best bang for $25,000

[jhg140]

Agree with the numerous other posters who said to stick with WBs for a resale prospect. You’ll sit on a QH or draft cross for awhile… A TB that looks the part for less time, but it better have a dang good video to back up some pretty pictures.

I think you can definitely find something nice for that money. I’m looking for something different (adult jumper prospect), but with a bit less of a budget and wanting something slightly more started, and I’m frankly surprised by how much is out there. This is, of course, assuming you’re willing to buy off video or put together a trip to go see horses all over the place.

Recommend starting with Facebook - your local “Sporthorses for Sale”, “Warmbloods for Sale”, “Hunter/Jumpers for Sale.” The group “Just Hunters, Jumpers and Equitation Horses For Sale” is MASSIVE and has horses from all over the US and Canada. If you’re serious, you’ll honestly have to check it 2-3 times a day to keep up with the volume of horses being added - blink and you’ll miss.

For Canada, I’ve been looking in “Ontario Show Horses for Sale”, “B.C. Sporthorses for Sale” and “Horses for sale - English disciplines - Western Canada”. I’m sure there are more. The Canadian dollar is really appealing as others mentioned, even when you add in shipping. I’ve seen a lot of really impressive youngsters. A lot of the Facebook ads will lead you to breeder websites, which is helpful.

Lastly, try Warmblood-sales.com. I’ve found a lot of breeders posting their 3-5 year olds there.

Good luck and have fun!

[Rel6]

I agree with other posters who say go WB, although I wouldn’t shy away from a nice thoroughbred that looks the part for the jumper ring.

Personally, I wouldn’t sink my whole budget into the horse. I’d look for something greener at the $10k-15k price range. Horses are horses and if something happens, I’d want a cushion to start over with.

[hype]

One of the most important things I’d look for in a resale horse is a great brain!

Look for something that even as a green horse will take a joke. It’s way easier to sell something that doesn’t take a sophisticated ride. I know that the green one will need one in the beginning but the wider market you can reach, the easier it is to sell.

[JenEM]

Honestly, as much as I adore (and own, ride, and show) TBs, if I was investing in a horse for a fairly quick flip, that wouldn’t be the route I went, especially with this much money to sink into something.

Get a WB, preferably a bay gelding. You should be able to get something lightly started for that price. You probably don’t want the world-beater pro horse that’s going to go do the big Derbies and whatever we’re calling the Workings now. You want something pretty, that you can put a little work into and it’ll be ready to cart an Ammy around the 2’6 division with potential for more. I wouldn’t look for fanciest, I’d look for the best brained, easily trained bay WB gelding over 16 hands I could find.

(That’s really hard to say as a lover of TB mares!)

[bamboopole]

You might consider going to some breed shows in your area. I found a solid color Appaloosa, 16.2, 8 mover, 9 jumper, for $8K. I almost choked when I asked his price. He was stunning. I thought they’d say $80K. Never even vetted him. 5 years old. What a find. Great brain.
Found a Quarter Horse the same way, but he wasn’t so cheap. Did have to work on his head carriage, but his lead changes were fabulous. Very good jumper. Sold him within 60 days and he’s famous now.

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=JenEM;8571855]
Honestly, as much as I adore (and own, ride, and show) TBs, if I was investing in a horse for a fairly quick flip, that wouldn’t be the route I went, especially with this much money to sink into something.

Get a WB, preferably a bay gelding. You should be able to get something lightly started for that price. You probably don’t want the world-beater pro horse that’s going to go do the big Derbies and whatever we’re calling the Workings now. You want something pretty, that you can put a little work into and it’ll be ready to cart an Ammy around the 2’6 division with potential for more. I wouldn’t look for fanciest, I’d look for the best brained, easily trained bay WB gelding over 16 hands I could find.

(That’s really hard to say as a lover of TB mares!)[/QUOTE]

I’m a TB person. But sadly I agree. Comment #2 gives my reason and says it all. The sad perception is the fact people think TBs pretty much no matter how good looking, correct, sound, good mind, showing excellent potential, talent, ability are only worth 10-20 cents on the dollar to a warm blood, even a warm blood of unknown breeding.

The “other” breeds people have suggested IMO would have to be exceptional to bring realistic to top dollar. The buyers that will give good/fair money are more then there are for TBs but still far less then for a warm blood. IMO

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=JenEM;8571855]
Honestly, as much as I adore (and own, ride, and show) TBs, if I was investing in a horse for a fairly quick flip, that wouldn’t be the route I went, especially with this much money to sink into something.

Get a WB, preferably a bay gelding. You should be able to get something lightly started for that price. You probably don’t want the world-beater pro horse that’s going to go do the big Derbies and whatever we’re calling the Workings now. You want something pretty, that you can put a little work into and it’ll be ready to cart an Ammy around the 2’6 division with potential for more. I wouldn’t look for fanciest, I’d look for the best brained, easily trained bay WB gelding over 16 hands I could find.

(That’s really hard to say as a lover of TB mares!)[/QUOTE]

I’m a TB person. But sadly I agree. Comment #2 gives my reason and says it all. The sad perception is the fact people think TBs pretty much no matter how good looking, correct, sound, good mind, showing excellent potential, talent, ability are only worth 10-20 cents on the dollar to a warm blood, even a warm blood of unknown breeding.

The “other” breeds people have suggested IMO would have to be exceptional to bring realistic to top dollar. The buyers that will give good/fair money are more then there are for TBs but still far less then for a warm blood. IMO

[ivegotanalter]

PMd you re Canada horses

[Chaila]

Find some horses you really like and do some research on their bloodlines and see if anybody has any comparable progeny. Temperament is #1 if you’re selling on the ammy market. So many warmbloods are utter dingbats. Those big gaits are hard to ride and they spook at raindrops. Not all of them, but that’s why you need to research who’s got a stallion that throws horses with great brains. My horse’s sire (Connemara) throws hardy, super athletic horses with almost no spook. Every time. He can be ridden by children and is a total lovebug around the barn. and he almost always wins when they take him out eventing. If I was looking for a project I’d find a stallion of this caliber and try to find his spawn.

If the sire is just a pretty face and he can only be ridden by a pro, that’s not because he’s a stallion, it’s because he has a crap temperament. He will pass that on much of the time.

[snowrider]

Hunter or jumper? If it’s a hunter I’d buy the fanciest unbroken 3 or 4 year old I could and get it started then sell it before it breaks it’s pre-green or I have to over winter it. I mean the fanciest. I really think that’s the best way to make money in the hunter market, I know someone who does this a lot and makes bank. She buys from breeders, starts them herself and in 4 - 7 months they are doing Training level dressage type flat work (for a nice topline) and jumping around small courses. The minute they have a somewhat reliable change she sells them. The training is easy because she buys quiet, unstarted horses with no problems, vets the heck out of them and never gets them super fit or all that far along. They just have to be big, pretty and have that jump built in and they sell quickly. It helps that she’s in CA and has a lot of buyers and breeders nearby too.

[NoDQhere]

Temperament times 3, plus pretty to look at, is what will sell. If the “average” rider can ride it and it’s pretty, jumps and moves well, it will sell easily. WBs tend to be easier to sell, but in our experience it is the look, the jump, and the disposition.

[shezabrazenmare]

[QUOTE=mjs8;8570783]
I would get 25 OTTBs ;)[/QUOTE]

I agree!

[x]

For easiest resale, Warmblood and no chestnut mares.

[altereq]

Thanks so much for the input! Just to be clear since I’ve gotten some PM’s I’m not actively looking at the moment, just planning on how to do this the smartest way possible!
It seems like people think hunters are the easiest to flip (and yes most likely to AA/CH/AO market)
How long would you anticipate having the horse to get the biggest return? How much showing do you think increases the value of the horse? Assume that I’m a competent ammy but an ammy nonetheless. What would your plan be?

[GoodTimes]

There’s a high demand in hunters and thus more money. Especially for that quiet ammy friendly AA or Children’s horse who may have the potential to move up if the owner never will.
A lot of it will depend on the horse and the situation. I would say you’d probably be hanging on to them for 6 months to a year, unless you got such a deal when you first bought them that you could turn around and sell them tor more the next day.
If they’re only 4/5 yo you probably only need to put in a couple good shows to get some videos and exposure. Anything older and people might start wondering why they haven’t done a full season yet.

Clinics with well known pros are also great places to market young show ready horses. People sit and watch, see how the horse works through a problem, and everyone is usually more approachable.

[fordtraktor]

It all depends on your situation.

I personally buy young horses, best quality I can get and I don’t mind keeping them a few years to develop. But – I have them at home so my costs are pretty low.

If you are keeping the horse in training at a pro barn, the economics are against that. If you consider this a semi-business proposition in which you even contemplate a profit, you can’t keep it very long and end up in the black. So you have to look at something of jumping age, which means $25k buys you less quality and that you want something that is ammy-friendly the second you step foot on it. So I’d buy something that I’d think is going to appeal to the ammy market already and just polish it up a little. Look for the bargain that for whatever reason is not shining where it currently is, that with quality work will increase substantially in value. You need a good eye for this. Ideally more in the 6/7 range and already jumping around with changes. Quiet.

I would definitely look at a range, you might find a diamond in the rough well below your top price. I’d buy whichever one I thought would most increase in value quickest if you are in this for resale/investment.

[hunterrider23]

Yeah I’d say there’s definitely more demand in hunters than jumpers unless it’s a packing high CH/AD or low junior at the very least. I wouldn’t completely shy away from a very nice TB if it’s got the potential to do the 3’6" since there are people looking for those on a budget, just don’t expect to sell for more than triple your start price. I would be looking at green broke things and in the smaller markets like the PNW and Canada, just because for some nuts reason people around here seem to think that a horse stepping foot on the wef show grounds constitutes a 100k asking price. Seriously you’d be appalled by the number of very green, not even fancy moving hunters doing the 2’6"-3’ that are being advertised that high or higher. Makes it really tough to find a junior a horse to move up to when the budget is not 6figures.

[Bent_Hickory]

There are quite a few legitimate 3’3"/3’6" horses priced in the 40-60K range. They may still be a bit green and they may not ever win at WEF or Upperville, but they will be competitive at the smaller “As”. You’re just not going to find them in the big sales barns.

To OP: A couple years ago, I bought a fancy 2yo hunter prospect within your price range. She was first in her yearling filling class at Dressage at Devon. A year later she won on the line in the Sallie B. Wheeler, 2yo fillies class. She was purchased directly from the breeder.

[rb5007]

In terms of where to look, I am constantly seeing nice horses in this price range on the Facebook groups Ontario Show Horses For Sale and Warmblood Prospects for Sale.

[cherham]

Oh poo-poo on the chestnut mare comment. As someone once said to me “the top riders and trainers don’t give a damn about the colour of a horse, just the second and third string riders”. Very proud owner of a chestnut mare obviously!

And agreed. Go directly to the breeder. They know the lineage, they know the personality of the horses they sell and can often show you siblings. And they usually offer a much better purchase price then going through a trainer once they add on all their commissions on top.