Market For Pony Hunters?

[tryingtohunter]

I’ve recently been presented an opportunity to get into the pony training/resale market, and I was wondering if it is a good idea to invest into it at the moment. It would be quality warmblood type ponies, mainly larges, and the main training focus would be child safe for lead line through 2’6, if not 3’ for the division. For location based answers it’d be based in the Mid Atlantic/Washington DC area.

I’ve already done some research and gotten some advice elsewhere already, just wanted to check with the COTH forums if anyone here has any opinions they’d like to share

[173north]

Do you mean is it a good idea in light of recent economic trends? Or just in general? Please narrow down the question I have just started down this path (on pony number two right now) and I feel positive about it overall, but there’s a lot of factors at play.

[findeight]

It depends on your contacts to source kid safe, WB type Large Ponies to develop from lead line up to division height. Do you have a seller, breeder or whatever willing to sell to you at a decent price? Realize EVERYBODY is looking for just those Ponies.

It depends even more on having contacts with buyers/trainers who know and trust you enough to write that size check to you when you are ready to sell?

Oh, do you have a legal measuring stick? If buying and selling Ponies, you will need one and be proficient in its use.

Do you have a background in horse buying and selling in mid price and higher ranges?

[Tha_Ridge]

I sell a lot of horses (for an amateur) and do it quite well. Ponies scare me, enough said.

I briefly toyed with the idea this winter but realized that my program isn’t quite set up to give a pony the mileage that people want to see to make it worthwhile. A green horse is easier—any 'ole pro can hop on, whereas, with a pony that needs miles, you’re immediately limited in who can put miles and time into it simply due to size. If I had access to smaller, brave kid (I only have access to smaller, wimpy ones ), I’d feel differently.

[fourfillies]

If you can find the ponies there’s certainly a market. The Childrens pony divisions around here are huge (MD/Southern PA). The Pony divisions are healthier than 5-10 years ago but small by comparison. A friend of mine is looking for a medium now for her kid to dabble in the pre-childrens/childrens and I found the prices crazy. But then so is everything now and I’m kind of old.

[173north]

As everyone has said, there is definitely a market. Trainers and parents need nice ponies for their kids. Trainers and parents do not want the semi-feral ones fresh out of the breeder’s pasture, or the super green ones right off the plane from Europe. If you can bridge that gap by finding a quality pony, developing the pony correctly, putting a good-riding kid on it for videos and shows, and representing it well, you will have interest.

If you really want to do nice larges, be aware that you’re starting right off in a saturated, competitive section of the pony market. If you aren’t already experienced in selling horses and don’t have a great lead right now on a quality large, I’d suggest starting off on smaller scale with one that will be more of a children’s or even a local show type, use that to test your process, and build from there to a division prospect.

I have landed on a solid niche within ponies that I am optimistic about, but it did take me a year of working on connections and research, plus a starter sale pony, to figure out. Along the way I found another pretty good pony niche in my area which a friend of mine is now pursuing. You might be surprised by what you figure out once you get going.

[Tini_Sea_Soldier1]

The pony hunter market has stayed consistently hot. It feels like last year was really impossible to find smalls and mediums, and this year, mediums seem to be the toughest and most desirable of the lot. I see a good amount of larges up for sale. The biggest problems are when you come across one that isn’t kid safe, doesn’t want to do changes, or grows to an awkward size. Those are the ones that just keep getting advertised and never seem to move. There’s a solid market for childrens ponies and division ponies, but much like horses, people can be partial to certain breeding or lines, so it’s useful to have your pony’s breeding on-hand and include it in ads.

[supershorty628]

@Tha_Ridge

I sell a lot of horses (for an amateur) and do it quite well. Ponies scare me, enough said.

I briefly toyed with the idea this winter but realized that my program isn’t quite set up to give a pony the mileage that people want to see to make it worthwhile. A green horse is easier—any 'ole pro can hop on, whereas, with a pony that needs miles, you’re immediately limited in who can put miles and time into it simply due to size. If I had access to smaller, brave kid (I only have access to smaller, wimpy ones ), I’d feel differently.

Can I interest you in someone who passed for a kid at the airport a few days ago

[trubandloki]

@supershorty628

Can I interest you in someone who passed for a kid at the airport a few days ago

[AmmyHunter]

In addition to some of the points above, do you have access to a pony kid capable of showing a project pony for you? That helps immensely in getting them sold, and if you don’t have access to a kid it is obviously harder to show they are kid-ready.