Which non-racing discipline has the most expensive horses?

[meaty_ogre]

I’m just being nosy.

I’m sure there are outliers in every discipline, and we can all assume that the higher the level of showing, the more expensive the horse. But, in general, which discipline has the highest “average” purchase price for a suitable equine? Western pleasure? Saddleseat? Dressage?

I’ve done some searching and I think there is a sort of consensus that pairs/multiples driving is the most expensive discipline due to cost of all that equipment. Or Polo due to the string of horses needed.

For the sake of this conversation, let’s exclude race horses. I know Thoroughbreds can fetch large sums, but I consider that a business. I’m more curious about the “hobby” disciplines.

I’m going to guess eventers (low level) are the cheapest because everyone gets Canter cuties. I know Eq horses are expensive. I’m also leaning towards western pleasure, reining or cutting horses being up there. I think a lot of older folks who have more disposable income are attracted to those disciplines. Just a guess though.

What are your thoughts or insights? What is the most you’ve paid for a horse, and what discipline, if you’re willing to disclose?

edited to add non-racing to title, I think we can all concede they have the most expensive horses

[Fergs]

I always thought the H/J people had the most expensive horses until I went to the Arabian show in Scottsdale – those people have crazy money.

[cutter99]

Good cutting horses can run upwards of $100K. Good beginner horses will run anywhere from $10K and up.

My most expensive cutter was $12K as a 4 year old and was a good deal at the time, which was 15 years ago.

[Rackonteur]

I would have said Dressage before I started paying more attention to Reining.

And yeah, I will agree with Fergs that Arabians are very pricey. Used to work for a guy who showed one. Very very different world from the horse world of my horsey friends and me.

[ReSomething]

THE most expensive? Hard to say because there is always ONE really expensive one and in order to say it’s the most expensive I’d want an average price, not a median. Saddlebreds were very high for a while. Sort of depends on the economy really. How about Show Jumpers, European style?

[SportArab]

Racing

[MissAriel]

I know a woman shopping for a Saddlebred for her daughter to show in Eq. apparently $100K-200K is not unheard of.
The eventers I know say they can’t spend as much on the horse, because they have to spend so much on extra tack/equipment/training to cover 3 disciplines.
Arabians wouldn’t surprise me. I didn’t know reiners or cutting horses were so pricey. Dressage doesn’t seem so crazy anymore!

[Appsolute]

A number of horse sports can get some pretty crazy prices for a competitive horse… $100,000 ha chump change to these people! (I STILL remember a girl at my jr. high - 7th grade - back in the 1990’s - got a $95,000 hunter for her Bday)

The 4 Most Expensive Horses in the World:

[I]Most Expensive Dressage Horse: Though the exact sale price was never disclosed, in 2010 sporthorse breeder Paul Schockemöhle bought Moorlands Totilas for somewhere in the ballpark of $9.5 million to $15 million [next article lists him as $21M)

Most Expensive Showjumper: Palloubet d’Halong, a Selle Francais sired by Roderigo Pessoa’s mount Baloubet du Rouet, was sold to Jan Tops, a trainer for the Qatari equestrian team, for $15.2 million in October 2013.[/I]

The Most Expensive Horses Living, Perhaps

Beyond the TBS, we have:

A Jumper - $11.3M
A Cutting horse - $10M

Now - I realize most of these are breeding stallions.

Jumper Prices Soar - this article talks about the increase in prices…

“You have people buying horses for $2 million to $3 million for their kids to ride,”

I have heard of hunters selling to ammies in the $600,000 range (and I am sure higher!). Also dressage horses for ammies over the half a million mark. Some of the imported (already competing at four star) horses selling for BIG prices.

I am not familiar with the prices that Arabians or western (cutting, reining) are going for these days. I do not think WP would be at the top of the list (having known people that did well at “congress” - on horses that were VERY reasonably priced compared to a top jumper or hunter).

[Foxtrot_s]

AP must be up there.

[meaty_ogre]

Very interesting.

I do have some (albeit what I’d consider limited) experience with Arabian barns, and I did not see a lot of high dollar horses, though I’m on the opposite coast from Scottsdale. There were certainly 5-figure horses, but in my limited opinion, I think the Arabian breed has declined significantly from its heyday. I was just looking at an ad for a former reserve national champion hunter that I thought was low. I also know of a 3 time national halter champion that sold for less than I would have expected. Plus, I have a half-Arabian saddleseat horse that I can’t even give away. I’m sure there are many who pay big money, but I don’t think it is necessarily the norm. Now the show fees…those are another story :lol:

Western pleasure seems like it would be a very expensive discipline just due to tack and show clothing costs.

For what it’s worth, a search of dreamhorse and equine.com in a 150 radius has dressage trained warmbloods asking the highest prices.

[foundationmare]

I absolutely would also say racing. And, yes, it is my hobby! All disciplines are businesses for goodness sake and there are gradations of investment depending on the level of competition or wealth of participants.

[roseymare]

I think this is a very difficult question because there is a subset of every discipline who wants to be the big dogs who pay the premium for their horses. They in essence set their market.
I think the bargain in show horses right now is the Arabians. You can get some quality for your bucks. I find the stock breed WP, Pattern, and HUS horses to be overpriced at this time. Well at least in asking price and from dream horse searches warmbloods are there as well.
How about A Hunter ponies? Where are they at?

[Marshfield]

From what I’ve observed reading the forums, Hunter seem to be up there. Maybe folks can chime in from other venues. But, if I were to win the lotto and go buy myself a new dressage horse, 40k would get me a solidly started horse to continue up the levels with. Mostly, more money than that would get me gaits that I have no prayer of being able to ride.

[roseymare]

Silly phone double post!

[roseymare]

When I was a kid we had a large contingent of “old men” who had draft pony hitches. All of our local shows had pony hitch classes. Anyway the old guys always bragged how cheaply they purchased their matched teams and then turned around and talked about how expensive their harnesses were. It was like a game as to who had the cheapest ponies wearing the most expensive harnesses.

[meaty_ogre]

I am sorry if I offended anyone by excluding racing…I just figured they would be the clear and convincing winner in this debate. I guess what I was trying to say is what “show” discipline fetches the consistently highest price tags.

[Justa_Bob]

TB Racing.

[Alagirl]

I think I heard some insane prices quoted in the QH world, but for the glitz pageants, like WP or in hand…
Would jive with the insane prices for the tack and outfits!

[red_mares]

@MissAriel;8195638

I know a woman shopping for a Saddlebred for her daughter to show in Eq. apparently $100K-200K is not unheard of.
The eventers I know say they can’t spend as much on the horse, because they have to spend so much on extra tack/equipment/training to cover 3 disciplines.
Arabians wouldn’t surprise me. I didn’t know reiners or cutting horses were so pricey. Dressage doesn’t seem so crazy anymore![/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Appsolute;8195654]A number of horse sports can get some pretty crazy prices for a competitive horse… $100,000 ha chump change to these people! (I STILL remember a girl at my jr. high - 7th grade - back in the 1990’s - got a $95,000 hunter for her Bday)

The 4 Most Expensive Horses in the World:

[I]Most Expensive Dressage Horse: Though the exact sale price was never disclosed, in 2010 sporthorse breeder Paul Schockemöhle bought Moorlands Totilas for somewhere in the ballpark of $9.5 million to $15 million [next article lists him as $21M)

Most Expensive Showjumper: Palloubet d’Halong, a Selle Francais sired by Roderigo Pessoa’s mount Baloubet du Rouet, was sold to Jan Tops, a trainer for the Qatari equestrian team, for $15.2 million in October 2013.[/I]

The Most Expensive Horses Living, Perhaps

Beyond the TBS, we have:

A Jumper - $11.3M
A Cutting horse - $10M

Now - I realize most of these are breeding stallions.

Jumper Prices Soar - this article talks about the increase in prices…

“You have people buying horses for $2 million to $3 million for their kids to ride,”

I have heard of hunters selling to ammies in the $600,000 range (and I am sure higher!). Also dressage horses for ammies over the half a million mark. Some of the imported (already competing at four star) horses selling for BIG prices.

Saddlebred peeps have delusions of grandeur. They think they have expensive horses, but in the grand scheme of things they don’t know what expensive really is. Skimming over tack prices makes it clear who spends the most $$$.

[axl]

I think TB racehorses are difficult to include if I understand the question, not because they don’t belong but because of how difficult (I think) it is to learn their average. If the question is (how I understood it) “what does it cost to buy a competitive horse at the mid to upper levels of your discipline,” well, they are for sale in every discipline except maybe racing? How often do graded stakes quality horses get sold? I’m very likely just ill-informed! but auction prices for PROSPECTS can’t count nor can stallion prices, because they don’t fit the category of purchase prices for a competitive horse at that level. I hope that makes sense?