Holy smokes, I am glad I didn’t know about that auction! I would’ve bought YELLOWSTONE COWBOY in a heartbeat! He would’ve been the perfect size for me!
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I thought it was about horses making really bad decisions 
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That was a good laugh!
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I hear you - he is cute!
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You want to see high for ranch horses? Check out theseprices.
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OMG that is insane. Is that where we are? I got an idea a few years back that I really wanted a mustang started by someone kind. I saw Josh Knight (worked for Dan James and so talented) do so well with this little guy and then he sold for just $6k or so?
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I have to admit though, I watch those videos and drool. There are a lot of very well broke horses (at least from appearances) made for that sale.
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True. There are a couple I wouldn’t mind having, but I paid less for my FEI schoolmaster!
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These high-end (expensive) auctions are fairly new and I’m wondering if they’re one of the reasons for prices going so high. I don’t remember seeing them mentioned in sales ads four years ago when I was horse shopping. I guess sellers are looking at these auction prices for regular, decent horses (nothing special) and assuming they can ask for the same price for their regular, decent, nothing special horse.
I’d still like to know who’s buying them! 
Seriously, I don’t know any experienced equestrian who would even consider these auction prices for a trail horse. Especially one you don’t get to ride on the trails before buying.
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Holy crap! The prices on those auction horses! $116,000 for a gelding and is nothing more than a glorified trail horse who maybe did one season or day in the branding pen.
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This guy? https://bid.premieronlinesales.com/auctions/5264/lot/475-Sunset-Mighty-Mouse
Very nice horse but nothing worth 116,000. He can’t even breed.
I paid 6k for my mare three years ago, with good QH papers, solid trail horse, basic arena training, drives, and I even rode her in a parade, and she’s a shiny gold champagne.
I better not let my husband find out about these prices or he might want to sell her and pay off our house! 
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I admit my eyebrows raised when I saw you mention the price, but then I read about “Mack” and think nope – he is totally worth what someone was willing to pay for him ($116k at that!).
Watch that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiOi7m0tNLo
That’s a nice workin’ horse. His merits also include being ridden bridleless, is road-safe, camps overnight, cow-safe, and bona-fide trail safe… That’s very different than a glorified trail horse.
My great trail horse sucks at overnight stuff, takes a special kind of horse to do that and also be okay with road and cow work.
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It occurs to me that a lot of new money has been moving to property in the West, even before Covid work from home.
If you have a multimillion dollar spread in Colorado, which seems like a huge bargain compared to coastal prices, you need some good horses. If you have no trainer connections, no idea about showing, just want safe and gorgeous trail and camping and back country horses, and are used to buying everything online, including eBay auctions, these high end Western horse auctions might appeal. Especially if you fall for the claim they are bomb proof and need no tune-ups.
Quality winning performance Western horses are also very expensive because you can win real money on them.
I think that some folk with more money than horse sense will assume that the more you pay, the more built in safety features you get.
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My econo-nag that I paid a total of $1,600 for can do all of that and more. Plus he’s drop dead gorgeous.
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Sounds like your horse was sold to you for a hell of a deal. I don’t know many ranch/working horses that sell for that cheaply unless they have soundness issues or baggage. That’s not to say your horse has either, but the other horse isn’t worth less because yours sold for $1600. If anything, yours is worth much more than you paid for him.
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Yes, he’s undoubtedly broke and a nice working horse. But $116k? Dayum
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I’ve been offered a lot for him but it was a desperation sale on the part of the seller, just happened to be in the right place at the right time. He’s never taken a lame step and he’s over 20, got him when he was 8. I never considered selling him, he and I are joined at the hip.
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Probably the biggest, spendiest sale out here is the Cowgirl Cadillac sale in Wickenburg. It’s the equine version of Scottsdale’s Barrett-Jackson car auction. The concept is clever: There’s a select group of horses heavily promoted as real life ranch and trail horses. They are all owned, ridden and trained by women. The targeted demographic is women… with access to lots of disposable income. 
You get a glossy print catalog profiling each horse (and most of the cowgirls) and can watch the horses work on-site a day or so before. Add high-end western artwork, some trendy vendors and lots of adult beverages and you end up with very expensive horses.
The top selling horse in 2020 was a roan gelding for over $200,000.
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Did y’all notice how few bids some of those auction horses actually got? Check out lot number 32. 4 year old Vanner x QH gelding that sold for $95K on one bid… apparently someone really really wanted him!
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I watched the video, and there were many bidders on that horse, and others that said 1 bid. Don’t know why it said only one, unless they mean maybe one pre-bid from online bidders.
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