[QUOTE=MysticOakRanch;8424756]
If you are referring to my post - I am not painting Europeans as criminal thieves. I am painting some of the horse agents as less then upstanding. Have seen it happen way too often. Having said that, it is also true in the US - while there are plenty of honest sellers, we all know of someone who has had a bad experience. But - the laws are more protective of buyers here (and vets are more careful as well). So you do have greater risk going to Europe, unless you really know what you are doing. And I am sure you are one that has well established connections in Europe, which gives you a different buying experience.[/QUOTE]
As anywhere, when you go in Europe, you need to know people and get references. Their is not more dishonnest sellers, breeders, brokers or whatever. Same with veterinarians. Some of the best veterinary hospitals in the world are found in Europe and those institutions will not risk their reputation to allow an old german breeder to sell an unsound horse to a naive american. It is about choosing the right people to make the verifications.
The problem is that people want to buy quality, but save as much money as possible. If you shop only on the internet, and are willing to buy on a short video and a couple of good pictures, it is clear that you are taking a risk, either here or in Europe. If you are serious in your process, you will travel to see horses in person and you will be able to make an idea for yourself. If you do not have experience in shopping young prospect, get the help of trusted professionnals.
What I have found however is that, even though many breeders are not doing it in bad faith, they see their products as way better than they are. So they are sold as top prospect when they are to often, as best, honnest average amy horses. I strongly believe in NA breeding. However, I often see as a problem the fact that breeders seem to overevaluate the quality of their horses. A top breeder in Europe wich produces 40 foals in a year, he will be able to tell you he may have 1 or 2 exceptional foals, 8 very good, 20 correct and 10 bad foals. All of those foals will be from at least decent dame lines. In NA, too often you will ask 10 breeders with 4 foals each about the quality of their foals, and they will all have 3 exceptional foals and 1 good. Not that they are not good or that they are dishonnest, but I think we, in NA, have difficulty evaluating the real quality of what we have.
As for the prices of horses, all the reason listed above probably justify the difference in asking prices. Some horses of lower value will be more expensive here than in Europe. As mentionned above, you must take all other expenses involved before coming to a conclusion (shipping, vet checks, travelling to see horses, quarantine etc…). On the higher end of the price range however, I found that the prices are generally quite similar here and there. The best horses are expensive everywhere. The difference is that, because Europeens produce so much more horses in a year so, necessarly, they have way more good horses, and way more not so good horses. Their philosophy is to try to get the best from their good horses because they know the market is good for them. As for their horses that are not as good, they will try to sell rapidly to limit the investment they put in them. Here, people produce less horses, and the philosophy seems more like trying to make money, or at least cover the costs, on all the horses. This results in the prices of average horses to go up to cover the costs.
