Which ones do you think are overpriced? Are they heading for a crash? I was cruising breeder websites for fun and saw $50K for a foal. Wow!
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All prices are outrageously highā¦ especially draft-crosses. Saw one guy in North Georgia, had a mutt of a Perch/Paint gelding thatās done nothing for $12,500. I about choked. The more I looked, the more I saw much of the same, regardless of location.
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The entire market is overpriced, but I am starting to see some locations come down. Others are still completely out of their minds.
I just saw an ad for a grade 14.2hh, 6 year old pinto mare thatās been jumping up to 2ā3" since the age of 4, in a lesson program, that has mediocre conformation, for $30k. 
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Anything ābaroqueā. Weāve got an Andalusian gelding at my barn getting a ātune upā, long story short the flipper plans to ask 12.5k for him, just because heās an Andi.
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Iāve seen the outrageous prices on draft crosses here in the midwest, too. Percheron or Belgian crossed with Quarter or Paint are huge sellers right now. Add in an odd color like blue roan, and if itās trained to sit on bale of hay, it will bring upwards of $20,000 at the auctions around here, even if itās not particularly trained for anything useful.
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Gypsy Vanners have been chronically overpriced. Iām still at a loss as to why anyone would WANT to own one, let alone for that kind of money.
Friesian (sp?) crosses. Most of them look put together by committee, yet that breed commands high prices for no discernable reason.
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It is the hairā¦all that lovely hair! Thatās what people are in love with on the Drum (Gypsy) and Friesen type horses. Locally, I observe that the Drum horses are also docile, slow, and are expected to look good, but not move much. The shows they have include costume classes! Yay, dress up and horses! And all that hair! Every little girlās dream of pretty ponies to pet and brush, with pretty clothes. We have a drum horse in our hunter/jumper barn. Sheās cute but a kick ride on a cold day, a stand there and pant on a hot day, moves like a sewing machine, but is loved by her person. Did I also mention stubborn and determined? If she decides to go right, youāre going right on the ground.
As to the overpriced horse market, Iām still seeing anything A show capable in the mid-5 figure range ($50K) and up, but not much is selling here. Iām always amazed at the prices folks will pay for the Baroque breeds with little training, as well.
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Depends on geography 
In my hunk of the Midwest, the market is almost exclusively QH.
The more WP ātrainingā the higher the price.
Mid to high 5s for most, more $$ for the select few.
Quotes because what I see - though Iām repeatedly lectured on how difficult that training is - is unnatural movement with less than zero engagement in any joint & exaggerated headset < think PeanutRoller par Excellence.
Congress is Nirvana, local unrated shows reward the most (to my eye) pitifully slow jog & lope with barely any forward movement.
There is a miniscule Dressage community, but Iām so far out of the loop I have no idea what the Breed du Jour may be or how theyāre priced.
If there are H/J folks, theyāre also riding mostly QH, even less populous & from what Iāve seen at Fair & a couple local shows thatās a Very Good Thing. Lots of teeth floated over small fences 
I drive a mini.
Friendās with Driving horses have mostly DraftX, grade & ponies of no particular breed - Shetlandish.
Prices are pretty low.
Minis go for a couple thousand at most auctions, sometimes hundreds.
Thereās a couple local breeders who get the higher prices.
Drafts & DraftX low to mid 4s.
One gal spent near $10K for a 3yo Friesian.
Another couple got a Haflinger from an Amish farmer who had him as part of a team pulling a manure spreader. I donāt know what they paid, but likely less than the Friesian.
Both these purebreds turned out to be great Driving horses.
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This foal was an Arabian. Maybe halter?
Iāve seen very high prices for QHs here, too.
My understanding is that draft crosses are also in demand as they age because livery stables want them for heavier riders.
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$12,500 is about as low as you can get it seems right now. (Northern New Jersey). It seems like anything that is above green broke goes for $25k around here.
I canāt believe the asking prices for Oldenburgs, Westphalians and other Warmbloods bred right here. I can understand a higher price on imports, but are āin uteroā Warmbloods really worth $30k+ before they even hit the ground?!?!
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Thereās some breeds that youād have to pay me to take them away. I wonāt mention what breeds that might be, for fear of offending. But some of the adverts and prices make me cough. Or giggle.
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Off topic, but people like them because they have good brains and excellent personalities. They were bred to be family horses, so theyāre generally intelligent and easy-going creatures. Basically the equine version of a golden retriever. I evented a Gypsy cross for a few years who was just an all-around super cool horse. Never spooky, very honest, and hilarious around the barn. More athletic than he looked and too smart for his own good. For a rider who just wants something safe and sane that they can have fun with at the lower levels this kind of horse is worth his weight in gold.
Iām with you on the Friesian thing though. All of the Friesians/crosses Iāve known (admittedly not many) have been neurotic, although some of that might be that they attract owners who donāt know what theyāre doing. The Gypsy Vanners are chill enough to be more idiot-proof in that regard.
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Oh spill the beans, who care if someone is offended.
I think after the one I currently own, Iām done with thoroughbreds for awhile. Iāve not had the best luck with soundness. Iāll be looking for something 15hh or less and grade or QH for the next one, so I can hopefully share it with my nephew.
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I am beginning to see prices come down on TBs coming right off the track. The nicer ones are going for 4,000 and the rehabs, etc are right about $1,500.
I got my gelding as an off the track pony horse. He is registered AQHA and broke, broke, broke. $3,500.
I do think the bubble will burst and prices will fall.
Sheilah
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I just acquired a 5 y/o Gypsy/QH cross mare. She is exactly as you describe. Not much phases her. If she has a 
moment, itās over as fast as you can blink. Sheās had good ground training and Iāll be sending her off to a friend to saddle break in the middle of June. Then sheāll be out with my older mare to finish growing up. Had the person I acquired her from chosen to sell her (instead of just re-homing to get her off the feed bill), she could have easily gotten $5K or more.
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I really wish the gypsy mystique would go away and breeders focused entirely on good, solid, family horses at a reasonable price. There will always be a market for nice tempered animals, but not at those prices. I think as the emphasis on color and bs continues, they will lose their Cob personality. Then, when the market does drop, no one will want the silly, flighty horses despite their pretty coat. How many generations of stupid decisions will destroy generations of good temper? Iām afraid weāll find out.
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My next horse will be a Mustang yearling. Plain chestnut, dun, or bay with an easy going nature and a decent build. Theyāre the best deal around and make, good, solid trail buddies and family horses.
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With so many genetic diseases in QHs, how are breeders getting these prices? So many still have poor conformation.
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Very large (17+) horses. Not a specific breed, and for tall people, sure, or even if youāre short and a big horse happens to tick your boxes. But I know people who are, like 5ā4 and not the strongest of riders who think they need massive mounts . Big horses often cost more, eat more, and for a small person require added skill and strength to handle.
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And they tend to be less durable.
Iām tall, leggy, and with a proportionate but not short torso - I look big on a lot of horses, and my upper body makes even the chunky shorter ones look small. I wish shorter people would leave the dinosaurs to us who would really feel better on one 
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