# Current Prices



## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

It's a good question. This past year, COVID widened the gap further for those that wish to get into horses. Tack prices, truck and trailer prices, horse prices, all of it are all surging in my area and the surrounding areas (Great Lakes area). 

Yesterday at the tack shop, the cashier said that most everything is back-ordered currently and what's on the shelves is what they have - seems like a supply and demand issue, as well as production issue as we've been seeing in other industries. 

Used tack prices have been pretty absurd in my area too - finding a 15" western saddle was dang near impossible. Any saddle I looked at in consignment sections was $300 on the low end (and this was for cracked, destroyed leather) and for something that I considered a "beginner" saddle was at least $600...I'm talking a plain Big Horn, Simco, or even unbranded saddle. I got so lucky finding an older, unbranded saddle at a tack sale and the women being very nice and selling it cheap to me because it was for my two siblings.

In another thread, I hypothesized that those that currently own and show horses probably have had decent job security through the pandemic. It doesn't seem like any of the breed circuit competitors have been affected in my area, but something different could be said for those that are just casual backyard owners (even then, I haven't seen a sale ad specifically about job loss or anything like that).

Maybe people who have kids in lessons decided after months of sitting at home, instead of only taking lessons, they might as well be sitting at home with a horse to ride too. I would guess that there is definitely a supply and demand thing going on with beginner safe, 4-H level horses. I could view tons of ads for horses around $1000-3000 that could easily be made into a 4-H level horse, that were sound and in their early teens. $1000-3000 now gets you something with health issues, unbroke and crazy, or on the doorstep of death.

I hope prices come back down. My siblings seem like they are going to stick with horses for a while, so we'd really like to find something that is W/T/C safe and just a good all around horse...but those are pretty much selling the same day they are listed for $8,000+. If prices don't come back down, I don't know how I'll be able to continue with horses. My main horse is 23 with Cushing's, and there is no way I'm going to be able to replace him for even close to what I paid for him years ago ($600 in 2007 for a sane W/T green broke horse).


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Right. It used to be you could get a good horse for 3-5 grand and even under 1000 if you didn't care about papers. I haven't been to the local auction (just to see the pricing) but I know we had a big ranch horse auction here and there were ponies going for 8-10k. Green horses were in the 20's. It was crazy.

I am wondering if people will end up selling once they go back to work but I don't know... I mean, around here most people were able to work. Even the restaurants adapted. The wait staff became delivery drivers until things opened. Small stores were effected the most I think. But now it seems there are hiring signs everywhere. I'm wondering if people either learned to live on one salary or found jobs that they could telecommute from and don't need to go back to the other jobs...

All I know is I want to get a horse but can't decide. OFF TOPIC but slapping it in this thread anyway.... There is a really adorable perlino filly for sale (2K). She has blue eyes but they mentioned she has a dun factor gene (I'd have to find the verbiage) but that means she won't burn.... Is it worth looking? She's cute.

She is Ee Aa CR/CR D/nd2. 5 panel negative.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

My two cents.

First of all, I strongly believe that inflation is coming. Again, not getting political, but if you look at historical precedents, it seems like we're ripe for inflation. It's one reason I went ahead and bought my truck now, even though it was so expensive.

I do expect that the prices of horses won't stay quite so high. There seems to be a lot of demand for a certain type of horse right now (the kind you're looking for), but we all know there is still a glut of other types of horses. I expect people will start breeding more, or buying young horses to train them up, because it might finally be financially worthwhile for more people to do this. Thus supply will increase and prices will go down somewhat. But like I said, I suspect all prices in general are going to start going up, and I personally doubt that horse prices are going to go back to what they were a couple of years ago, any time soon. 

My barn owner keeps trying to sell some of her lesson horses, or even give away the ones that are starting to go downhill. Here in Central Texas, it seems like green-broke horses are still pretty cheap, but that's not what you're looking for.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

It’s a phenomenon I don’t get, that’s for sure. 

Everything has skyrocketed, during and post pandemic — food, real estate, you name it. We know used vehicles have increased in price because of the microchip shortage for new vehicles.

I live in an Ag county. Last I read, our real estate has increased by 11.2%. My insurance agent bought a beautiful 2,200 Sqft. Home on 3 acres about five years ago. She can honestly get double what she paid for it, if she wants to sell.

Up in Nashville, if a home stays on the market more than 12 days, it’s a miracle. Prospective buyers up there have taken to writing “resume” Tyoe letters to the Sellers as to why they should be the ones to buy the home for 50K or more over asking price.

*****

@farmpony84 everything is cyclic. IMHO if you can, I vote to WAIT while still keeping your ear to the ground for something worth having. 

I just remembered something— I’m sending you a PM.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

walkinthewalk said:


> Up in Nashville, if a home stays on the market more than 12 days, it’s a miracle. Prospective buyers up there have taken to writing “resume” Tyoe letters to the Sellers as to why they should be the ones to buy the home for 50K or more over asking price.


A girl here at work listed her house Friday and Yesterday had 4 offers for almost double what she paid AND those resume letters you are talking about! CRAZY!!!


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

I put my used car up for sale and got 50 inquiries on it. Sold it the day after the ad went up.

My neighbor bought a nice quiet 10 year old TN walker without papers for $1,200. She wasn't exactly quiet when he tried her out. A lot of horses don't ride well around the barn, and he thought that was the problem. Also, she was so headshy, it took two people to bridle her.

But she really was a gentle quiet horse (he took a gamble and it paid off), and he knows how to work with a headshy horse. He can bridle her as fast as you or I can bridle our horses, and it won't be long before she isn't ear shy anymore.

The seller's were asking $1,800 for her, but as hyper as she acted when he tried her out, they realized they probably weren't going to get that. There still are diamonds in the rough in N. Central Florida, but you have to search for them . . . and get lucky.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

farmpony84 said:


> I know is I want to get a horse but can't decide. OFF TOPIC but slapping it in this thread anyway.... There is a really adorable perlino filly for sale (2K). She has blue eyes but they mentioned she has a dun factor gene (I'd have to find the verbiage) but that means she won't burn.... Is it worth looking? She's cute.


 Perlino does not dilute skin color to the point of instant burn. Most will have a rosy enough tinted skin that the horse should be fine. A few though may burn on thin coated bony areas. Just depends. The pink skin under white markings burns especially where there is no hair as there is no pigment to protect. What dun has to do with anything burn wise I don't know as it won't cancel the double cream effect on skin pigment. Dun dilutes coat color and puts primitives. On a perlino they may be barely visible or at least visible enough you'd be able to see them. Better in some light conditions than others. Homozygosity is also a factor. DD would give a darker primitive than D nd1. Nd1nd1 would also have distinct primitives but no coat dilution except very slight or just prone to fading. Blue eyes are part of the double cream but can also be from white patterns. Shade would likely be different.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I’ve been looking for a reliable trail horse, nothing fancy, there seems to be little to nothing for sale that fits the description of what I want.
There doesn’t even seem to be much in the way of anything.

Not sure if the quarantines and lockdowns affected the auctions which is where most dealer horses come from.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

knightrider said:


> I put my used car up for sale and got 50 inquiries on it. Sold it the day after the ad went up.


I brought my car in to the dealer for a regular tune up a couple of weeks ago, and they casually asked if I would consider selling it. Two hours later, I had a check for $1500 over blue book value and left the car there. My husband tried to sell it in a private sale about a year ago, since we both work from home and really don't need two cars, but couldn't make a deal for about $3K less than we ended up getting from the dealer. Talk about being in the right place at the right time...

The flipside is that we have been casually shopping for a truck & trailer for the past 6 months, and there's no way I'm buying anything now. Most economists I trust are attributing this to supply/demand, not the overheated arguments about inflation, and if people can keep panic in check I think prices on durable goods will be much more realistic within the next year. So, I'm hoping to finally have a truck and trailer for next year's ride season.

I haven't been horse shopping since 2018, so can't comment personally, but it does seem like lots of people bought new horses since lessons and showing remained pretty accessible even during lockdown periods. So again, supply/demand driving up prices.


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## redbadger (Nov 20, 2017)

I see everything from $800 for a "pasture pet" to $18000 for a well-trained, ride & drive friesian cross. Most of my search area is New England and the mid-Atlantic. I had understood that spring/summer is a seller's market anyway, and I do feel like prices were a bit lower in the fall and winter. Not dirt cheap. I think I could still find a decent horse for $3-$6k if I looked. Seems to depend on the seller too - private sellers seem a bit lower, sales barns somewhat higher. But there are feed and transport costs they incur more than someone selling a single horse.


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## RMH (Jul 26, 2016)

I watched an online consignment auction a few days ago and it seemed like horse prices were much softer than their spring auction. This auction is relatively new and trying to build their reputation for quality horses and not a place for kill buyers. The most recent auction seemed to have a lot of nice horses that sold for $2000 or less. The spring auction had more horses but I'd guess the average price was closer to $4000. 

Be aware that grain prices are up substantially over last year, and in some cases almost double. This will affect feed and also hay. In many cases hay land can also be used to grow grain and if hay prices don't keep up the land will converted to grain production. While higher grain prices are great for me as a farmer, fertilizer is up, fuel is up, chemicals are up, used and new machinery are up if you can even get it. I thought the push for a $15 per hour minimum wage was ridiculous but now it's a non issue as everyone is paying $15 or more just to entice people to work. I can't help but believe were in an inflationary period and have no idea where it will end. Just too much free money chasing too few goods. It's going to take me a while to adjust to paying $12 for a fast food meal and $30 for a nice sitdown meal.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

Early last year with the start of covid I said to my sister that there would be a lot of reasonably priced horses as people were not able to work or jobs cut back. I couldn't have been more wrong. The price just leaped up, Dogs and puppies have also increased drastically in price as people now have time for a pet as they are home more.
Houses have also had a spike in sales/prices.

Even kittens sell for huge prices, $300 for a farm kitten. Who pays actual money for a kitten? Usually they are foisted upon you when you visit. Just hard to understand all this and wonder where it will lead to and will it mean hard times ahead?


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

When it comes to an end there will be a crisis. We are already seeing it in behavior due to inexperience and starvation cases around here for those that had to go back to work or have no clue horses need more than dead grass. The rescues have been overloaded. It'll get worse before it gets better. There are so many dogs and cats being dumped. What they thought would be a cute distraction or project for the kids is unmanageable.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

The listing prices for horses have gone up a lot, but I'm seeing the same horses for sale for a long time, so I'm not sure most people are getting the prices they're asking. I suspect @QtrBel is right and at some point the market will be flooded with the horses people are trying to get rid of because they got in over their head. It will be a real shock for them to discover that the horse they bought for $9,000 can now be sold for only $1,500. I remember when that happened a few years ago when hay got expensive and people were dumping horses on BLM land. A lot of people think the purchase price of the horse is the main expense, but don't understand how much feed, vet care and maintenance cost.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Well, I'm in Eastern Canada as some of you know, and there is a weird phenomenon going on here too. People are flocking to my part of the country to buy real estate and "go back to the land" due to the pandemic. We had almost no Covid cases, and real estate is dirt cheap here. Lots of land, no big cities, no traffic jams, great place to come with a bunch of horses and set up a farm. The prices we saw blew us away. People selling their properties at prices I would never have imaged possible. A lot of the buyers are coming from Ontario, where you can't buy a shed for 650K, much less a big horse facility with an indoor. As they come, they bring their money with them. Since they sold properties in hot real estate markets and bought cheap properties here, they can afford to buy more horses, tack, trucks, trailers, etc. Not sure what's going to happen when they realize they can't get the same salaries here. There are very few high-paying jobs here, and salaries are generally lower because the cost of living here is lower. 

My prediction is that the real estate market in my area of the world will crash. The money will run out, prices will return to normal, and the idealized dream of going "back to the land" comes crashing down when they realize it's brutal living out here year round. In the meantime, I sure hope their money buys us better equine vets, better farriers (though I may have just found a solution to that problem), better tack stores, and heck, maybe even better Internet! 

Meantime, I am just staying the course. We got lucky with our last two horses who both came from friends who happened to know I was looking. Paid 650$ for Bella. I could easily triple that right now by selling her as a green broke pony (no papers). But she's too much of a find to let her go. Someday she will make a great child's pony and/or lesson horse. She didn't look like that when I got her, but put a little time, training and good diet on a horse, and you can really polish them.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

@Acadianartist , The same thing started here about 10 years ago. The large acreage started breaking up and people were coming out from the city and buying 5-10 acre places, building a house then, finding there wasn't a convenience store on every corner. They then decided they didn't like the country and sold. These properties turn over several times before someone stays. The farms never go back together. They all go to the county and complain about dirt roads and no street lights. Some are paved and our taxes are sky rocketing since we don't have a large tax base.

Horse prices here have gone crazy too. An untrained 2 year old is selling for 2-7k dollars. Any old horse starts at 2-3k. I guess I won't be buying anymore for a while.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

ksbowman said:


> @Acadianartist , The same thing started here about 10 years ago. The large acreage started breaking up and people were coming out from the city and buying 5-10 acre places, building a house then, finding there wasn't a convenience store on every corner. They then decided they didn't like the country and sold. These properties turn over several times before someone stays. The farms never go back together. They all go to the county and complain about dirt roads and no street lights. Some are paved and our taxes are sky rocketing since we don't have a large tax base.


Yes, shame about those old farms being broken up for development. I dread hearing the complaints starting. Already, people are complaining about the bugs here. And of course, hay is going to be a big issue again this year. Luckily, I have two suppliers with whom I've built a good relationship, but people have moved across the country with horses, no hay, in the spring when no one has any left, and no one is cutting until late June. The desperate pleas for hay started a couple of months ago. A lot of it seems poorly-thought-out. 

Property taxes are expected to go up because of this crazy trend. Still, I suspect it will all come crashing down in a few months and these million-dollar properties will be worth a fraction of what they paid for them.


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

Here in MN everything is also getting insanely expensive. Same as @Acadianartist many people are moving out from the cities and looking for land since they can now work from home and want more room for their kids and hobby toys. Real estate in the metro area is still higher so people are amazed they can sell their house in a day for double what they paid with no inspections and then buy 5-10 acres out in the country for half of what they got for their city house. My work bought a new office about an hour from my current home and at first DH and I were looking at moving to that area, getting some more land but currently we would be paying double what we paid for our house for the same thing which I'm not interested in at all.

Horse prices are also off the charts. We bought my (slightly feral) filly in 2018 and rescued a 10 year old (unbroke) mare in 2019 both for a few hundred dollars. We've been lucky because Arabs/Arab crosses have never been an expensive breed here. Currently unbroke 13 hand 5 year old Arab geldings are selling for $4,000. I've been seeing 25+ year old horses still selling for several thousand of dollars and navicular younger horses also for 2-3,000.


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## QHriderKE (Aug 3, 2011)

Canada here.

Prices of barrel horses and ranch horses just keeps going up. They don't even have to be that spectacular, seasoned or finished to go for over 10-15k.

I dont know who is shelling out 10-20k for a ranch horse but I'm pretty sure it's not ranchers 🤣

Aaaaaand parts of the western provinces (SK and AB mainly) have been in a drought for going on 5 years.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

That's madness @QHriderKE. I still say it's not sustainable. The bubble has to burst at some point.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

We have some folks that bought an overpriced 3 acre lot and built a house. They ran out and bought chickens and put up a wood fence and are wearing cowboy hats and boots and acting like they have this huge farm. Its kind of funny... They really think they are farming in their little house with their little chickens... They put up a sign for selling eggs and I'm thinking... Uh, every other lot around you is anywhere from 10 to 130 acres. Almost all of them have chickens... Who are you selling to? (I actually think they put the sign up to make their little house look even farrm-ier)....


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

There will be a glut is the market in a few years. Most breeders I know of, scaled back in the last decade, now unborn foals have deposits on them. It's can't last.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

So Cal here, house prices are literally "through the roof". And no one seems to think that they will go down any time soon.


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## Palfrey (May 29, 2020)

I haven't noticed a change in the Friesian market. Horses are selling quickly, but prices appear to be the same.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Out of curiosity, I checked the website of the place where I got Moonshine and Pony. Even six months ago they had maybe half a dozen reasonably trained horses for anywhere from 3k to 5k. Now they have two, and the prices are 5k to 7k.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

A big issue for me is that paying $7,000 for a $1,000 horse is not going to ensure a better lifestyle or better care. The people who are willing to over pay that much are most likely going to be quickly disillusioned when the horse doesn't behave the way they think it should or ends up with health problems.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

farmpony84 said:


> We have some folks that bought an overpriced 3 acre lot and built a house. They ran out and bought chickens and put up a wood fence and are wearing cowboy hats and boots and acting like they have this huge farm. Its kind of funny... They really think they are farming in their little house with their little chickens... They put up a sign for selling eggs and I'm thinking... Uh, every other lot around you is anywhere from 10 to 130 acres. Almost all of them have chickens... Who are you selling to? (I actually think they put the sign up to make their little house look even farrm-ier)....


That's hilarious!


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## SuzannahK (May 12, 2021)

I think wait on a horse. Until masks are all the way off and everything is really open, prices will stay high as people are staying at home or working/schooling in a hybrid way. Unfortunately, this means after 2022 (my prediction), there will be a glut of horses on the market, but prices will drop.

It's like this around Easter - people buy their kids fluffy baby chicks and baby bunnies...then have no idea what to do with the full-grown chickens and big rabbits.

Edited to add: I went to a rescue for the mare in my profile, and I bring her home next week. Rescues have tons of horses, some whom are projects, and others who just need tune-ups or more time under saddle. My mare is a tattoed OTTB who was rescued from a kill pen. Guess where all the overpriced horses are going to be in the next few years? IMVHO


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Could not agree more @SuzannahK. On all fronts.


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## SuzannahK (May 12, 2021)

Acadianartist said:


> Could not agree more @SuzannahK. On all fronts.


@Acadianartist Side note: Where are you in Canada? I bought a small piece of raw land in New Brunswick in 2018 and am desperate to get back on it (we just camp on it). Watching the blockade situation up there right now.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

SuzannahK said:


> @Acadianartist Side note: Where are you in Canada? I bought a small piece of raw land in New Brunswick in 2018 and am desperate to get back on it (we just camp on it). Watching the blockade situation up there right now.


I'm in central New Brunswick! If you're anywhere nearby, send me a PM! And yes, people are really angry about the NS/NB situation. It's nuts.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

One thing I did notice is that gaited horses in my area are not selling for inflated prices. In many of the ISO (in search of) ads I've seen, people offer up gaited horses for sale and most people won't consider them.

I assume that is because people want a "normal" horse with gaits they are familiar with or a horse that will be "competitive" on the local show circuits in my area.


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## IRideaHippogriff (Jul 19, 2016)

Everything about owning horses is getting more expensive in my area of the Northeast. My trainer had to raise her prices (which were reasonable for our area, but still expensive compared to the rest of the country) just to keep up with the cost of maintenance. Hay has really been the hardest one on us, but lumber in order to just maintain the paddocks is out of control. 

I think the sale price of horses could come back down to some extent, but my trainer doesn't think hay prices will. We will see...

I am glad I bought Coralie last summer, anyway! Even though prices had already started to go up significantly. I got her for 6k, but horses like her now (young, healthy, solid foundation) are closer to 7.5k-10k! Even though she is grade.


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## marymane (Feb 2, 2020)

I think it's a variety of factors that goes into it but one of the simplest may be with lockdown restrictions suddenly a lot of outdoor recreation was some of the only viable ways to do things that bring fulfillment other than work at home and binge watch Netflix (of course the "we're moving the country and horses go with that" types are a part of that too but I don't think they're all of it). Maybe all the money that was being spent on hobbies that required being around lots of people or in urban environments got used for getting into stuff like horseback riding instead.

It's surprising to me that there are so many people able and willing to pay the inflated prices but most of it may be chalked up to people new to the horse world that don't know the prices are actually much higher than normal right now and are happy to pay because they don't know any different. Or those that have the money and don't care they're paying double or more what the horse would usually be worth.

When I first started my horse search in earnest it was before prices really began to surge and they were just starting to really be noticeable to me when I bit the bullet and got mine before they raised too much (I still think I over payed a little bit for him in retrospect but 🤷‍♀️...and in some ways he's worth the money and in others he's not...) People who couldn't go to their lesson barn anymore to ride because of restrictions may also factor into their decision to finally buy their own and keep it on their own property or board it at a barn that still allowed people to come see their horses or the people who were ahead of the game, realized prices would skyrocket and decided to buy beforehand and therefore began creating more demand. IDK. I think there might've been a sort of sweet spot for buyers when this all began where people who couldn't afford their horses anymore due to sudden job loss or having only one income in the house instead of two were selling their horses for cheap because they couldn't take care of them in the long term anymore and needed them gone quick, I saw a lot of ads with just that story while looking myself...but then demand became high. You can still find some horses going for "cheap" but most of those are projects.

I don't know what adoption/rescue looks like, if they've increased their fees to help cover the rising costs of care or not. I was initially interested in finding a horse there but couldn't find anything local-ish that was what I needed.

Not much has changed too much in my area I don't think so far as prices for upkeep except for our farrier but the increase in price was honestly pretty marginal so that hasn't bothered me all too much. Grain too of course but mine only gets a little bit of ration balancer so it doesn't hurt TOO much. I'm lucky to be in an area that has good grass so we don't need to use hay throughout the warm seasons.

Who is to say that prices will ever return to what they were before? My prediction based on my limited understanding of things is that they may lower again but might not ever be back down to what they were before.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

I guess we don't have to worry, there will always be training nightmares available for free! I've been reading some articles about the problem. Some people think well started horses have been under priced for a while now, which is probably true. A person might put $8,000 into breeding, raising and training a horse to a competent young horse level, only to sell the horse for $1,500.


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## TaMMa89 (Apr 12, 2008)

*MODERATOR'S NOTE*

At this point, I've slightly edited some messages and removed few (discussions about unemployment benefits vs. getting a job). Please keep the Discussion on the track and avoid discussion that could take the Discussion toward politics.

Thank you!


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

@*SuzannahK *But how much do rescues run? Are they in the thousands? (I haven't looked at a rescue in probably 20 years).


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## SuzannahK (May 12, 2021)

farmpony84 said:


> @*SuzannahK *But how much do rescues run? Are they in the thousands? (I haven't looked at a rescue in probably 20 years).


Depends on the rescue. Not at all in the thousands, usually, and I am trading my services as a writer for my mare. Rescue "prices" around here seem to be in the sub-1K range (unless the horse is exceptional, and this is really only the true rescues, not the people who go to auctions and get a horse and call it a rescue and sell it after training. Nothing wrong with that, but just distinguishing between the two).


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

While horse prices may go back down, I doubt hay prices will. It's just the reality of widespread drought. Even here in eastern Canada where we normally got abundant rain (sometimes too much) and amazing hay at cheap prices, we are in a real crunch again this year. Early spring was pretty good, so we will be getting a first cut soon, but it's not likely going to be as plentiful, and unless the weather changes soon, that will be it. No second cut unless we start getting more rain. Even the corn fields are drying up and corn is quite drought-tolerant. My pastures are down to nothing already, and it's not even July. Normally, we count on pastures to sustain our horses until at least September. Luckily, I have hay left over from last year, so we will be fine, and I have hay suppliers that will come through for me, but this will not be the case for everyone. Even areas that are not going through a drought will be affected eventually because there will be such a high demand for hay to those drought-stricken areas that prices will go up all around. In other words: bad news for horse people in North America at least. Climate change is here, and there is very little we can do to reverse the damage now.


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## Finalcanter (Apr 15, 2013)

Prices are certainly higher for all-around horses. I've been looking not so seriously for a while, but even TBs that can jump a nice small course are now running about $10k to start! A while back I could find them for maybe 4k-8k...gone are those days.
If you want a specific breed or cross that has been trained, that just adds to the price. Known and proven crosses are jumping in price. I haven't looked locally since New York is expensive as all hell anyway, but just browsing online everywhere I can.

For me and what I'm looking for (a specific Friesian cross), I know I'm going to spend at least about 20k. A somewhat uncommon but known crossbred individual who started dressage and is quite sound. I am basically checking off the $$$ boxes as I write haha..
But if you're looking for something specific and know what you want...I guess you'd better come with the bill.

I'll tell you that regular Friesians 'normal' price range now tends to be $30-80k. I rather have a cross for what I intend to do but gah-lee! For a horse that doesn't typically live as long as other horses, that's a price to pay! Give me a Friesian cross any day than a purebred.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

All of this makes me wonder what my Pony is "worth" now. I'd never make back all the money I put into training him, and I am not interested in selling him anyways, but still I wonder.


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## Caledonian (Nov 27, 2016)

For an all-rounder, nothing fancy, I'd be looking at an average of £9,000/$12,500. They tend to sit between £5,000/$7,000 and £20,000/$28,000.Those less than 5k are projects, youngsters and very small ponies.

Prices have risen here, sometimes doubled. While I agree that it takes a lot to produce a safe, trained horse and people want their money, time and effort back, I believe that quite a few are taking advantage of the excuse that certain groups have spare cash and time and are looking for something to do during lockdown, and slapping an extra couple of thousand on the price.


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## Dixiesmom (May 26, 2013)

A little off topic, but a few years back everyone seemed to be going with gaited, and so many people said I should get a gaited horse. No thanks, I have quiet, lazy, trustworthy Dixie and she's perfect. Now a good percentage of the looking for ads specifically say nothing gaited. Wonder why the change?

Prices here are insane. 5-10,000 for good TRAIL horse, 2-5,000 for older way up into 20s.


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## milady133 (Jun 7, 2021)

I'm not adding anything new to the discussion, but I'm commenting just to add more data to the thread, here in Spain horse prices have gone up too, I'm not in the market so I can't offer an idea of how much they've gone up, but reading discussions in a Spanish horse forum, and from comments of other people in my barn and the BO, it seems to be a global trend, after lockdowns people are looking for activities outdoors every where in the world


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Dixiesmom said:


> A little off topic, but a few years back everyone seemed to be going with gaited, and so many people said I should get a gaited horse. No thanks, I have quiet, lazy, trustworthy Dixie and she's perfect. Now a good percentage of the looking for ads specifically say nothing gaited. Wonder why the change?
> 
> Prices here are insane. 5-10,000 for good TRAIL horse, 2-5,000 for older way up into 20s.


I'm a QH person but I think every barn should have at least one gaited horse.


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

I haven't read through the responses, but I'm going to say the economy had a lot to do with it, once it started to improve more people had money and horses started making a comeback, then with Covid, having people stay home, and paying them gave people more time and money. It won't last I expect the bottom to fall out within the next year or so.


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## 1Horse1 (11 mo ago)

farmpony84 said:


> I am really not sure why prices have sky rocketed on horses. I can only assume COVID had something to do with it but we have to be careful to keep politics out of the conversation so... (thoughts are welcome - just no politics obviously).
> 
> I was just wondering - do you think prices will go down in the next year or two or do you think they are here to stay?
> 
> ...


 The economy, home prices, had been doing well before COVID leaving equity and cash in the buyers hands. Horse prices were on the rise and horses were selling fast pre-COVID. In 2018, I was trying to buy a pony to keep my horse company and could not get to them fast enough, they sold fast. I live in Idaho and a lot of people had been moving here wanting the cowboy experience and had brought money too. Trail horses and pack horses were in demand.

During COVID the stimulus money kept that afloat. All of sudden there were ponies for exactly stimulus money costs. Then the whole it’s better to be outdoors and everything else is closed kept people interested in the horse industry. A feed store owner here has had record sales the last two years.

Closed borders raised prices too because demand was shrunk here in USA. A lot of English riders buy horses from Europe and CA were unable to do so.

Now inflation. Not sure what that will mean, horse stuff will be expensive because it cost more but not sure if more people have that amount of money. A lot of equity still in real estate and stock. You can use a CC to buy a horse.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

I've seen wonky, dirty, not even halter broke, not reg, minis for 1-2k. Laughable. Worse yet, trained, groomed, fit, registered ones are going for the same amount. 
It's nuts.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

The price of horses is high here in Southern Ontario as well. For a just barely broke horse you can expect to pay 8 to 10 thousand and there aren't a lot of them for sale right now.
I'm sure I could get a good price for my gelding right now but I am not interested in selling.
I do think the price will go down in the coming year as more people get back to work and the Pandemic ends.
Gas here has gone up a lot in the last couple of weeks.$1.56 a litre = $5.89 US gal which will hurt a lot of folks who drive every dayl
Also the cost of groceries is much higher I spent $125 the other day and could put it into 3 not very big bags. Families must be really feeling these increases in price.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

Horse prices have changed a bit in Michigan since I last replied to the thread - but not much. Any horse ad that gets posted there are 30-50 comments on it within a few hours, all inquiring about price/seeing the horse/etc. Prices have decreased a bit, but I'm attributing that to being in winter right now. I think there are more horses for sale, but again, probably because of winter + hay prices, etc.

Depending on what happens with the Ukraine vs Russia situation (particularly if the USA gets involved), I think prices could drop drastically if job lay-offs and what not begin. The economy is a big question mark right now as we all know, I am expecting a crash but also I believe we are in late stage, failing capitalism - this is just me, I know everyone doesn't believe the same. This isn't even considering the real estate bubble...I hope we aren't effected when it pops. All I know is we can't keep going the same way we are going with everything rising in price. Our household (2 adults, no kids, 2 horses) lives paycheck to paycheck in a low cost of living area making decent wages, and I know many people in worse positions right now. Buying a house is near impossible, buying a new car is near impossible, buying a decent horse is near impossible without $$$... Somethings going to give, and I am not looking forward to that day.

Back onto horse prices though - OTTB prices have increased in the USA, IMO. It's tough to find an OTTB fresh off the track for under $2k, and many are $6-8k+ with minimal (or no) retraining. 

A beginner safe horse is still going for $6k+ here, no matter the age or sometimes if there is even soundness issues.

I haven't been following the local sale lately, but earlier in the year most horses there were going for $$$ for a trail safe horse. That sale sees A LOT of really nice horses go through. 

I'm interested to see what horses sell for at Equine Affair in OH this year. I can only imagine...


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Here in OK horse prices have gone way up, so has the property to house them. I'm hoping we won't all be utterly trashed when the bubble bursts. I agree this can't continue on the way it's been. Last time I filled my truck, it was $3.50/gal for diesel. Don't know what it is this week. Truck's pretty much parked unless I need a feed run or I REALLY need to go somewhere while hubby's at work. He drives a Hyundai Ioniq electric/gas hybrid. I, personally, hate the thing. I'm a died in the wool truck fan. 

I'm going to try to pick up some feed today, wonder how the prices will be. Everything concentrate is around $20-25/bag right now, 40 or 50 lbs, doesn't matter. Ration Balancers have been around $32/bag. 

I have been seeing a LOT of crazy prices at the grocery store. Heavy Cream $10/quart. Beef and pork are up but not totally nuts yet. OK raises a lot of beef and pork. Tyson chickens are processed up in KS & MO, so fairly low priced as well. Fresh veg are nutty, overall prices have just gone through the roof. It's definitely hurting the poorer folks around here. 

I belong to a couple of different cooking forums and I'm seeing people trying to stretch their grocery dollars by using much cheaper cuts of beef and cooking it in the Instant Pot for tenderizing, cooking stews and soups and meat pies. I know that even being very careful at the store is not enough. My grocery bill has gone from $100/week for 2 adults to $125/week for the same groceries. I only buy staples at the local grocery. I buy fruit and veg at the farmer's market or from the farm, beef and pork from 2 local farmers and those prices haven't been quite as nutty. Lactaid milk (lots of Native Americans here) has gone from around $4/half gallon to almost $7 when you can get it. It gets snapped up off the shelves very quickly. I don't use a whole lot of milk. I don't drink it, but I do cook with it, and I'm feeling the pinch for Lactaid.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Here in a northern mtn state you can still find a horse that didn't work out for ranching for $6-700. It will go right, left, forward, and back. Either privately or at small auctions.

But at the bigger auctions... Last Saturday a draft-cross gelding went for $525K at Sankey's Cowgirl Cadillac Sale! Even the sale average was 50 thousand and change. 

I don't think prices will go down much unless there is an economic crisis.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> The price of horses is high here in Southern Ontario as well. For a just barely broke horse you can expect to pay 8 to 10 thousand and there aren't a lot of them for sale right now.
> I'm sure I could get a good price for my gelding right now but I am not interested in selling.
> I do think the price will go down in the coming year as more people get back to work and the Pandemic ends.
> Gas here has gone up a lot in the last couple of weeks.$1.56 a litre = $5.89 US gal which will hurt a lot of folks who drive every dayl
> Also the cost of groceries is much higher I spent $125 the other day and could put it into 3 not very big bags. Families must be really feeling these increases in price.


Yes, those prices of everything are a killer. We spend around 300$ a week on groceries. We have two teens, one of whom is a football player, so he is eating us out of house and home. We easily spend 500$ a month on gas since we all commute a half hour to the city for work and school. We are lucky that our jobs weren't affected by the pandemic, and when we bought our house, we bought something well below what our budget could have been, at least according to the bank. They thought we should pay twice as much for a house (I mean, why wouldn't they, they're making all the money in interest), but we declined and bought something we felt we could afford while still having a bit of extra. Thank goodness we did! We need all of it, especially now that we have horses. We've had to put off buying new cars - both our vehicles are over 12 years old. We don't eat out or go on vacations. We can't afford to renovate our kitchen or bathrooms. But I did build a barn instead so - priorities  . We live comfortably, but with one kid in university, the other involved in a bunch of extracurricular activities, and the horses of course, we don't have any money left. 

So when I think about people who do say yes when the bank offers a bigger loan, when the credit card company offers higher credit (I keep turning them down too - I have 22K credit, who needs more than that???), when they want to buy new furniture on credit, or a car on credit, or whatever... it won't take much to push these people to insolvency. I think things are only going to get worse globally in terms of the economy. War, climate change, the pandemic... not trying to bring in politics, but those relief cheques have to come out of somewhere. This is just not sustainable. 

So I think prices will come down, and that there will be some opportunities. Sadly, those will probably be a result of people who overstretched their budget and soaring inflation and possibly interest rates.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

And you can get cheap horses here. Someone a couple of hours away from me specializes in selling cheap horses. And of course, they're all bombproof and child/grandma safe.  

Well, guess what, one of the horses she sold has Strangles. The notice has just gone out - confirmed by a vet. Not the first time either. I know someone who bought a horse from her and it's completely nuts. A train wreck from day one. Also about 5 years older than she said. I wouldn't touch one of those horses with a ten foot pole. They have all kinds of problems. 

I have gotten lucky with my last two purchases - Rusty, bought for 2500$ as a 6 yr old greenie with about 10 rides on him, and Bella, bought for 650$ as a 3 year old unbroke pony a year ago. Both were bought from friends who know me well and knew they'd have a good life with me. Hoping I can continue to be so lucky. The most expensive horse I ever bought was Kodak. I paid more for her than Harley even. She was a disaster, so I guess price doesn't always mean much.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

We have always been blessed. Our first house we did a smart loan that had us making 13 payments a year instead of 12 and that made a 30 note pay off in 22 years and I built it my self when I was young so we built a lot of sweat equity doing that. Bought the farm when that one was almost paid for. I built all the outbuildings here and alot of the house. My wife got us on the Dave Ramsey plan 40 years ago and paid off our credit cards so anything put on them during the month is paid at the end of the month so no interest incurred. Thankfully we raise our own beef and we get a pig every couple years from a neighbor that raises them and I usually get a deer or two and a turkey or two from the farm wild animals. Still things are going crazy for all products including groceries and gas. Talked with the neighbor last night and 500# calves are selling for $2.25 on the hoof. Last ones I took in I got $1.60 and that was last fall so beef is going crazy . A good riding horse here now starts around $2,500 and goes up. Glad I'm not actively looking although I keep an eye open! LOL


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## RMH (Jul 26, 2016)

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but inflation has hit the farm community as well. Potash fertilizer which cost $355 per ton last year now cost between $700 and $800 per ton this year. Alfalfa uses a lot of potash. Nitrogen could be applied for between $0.40-0.50 per pound of actual N last year. It now cost $1.00 per pound. Grass hay takes a lot of nitrogen. There may be some room to cut back on fertilizer but if you cut back too much yields decline. Chemicals are up also. Glyphosate which cost $13 per gallon last year is now $45 per gallon. Both new and used farm equipment is up as well if you can even find it. Grain prices have increased and in many areas hay competes directly with grain crops for land. Don't be surprised when the hay supply is tight in the coming year and cost substantially more.


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## RMH (Jul 26, 2016)

Forgot to add that diesel fuel which cost me $2 per gallon last year cost me just under $3 per gallon this year and will likely go higher with the unrest in Europe. There is a lot of fuel used in the production and transport of hay.


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## ChieTheRider (May 3, 2017)

I can't voice my full opinions on the subject or I'll get in trouble, 😁. 

It's definitely a struggle to own horses at the moment. Gas is high. Nearly $4 a gallon here in FL for desiel (no thanks to a minimum wage raise but it's not much better 20mins north in Alabama either) and my hay and grain cost has gone way up. I've got an old hard keeper horse and he's going to eat me out of house and home before he finally kicks the bucket. Gas is only going to go higher in the us unless we go back to sourcing more of our own oil and as long as oil is high, hay and grain and everything else will be high. And last time I checked I wasn't making any more to make up for the soaring prices haha.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I'm in the market for a decent trail horse and it's so depressing. I keep checking Craigslist because I am at the lower end of the horse market and horses are through the roof right now. (Any ideas of other places to look?). The latest horse I saw an ad for was $4500 for an 18 yr old TWH mare that hasn't been ridden in 3 years and needs allergy shots every month. My last horse in that age category cost me $500. The best horse I ever owned cost $2000. This is just depressing. 

I remember about 10 years ago everyone was so pro slaughter because we had "too many horses." Now you can't hardly find a decent horse for a decent price. I have confidence issues and can't train another baby. But anything in the prime of life is like $6500. And I don't need another old horse because my current horse is now around 20 and I would like to avoid having two retired horses at the same time. 

So yeah, it's depressing. I don't need a particular breed, color or gender. But I do need a safe, sound horse that can pack a 200 lb rider.  

I'm scared that if my current horse dies or becomes unsound I will be horseless. Now I know I will need to up my budget for my next horse but gosh, it's really depressing shopping right now.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

trailhorserider said:


> I'm in the market for a decent trail horse and it's so depressing. I keep checking Craigslist because I am at the lower end of the horse market and horses are through the roof right now. (Any ideas of other places to look?). The latest horse I saw an ad for was $4500 for an 18 yr old TWH mare that hasn't been ridden in 3 years and needs allergy shots every month. My last horse in that age category cost me $500. The best horse I ever owned cost $2000. This is just depressing.


I'm not sure of your location, but I've been keeping an eye on this horse rescue's new available horses: https://www.horseplushumanesociety.org/adoption/
Lots of TWH's go through there, as well as mules too. 

You can look on Petfinder.com and see all of the horses available for adoption in horse rescues right now.

Another option if you have FB, "Dreamscape Inc". They pull lots of saddlebreds from kill pens and auction. You wouldn't believe how many beginner safe saddlebreds end up in the meat pen. A local riding school near me has several of Dreamscape's saved saddlebreds in their lesson program.

As much as I hate suggesting checking kill pens and auctions, I have a feeling that the more horse ownership prices sky rocket, the more riding horses are going to show up in the kill pens.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

trailhorserider said:


> I'm in the market for a decent trail horse and it's so depressing. I keep checking Craigslist because I am at the lower end of the horse market and horses are through the roof right now. (Any ideas of other places to look?). The latest horse I saw an ad for was $4500 for an 18 yr old TWH mare that hasn't been ridden in 3 years and needs allergy shots every month. My last horse in that age category cost me $500. The best horse I ever owned cost $2000. This is just depressing.
> 
> I remember about 10 years ago everyone was so pro slaughter because we had "too many horses." Now you can't hardly find a decent horse for a decent price. I have confidence issues and can't train another baby. But anything in the prime of life is like $6500. And I don't need another old horse because my current horse is now around 20 and I would like to avoid having two retired horses at the same time.
> 
> ...


If I were shopping I might have to look a little harder at this guy. To get a sense of him copy and paste the u-tube video. I think they have him priced a little high for this area but I'm like you in that I've bought good horses for much less. If you have a truck and trailer where you can take a weeks vacation and pick him up yourself it still might be cheaper than what you're finding in your area.

Cute gelding - farm & garden - by owner - sale (craigslist.org)


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

ksbowman said:


> We have always been blessed. Our first house we did a smart loan that had us making 13 payments a year instead of 12 and that made a 30 note pay off in 22 years and I built it my self when I was young so we built a lot of sweat equity doing that. Bought the farm when that one was almost paid for. I built all the outbuildings here and alot of the house. My wife got us on the Dave Ramsey plan 40 years ago and paid off our credit cards so anything put on them during the month is paid at the end of the month so no interest incurred. Thankfully we raise our own beef and we get a pig every couple years from a neighbor that raises them and I usually get a deer or two and a turkey or two from the farm wild animals. Still things are going crazy for all products including groceries and gas. Talked with the neighbor last night and 500# calves are selling for $2.25 on the hoof. Last ones I took in I got $1.60 and that was last fall so beef is going crazy . A good riding horse here now starts around $2,500 and goes up. Glad I'm not actively looking although I keep an eye open! LOL


We have been doing the Dave Ramsey plan for a very long time. The only debt we have is our house. We sold our first place high and bought this place (also high but better than we'd expected) as a fixer. We paid over 1/2 down and have a 15 year note rather than 30. Our payment is very affordable because of that, and I'll throw in an extra payment or 2 each year, just to speed things along. 

I've owned my truck since 2011, when it was brand new, and have kept it pristine until the move down here. I haven't done any of the damage to it, but it's gotten a little beat up since we came south. I paid cash back in 2011 and won't even consider selling and buying a new one. Prices are just too darn high, I can justify doing any repair work to this one to keep it going another 10-15 years. It's a work beast, and I intend to keep it until I'm no longer driving. 

We pay cash for everything. No financing, no credit cards. If we can't pay cash, we can't afford it. 

We also buy our beef and pork from local farmers. It's a lot less than the store. We buy chicken at Costco. Fresh fruits and veg from farmer's markets. 

What I'm seeing down here for horses is a lot more expensive than just 2 years ago. I just saw a nice looking, registered QH, 11 y.o., broke to death (ex ranch horse) who's advertised to do it all, safe for anyone, needs 'some maintenance' on his front legs, $6500. The ongoing maintenance is why his price is 'so low'. I have a little mare who fits the same description, minus the maintenance, and I wouldn't sell her, period. I bought her as a youngster, long yearling, and have had her ever since. So I know what she is capable of, know her history, know her training. Most people want to still be able to buy a horse like that for $1500, that's just not anywhere near enough for a horse like this. 
I haven't attended any of the local low end auctions in years but I suspect even they have seen an increase in what they're getting for horses. I know that the "feed lot angels" are charging significantly more today than what they were a year ago and they were charging plenty, then.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> We have been doing the Dave Ramsey plan for a very long time. The only debt we have is our house. We sold our first place high and bought this place (also high but better than we'd expected) as a fixer. We paid over 1/2 down and have a 15 year note rather than 30. Our payment is very affordable because of that, and I'll throw in an extra payment or 2 each year, just to speed things along.
> 
> I've owned my truck since 2011, when it was brand new, and have kept it pristine until the move down here. I haven't done any of the damage to it, but it's gotten a little beat up since we came south. I paid cash back in 2011 and won't even consider selling and buying a new one. Prices are just too darn high, I can justify doing any repair work to this one to keep it going another 10-15 years. It's a work beast, and I intend to keep it until I'm no longer driving.
> 
> ...


 We sound like we are in a similar place. We do use a credit card on some of our purchases but, always pay it off at the end of the month. Last 5 or 6 vehicles were all paid for in cash. Truck is a 2005 diesel and at the price of new ones it will probably be our last. We have two homes but, are considering selling the lake house as we aren't using it as much as we once did. My wife has always been a wonderful bargain shopper and we stand back on big purchases and ask our selves do we need it or want it. Also like you I bought my go to horse as a long yearling and trained her. Only paid $600 for her and I know exactly what I'm throwing my leg over everytime I get on, she turns 5 in April so she will outlast my riding years. Any of the young people out there really need to check in to Dave Ramsey's financial advice as it is very good and free if you listen to his radio programs. I still remember my wife coming home one night and telling me about this guy on the radio and she wanted to try his plan. The rest is history.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

@ksbowman, we pretty much got involved the same way. And we do the same with big purchases, figure out if it's really a need or a want, then decide how much we need it, whether we can pay cash right now or need to save up for it. For us, it's very liberating to not have to worry about monthly payments. Once we buy it, it's ours. The nice thing about the house is, once we bring it up to modern standards, it will probably double in worth. It was built in the 60's and I don't think, other than paint, that it's been modernized at all. Some of it is very nostalgic, some is just plain outdated. Once we fix some of the 'shade tree' stuff that was done, we can move on to aesthetics and go from there. 

We used to have 3 houses, used 2 as rentals, and an RV which we also rented out. Sold everything but the house we're living in and actually, find we're glad to be shut of the other stuff. Rentals are nice if you can have someone else deal with them but day to day management is a pain. We won't go there again.


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