The price of minis ... seem high these days

[JWC sr.]

You know the quote from one of the previous posters that you get what you pay for is in many cases so right on the money that it is not even funny.

Just yesterday some folks that had been out here to the farm several months ago called and then came by to show us their new filly and to ask our opinion of her. They had paid 1,900.00 for a filly from a known smaller breeder. The filly was great from a disposition standpoint and also from a color standpoint(being a loud Black & White pinto). But she while not being just a pet quality horse, she was not a national or world contender as they had hoped either.

These folks got exactly what they paid for, a middle of the road, sweet horse. But she was never going to be a top ten in either registry's World/National show. Nothing wrong with that but not what they were looking for when they were out here 120 days or so ago.

They had been to a local trainers barn to inquire about having her shown and were told exactly the same thing we told them as described above. . Yes they would show her for them, but the realistic goal for this horse was middle of the road placing at local shows where the competition was less and that she was not of national quality. :arg!

Now they after spending their hard earned money they wanted to trade her in on a filly we had that had been for sale for 7,500.00 when they were here before. Unfortunately for them that filly had been sold and is on the show circuit winning for the new owners, but even if it had not been sold we would not have taken the filly even in partial trade. Her breeding and conformation just did not fit into our program in any way.

Where I am going with all this verbiage is simply this, if you are truly bargain hunting on a small budget do your homework or take someone that is experienced that you trust when you are getting ready to make a purchase to help you keep from being disappointed later with your purchase. Your goals for your new horse may need to be altered to make them realistic.

Everyone has to start somewhere and I know we sure did NOT take the above advice 25+ years ago when we started. We wasted a lot of money and time before we finally got what we wanted and the quality we wanted. We could have saved a lot of both time & money if we had been more prudent in doing our homework.

If you are wanting a national contender horses be prepared for the facts of life in the mini industry. Prices are indeed down from a few years ago, but those National caliber horses are going to bring 3,000(if you get really really lucky) - 30,000 depending on what they are in most cases. Most people know what they have and want a fair price for those type horses even today and yes the prices in our area are indeed increasing on a daily basis as the economy in general is getting better and folks have more disposable income.

Just in the last month we have sold a number of horses in the 3 - 12,000 range and they were horses that will do well for the new owners. 5 years ago the same horses would have brought 7,500 - 20,000 and last year when things were really depressed they would have only brought half what they did this year. So we kept them and raised them up.

Bottom line as I said before do your homework and don't make your choice just from a dollar standpoint, there are a lot of other factors that you will want to take into consideration.

Good Luck with your quest of finding that "perfect horse for you", they are out there, hopefully you and your new horse will be happy with each other. The choices you make now will directly affect how satisfied you will be in years to come!!

 

[WhiteTailsMinis]

John- WONDERFUL post! Brilliantly said! I can't even add anything else to a post of my own as you've covered it all - very well done! Thank you -

 

[loveminis]

I am bound and determined now to find that "perfect" horse

Actually the filly I have now is perfect, I wish I could clone her in a different color

 

[Songcatcher]

Everyone of course has different taste. Supply and demand dominate the economy. I have seen National Champions advertised as low as $750. Are they what I want? No. But they may be just exactly what some one else is wanting and would be a super bargain.

 

[Tab]

I understand what has been said, but I personally disagree with "you get what you pay for" mentality. There are numerous small farms who have very strict standards of what and how often they breed. They just don't have the money to campaign their horses but may own many, many "hidden gems". Horses that can certainly compete in the show ring and win, but these sellers and are much more interested in good homes. There are many people who will offer good homes but do not have a lot of money to dispense. Even show and breeding horses are pets in the end.

 

[wildoak]

John pretty much nailed it.

I will add that - at least locally - I've never had so many people looking for something for nothing. Good horses may not bring what they did a few years ago and while there are bargains to be found, there is still a good healthy market out there for quality horses.

Jan

 

[HGFarm]

Well said John and I agree with Jan (wild oak) too...

 

[shalamara minis]

Very nice post John. But we are a smaller farm with not a lot of money to really put our horses out there. We had one last year that did very well in the show ring and has started of very well for her new owners. Did we get top dollar for her NO! Why? We are a smaller farm with out a big bank book. Even If we have a Horse that could go to Worlds and win we just don't have the money to do it. But that doesn't mean we don't have good horses. I do wish we had the big bucks to promot our horses better. I switched from big horses to minis due to a medical problem so money just isn't there. But when we go to shows our horses do well.

 

[~Lisa~]

A great way to get nice horses with good lines is thru a reputable auction however.. that said there is also a lot of risk in purchasing that way

 

[loveminis]

My problem is - it's what I am looking for - Filly. Tiny. Colorful. Exc. Conformation, and CUTE ! - AND not have to pay a ton for shipping.

It's a tall order for a short horse

Get the pun LOL !

 

[AshleyNicole]

I think that if you really look hard enough you will find what your looking for.

When we were looking for a stallion I took several months to find one I liked. We were very lucky and found several that had show records and/or produced show horses(I mean at the national and world level) for a really good price, all you have to do is take the time to look and I'm sure you will find something. I still think it's a buyers market so don't give up and if you find something you like and it's a little out of your price range make a offer or some farms will allow you to make payments.

 

[horsehug]

Tia,

What you are looking for often does still command a really good price.

TINY plus COLORFUL plus great CONFORMATION is what some of us still hope to achieve .......and once in a while do.

I can think of a few breeders who have reached that goal more often than most.

Susan O.

 

[loveminis]

I know Susan, that's why I say prices are high

 

[JWC sr.]

Loveminis just keep looking kiddoe, I bet that special horse is out there just waiting for you.

As far as there being real deals from some of the smaller farms as far as quality is concerned, you can bet your booty there are. But I will also tell you that all size farms spend a lot of money to produce quality horses and normally if a person has a farm, knows what a good horse is and then is trying to sell a few. they know what a good horse cost them to breed, raise and train. Unless they are really wealthy they will not be selling them for 10 cents on the dollar. There are too many trainers and/or show people out there that will find a good home for a good horse among their clients/friends for a really excellent quality horse. As an example, just the other day, I saw a really excellent colt that was for sale for 5,500.00, I could not use it as Cindy has told me if I bring another stallion home, I will be shot at sundown. I picked up the phone called a good friend of ours and she bought the colt the following day. I am willing to bet you he is a national champion this year too.

Some of you other folks that posted you were a small farm that produced quality horses, but could not campaign them so to speak financially. I completely understand what you are saying. I also can identify with it. Here is how we got where we are at now days.

About 13 years ago I realized that in the preceding 15 + years Cindy had slowly but surely built up a herd of nearly 45 head of horses over the years. She had been careful about what she bought and was producing some very nice way above average quality horses, that were winning in the show ring for other folks. But as the president of one of the local clubs put it she was the best kept secret in the industry. Rarely did she ever sell any of her horses for more than a few thousand dollars at a time when even average mini's were bringing three times that from advertising/showing/professional farms, even the small ones half her size.

I was busy with my cutting horses and our family business, so I was not paying much attention to them. Till at tax time one year I saw the figures of what she had spent on the minis and told her to please either get rid of about half of them or get them to start paying for themselves. BAD MISTAKE ON MY PART LOL

Well you know what she did I bet and it sure wasn't sell off half of her babies as she calls them. She sat down wrote out a business plan that covered proposed expenses for additional breeding stock, feed, vet bills advertising, trainers etc etc. over the next five years and presented it to me. Saying in a very matter of fact way that this was she needed to make them profitable on a yearly basis.

I was astounded at what she wanted, as she even had it down to the bloodlines she wanted. No self respecting husband that dearly loves his wife (which I do)could have turned her down. So we embarked on the journey we are now on, I helped her secure some financing etc from the business end of things and she was on her way.

In the beginning even though she made a few mistakes on her purchases, everything went pretty well to plan. So here we are today and she has managed to cull her herd, breed what people are looking for, do a lot of showing to prove the lines out, raise, breed and train her horses according to her budget for all expense areas and shown a break even or small profit every year so far.

Size has nothing to do with quality, it all has to do with proper care, breeding production, advertising and quality. Even a small farm with VERY limited finances can make it work, but it is work to get it done. Take for instance here on lil beginnings, the price for a banner ad is so cheap it is almost unbelievable and the number of people in the market you can reach is unparalleled. These forums, other free web sites etc. etc.

Well that is enough for now, and again good luck Loveminis on finding your excellent quality, lovable, tiny, colorful horse.

You small farms rock and personally I think you are foundation of the registries in this industry.

 

[loveminis]

Thank you John

 

[MountainMeadows]

Loveminis

They are out there - I live in Washington state also - feel free to give me a call and I can probably point you in a good direction to people who have fairly priced but good horses

Stacy

(206) 979-0505 Cell

 

[TyeeRanch]

I live in Washington State as well. Last spring I started searching for "the perfect mini". I wanted a horse that could compete in halter and performance, that was flashy, and that I could compete with on a World level. Believe it or not, I found quite a few that would fit that bill that were quite reasonably priced. The girl that stole my heart, IMO was priced below value, and I even asked the owners about her price. They simply wanted to get their horses out there and in front of people and were willing to work with someone that would promote that horse. She is beautiful, correct and I am doing very well with her this year.

I also have a gelding that I am leasing for the year. The owners had him as a stallion, and I watched him with Jr Championships and futurities last year. I approached them about showing him as a gelding and they were very responsive to the idea as well. He is definitely stallion material, but is showing excellent as a gelding. He is also for sale and will most likely become part of our family. Again, he is very reasonable priced for a horse that is a definite world contender.

I also feel that it depends on the breeder. Finding a breeder that is breeding top quality horses, on a smaller scale, tend to be a little more passionate about what they have and want to work with someone that is willing to put the blood, sweat and tears into making that horse everything that it possibly can be. I am very thankful to both of my breeders for the opportunities that they have given me. I love my four legged kids!

 

[Songcatcher]

.... The girl that stole my heart, IMO was priced below value, and I even asked the owners about her price. They simply wanted to get their horses out there and in front of people and were willing to work with someone that would promote that horse. ...

I think you may find many small breeders who do not have the time or resources to show, who would be VERY negotiable to a GUARANTEED show home in order to get their name promoted. Maybe even combining delivery with a vacation to make the price more affordable.

 

[Sheri Hill]

I see prices all over... Allot sure seem pretty low to me... I hope they are going up... I have some quality, colorful nice minis for VERY, VERY reasonable prices, ONLY because of the economy. MUCH,MUCH cheaper than I was asking several years ago... Definitely some great deals to be had out there! Just a matter if that great deal is what you are looking for. I do know I see quite a few that if I was looking for new ones, would be a steal for what they are. I do hope the economy and mini market is improving.

Sheri Hill

 

[REO]

"You get what you pay for" isn't always true.

Some times (actually often) are smaller breeders without a ton of money in the bank, that have household or family emergencies and they need to make a quick sale. So they lower the prices WAY low. For example, We had massive damage in the ice storms and need new pipes for the ones that burst under our house.

Some people like to know the reason why prices are so low in ads and some people don't. You can't please everyone!

But if you DO see really low prices, don't assume (as many people do) that the horses are crap. There's a reason for everything!

My advice is always, to take your time and find exactly what you want. I know you'll find it!