Makes no sense at all to me. But I’m willing to start teaching these tricks if it makes 15 hand geldings marketable in the upper 5’s. 
9 Likes
It feels like the horse market is turning into the US housing market. A friend who is horse shopping, found one she loved, but found out it was 6 months back into work after a suspensory injury that layed it up for a year and was in the middle of treatment for another, much more minor issue. Asking price? Low 6s. The horse had a good record prior to the injury, but still. It’s very, very discouraging to hear about.
4 Likes
A pretty color always adds to the price.
I went to a ranch horse auction a few years ago and there was a stallion who came in but the bidding didn’t meet the reserve. As the man was about to lead him out of the auction his two young kids came in and he put them up on the horse. They rode him out, and jogged him around in the warmup arena.
He sold right then and there. They should have had those two kids ride him all along.
A good mind is worth a lot. New surrounding, lots of people and commotion, and a horse that takes it all in and doesn’t mind? That’s worth a lot to a lot of people, especially when they have extra money to spend on a hobby.
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I think two-year-ago me would think the current me is insane.
I saw some video of a horse in Florida for sale by a very trusted friend of a very trusted friend, with commentary by said friend that I should buy it immediately, unridden by me and unvetted. I texted the morning after the videos went up and the horse was already sold.
The insane part is that next time I might actually go for the “unridden, unvetted” option.
I’m not sure prices are up all that much (at least in my shopping range–I know one lovely $15k horse who was parked at a sale barn with a $25k price tag for months with little interest, and a few years ago maybe he would have been a $10k horse but $25k, just no), but daaaaaang the nice, appropriately-priced horses move fast. I’m about to take a couple of weeks off of the day job with no specific plans other than catch up on life and to be available immediately if a good prospect (big wb/draftX types 17h+ not too young or stupid and can jump) turns up anywhere east/north of Pennsylvania.
I literally just paid 10% of asking so I could ride the horse (asked them to hold the horse til I could get there 48 hours later) as I just really really don’t want to buy off video. I was pretty sure he was the right one so I did it.
This market is insane. My horse sold in hours and she had some issues which were disclosed. 3 years ago she would have sat for months.
Luckily my instincts were right and I really like this horse, he vets Monday so fingers crossed.
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I came very close to buying a 5 year old TB mare out back at a local auction. Talk about a good mind, for such a young horse, she buckled down to the work and paid no attention to the hubbub going on around her, other horses passing her while she was being ridden, or one horse having a meltdown. The owner was getting out of horses so wanted to sell for a fire sale price. If I bought I would have had to sell one that I had at home and I wasn’t willing to do that. Such a nice mare, I’m sure she had a soft landing.
