I don't think it takes 2hrs to figure out you don't like the horse.

[avezan]

I know there's been a thread about this b4, but how can you stand it!? Someone tried my horse yesterday morning. I have his height (15.3) clearly listed in the ads. We had a lengthy phone conversation in which she ask again "how tall is he?". I spent close to an hr. bathing and clipping b4 she came out. When she gets here, she wants him longed 1st. Tacking and longeing approx. 30min. Then I ride him, maybe 10min. Then she rides him FOR ALMOST AN HOUR! As soon as she gets through, she says "thanks for letting me try him, but he's too small." :mad: I've gone and looked at horses that as soon as they brought them out of the stall I wanted to tell them just to put it back up, but out of courtesy I at least said let's longe him (so I can see if he moves straight even though he toes out worse than any horse I've seen in my entire life:lol:). Anyway I don't think it takes 2hrs to figure out you don't like the horse.

Wow. Sounds like someone just wanted to come out and ride a nice horse for an hour!

I have a 3 year old just started under saddle listed for a little under 5 figures. Very nice warmblood. I had a very serious buyer ride her and want to buy her. But she stated in this economy, and going into winter, the price was too high. We dickered back and forth a bit, and I finally settled on an offer that was less than half of what I was asking! Well, inexperienced me didn't have a contract at that price and now the buyer is still deciding IF she wants to buy at this very low price. I'm half hoping she does not and I'll hold onto the horse until spring and try to get a more reasonable price for her. I sold her full brother 4 years ago as an unbroke 3 year old for just a little under what I'm asking for the filly. I have several babies for sale, but I'm not expecting to sell any this fall. Let's hope the economy improves and people's confidence improves enough that they are willing to spend and buy again in the spring.

[yellow rose]

[QUOTE=Toadie's mom;3571730]I know there's been a thread about this b4, but how can you stand it!?[QUOTE]

it is so frustrating isn't it. i am happy to show my horses to people but usually set it up as sort of a lesson so I have control over what is going on, I am pretty protective of the horses and don't just let any bonehead come over and fart around. this usually prevents the ride for too long / jump oxers backwards / ride off into the woods and possibly never return issues.

[Tdeventer]

I had a lady that was trying to talk me down 2500 before she ever saw the horse. I think that people should see the horse first before they try to talk you down on the price.I am negotiable but you have to at least come and try the horse out before trying to have me come down. Then they told me they wanted him for a fox hunter and that was not the discipline that he has done so they were not willing to pay his price. If I am going to look at a 20,000 jumper that has not evented then I am not going to tell them to drop the price 10,000 just because it has not evented before. I think that is a lame reason for dropping the price. You should then look at something in your price range not ask someone to drop the price because that horse does not do what you want them to do.

[KSevnter]

Well at least you don't have 100 people asking if they can take the horse on trial in another state with no deposit, then acting like you are the insane one for saying no. This is a horse being marketed as a hunter, one person even wanted the horse trailered to an "A" show have the owner pay for their kid to enter it and ride it in the show and got mad when the answer was no.

There was another "trainer" who said she would like to take the horse in training to "fix" his canter. This is a horse that is so balanced that he learned flying changes while getting 30 days at 2.5 years old out in a field and 2 4star riders said his canter was excellent.

Good horses definitely are not selling and those lucky ones buying are getting some great deals!

[2869]

I had someone today answer my ad where the price is CLEARLY stated. She said she only had "x" amount to spend and would the horse go for that (it was $15k less than asking price!!!!!!!)

[Foxtrot's]

Does "a little under five figures" mean about $9,999, and "in the five figure range" mean $10,000.00-99,999? Never understood this.

[yellow rose]

some people are so crazy. I had one person ask to take my UNBROKE 2 year old trak filly on trial for 2 weeks.. um, to see what.. how well it eats grass and sh*ts? how bout no.

[secretariat]

Agree with the frustration, but would encourage all to remember that any contact is better than none. As good salesmen, it's our job to mold the inquirer into a productive lead -- or ask them to leave. Even if selling a $50,000 horse, I welcome the call from the (legitimate) person who has a $5,000 budget - I'll find them an appropriate ride. Or I'll refer them to my friends who have an appropriate horse, no charge - and they'll return the favor to me.

[Toadie's mom]

[quote=Toadie's mom;3571730]I know there's been a thread about this b4, but how can you stand it!?[quote]

it is so frustrating isn't it. i am happy to show my horses to people but usually set it up as sort of a lesson so I have control over what is going on, I am pretty protective of the horses and don't just let any bonehead come over and fart around. this usually prevents the ride for too long / jump oxers backwards / ride off into the woods and possibly never return issues.

That's a good plan. Unfortunately I'm not a professional, so I just have to waste my whole day on someone who probably wasn't serious to begin with. whine, whine.
Speaking of riding off into the woods.... I took a horse fox hunting one time and a teenager, that I'd never met, was there on a borrowed horse. After the hunt she came to my trailer to pet my horse, oohing and ahhing over him. Welllllll, after a couple of beers I told her she could ride him. Some time later I heard her chaperones were looking for her. I sheepishly told them that she'd gone for a walk on my horse:o. 2 people saddled up to go look for her, but luckily she came back about that time. And, even luckier she went home and told her parents she'd found a horse she couldn't live without!

As far as taking a horse out on trial, I won't allow it either. I'm sure I've lost at least one sale because of it, but on the other hand I lost a horse doing that, so enough said. I will offer to trailer a horse to their barn, or to their trainer's, if it's within 50mi., and they've already come to my place to try the horse at least once.

[ThreeDays]

Not a good year for sales. With that said we were fortunate to have a few successful sales this year. I don't think anything else will sell at this time until the spring being that we are entering the fall right now.

With our sales I had 1-2 interested parties and they were the one who purchased. I didn't see a ton of activity or even the tire kickers I would normally get that wanted pictures and video etc.

Our asking prices were lower than normal to be competitive with other active listings. (Lower by maybe 10%-15%).

The last horse I has listed this year I finally delisted until next year due to it now being fall and this particular horse being on the cusp of being placed under saddle and in a different price range.

I turned down one offer that was well below my asking price and the party said her offer was based on the current economy. So I think the economy is certainly playing a part in the mind of buyers. A second offer on the same horse was turned down b/c it was the wrong match. (This horse needs to be an eventer not dressage horse).

This time of year (fall) even in good years is a difficult time due to winter approaching and higher feed bills.

Our sales were in the $10-$20k range.

I guess we're lucky to be down to the number of horses we're willing to carry through the winter! Otherwise I maybe would have accepted the lowball offer on the one sale.

[TeddyRocks]

Things are slow. I know of an amazing horse that should have sold for 40,000 plus, just sell for 16K. A horse priced at 10,000, for under 6,000. A horse priced at 5,000 sold for about 3,000. And my connemara cross priced at 12,500 has gotten lots of emails and people trying him out and saying "they loved him", but then no follow up... He was on the market for months. He is now being leased, but I really need to sell him, its just not happening. UGH...

Anyway, those have been my experience. These were all h/j horses, not event horses. And my dressage friend has had no problem selling her higher priced horses though... She has sold 2 in the last 4 months. One was a baby. One was solid third level. Both over $30K...

Go figure...

[DiablosHalo]

I have a few for sale in the low 5-figures. Made jumper, two prospects, and a pleasure horse. I've dropped their price a few times to no avail. They are at my house so I'm not paying board on them and it won't "kill" me to keep them til spring and try to sell them then... but I really need to place them asap bc i have a 2wk old newborn and definitely no time for the horses right now!
Seems like the market is dead- people are giving horses away left and right.