Theoretically speaking, if you were going to finish and resell a greenie, would you choose a horse or large pony? How do the markets differ?
Sometimes I think the pony route is a little riskier, because so many prefer to lease. But hey, that’s true for horses, too, these days.
Thoughts?
Horse is easier to sell. More of a market. I see so many NICE ponies that would be snapped up in a heartbeat if they were in horse form. Easiest sell for the hunters is 16.3-17.1 gelding bay 7-10 years old EASY 2’6-3’ horse, no vices that will vet. Obviously you can get more for a hack winner or pretty color or papered WB or jumps higher etc.etc. but that description right there is your core SELLABLE animal.
Thank you, vxf111, that’s really helpful input. I’m actually considering two right now…one is a large pony, the other is the bay gelding you describe. So that definitely is relevant info.
I think it’s also important to consider how many jobs are available for a quiet minded horse vs. a pony. A horse can be quite valuable/easy to sell if it’s an easy 3’, three ring type. Honestly, even the quiet/fancy 2’6" horses are going for quite a bit these days!
For a pony, if they can’t do the regular division hunter classes well, it’s pretty hard to sell for any amount of money because people would rather lease the fancy/winning pony for a year or two vs. buying the average pony for the same (or even less) cost.
I will be the first to say a GOOD pony…one that keeps kids safe with style is ALWAYS in high demand.
OP is an adult though. To get a proper show record on a pony, she needs a pony jock. OP, if you don’t have one… horse all the way… I like a good pony too but I am just being honest. What green thing can you make up and flip most easily as an adult… a HORSE. Always.
I do actually have multiple pony jocks available, but it’s an added level of complexity and coordination. I get that.
NBy pony jock I don’t kind mean a kid, I mean a kid who is quality level akin to a trainer and can take a green one out and win and get it qualified for pony finals etc. Plenty of kids around, not too many true pony jocks.
Ponies are in high demand, but in lower price ranges…because everyone knows their kid is going to outgrow that pony in both skills and size.
The list of things that you need to consider when buying a pony to flip is a lot larger than for a horse. For instance, you need:
*to VXF111’s point above - you need to have a serious pony jock to get the right kind of results. You also need the appropriate skill level/size rider to show the pony so you can prove that the pony is rideable/winnable with the pony rider that isn’t that pony “professional.”
Problem is, people aren’t going to really open their wallets more than a crack, unless the pony has been “proven” to be safe and stylish with a pretty extensive show record. That takes time and money to put in place, which most people looking for a typical “sale project” aren’t going to be in a position to give before they sell the horse. People aren’t as willing to pay any significant money for “potential” in a pony, unless maybe it’s a from a known breeding program, in which case the original purchase price wouldn’t likely fall in the category of “cheap enough to be a viable sale project.”
The calculus changes some if you’ve got a really robust lesson program or something, and the pony can start earning keep while simultaneously “getting miles” with the more advanced students (including small adults) in lessons, then going out to shows with a lot (even all) of the show cost being borne by the kid or kids competing riding that pony, eventually to sell on or lease out. That’s not what most people are thinking of when they think “resell project,” though.
Ponies are hard.
Have a quality horse with a sticky lead change? Sell it to an advanced rider for good money. Have a quality pony with a sticky lead change? You’re either selling to a good riding kid on a budget or selling it as a pony without a lead change.
Have a horse that grew an inch bigger than you wanted? No one even noticed. Have a pony that just finished at 14.2 1/2? He’s now a horse and is worth next to nothing.
Have a hot horse? Jumper ring! Have a hot pony? Good luck.
Have a horse that’s just a little too tricky for a lesson program but not fancy enough for an show barn? There’s a market for that. Have the same in pony size? Hard to find good riding kids who don’t want to horse show.
Have a fancy horse with no miles? Plenty of people interested in that. Have a fancy pony with no miles? You can get him a new home, but only if you have pony contacts and not for a ton of money.
And if you FINALLY find a pony that’s pretty, moves great, jumps great, gets down the lines, is easy, dead quiet, has auto lead change and you found a pony kid to put miles on it? He’ll go for good money but not nearly as much as he would if he were 16.2.
With Ponies you cut your buyer pool down substantially to kids. That right there is a minus in selling the Pony for the same amount as the bay gelding after you put equal time in each. Ponies get complicated, how tall is this Large? An inch either way can be a zero on or off the price.
Savy buyers bring a legal stick including arm, level and base with them- they stick first and don’t even try them if they are out of the desired range let alone make an offer.
I know somebody is going to cite how wonderful Ponies can be for Adults. But doubt any want to pay the same as they would for the bay gelding and as far as seeing these as buyers at a fair market price they are probably too busy feeding their unicorns to come try yours.
For a straight resale project as a show horse at any level, you want that bay gelding. And the less Green it is, the easier to get a good price. The market for Green anything is flooded way past saturation, double that for Ponies.
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