If she can do the jumpers, there is a VERY healthy market on the east coast for the .9 and under jumpers even at the rated level. These classes are the largest at any rated show I go to and have a growing group. There’s probably a solid market for your cute, honest, fun small jumper that can cruise around these heights in the $20-40k range.
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Sure, for one that is showing and going consistently, but this is horse is doing a fraction of that and OP would spend her value getting her back to that level, IMO.
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To answer some of the questions:
Yes, she is going to be more successful in the jumper ring. She has been successful on a local level in the hunter/eq rings.
The event trainer is on the path to back to jumping, but is taking her time with her which I so so so appreciate and love. I would absolutely continue on with her current program if keeping her was an option.
I could also absolutely keep her at a lower $ barn and continue on with her, but I feel like I would be doing her a complete disservice keeping her from a job, program and the show ring.
My hope for her is to find a scrappy Jr rider that wants a rewarding ‘challenge’. While financial hardship is pushing the sale, I don’t want or need to scrape for top dollar. Quality of the home far exceeds quantity of the dollar amount on my priority list. This mare is SO special. If I could find just the right deserving Jr, I’d be happy at mid 4 figs. The purpose of this post was to ensure I was justified in asking that, and for opinions on the kind of home/market I can & should be looking for.
Thank you all for your time and help!
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For what it’s worth, when I was shopping last year (petite scrappy adult hoping to do the 1.0m eventually) I would have been thrilled to find yours for that price.
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I think the more she gets out and can show what she can do (even schooling), the greater the likelihood you will find a good match. Slow is great, but any time a horse advertised as “needing a refresher” that may turn some people off. So you may be better off waiting a few months to really campaign the sale.
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Can you get her doing a timed 3’ jumper course, even at home? Can you get an over fences rider on her to at least verify she can get around with a decent time to your potential buyer/ leaser?
Think your target market is more likely a scrappy Adult, scrappy Juniors age out PDQ and the bank of mom and dad may be concerned with ROI. Leasing is, IMO, problematic in your situation. She needs some work and most looking to lease want one thats “turn key”, not a project/prospect needing a scrappy rider.
If you want to try to lease, are you comfortable with her going off the property to a barn with a trainer who can sharpen her up over a 3’< jump course?
Just some things to think about and help you develop a plan. Price is dependent on what the buyer or leaser wants to do and with the leaser, where they want to do it and with whom.
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First, sounds like a really nice horse, exactly my type. Would buy her for mid fours if my husband wouldn’t kill me 
My advice is put 60 solid days on her and take her to a schooling show. It will triple her price (ie more than recover the training cost) and/or make her leasable.
I’ve brought these types (broodmares etc.) along before a sale back in Europe and my honest and perhaps jaded opinion is that you don’t really need more than 60 days for a horse that needs a “refresher” unless there are other reasons to take your time such as anxiety or risk of reinjury.
Will the horse go straight back to 120 jumpers after 60 days? Of course not. But 2-3 ft. courses? Routinely.
I’d not work with a trainer that is not aligned with your goals of a sale. For a mid fours sale the trainer will get less in commission than training her and “taking her time”. Find a consignment barn and someone who’s aligned to make her shine and get fit asap.
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Blockquote** I could also absolutely keep her at a lower $ barn and continue on with her, but I feel like I would be doing her a complete disservice keeping her from a job, program and the show ring.
This in your last post caught my eye. I know you said that “financial hardship is pushing the sale”. But this last post it sounds like financially you could keep the mare, but you would need to move her to a less expensive barn.
I’ll just say horses don’t care about their potential or showing or jumping x height.
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For what it’s worth, I see several posts a month on our regional horse forum looking for exactly what you describe - a horse for a scrappy, dedicated, budget-limited junior. The trainers mostly know the tradeoffs their making to meet the budget and would be thrilled to find your horse at that price for the right teen, even without a recent show record.
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I think there’s a market for a horse like this, and she’s an easier sell as a jumper than as a hunter (or even as an all around type). I do think being out of work and not jumping courses right now is your limiting factor. If you realistically think a month or two more will get her back doing that, I’d bite the bullet and spend the money and then put her on the market with a good recent sales video.
I think she’s worth more like low 5s in this market but she’s really got to be capable of jumping a small course and maybe one higher fence to demonstrate a little scope.
The moment I see “getting back into work” and it’s not a mare that just had a foal weaned, I assume the horse had a lameness issue and it’s a turnoff. I think I’m probably not alone in that. I also think the kind of rider you’re looking for is going to want to jump a course when trying her and so you’re shooting yourself in the foot with your pool of local buyers if you market the horse before she’s ready for buyers.
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Think the biggest hurdle will be getting somebody to come see and try her at an Eventing barn, especially if she is the only sale horse there and has no recent show miles let alone results at <1m. Jumpers. That impacts price too.
Most horses are marketed at shows via word of mouth. Often the higher prices are influenced by who the seller and their trainer are and the trust placed in them. Add the ability to see horse in the show environment plus compare to similar and buyers will be willing to offer more.
You could create the best ad but not get serious buyers to come out.
Trainer has an unavoidable conflict of interest in marketing her. Send her out even for 30 days to an H/J barn that networks with others that have clients looking for low level Jumpers.
Think your gut feeling is you cannot realistically afford to keep her. Do her a possibly life saving favor by getting her tuned up and rehomed now. Don’t hang on until you have to sell ASAP…how do you think horses end up at auctions? Low ball buyers looking for desperate sellers who lie about “ forever, loving homes” and flip them.
Oh, will she vet? Are you sure or just guessing? Has she ever had any imaging or other DX? If she was already in consistent work doing the intended job it would not be so important but shes not.
Think about it.
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What about sending her to a reputable sales program that has the capacity to get her back in work and the contacts to sell her? Around me I can think of a few where this is their model - they’ll put a month or so of training on her and then market her, and they specialize in quality horses at a lower price point, being very honest about the fact the horses are not perfect and finding a person looking for what each horse has going for it.
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Wow- I’m not in hunters but around here a WB that can jump and just needs a scrappy junior rider would be sold before you hit click on the add. Unless she is dangerous in some way, I cant imagine her not selling easily. If she can event go that way- eventing juniors by definition are scrappy.
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