As I think about my goals for the next 1-5 years, I have started to think about selling my WB jumper. I am unsure what the market would be for this kind of horse (I am not currently working with a trainer as I keep my horses at home and have been mostly putzing around for the past year hence thinking about selling). The horse is 16.1 but takes up your leg and has a multi-page USEF record from both eventing, up to Prelim, and show jumping, up to 1.30m. The horse hasn’t competed at a USEF show with me only due to my lack of desire to show with USEF. It has done some local schooling shows early last year as the most recent competitions. I’m sure I’d need to show it a bit and school it up before listing. The biggest “detractor” for this horse is age, just hit 20 this year. Horse doesn’t need much maintenance (hocks only), is easy to live with, and more than capable at the 1.0-1.10 level, but not sure how much the age will hurt in a sale. The other “issue” is that while the horse is incredibly well schooled, it is not a schoolmaster type. It is a forward ride to the fence and can try to intimidate its rider(s). Not a pro ride but not for a 2’6 lesson kid to have their first jumper experience on. I know the market was crazy the last few years, I even saw a 20s draft mix gelding sound for W/T only go for $20K, but not sure about the current market. What would a horse like this expect to go for?
Do you need to sell him or could you lease him to someone who needs a good schoolmaster? Because if leasing him is an option, I would suggest that so you know where he is and how he’s being treated.
As someone currently leasing an older schoolmaster, if you can, I’d really recommend that option.
It’s been a win for everyone IMO. I would never have been able to buy this horse outright (even at a discounted rate), but being able to lease him has really improved my riding. I have learned so so much from him. Financially, I can afford my half lease and my portion of his maintenance, plus weekly lessons with an UL trainer. At the same time, he’s completely off his owner’s checkbook and she has full awareness of where he is and whose care he is under. If you’re concerned about retiring your horse, you could even squirrel away his lease fee for when he needs fully retired.
And of course, for the horse himself, he is staying in work and staying fit and getting excellent care and maintenance to keep him doing his job happily. He’s a barn favorite, even amongst outside trainers I’ve been able to clinic with and is just completely doted on by everyone at the barn. He really is living his best life.
I’d totally lease/buy a horse like this depending on $$.
No idea on pricing.
Leasing might also be more appealing to the potential “buyer” because they won’t have to worry that the horse might need to be retired in the near future when considering his age.
Did you work with a trainer at in your area either while you’ve owned this horse or before? If so, I’d contact that person and let them know you’re trying to get the horse legged up to do a bit of showing and hoping to either lease/sell once he’s going again. This could be a really good option for a good riding kid/amateur who can’t afford to purchase a horse like this outright. I’d love to learn on a horse like this myself. I’m an amateur with two young kids who isn’t ready to just commit to 2’6" and below yet, but I also can’t afford to purchase one or pay all upkeep on one right now.
I do think the market has cooled compared to 1-2 years ago. With that type of horse, I actually think you stand to make more from a lease than a sale because age is going to affect sale price more than lease price. A lot of people would pay $20k for a year lease on the 1.0m/1.10m schoolmaster but won’t pay $40 or 60k to buy the same exact horse at 20 y/o.
Another vote for leasing if you have that option. I would really hesitate to purchase a horse that age, even if the price were very low, because the fact is that the horse is one injury/issue away from retirement. However, I would lease a horse that age with minimal maintenance all day long.
I hear you all on the lease aspect, I do. I was the person who always wanted to lease this type of horse because I couldn’t afford to buy one. I lucked into buying this one big time but life has gotten in the way of really capitalizing on having a horse like this.
There are some conflicting comments here, some saying they couldn’t afford the upkeep but would pay to lease which is not how a lease works. I wouldn’t free/ care lease this horse out, I firmly believe the horse still has good value and my cost to keep horse is minimal. I’d prefer to sell as I am ultimately thinking I’d like to step away from horses for a few years. I have one older, semi retired horse who I will keep as it isn’t sellable and try to part lease to offset that horse’s own costs (still sound for flat/ dressage work and has a much more ammy/ JR friendly temperament) but would like to sell this horse so that I am not retiring it in a year or two after a lease where someone else rode it into the ground.
My SO and I are recently engaged and wanting to get our life together sorted out (wedding, house, kids) in the next few years. I have little time already for the horses and could use the money from selling this horse to help fund the other’s retirement/ pay for the wedding/ buy a house/ etc.
I would talk to some local trainers and ask what value they’d give the horse. Even better if you know one who could help you sell the horse. I’m in North Texas and I think there is very much a market here for a horse like this, but I really don’t know the value.
I don’t think anyone said that, or implied a care lease either.
In any case, working with a well-connected trainer will be your best bet, regardless of what you ultimately decide.
Oh, do explore a lease situation! I lease a horse whose description matches your guy almost precisely, down to age, talent, size and ability. She’s just the thing that I needed as a returning middle-age adult. These oldsters have so much left to teach. Let us know how it goes, whether sale, lease or something else.
I understand that, and agree comments about not being able to pay all upkeep on one are a bit conflicting because in most cases, that is exactly what the leasor is doing for the duration of the lease.
That said, there is a big financial difference between buying a horse you know you are going to have to continue to sink more and more money into maintaining indefinitely and then eventually retiring, and leasing that horse for set X price with X expenses for X amount of time.
If you want to firmly step away from horses and not have to deal with finding a new leasor every 6 months/1 year, it is completely understandable you would prefer to sell vs lease. I do think you may take a hit on price just given the horse’s age.
I said this and I should have worded my comment differently. I would not expect to free lease a horse like this and I would expect to pay all costs associated with the horse while the horse was in my care. What I should have said was that I can’t afford to purchase outright and pay all expenses indefinitely on a horse that I own outright at this point in my life.
Not sure leasing or part leasing is really an option here since horse is kept at OPs home. He’d have to go off property plus standard MM insurance on a 20 year old is unavailable.
Horses are easier to sell with the help of a trainer of good reputation and network of contacts. I would start there.
I hear you on the concern with not being a lesson horse but if you are very set on not leasing, donating to a riding school with some advanced kids and adults may be your best option. Before I bought my own horses, I lessoned regularly with a local program and showed 3’ and 3’3 with school horses. My former programs all had quirky, challenging, but fun and talented donations that those of us former Big Eq type adult ammies had a blast on. I am not sure what your local market is like, but I know of a few around me that have absolutely capable kids who lesson that show in the 3’+ classes on horses they lease from the riding school. The tax benefit plus getting him off your books could be the easiest path for you, given his age.
Ah I see now. I missed that earlier. Thanks!
I’d lease a horse like this as an AA who has taken time on and off recently and at her “best” was doing .90 and 1m on previous WB leases (both former 1-3* event horses and 1.30m show jumpers).
I like forward - I’m a soft rider and LIKE to be pulled a bit to fences - was a dressage junior so I like to think I have a nice half halt.
I’d lease him in a heartbeat - my previous leases were 15 - 22. I would like to have him in a training program with my coach so that would mean leasing him off your property.
I’d say this type in my area is a bit more than a care lease up to about $12k/lease fee per year due to lack of recent show record and age.
sale price - idk I’d pay like $20k/$25k for this type of horse - estimating to get another 3 or so good jumping years at the .90m level out of him
Plenty of people do off property leases in my area. I guess YMMV depending on your connections in the area.
Where I am (in Canada), I cannot imagine many people paying much money for a 20 year old horse, even if he is sound and jumping. It’s too few years of service for too many years of paying expenses in retirement. I’d say 10k max.
It might make sense to approach (good) barns with lesson and leasing programs. They could buy him and lease him to a new client each year, stepping him down as he needs. I know you said he’s not a schoolmaster, but perhaps he would work in the right program. Otherwise I would donate him or let a trusted person free lease him so you can be sure he ends up in a good place.
