How has the market economy effected your "horse economy?"?
A common theme on YA is how the horse economy has fallen. Most specifically, the horse sale end of things. I live in Bucks County, PA. It is more of an upper end area that concentrates mostly in hunter/jumpers and eventing. People are not selling their horses as quickly as they would have a year ago, but they ARE selling and for good prices too. How is the current economy effecting your area? Are horses really going for next to nothing? Have feed prices increased? Tack prices? Just curious.
At the moment not much is selling … but usually horses don’t sell well between November and March/April because everyone would much rather wait until the spring to buy a new horse! I think good horses will always find a home and always be in demand – I don’t know about the bottom end of the market, though…
I’ve only heard of a few ponies who just wouldn’t sell, and in both cases they were crazily over priced. Even for two years ago the money the sellers wanted was just unrealistic and they never would have got it because anyone would have been able to buy a much better pony for the price.
Feed and bedding prices have gone through the roof. There’s a big problem with hay, as last summer was so wet that the time for making hay was extremely limited and lots of farmers just don’t have good hay. What you can get hold of is often wet or mouldy inside, even if it looks and smells OK on the outside. Bedding is much the same – straw has suffered the same fate as hay, and my shavings have doubled in price since this time last year. A bag of feed is about a third more expensive than last year. Tack etc, I haven’t noticed a change. The second hand saddle market is definitely a good place for a buyer – lots of people are willing to take less than they wanted to get rid of stuff. I bought a nearly new show saddle for my step daughter’s pony for £100 – it’s over £600 new and didn’t have a mark on it.
Here horse sales are going back and forth. Good riding horses haven’t moved too much, but yearlings and unbroken horses has definitely gone down ($200), and are taking a lot longer to sell. Feed and Tack im not sure about.
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i just bought a horse for a trade deal in training of another horse. The horse I got would’ve cost as much as a new car about a couple years ago. ( untouched ) amazing temperment, great bloodlines, … people just are not interested in spending the money.
I know one girl who a year or so ago bought a horse for 2,500 and just sold it for 750. ( it was to much horse for her to ride that is why she sold it ) … but that is a big loss of cash.
but on the other hand I just saw a nasty ,really narrow, crappy conformation , riden for maybe 1 hour total ,stud colt that was all chewed up sell for 800.
then there are other people who I know who have pastures full for horses for about 400 -1200 depending
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it is definately harder to sell a horse right now, but it is a great time to buy race horses, if you are sitting well enough to spend the money
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im located about 2 hours south of you and horse sales have fallen through the floor here. i recently had to sell my qh mare and her 3 month old foal for 100.oo. i recently got torn rotor cup from a nasty kick and could no longer train the colt. thankfully they went to a great home but it still stings. i also got a 12 yr old ranch, all around qh gelding 7 months ago . i only paid 250.00.
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we have 7 horses right now, and refuse to sell any of them cause most of them have physical problems and mean too much to be sold and possibly never seen again
the horses are our main focus, we spend almost all of our money on our horses, whether its– feed, vet, farrier, utilities, etc.
we spend about $55 a week on hay, $101 (and some change) on feed, occasional vet bill–like i said they most of them have physical problems, and sometimes need the vet out for minor things
farrier is $30 to trim and $65 for front shoes which is a major increase from just a few years ago where it was $15 to trim and $30 for front shoes
so yeah, we have been hit hard with the economy, feed costs never really stay the same, finding hay at a good price is almost impossible
but i dont really mind spending my whole pay check on my horses
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At the moment not much is selling … but usually horses don’t sell well between November and March/April because everyone would much rather wait until the spring to buy a new horse! I think good horses will always find a home and always be in demand – I don’t know about the bottom end of the market, though…
I’ve only heard of a few ponies who just wouldn’t sell, and in both cases they were crazily over priced. Even for two years ago the money the sellers wanted was just unrealistic and they never would have got it because anyone would have been able to buy a much better pony for the price.
Feed and bedding prices have gone through the roof. There’s a big problem with hay, as last summer was so wet that the time for making hay was extremely limited and lots of farmers just don’t have good hay. What you can get hold of is often wet or mouldy inside, even if it looks and smells OK on the outside. Bedding is much the same – straw has suffered the same fate as hay, and my shavings have doubled in price since this time last year. A bag of feed is about a third more expensive than last year. Tack etc, I haven’t noticed a change. The second hand saddle market is definitely a good place for a buyer – lots of people are willing to take less than they wanted to get rid of stuff. I bought a nearly new show saddle for my step daughter’s pony for £100 – it’s over £600 new and didn’t have a mark on it.
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NPS
BHSAI
HPTS