How long will this horse market last?

Question

I know that it's a buyer's market right now. How long do you think it will last? I'm saving for a horse but it'll take me another 6 months or so.

I'm not looking to buy a horse for $1500.
I know you get what you pay for, that's why I'm saving more money. I could buy a horse now but it wouldn't be very good :)

Answer 1

Until slaughter houses reopen, your fine.

Horse prices will continue to tank with the over population of them.

Answer 2

Grade horses trained or not will be low for a long time.

Various breeds will be low but sellable because of each breed interest group, Untrained horses again won't be worth much.

The one area where it will remain stable are top blood lines of a breed, Well trained in a discipline, and performance horses.

Its going to be a bad market until all the surplus low quality horses get worked through the market and transport to mexico and canada for slaughter become more efficient.

When back yard breeders stop making their 1 genetic mess every year because they want a foal (until they have one) When the big ranches stop breeding 5,000 or more foals a year in hopes they get 1 or 2 big payout foals.

And yes when slaughter houses re open and these un wanted inferior meat horses are removed from the pleasure and performance market.
It sounds bad but there are way too many worthless horses out there. Since it isnt worth tranporting them to auction, They are being sold as pleasure horses and that cheap horse you buy you may find isnt so cheap when you have to deal with a bad genteic mix.
This market isnt good for anyone, its not good for the world food supply, the dog food companies, The responsible breeders, and its outright dangerous for the new horse owners. A $200 horse is $200 for a reason. a $15,000 horse is $15,000 for a reason. You can put any kind of feel good spin on it you want but in the horse world the reallity is you get what you pay for. If you want a good horse plan on spending atleast $1500 for a 3-6 year old green broke, in good health with a good conformation and disposition. I would recomend anyone not experienced in training and handling problem horses NOT to buy one of these bargain horses on the market if its billed as a rescue horse that should be Huge red flag for a new buyer.
Again yes there are exception to that but as some one without experience areyou willing to bet your life and health on it?
This buyers market is not a new or inexperienced horse owners friend. Its sort of like buying used cars it may look really good on the surfuce but it might be a disaster inside.

Answer 3

#1/ I have to agree with the horse processing plants being closed have really done a number on the horse market, but worse, all the do gooders who think that they have done the horse population a favor, have done just the opposite. I suppose the horse market will rise when standing in picket lines around the processing plants become unfashionable or a new, more colorful cause becomes a fad.
#2/ Contrary to some folk's belief though, a good, honest, sound using horse will still bring a fair price, I don't care where you go. I don't even care if its close to 8 or 9 yrs old, if it meets that criteria, it will still bring a fair price. A good horse will still bring a fair price, the overpriced horses won't, and certainly the poor ones that shouldn't even be breathing will die a horrible death, suffering in pain and possibly starving to death. I wonder how many of these do gooders have old timers retiring in their back yards...I doubt that there are many.
#3/ Start looking for your horse, you can still get a good one for a fair price. When it comes to horses, the old adage, "You get what you pay for." isn't necessarily so...get a true expert that posesses a certain degree of intregrity and professionalism and you will find a good horse for the price that you probably already have gathered up. There are still people in this world with good horses, that care where their horses end up, can't afford them anymore or they simply don't fit in their lives or lifestyle any more that would gladly cut someone a good deal on a good horse..start looking now and good luck...don't give up on your dreams, you can make them reality.

Answer 4

Kari, What local area are you in? I have to say that I feel the horse market isn't all that great right now. I foaled an awesome buckskin filly last year - triple registered and all. I couldn't get out of her what I put in to get her on the ground, so I decided to keep her. I'll probably never have such a chance at this nice a horse again, so I just decided I liked her too much to sell anyways. Consider the economy - people all over are losing jobs. The cost of gas is going up - the cost of feed has soared - I am now paying at least $3 more for a bag of grain than I did last year. Drought, flooding and the weather last year made hay costs go up a lot as well. Also consider what is being sold. In the past 10-20 years, it's become easier for just anyone to foal a horse - and I know a lot of people 10 years ago who'd paid a high price for a good horse who went and bred their horse to turn around and sell it for a high price - but they didn't have a plan in mind for what they would sell the horse for. One can't foal just any old horse and sell it for a high price - in order to sell one well, you must determine what market you'll sell the horse to - ranchers? barrel racers? show people? hunters? jumpers? because breed and bloodline play into who buys the horse for what. With the advent of Artificial insemination - I can breed a horse fairly cheaply to about any stud I find anywhere in the country. However, a $500 stud fee will actually cost closer to $2000 when you consider all the ancillary fees like collection, shipping, vet bills and keeping the mare for 11 months and the costs of actual foaling. They start out thinking a $500 foal, end up with a $3000 foal they can't sell for $3000 or more. Add to this - when such a foal arrives, selling it as a weanling doesn't work - unless you've done your homework and can sell the thing on it's bloodlines alone. Few people wish to purchase an unbroken horse much less a weanling considering the years it will take until the horse can be ridden or shown. Only those people very adept at training can do this. Now add to this a person un-experienced in training well has the horse for 2 years (add $2000 in costs to feed and maintain now), hasn't taught it much and maybe even some bad habits. Now if someone did purchase it would they pay ya the $5000 you have into the horse? Likely not. I have seen and heard of many very well broke and started young horses from the ranches out west being sold for $3500 or $5000 - they are the product of their need for horses to do the ranchwork. They sell off the stock they no longer need after it's had a good start - they've gotten their money out of the use of the animal as a tool, now they can afford to sell it at a reasonable price - these are typically good animals, and often geldings which aren't valuable as breeding stock, only for using. One gets a very well broke and started horse for a reasonable price. Keep looking though - the right one will come along - and if you're having this much trouble finding one, it's probably because you're discounting the bad ones, which means you're asking the right questions to find out. Personally, I wouldn't ever lease one of my horses - I've got a lot of money into them and time training them just how I want. I wouldn't take the chance of someone I didn't know (and even some I do) teaching my horse a bad habit or undoing training I've done. Bad habits are tougher to break than building good ones in the first place - and this might be part of the problem you are encountering. The most often time I hear of successful leasings is between competing people in a discipline - barrel racers, rodeoers, show people, who know the people doing the leasing will use the horse correctly and well. So maybe you'll have to purchase one and board it - I suspect you'd find a better situation looking for that than leasing. But maybe I'm wrong - with the economy I've also heard of people here looking to lease or share expenses and share a horse just to have access to one or keep ownership of one during tough times. Good luck!

Answer 5

It's been a buyer's market for quite a while and should continue to be so for a long time. Good horses can be had quite reasonably, but so can bad ones. Shop very wisely and get the opinion of someone who knows horses before you buy.

Answer 6

Pretty sure that as long as the law prohibits selling cull/sick horses for slaughter, you're safe on the cheap issue.

I don't know where you are from, or how experienced you are, but I've been riding since I was 3 (I'm 27 now)....and can tell you there are some dang good riding horses sold for $250-$300 in Texas on a pretty regular basis. Maybe I think this because I dont mind tuning on my own horse,and small habits don't bother me, but you can still get a pretty nice finished animal for better than reasonable these days. It's almost sad how ridiculously cheap horses are now...

Answer 7

Having been around for a very long time I can remember when a good pony would bring tens of thousands and I remember when you could get a nice registered well broke pony for under $25. In the early 50's pony prices were way up there. By the late 60's they hit bottom. By the mid 80s you had a hard time finding a good pony and the prices were high (at least around here, price differ greatly across the country) So, I'd say that this market will last for about 10 to 15 years at least unless history doesn't repete it's self.

Answer 8

I have no idea about the market, I just wanted to give some advice on horse buying. Visit with your potential horse, preferably on your own, and see whether ya'll will be able to get along. If I was you, buy a yearling and get to know your horse during the growth period, do not ride too young, you will destroy their back, but this will get you and your horse started on the right foot, you will be surprised how ya'll will bond.

Answer 9

The soft market will last until demand exceeds supply.

As long as the slaughterhouses remain closed, and idiotic people keep breeding crap like there's no tomorrow, and registries continue to hang papers on anything just to make a buck (promotion of the breed my Aunt Fannie) the market will remain soft.

Hate to say it for the sake of horses in general, but lucky you...you'll be fine in 6 months.

Answer 10

All these answer are ture you can thank the movie people for closeing down the makek. They dont live in a real world where horses get sick, people dont feed them they get hurt and where do they go well back a few mths ago. That was easy they were slaughterd. but now they get turned out to fend for them selves and are still hurt hungry and guess what they will start to look for food and when they'll come down from where ever they were droped off they will come out on to roads where you and i drive every day of the week . and when you hit them it will be worse than hitting a deer. they are all ready turning horses out in old stone quarries. in KY and in IN.and no body is doing anything about it because of the hay shortage. the hourse rescue is being flooded with horses but cant place them because of the hay problem. so if you are looking for a horse rember its not a puppy its take feed hay water and MONEY to keep this animal going every day and rember this .look at the hay you buy would you want to eat moldy musty dusty hay no, then dont but it for your horse he or she dont like it eather. and will loose weight because of it.

Answer 11

you will be fine if you wait... the market depends on where you are, ( unless you transport the horse ) there are alot of people selling and there are alot of places that are overwhelmed with horses and dont feel the need to rush into anything just wait whether the market is good or bad buy your horse when you are ready there are always horses for sale!!!
good luck!!!