What's the deal with the pricing????

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MelissaAH

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Okay I know Calif is expensive but why the huge spread in mini prices?

I was just playing on dreamhorse and looked up all mini's in every state. There were some beautiful horses all over and the price ranges were from $300.00-3500.00. For example I see this beautiful strawberry roan with a beautiful long mane sell for $550.00 in Michigan. Then some at $800.00 and some at 1500.00 and so on.....why the big price differences state to state. Most of these horses ranged between 2-5 years old.
 
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I think the price varies from quality just from what you posted..but you cant post pictures for critique of horses you do not own.

Out of that bunch, I think I like the silver dapple gelding best..although he does look very tall, depends what you are after.
 
I think the price varies from quality just from what you posted..but you cant post pictures for critique of horses you do not own.
Out of that bunch, I think I like the silver dapple gelding best..although he does look very tall, depends what you are after.
Okay....I wasn't sure. I will take them down.
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Also, I just wanted to add. What some people do when they are considering a couple of horses, is to put a post on here saying that you want to know what EXPERIENCED people think of the horse(s), and asking them to PM you their email address so that you can privately send them photos and get their opinion.

Good Luck on your search
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Well 1st thing I see is 2 of the horses u listed are unregistered, one also comes with a cart and harness. The other 2 are registered horses, 1 is a gelding, and 1 is a general "we have lots of minis for sale ad" And the price listed is their STARTING price not the price of the horse pictured on the ad. The horses u listed are all very reasonable.
 
Melissa, I don't think it's the state of California.

I get the feeling you are looking at "pretty" such as a pretty color.

Prices are based on so many things usually beginning with who you are and your horse's credentials such as a show record. Those horses would be more costly especially since the show people and breeders have poured their blood sweat and tears and money into them. Horses like that are usually very close to conformationally correct as possible and breeding such a horse does not come cheap so would not necessarily be selling as a lower priced horse. The color of the horse is only the icing on the cake.

Your pet quality horses are lower priced for a variety of reasons.

Clear as mud?
 
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I agree with the other posters, there are lots of variances when looking at horses you don't seem to be considering.
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It is not just a state of California thing. The market is indeed better in places such as California, Texas and Florida just name a few states.
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But even with that said all the variables come into play. Age, sex, conformation, color, previous training, pedigree etc. etc. Even here on our farm alone the pricing runs from 700.00 (pet quality gelding) to 10,000.00 (proven show mare that is bred to one of our top stallions) depending on what you are looking at.
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You should also note that there are some owners are willing to sell a lot of good horses out there in states where the market is not as good as it is elsewhere at much cheaper prices than normal. It is a buyers market in a lot of areas, but in most you get what you are prepared to pay for.
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Good Luck in your quest,
 
There is a huge range of quality in miniature horses. But, I see horses I think are mis priced all the time, too. I don't always see what the seller thinks he/she sees
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So the actual range in quality justifies the price ranges but there's also the human factor sometimes.

Readily available, you can find them ranging in price (and actual value) from $500 - $10,000 and it gets a lot higher if you want to pursue those not "readily available"
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For a decent, correct gelding that is trained to drive, I think you can find one for around $1,500 if you really look. If you want something that's going to win at shows in halter, then it starts getting more expensive.

When I got my first mini, it was 10 years ago, but still I remember thinking "I would never spend $1,500 for a horse I cannot ride." NOW, I probably couldn't wipe the smile off my face if I found one I wanted to own for that price even in today's market (and nope, I'm not looking right now).
 
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Dreamhorse is not the site i would honestly go off of....look at breeders websites, not horse sale sites. A long pretty mane does not determine price...allot more to it then just "pretty".

I think the breeders, sellers ext price the horses according to their quality, pedigree, age, sex and training (everything JWC said) ..then of course i think most take into account what they previously paid to own the horse in the beginning.
 
Don't let any seller convince you that higher price = best quality.Yes, sometimes a low price does reflect the quality (or lack of quality) but sometimes there are good horses selling cheap. Sometimes a higher price does mean a higher quality horse, while other times a higher price just means that someone "got took" on the horse they paid that high price for!

These days you can get quality horses for quite modest prices. There are quite a number of good driving horses available for what I feel are pathetically low prices.
 
All good points that have been made. Take into consideration also that a good horse is worth going a distance for. There are very few Mini farms within 100 miles of me (some, but not many). I often travel 400 miles or more to get the horse I want. I could get VERY nice horses closer, but would have to pay more.
 
no matter what you are looking for (pet, show horse, breeding horse, etc) make sure you are comparing apples to apples so to speak. Look at: (just a sampling in no particular order)

1) bite--how the teeth line up--an off bite can cause a lot of problems with choke, keeping weight on, how often the teeth need floated all the way to the simple cosmetics that would mark down a show horse in the ring

2) legs--are they straight, cowhocked, over at the knees, toe-ing in or out (insert any other flaws here)? This is classic form to function. A straight stifle can cause problems with locking and popping, any twisting or turning out from knees, hocks or toes can cause odd wear patterns on hooves and early arthritis among other problems--do a google search on equine leg issues for more info. Also consider what you want to do with the horse and how those issues could effect that. If you want a halter show horse you want to have nice even legs without twisting with a stifle that isn't overly straight and you want that horse to be able to move with a straight even track. There are books that could be written just on leg conformation!

3) shoulder--look at the angles and watch the horse move--does it have a nice freeflowing stride? How does the neck tie into the body--is it too low so that it blocks the forward motion of the shoulder? A nice upright neck with a 45 degree shoulder is more of what I like...look at how the horse is built and what you want it for...but that goes for all of these.

4) temperment--don't ever overlook this!! If you want a horse to go into nursing homes and parades or haul around toddlers, you want a mellow horse that loves being around people and isn't spooky. If you want a horse to jump and drive single pleasure drive then you want more attitude and spunk to them. These CAN sometimes be in the same horse, but it doesn't happen very often.

5) training--is the horse already trained for what you want? If not, add $500-1500 more to the price to get it professionaly trained. Does it stand nicely for the vet and farrier or for clipping and grooming? Try clipping a horse that is a terror about it or having the vet break a needle in one during spring or fall shots---uuug!

6) maintenance--is the horse a hard keeper that has to have a lot of extras to keep weight? Is it one of those that is overweight and at risk for any number of health issues including hyperlipidemia or founder and has to be kept on a dry lot? Is it one of those that colic when the weather changes? Has a deworming and vaccination schedule been followed? A wormy horse with damage from years of this aspect of horsekeeping neglected can suffer from all sorts of health problems in the near future including chronic ulcers--lack of proper health care can cost thousands in the not so distant future.

If you want a show horse you need to look at type and refinement--you want good legs, a short back with high tailset, an upright neck with a pretty chiseled head, tippy ears, smooth muscling and a showy attitude for starters. If you want a pet you still need to think about the things listed above as they can effect health and longterm maintenace. There are whole books and websites dedicated to equine conformation. You should really look into it further than the tiny tidbits posted here if you are serious about wanting a horse of any breed. Color, pattern, length of mane and forlock--those are all like clothing for us--they are only the outer shell...the icing on the cake. REALLY look at all these things and others and compare each horse to what yoyu want. Of course if you want a breeding animal (that is a WHOLE other book) you need to look at all these things plus bloodlines, fertility and on and on.

There are SO many things to look at when you consider pricing. Good deals CAN be found and a decent horse doesn't HAVE to cost a fortune, but make sure you look at all of the little details and then look at how the horse stacks up to your budget. Okay, I will shut up and go away now. Good luck and have fun on your search for your dream horse!
 
It's very tough to price minis, especially for myself.

I do not have a big farm name, but I use the best bloodlines easily available to me. What I mean by that is that I don't own a stallion, currently, but i will not send my mares very far from home (as in a few hundred miles is the most), as it is very expensive and a bit distressing/worrisome for me to do, particularly if there is a weanling involved to go with.

It cost me one year, about $3500 to get a beautiful black filly on the ground. Took three years, too.

I doubt I could sell that mare (she's my black mare, Lailah) for more than that in the current market, though I was told at one time that she would command about $7000 in a big name farm sale, that was a few years ago, now, and of course riding on the coattails of that big farm name. Her daughters have brought fair prices, but right now, I have had NO inquiries on the one I have, even at less than they went for.

Next is the fact that I sell geldings, not colts. My husband made a snide remark that the one I am currently selling would not sell even if I put $100 on him, and that made me feel terrible. He's really worth at least a few thousand, IMO, though it's tough to have to hang onto him long enough for someone to think so, since it will involve waiting until he's three or four and old enough to compete in performance classes/driving. This horse has won some nice titles even as a young colt, and has great potential, there is nothing really "wrong" with him although he's an "Over" horse and for some reason here in the NW, it seems like nobody wants to buy R only for a decent price.

And so, you have my dual (well, the gelding's gone over) registered, nicely conformed, perfect bite and their direct parents are all good in that dept., too horses being difficult to sell for pet prices when I invested show and breeding quality money into their breeding. Some might not like my quality of horses, or the color, etc., but I put a lot into them from before they were even born, keeping their dams healthy, and inspecting the sires that I am using for temperament and correctness in all the places that count. It's hard to choke down a comment like above when there are thousands invested.

It hasn't been too bad in the past as the "hobby" afforded itself and I felt like I was making a difference in offering well-bred horses to people at a fairly affordable price (compared to a similar horse from bigger names/more promotion), but it's getting so it's going too far backward with the cost of showing, fuel, and then the discouragement I feel in looking at the mountains of very low-quality horses going to auctions simply because we're all overbreeding.

I firmly believe that 2009 will be my last foal crop. I have two mares in foal, one is to a multi-national Champ that sold recently for $28,000, though the foal will be red, an unpopular color. I had hoped it would be a filly I could keep to replace the dam, as this will be her last foal, but now I hope it's a colt I can geld and move on.

The difference in price is highly arbitrary and dependent on so many conditions. Sometimes people sell very good horses for very low prices because of circumstances beyond their control. That always scares me because I like to know where my horses go, and it's less likely if I have to "fire sale" due to space. I refuse to do that, even though I could stand to move some in the next 12 months, when the 2009 foals will be needing their own stalls. Instead I will make accomodations for them and hopefully both myself and the new owners will be very pleased with the arrangement.

I apologize for this being so long, I just think it's a good thing to read, and anyone that knows me knows that I will fully disclose every of my horse's shortcomings prior to sale, and I am fully open and honest about all of their backgrounds as I do not want a horse going to a home where they would be unsuitable, that would be so unfair for the horse as well as purchaser.

All the above being said, I'd invite any inquiries privately on my sale horses if anyone has any opinions on what they thought my particular sale horses were truly worth. Even if you're not looking, it would be interesting to me what your observations were (even if you're not in my area, the NW), or suggestions.

Thanks!

Liz
 
Thanks for all the replies! It's very helpful.

I do want my first to be the best I can afford and they will be. And thanks for the list. I didn't realize the imporantance of bite. I know the breeder I mentioned talked about bite and the books I read show pictures of right and wrong so I guess I am 1 step ahead of the game.
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I do plan to buy my first from a breeder. And if I want another down the line....if I buy from a private party they will just have to put up with me and my books in hand
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and I will also print out the list that FairytailGlennMinis made me.
 
I would go to the lilbeginnings main webpage (lilbeginnings.com, breeders) and then search breeders by state. You'll get a better quality and most horses will have a show record (and some training). And they are most of the time, very well taken care of.
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I would go to the lilbeginnings main webpage (lilbeginnings.com, breeders) and then search breeders by state. You'll get a better quality and most horses will have a show record (and some training). And they are most of the time, very well taken care of.
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Thanks Keri....Believe it or not I was real lucky to find a breeder literally 7 miles from me listed on the Lilbeginnings breeder directory
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And one of the mods here knows her personally and are friends. What luck! She's is the breeder I spent two days over the weekend talking to and then took my husband over to on Sunday to see what the fuss was all about! lol She has this pretty little pinto mare but I have not looked more into her because I have to sell my horse to get a horse. And she may not be there when I do.
 
Looks like you have plenty of good advice. I had to go out of state on most of the minis I have because of the bloodlines I was wanting as well as the price...Good Luck in your search!
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There are quite a number of good driving horses available for what I feel are pathetically low prices.
You're not kidding! A good friend of mine recently bought an adorable 30" gelding who is wonderful at driving. He was listed in The Recycler newspaper for $300 including the cart. Vet checked him clean - he is an absolute sweetheart and GREAT at driving!!!! So you never know what you'll find!

Liz R.
 
When I was looking in Cali I had a hard time finding mini's in my price range too. I fell in love with a little roan stallion but his legs were messed up and his feet were clubbed. The guy wanted $800 for him and even though I was going to have to get him gelded, vaccinated, extensive corrective trimming, and teeth floated the guy wouldn't go any lower than $750. I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much for a "vet bill".
 
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whoa whoa.....my post is ONLY the tip of the iceburg. lol Really look at some equine conformation sites and familiarize yourself with faults and possible long term effects or likely long term effects based on serverity.

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/heal...nfaults110299a/

http://www.agednet.com/eq179v.shtml

These are just a couple of links I found doing a google search for "equine conformation"....haven't had time to look them over, but they look like a good place to start.

Good luck to you!

Amy
 

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