pricing of a training/prelim horse

[kiwifruit]

After reading the thread about the novice horse price, I got to thinking what the average is for a horse that is fairly successful at training and/or the prelim. level. I know the ones that can pack an ammy around are problably getting more dollars but on the average, what would you say is average price? How is the market for these horses?

[equusaround]

I know of an ISH that was placing well at CCI* (with a pro) and packing his owner around Preliminary events that sold for over $50K last year. He was big, sound and a goer. A young rider purchased him and is doing well.

[clivers]

Age seems to be a big factor in pricing horses at that level. Under 9 yrs and they're generally over 20K....often around 30K. I'm personally looking for something that is a real packer and don't mind older. One I'm interested in is 13 and is priced at around 15K

[GotSpots]

Where are you? What age range? How big? How sound does it have to be? How fancy? Will it do (or has it done) a classic CCI*? Can it have a rail or does it need to be allergic to wood? How competitive in the dressage? How able to make time at Prelim?

In short, the answer is that it totally depends. If you want 15.3h, will go Training but not Prelim, 15+ years old mare who is competing but needs maintenance or fancy shoeing, and not a super easy ride, particularly in the midwest, then you could likely pick that up for less than 10K and might be alot less. You want a purpose bred sporthorse in Virginia that is big, young; correct; fancy; has consistently won the dressage at Preliminary and hates to hit the jumps but can still be ridden by an amateur and has potential for more? 40K plus, even in this market, and that "plus" can go a long way up. There's a world of different horses between those two, and many will be wonderful and have very successful careers, but they're not the same horse by any means.

Price points change at the following indicators: over 16 hands; under 10 years old, over 12 years old; has done a one star; has done a one star with an amateur; wins the dressage; allergic to wood; snaffle ride with an amateur; fancy breeding or big name trainer; potential for upper levels; doesn't need much maintenance. Figure out which of those things are important to you and how they affect the price and then think about what you can live with and what you can't.

[WakeRider]

Where are you? What age range? How big? How sound does it have to be? How fancy? Will it do (or has it done) a classic CCI*? Can it have a rail or does it need to be allergic to wood? How competitive in the dressage? How able to make time at Prelim?

In short, the answer is that it totally depends. If you want 15.3h, will go Training but not Prelim, 15+ years old mare who is competing but needs maintenance or fancy shoeing, and not a super easy ride, particularly in the midwest, then you could likely pick that up for less than 10K and might be alot less. You want a purpose bred sporthorse in Virginia that is big, young; correct; fancy; has consistently won the dressage at Preliminary and hates to hit the jumps but can still be ridden by an amateur and has potential for more? 40K plus, even in this market, and that "plus" can go a long way up. There's a world of different horses between those two, and many will be wonderful and have very successful careers, but they're not the same horse by any means.

Price points change at the following indicators: over 16 hands; under 10 years old, over 12 years old; has done a one star; has done a one star with an amateur; wins the dressage; allergic to wood; snaffle ride with an amateur; fancy breeding or big name trainer; potential for upper levels; doesn't need much maintenance. Figure out which of those things are important to you and how they affect the price and then think about what you can live with and what you can't.

I was typing a reply, but you said it much better than I ever could!

[Eventingjunkie]

What price range would you put on a 15.1H 13 yr old Dutch Warmblood Gelding that is a training level packer, nice dressage, almost always in ribbons, that has been on leaderboard with a 10-13 year old rider for three years straight? Trying to price and sell horses really sucks.

[lstevenson]

What price range would you put on a 15.1H 13 yr old Dutch Warmblood Gelding that is a training level packer, nice dressage, almost always in ribbons, that has been on leaderboard with a 10-13 year old rider for three years straight? Trying to price and sell horses really sucks.


With no soundness issues, I would say around 20k, or maybe a bit less based on his age and smaller size.


To the OP, I would say 15 - 20k for successful training level horses, and 20 -35k for prelim.

[rhymeswithfizz]

Ditto above. A friend of mine picked up a prelim packer who had also done a 1* - but he was slightly older (16 when she got him) and had some seriously ugly ankles, though he is sound with maintenance. If memory serves, they were asking $22k but those horrific ankles scared everyone away, so I think she got him for much less (around $16k I think). She does training with him and wins more often than not.

[Shrunk "N" Da Wash]

I had a 8yo prelim horse. He did one I but that was not factored into the price because we had expressed interest in him before he showed at that lvl. He was imported from NZ and placed second at a CCI* as a 6yo. He showed potential to go well beyond prelim. He packed me around training/small prelim stuff but unfortunately we lost him due to a freak accident. He was 45k but he was only 15.2H so that limited his buyer market. I would expect most prelim horses to go between 30k-60k depending on age, height :P, experience, soundness (mental and physical), etc.

Here's a few pictures of him :) (I'm not the rider in the pictures FYI)
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=392052&id=546108503
You can flip through the album...

[GotSpots]

Shrunk - that's actually a perfect example since I know the horse you're talking about. Shrunk's horse was more than or close to twice the price of two other horses at the same property, all of whom could legitimately be said to be nice, going Prelim horses. But the differences in them were huge factors in the range of prices.

Shrunk's horse was just plain lovely - straightforward on the flat, nice way of going, soft mouth, fabulous jumper, tons of talent, and young. But for being on the small size (am surprised to hear 15.2 - he rode more like a hair under 16), he was all sorts of wish-list fancy. One of the other two was 11 or 12 at the time, maybe 16 or 16.1 had more talent than you can imagine (and has, with a pro, moved up the levels and finished in the top ten at a three star since then) but was quite a bit more sensitive and hot. Lovely horse, but more limited market in some ways. The other was the same age, 16.2, and though a very tough ride on the flat, had a super mind, came up through the ranks with an amateur, and was a spectacular careful jumper. Again, wouldn't necessarily appeal to someone for whom winning the dressage was important, but for the right person, a great choice. Don't know about vetting on all of them, but I'm fairly sure there weren't any big doozies pending on any of them.

Three very different horses, three very different prices, and I think they all found great (though also quite different) homes. Goes to show the huge range inherent in the process by the time you get to Preliminary level horses.

[sharri13]

My 12 year old mare is currently for sale as a training level, low-preliminary junior or adult amateur partner. She's very honest in all three phases, snaffle ride, sound, a doll to work around and an easy keeper who has a short competitive career given her age (4 years). I have priced her at $25K. Although she has done Area 1's most difficult events (fabulous XC) and the short format * with an amateur, she pulls rails at the bigger preliminaries. I have priced her at this amount due to her "best match criteria" despite her record. Other horses with her experience in the Northeast are listed for $30-35K. I think the economy has also caused price adjustments as well.

[Backstage]

It definitely depends on how flexible you are willing to be with regards to size/age/temperament/quirks/etc. I am starting lean toward buying something with some prelim miles so I can go out and have fun at training and school a little higher. I'm willing to put up with a below average mover that doesn't do well in dressage (unless he doesn't do well because he/she because a lunatic in the dressage ring - that just isn't fun) and something that requires a bit more of an accurate ride in the SJ. I won't give on the XC front - it has to be safe and be able to take a joke.

All that said, I'm willing to look at older horses who need maintenance, but will need something that is a reasonable size. I'll be willing to look off the beaten track. My bottom line is likely to be in the 12-18k range. I think that can be done. I know people who have spend that, and while they have made compromises, they have been reasonable ones. Unfortunately, I probably won't look until the economy has started to pick up (not because of the economy but just because I feel pretty strongly about paying off my student loans before I buy a horse unless I manage to stumble onto a great deal) so I may have to bide my time.

[Shrunk "N" Da Wash]

Shrunk - that's actually a perfect example since I know the horse you're talking about. Shrunk's horse was more than or close to twice the price of two other horses at the same property, all of whom could legitimately be said to be nice, going Prelim horses. But the differences in them were huge factors in the range of prices.

Shrunk's horse was just plain lovely - straightforward on the flat, nice way of going, soft mouth, fabulous jumper, tons of talent, and young. But for being on the small size (am surprised to hear 15.2 - he rode more like a hair under 16), he was all sorts of wish-list fancy. One of the other two was 11 or 12 at the time, maybe 16 or 16.1 had more talent than you can imagine (and has, with a pro, moved up the levels and finished in the top ten at a three star since then) but was quite a bit more sensitive and hot. Lovely horse, but more limited market in some ways. The other was the same age, 16.2, and though a very tough ride on the flat, had a super mind, came up through the ranks with an amateur, and was a spectacular careful jumper. Again, wouldn't necessarily appeal to someone for whom winning the dressage was important, but for the right person, a great choice. Don't know about vetting on all of them, but I'm fairly sure there weren't any big doozies pending on any of them.

Three very different horses, three very different prices, and I think they all found great (though also quite different) homes. Goes to show the huge range inherent in the process by the time you get to Preliminary level horses.

I didn't even try out the now CCI*** horse because I realized he was too hot. Not sure the other one your referring to but winning the dressage is very important to me so it probably wasn't in the picture :P. So we paid a bit more for my horse than the other ones because he was more suitable for me and many other ppl would've also found him that way.
I now have a young horse (from the same barn) and he is much more talented than my last boy but he is just a baby (only did 3ft jumpers with a pro before i got him) and he was the same price as the last horse who was a solid prelim horse. Why? Because he has more potential.

[scubed]

Why? Because he has more potential.

And possibly because he is enough younger to feel there is more chance of exploiting that potential

[Donkey]

And possibly because he is enough younger to feel there is more chance of exploiting that potential

:yes:

Potential costs a lot more than experience IME.