# Amateur Cutting horse price?



## horseluver250 (Oct 28, 2009)

Need some pricing help from someone more familiar with cutting. This is my fiance's horse, he is reg. AQHA, by Dualin Gun. Coming 8yr, just shy of 14.3, rather small built. He had been with a cutting trainer for about 18 months. Brought home spring of 2008, only had about half a dozen lessons with a cutting trainer, mostly trail ridden. Had about a dozen lessons this spring 2009 on cattle. He definately knows his job, just really needs a tune up and someone more consistant. Tends to get a little over eager and gets a head of the cow. Never shown. 
Has been trail ridden all over, overnight camping, hauled to local parks, hauled to Va for a week camping. Not a dead head on the trail, tends to spook at boulders, but otherwise not bothered by much. REALLY, REALLY good handle under saddle - intermediate rider and up only, hes really quick and catty. Ties well at the trailer. Only vice is that he weaves if stalled and could use some ground manners. 
Hasn't been ridden since this August (my fiance hates to ride alone.. my horse was lame). What would you price him at as is? What would you price him at if my fiance actually got his butt on the horse and worked him on some cattle?


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## horseluver250 (Oct 28, 2009)

And some more at work:


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I think he sounds like a good horse. Comparing to him to whats selling around here, I'd probably pay somewhere in the 2800-3k range


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## thunderhooves (Aug 9, 2009)

prob 1,500 around here....maybe 2,000, 2,500 depending on his bloodlines and conformation and trainability.......so I would def say $2,000 because even though he is gorgeous, he is prob way out of shape, and has only had 6 cutting lessons. Also he needs a tune up, and needs work on ground manners. Being young is a plus,though. That is just the horse market right now,though. Also, I don't know what other people will think of this, but IMHO, being 14.2 may be a little small for a big guy to do cutting with, but thats just me. He sure is beautiful! I know many othe with prob disagree with me about the price, but once again, this is just my honest opinion.  and good luck!


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## paintluver (Apr 5, 2007)

He is beautiful!
Don't worry about the price, just send him on over to MN he can be Romeo's buddy!lol


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## horseluver250 (Oct 28, 2009)

Wow, didn't think prices were THAT bad!! Anyone else's thoughts with NCHA experience?


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I go to the cutting barn owner been competing in cutting basically all his life with $$$ earnings. The owner just sold 4 year old for $15K to (I believe) TN (we are in MD). And he says it's cheap because of the economy (couple years back he sold similar horse for $25K). 

What I'm trying to say athletic horse with really good cutting lines and lots of training with the top trainer is not nearly $2-3K. They are darn expensive EVEN in this economy, because you can show and win. 

With your horse - I can't judge, because I don't know the bloodlines and not very great at confo critique. However those cutting horses must be exercised all the time to be in shape and work good on cow.


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

He hasn't had a lot of experience with cows. He's on the small side (thin-ish build and could use 50 pounds), and cutters are typically much thicker. He's out of shape, and needs a tune up. Never been shown. Horses are showing and winning at 3/4 years old--he's beginning to run into the 'too old' category for this type of performance horse.

He has decent conformation and alright bloodlines (have no idea of the dam side, which has the potential to make him have nicer or poor bloodlines). Definitely cute.

The main problem you have with this horse is that he needs an intermediate rider, yet has no showing experience. Generally speaking, those who will have the skills to ride this horse will be looking for something better trained, more proven, and younger. The people who will be in his 'theoretical' price range only based on his _potential_ will most likely not be good enough to ride and finish him. Which means you'll have to lower his price to get him sold.

If you want him to command a higher price tag than somewhere around 3k, he'll need more training and good show placings under his belt.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

He is a very attractive horse and I really like him; however, I have to agree with Mayfieldk. Probably your best bet for a buyer will be someone who is wanting to play a bit, someone who ranch rodeos, or someone who works cattle like a ranch hand. There aren't many NCHA events available for the older horses and those that are out there don't pay much. Add to the fact that many of the horses in those competitions have been showing NCHA since they were 2/3 year olds and he probably wouldn't stand much of a chance. He would make a nice using horse for someone who needed something to watch a cow (I would look at him, I love his build and size) but there isn't much chance of selling him as a show prospect simply due to his age and lack of experience. Around here, he probably wouldn't bring much more than 1500 to 2000 cause cow-bred horses are a dime a dozen.


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## Stillstandin (Nov 10, 2009)

I agree that as cutting horse there may not be much of a market for him due to lack of showing and age. Another possibility could be to market him as a penning or sorting horse especially with your description of being overeager on a cow. His size and build are consistent with the top penning horses I know.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Stillstandin beat me to the punch. Due to his agression and age, he may be better suited for penning or sorting. He's the right height and build for the job and if his name is an indication of his breeding (Dual Pep), he is bred for it. As for value, it depends on where and how you market him. Done properly and shown a little, he could be worth 3-6K or possibly more, but if just on Craigs List, more in the 2,000-2,500 range


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## horseluver250 (Oct 28, 2009)

Think he might be more suitable now for a working cow horse? I really don't do cattle work myself so don't really know, I only know what I have seen in cutting and picked up from watching lessons/shows. I've never watched working cow. I do realize he is very old for being unshown, which I think is VERY much against him. Anything I see up for sale that has his experience is 3/4 years old, so theres really no comparision to make to him. Its a terrible shame he has thousands into training, then his talent has pretty much been wasted. The trainer he had been working would this spring said he'd probably only bring $5000-6000, but that was also when he was actually doing something not standing in our field being a nausance! Told my fiance to sell him years ago... but what do I know haha??


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Stillstandin said:


> I agree that as cutting horse there may not be much of a market for him due to lack of showing and age. Another possibility could be to market him as a penning or sorting horse especially with your description of being overeager on a cow. His size and build are consistent with the top penning horses I know.


Or a versatility horse, reined cow horse events? 

Many avenues outside of the cutting pen.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I think he would sell for 4-5000 around here. There is no age requirement to show in many cutting events and it wouldn't take much to tune him up. An amatuer cutter would be well mounted on him. There are more cutting events for older horses than you think and they pay quite well. Don't worry about his age, get him on some cows and if you don't have a relapse and start cutting again then he should sell quite well.


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

i think $4-5k is reasonable ... can you send him for a tune up for 2 weeks or so?


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## nrhareiner (Jan 11, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> I think he would sell for 4-5000 around here. There is no age requirement to show in many cutting events and it wouldn't take much to tune him up. An amatuer cutter would be well mounted on him. There are more cutting events for older horses than you think and they pay quite well. Don't worry about his age, get him on some cows and if you don't have a relapse and start cutting again then he should sell quite well.


I agree with this and the price is about right too.


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## westonsma (May 19, 2009)

I have to agree 100% with MayfieldK. I would suggest around 2.5k, just from seeing his great stop in the very last pic you posted, you can OBVIOUSLY see he is cowy, and wants to get at one. I wouldn't go much over that without him having another great skill. He's bred pretty well, but since he's small and cowy, have you thought about getting him roped off of? If I had to sell as is, I would sell him as a prospect for team penner, a calf horse, or a bulldoggin' horse, as cutting training can benefit any one of those activities, and you'll be more likely to sell him. 

Because he's small and has a taste for over-rating a cow, bulldoggin' may be a good game for him. If you can get him dogging, (running past a steer, and OK with a rider sliding off to one side) I think you could probably ask 3 or 3.5k.

Have you considered sending him to another trainer?


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## westonsma (May 19, 2009)

horseluver250 said:


> I do realize he is very old for being unshown, which I think is VERY much against him. Anything I see up for sale that has his experience is 3/4 years old, so theres really no comparision to make to him. Its a terrible shame he has thousands into training, then his talent has pretty much been wasted. The trainer he had been working would this spring said he'd probably only bring $5000-6000, but that was also when he was actually doing something not standing in our field being a nausance! Told my fiance to sell him years ago... but what do I know haha??


 
I think his age is a major factor, especially for not being shown. If you can get him up and going again, get him to some little ranch rodeos, get a ribbon or two, and sell him as a prospect. If that's out of the question, I would definitely either ask your hubby to get out there and get something done on him, or you're going to lose out BIG TIME. He has pretty good conformation and a great shoulder for roping. 

But I agree with some of the PP's. I'd either get out there on him and get him another skill, or eat the loss. Oh, and ground manners wouldn't hurt him either. I may find if I'm looking at 2 horses and one is better under saddle but has bad ground manners, the other bucks but is a doll on the ground, I'd rather have the one that bucks than the one with bad manners.


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