I have a horse that I was training to be a show hunter, but he just doesnt seem too be happy in the ring and doesnt really have a good work ethic. However he has fox hunted, and loves trail rides, so was wondering if there was a market for a horse like that?
Well, I’m almost kind of insulted but I don’t really think you meant it that way, at least I hope you didnt.
What makes you think you can dump off a horse that is lazy on us foxhunters?
If he doesn’t have a workethic we don’t want him either.
But to answer your question, i don’t think there is a good market for anything right now, the high end horses are still moving but not much else, at least not in my area.
There is always a market for “proven” Foxhunters.
Hunted a couple of times does’nt count though.
But if your horse has been well hunted,by a respected rider for a couple of seasons,he will be worth quite a bit of dosh.
If he is a potential hunter,you are back to $1000 .
But proven ,in good company $10 - $20,000.
Got to disagree with you a little if (and it’s a big if) the OP meant that the horse does not have a good work ethic for show hunter-ring work type activities only.
I have known and have been lucky to have hunted a couple of horses who were excellent foxhunters but thought the whole show hunter - ring work thing was a bit of a yawn. (Maybe they were picking up the vibe from me :lol: ) Yup, in the ring, some might have described them as having a poor work ethic - and actually one show hunter BNT did (I just smiled politely). But take these horses out on a trail ride or hunting, they were very engaged, involved and committed to the work - perhaps because they did not think of it as work!
However, if the horse that the OP describes has a poor work ethic out on the trails, yes, I agree, that is not a good prospect for foxhunting.
WJ
I will agree with you on that.
But you know how it is, when people have a horse that isn’t suited to XYZ, they try to pass it off on the foxhunters or the eventers
Yes, there is always someone looking for a hunting horse but saying a horse has hunted a few times isn’t enough of a resume to spike much interest- unless the price is dirt cheap, horse seems sane & sound and someone wants to try to flip him.
Get the horse out hunting a dozen+ times then you can sum up his attitude & ability better. All of the folks I hunt with are looking for steady, wise and calm horses to hunt. A horse that will go in a group or solo, not herd bound, sure footed, quiet on bitter cold mornings and if it’s not ridden much (or at all) during the week is still a good citizen on hunt morning.
Good luck!
I have a dressage horse, he only has three legs, but all he needs is to be trained to dressage. Doesn’t know a damm thing about dressage, but he saw it on TV once. Maybe I can slap an enormous price tag on him just because it will be the most interesting sidepass you have ever seen.– That is what I think of when I hear ‘prospect’
I don’t mean to be harsh, but not all horses can be hunters, not all horses can show jump, not all horses can do dressage. And for pete sake, not all hounds can hunt.
I myself just picked up two hunters. Yes there is always a market for those who are looking. But, the market for those who are willing to pay 20K per horse is pretty small.
Of the two horses I just got, one is eight. He has been a staff horse, huntsman’s horse and had been hunting for the last five-ish years. He is used to road the hounds, lives with the huntsman and is uses extensively off season. His expirence goes beyond his years as he is used by the huntsman year round, not just hunted in the field.
The other is considerably older at 14. He has been used as the huntsman horse, as a staff horse and has been in the field. His entire life has been hunting. Again, he lived with the huntsman.
Those of us who look for true hunters know the word ‘prospect’, we also know that a horse hunting for two years is not a hunter, let alone a horse that has been out in the second flight twice. If anyone would like to sell their hunter, get them out in the hunt field for three or four years, multiple times a year, (double digit multiple times.) Take them roading, take them to hunter paces, do cross country, then you can begin to call that horse a hunter – a green hunter, but a hunter none the less.
Anything less is not a hunter - in my humble opinion.
I really take offense when yall have to post back replies that are harsh and making fun of the question I was asking. I am on this forum to learn and would hope that you would have a little more respect.
I asked if there was a market for a horse like the one I described. He does not have the work ethic IN THE RING, and he HAS FOX HUNTED and was very good with it. This horse would rather be out in the woods than in a ring any day. SO YES this horse would be a “prospect” fox hunter. I am not saying he is going to be used as a staff horse, or as a whip, but for someone that would want to start off 2nd field then move up. I would not advertise this horse as a fox hunter because you are right, he hasnt prooved himself yet, however he does like.
So the REAL question is, is there a market for “prospect hunters”? are there people out there that want to buy a nice young horse and hunt them for a few years and sell them???
I know first hand what good fox hunter is, I have fox hunted for several years. I may not have hunted my entire life, but dont pass this off as being another situation where “if the horse isnt good enough for the ring, then just send them off as a fox hunter of eventer”.
Well I think your remarks back to the posters is equally as disrespectful, because well…your OP was quite vague to the experience the horse had, and did not specify that he had no work ethic IN THE RING (though I agree, that was a very weird part of the post to jump on, as I assumed what you meant was what you clarified…no ring work ethic).
Anyways, the market for a prospect is down right now, unless the horse is cheap. It really depends on the price range. I will say that from my stand point, we either raise our prospects at home, or buy them off the track, so all are relatively cheap “purchases.” We actually just “sold” one of ours that will be a hilltopper and got less than $3K for him. He didn’t really like ring work, but was a heck of a foxhunter. Quiet, big, and flashy. Didn’t really have use for him because he wasn’t going to suit as a mount for our current hunt. And btw, I’m in MD/VA, hunt central!
I was trying to be as vague as possible because I dont want this to be looked at as advertising for my horse.
Clearly, I misunderstood
Historically speaking, many folks who have had a horse that cannot work for Hunter Jumper, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, trail ridding or any other discipline all of a sudden get passed off as a foxhunter prospect. If you search the threads on this forum you will see countless, and I mean countless, posts of people who have tried every single discipline out there and fox hunting is the absolute last ditch thing left to try in order to shovel the horse out the stable door and sell it for something.
So when folks get worked up (myself included) at the notion of being thrown another prospect, it gets quite tiring. If you have a good quality, proven hunter, yes there is a market. Currently it is depressed, but it will rebound. And if you get this guy out hunting during the time the market is depressed, then maybe you will have a marketable creature when the market rebounds.
As you have hunted for several years I am sure you know what a good hunter is. I must have mistaken your question and I had to reread your original post. You said “he doesn’t seem too happy in the ring and doesn’t have a really good work ethic” I took that as to mean he is absolutely useless and is only good for converting hay into manure. That is why, I’m sure, you received ‘negative’ feedback. My hunters are great out on the hunt, but lord forbid if we are asked to go into a ring. I know my own work ethic in a 100 x 120, scenery never changes, I think I am getting a crick in my neck, the endless circle, ring.
Any horse is a prospect for any discipline, even the ones at auction. Heck, I am a prospect for the Noble Peace Prize, but I have yet to write a movie about the environment.
[QUOTE=TheBarnSlave24/7;3439681]
So the REAL question is, is there a market for “prospect hunters”? are there people out there that want to buy a nice young horse and hunt them for a few years and sell them???[/QUOTE]
Yes, there is a market, especially in those areas that have lots of hunts, and it does help if the horse was already out in the hunt field and done well…
however…
prospects are a dime a dozen, and people that look for/pick up “potential” foxhunters do so on the super cheap end, ie: getting rejects for a few hundred $ from the race track, giveaways from PMU farms, etc. From what I’ve seen, very very few will ever go higher than about one grand for a prospect because of the time and effort and dollars one has to put into the horse before they can say it truly is a foxhunter.
If you are willing to let your horse go now for cheap, someone might be interested.
If it was my horse, I would think about leasing him to a foxhunter who can ride him all season and give the horse an education while helping the horse build a solid resume from the hunt field. With a year’s hunting under his belt, you will have a better chance at selling him at a higher price. The more he is out hunting, happily and successfully, in a season, the more value he will accrue for selling to this sport.
Does that help?
Depends on a lot of things
I have a horse that has hunted for one full season and some prior. He’s a proven hunter and has also evented through Novice. I have had no luck selling him for less than $10K. The market here in the midwest is extremely weak. Probably in Virginia I could sell him more easily and for more money.
But most foxhunters are not interested in prospects. If they pay more then a couple of thousand dollars, they want to know it will go in the field and stay quiet. Too many super quiet horses still can’t deal with hunting.
We’re weary…
You are seeing a clear weariness with folks coming onto this forum with horses as prospects. Do a search and you’ll see. We’re just tired of them, sorry but true! Please forgive us. People see dollar signs with foxhunters that is sometimes not deserved. We ain’t all rich ya know! I’d say that here in Va. most fieldhunters are selling for under 10K. If they are big and experienced and perfect? Then the big bucks. The market in our area IS down. ALL horse sale prices are down, way down. Just my humble opinion.
TBS crankiness is spinkled over this forum lately. :: shrugs ::
I think it depends on where you are and even the breed. I’ve seen tall, attractive draft crosses sell around here as fox hunting prospects for $10-15K. If its a thoroughbred then probably much less. And I think it is a legitimate question. Good luck finding him a good home.
[QUOTE=kcmel;3446562]
I think it depends on where you are and even the breed. I’ve seen tall, attractive draft crosses sell around here as fox hunting prospects for $10-15K. If its a thoroughbred then probably much less. And I think it is a legitimate question. Good luck finding him a good home.[/QUOTE]
A foxhunting PROSPECT for that kinf of money??:eek::eek::eek:
For 10K I have a field full pf prospects. :yes::yes:
[QUOTE=gkittredge;3440096]
Historically speaking, many folks who have had a horse that cannot work for Hunter Jumper, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, trail ridding or any other discipline all of a sudden get passed off as a foxhunter prospect.
as a bit of morning humor, I recall Calvin and I being called to look at a “cutting horse prospect”…so we travel W of Knoxville to see what is possibly the worst conformed yearling still able to walk on his on power:lol:
we then found out the “cutting” part had to do with chasing dogs in the tiny field he and the peacocks lived in…goood grief…
so it ain’t just foxhunt folks who get it…:winkgrin:
Yep. There are people I know around here that buy draft crosses from breeders, put some training into them, take them on a couple of hunts and then sell them for those kind of prices. They are usually nice horses, too, and sometimes get flipped for even more. Similar to what people used to do with OTTBs some years ago for hunter/jumper. If you have a good eye and the right contacts I guess you can still make money selling horses.
barnslave24/7 where are you???
