Why does someone have to spend $50k?
Plenty out there for $4000 that can be made into a winner if you can ride and train.
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It would be for me, that is for sure.
And that is why I will never buy a $50K horse.
Like was said above, there are lots of horses in the world that do not cost that much.
I suppose if your (general) thought is if you own you want to win at the big shows, then yes, you are going to have to spend the money.
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I think when people are paying more for horses, they’re inclined to just buy all new tack too. The lower end used saddle market has been really soft for a few years now from what I’ve seen.
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Please point me to these horses.
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One of the horses from Long Run just did his first 2*L and finished 11th.
My LongRun mare is currently doing 2nd level dressage. Both could be sold for $$$$. Both free.
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Please educate yourself on what a personal attack is. Also you can’t attack rich amateurs and not expect push back.
Jealousy is ugly.
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I love hearing the rags to riches stories in the eventing world - why do you think that’s almost unheard of in the hunter/jumper world?
I bought a horse in July of 2020 and am far from falling into any of your categories. While I have been a lifelong equestrian, I hadn’t owned as an adult until this time. I could afford it and I had the bonus of time flexibility with working fully remote. He was a 3 years old when I got him, I paid mid 4 figures and have been bringing him along myself. I also don’t think your average entry parent is shelling out 5 figures getting their kid into horses. I do actually happen to know a real estate agent who got his daughter into LESSONS during the pandemic. He has not spent 5 figures on a horse for her.
It’s always been an expensive sport. It personally is annoying to me when I see people trying to do it on a tight budget as there are so much of its nature is unpredictable and expensive. If you are barely scraping by with the bare minimum, what happens when there is an emergency? Or board goes up? Or X goes up? Because it all is. I see an awful lot of people falling into this category that are complaining about the rising costs. There is a greater demand, inflation has caused everything to rise in terms of caring for and housing a horse to the cost of the horse itself. Will that change? Possibly. The other side of that is barn owners/trainers/farriers etc in the US anyway seem to have been severely underpaid for the services they provide and there are a few very good threads about that that are recent.
I see no one attacking you as stated previously.
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Totally fair points. Thank you for your perspective.
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It seems like they are out there. I think pony finals always seems to have some cute story about something like that.
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Again, you’re offering nothing of value with that combative tone.
I’m not attacking anyone but highlighting the problems I see - if you feel attacked, perhaps there is a reason why you’re taking this thread so personally?
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It’s not unheard of at all, people just don’t want to flash around that they profited $50K + for their horses they got cheap. Don’t blame them since then people get thoughts like this.
Trainers are allowed to make money.
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Yeah what reason? One I’m not rich. Two, I can’t afford even a $5k horse. I’m bothered that you seem to think that just because someone can afford a nice horse doesn’t mean they can ride or train it. It’s a bizarre thought process.
I’ve given concrete examples of cheap horses. You want to ignore it.
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You make a really good point there - I wonder how often it is that trainers have flipped horses and sold to unsuspecting buyers at an insane mark up? This is one of the last unregulated industries…
Curious what this thread thinks. Do you think it’s acceptable to buy a horse, put no effort into it, and sell it for 5x+ what you paid?
Why wouldn’t it be?
Do you think the expensive designer brands of clothing cost that much more to make than the cheaper brands of clothes?
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Of course it is. The price is set by the market. You sell a horse for whatever it will bring in the current market. If you have the skill and connections to find and pluck an unrecognized gem from a market in which it isn’t worth much and resell it in a market in which it is worth 5x what you paid, you’ve got a stellar business model and more skills than I have and I admire you.
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@Lunabear1988 I am starting to see the slightest softening in the market I am looking in. My budget is $35K for a low-level dressage horse and I’ve been seriously shopping for over a year. I am seeing more sale horses (quantity), more sellers willing to negotiate on price, and horses that might have been snapped up in a few days in 2021 sitting on the market longer.
I didn’t read all of the posts in this thread as it took a rather weird turn, but I don’t believe the entire horse market is going to stay as inflated as it is now. The high 5, 6 figure plus market, sure. Those folks aren’t going to run out of money. But folks that are stretching to buy their dream horse, maybe borrowing from their 401K or home equity, that market will suffer the more paper wealth declines. Not a catastrophic drop, but prices will moderate.
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Would you like some guac with that?
Cardbordeaux? 
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