How much would you pay for this horse?

[bucketofshite]

Hello, I’ve completely lost touch with horse prices so just wondered if anyone on here was horsey and could help

ive owned horses for 20 years but obviously the prices increased massively over Covid, I know they’ve come down a bit but I’ve no idea what they’re like now especially coming into winter

so just wondering if anyone could help! What would you pay for this horse?

gelding, aged 9, 16.16hh, thoroughbred who raced briefly but has been fully retrained. Spent the last year doing general riding club activities and is a generally really lovely horse.

-perfect stable manners, could lead without a rope tbh, would stand for hours to get groomed
-loves hacking alone and in company, occasionally needs gentle encouragement when alone but isn’t nappy or spooky or a bolter or anything like that
-loves XC, has cleared fences of BE80 and enjoys it (never competed though but did XC regularly as the yard 2 mins up the road had a full course used for training and competition so we can go whenever)
-happy to school, happy to jump a course of jumps
-no fancy dressage moves yet and not really working in an outline
-loves a gallop but is always safe- can even go for a gallop bareback lol and ALWAYS has brakes
-generally in good health and flew threw a 5 stage vetting 1 year ago although he coliced over this summer and spent 10 days in the equine centre but recovered without any surgery or long term implications
-good to clip, good for the farrier, no vices, no rears/bucks, absolutely not a nasty bone in his body
-would make a great novice horse although he is a tb so I know that puts people off

just wondered what people would consider a reasonable price? He’s the ideal horse in every way but his colic history and the fact he’s a thoroughbred obviously affects things. TYSM in advance.

We’re located very far north of the country

I suppose another fault is that he has no show or competitive experience at all. I can show them multiple videos of me galloping him one handed and filming with the other (barebsxk sometimes too!) as proof he is fully safe lol, but he has absolutely no experience whatsoever with shows or competitions of any type

Bareback *

He sounds so lovely. I’m so sorry you have to part with him. It must be heartbreaking.

Age, breeding, medical history, lack of schooling and location are all against you. £5k (professional horse household here).

£8-£10k. He sounds lovely. Prices are crazy at the moment although seem to be starting to come down post Covid. A safe enough well mannered horse that could do BE 80 is going to be fairly pricey.

Around £5k

Not in the horse world really (on the outskirts as an occasional equine photographer) so I can't advise on price, but I'm interested to know why him being a TB means an instant no to many? Sorry just intrigued!

I've photographed someone who much prefers to ride bareback and often tackless, they even jump! I assumed it was all in the legs?

Agree with those saying 7k ish. If he wasn’t an ex racer then more like 12-15k but that does lower the value. He sounds lovely; sorry you are having to give him up.

It’s because if they have raced they will have been started at a young age and usually come with inherent issues from this early start, such as arthritis and spinal problems caused from carrying weight/hard work when their skeleton hasn’t fully fused yet. Also they cost more to keep in terms of feed and foot care. Not all. But most.

Interesting! I didn't realise the racers were young, the horses I know weren't backed until 4ish and I assumed it was the same for all. Thanks for answering 😊

I’ve just recently sold my horse so had a look at the market.

If your horse wasn’t a thoroughbred I would say between 8-10. The fact he’s had colic and spent 10 days in hospital plus the breed I would say more around the 5k mark. Unfortunately people are just reluctant to buy thoroughbreds. If it was me I would price around the 5.5-6 but would drop it for the right person. He sounds lovely though and it’s a shame the breed get a bad rep. I would maybe do the whole advert and leave out his breed and if someone directly asks you then you can discuss his breeding. Has he raced? As obviously that will make a difference if he is eligible for ROR too. But you also then have the people who wouldn’t want an ex racer! You might find someone who wouldn’t consider a thoroughbred comes to try him and if he’s as perfect as he sounds then I’m sure he would easily sell.

I would put him at the £4000-5000 mark as well. Horse prices have dropped since the covid crazy prices and its just coming in to winter.

I'm a regular on the ROR and racehorses off the track selling pages because in my dreams I could afford another and an ex racer is what it would be. I'd say around 3.5 4K - no more. The flat work and the competition mileage isn't there for any more. That's already a lot for and off the track TB. He sounds lovely though

I've not long bought an exracer for 3k. For your boy who's safe as houses but not established on the flat, and has no comp record - 4-6k probably

Are you north England or north Scotland?

£5,000, taking into account his breed, age, medical history and lack of formal experience. He sounds like a cracking horse mind you, I’m sorry you’ve to give up. Must be heartbreaking.

4-5k for me. I’d think if you’re including wardrobe that 5.5k would be achievable!

@theimposter

Really? £12-15k for a non ex racer?

I wouldn’t be paying that for a gelding (so no breeding purpose), 9 years old (so young ish, but not really “potential” market anymore), with a serious medical history which has predisposed him to similar problems again, who has never set foot near a riding club group session or a competition of any kind.

£12k gets you more than a safe hack these days.

sorry OP, he sounds lovely- I just was surprised by @theimposter suggestion.

when I price horses I am brutal with myself about all their assets and their drawbacks.

£4-5k here, SE.
Sounds nice but not done much and sounds like he needs a lot of work getting the basics established.

He sounds like such a good boy. Are you sure you don't want to just loan him out to someone who wants to bring him on a bit and start competing?
Riding school?

Not a TB lover, but have owned horses for years .... I'd say around £6-7K .... Sorry you're giving up. Good luck.

6-8k for that sort of horse. Also up north.
Hell, my 14hh coblet is as bombproof as they come, and same as yours, happy to be left in a field or out every day, makes no odds. And he'd go for about 5k.

That’s what they are making around my area. I’m down south and also help a rehoming project for horses straight out of training. They are making 1.5-2k with no training. Anything ROR eligible and safe,sensible and able to do a decent competition round is 5-7k.

For horses that aren’t ex racers (I helped a friend shop non ex racers a few months ago who’d had 2 ‘broken’ ones and wanted to move away from ROR so looked at a LOT) then she could find nothing within 3 hours of us that was under 10k. Most were 13-15k for what 3 years ago would have been 6k max horses. Prices have dropped slightly with COL crisis and winter but my vet told me she’d never been busier with pre purchase vettings for horses costing 15k upwards. So prices are holding for the right horses. And safe horses are always holding their value and sell easily.

Around £5k for this time of year. TB's will always sit on the lower end of the scale

Mind you, been offered £3k for a 2year old NF pony so prices are all over the place!

Advertise him higher and just be prepared to drop :)