horse cost? cheap vs expensive

[jvicars]

i have a mixed araibian gelding 7 years old trained. i am a horse newbie and he does fine for what i need. he was not ridden for a year but even with my limited knowledge he has caught on quick. i paid 1300 for him, 2 saddles, feed and extras.

is it really worth paying more for a well trained horse? i see them for sale real cheap 600 and up. not knowing what a well trained horse is like i cannot see the benefit.

i use my horse for the small farm and cattle.

i am looking at a 7 year old gelding qh. 1500 with saddle and tack. i just cannot seeing paying a lot with the current horse market being weak.

comments?

 

[Angus Cattle Girl]

Well, in my opinion, it depends on what quality of a horse you want. The ones that you see for $600-$1,000 may have had some lameness issues, behavioral problems, or lack of training.

I would find a 7 y/o QH gelding, free of lameness issues, behavioral problems, and solid training be from $1,500-$4,000.

It all just depends on what you are looking for and what you want to do with the horse.

Just my two-cents.

-Angus Girl

 

[jvicars]

what i see if lack of training mostly around here. i am looking at a 7 yr old gelding qh tomorrow. i was told it has been trained. we will see tomorrow. my currnet horse is has been trained but not riden beofre i got him for at least 1 yr. so far so good. thanks for comments.

 

[kscowboy]

Horses are cheap in kansas unless youre buying a show baby , go ride a horse at least three times over a period of a week or two. It will give you a good idea if they are going to work out , buy from or with someone you know and trust.

A lot of the horses I see for sale are ones that people lost interest in for what ever reason and they haven't been broke or ridden for a year or so. You can't judge that horse on one demo ride. If youre interested try em out often over a week or so , see if they progress.

Buy a horse that matches your energy level , if you want a corvette don't settle for an old pickup.

Unless there is some overriding reason like show , competition , or you just have a heck of lot of money to get rid of you should be able to find a nice horse for under 1500 and possibly for a lot less. I bought my current arab for 500 bucks because the owner was scared of him , he has turned into a fabulous corvette and will do anything . My other arab is a really nice quiet one who I can put most anyone on and he was given to me.

Talk to farriers , they know where the good ones are and where the money isn't the only issue !

 

[flaboy]

Typically training a ranch horse will cost more than the horse it self. As far as if it is worth it, depends. How fast to you need a working horse?

I have heard folks say they can train a horse in 30, 60, 90, etc days. Train for what I ask? Those times (mostly the 90) is a good starting point but that horse is not trained. It takes another two years of actual real life experiences to get that horse trained (OJT).

Just my opinion.

 

[kscowboy]

good point Flaboy , I kind of look at it like a toolbox , each year you try to add more tools to the box.

 

[flaboy]

good point Flaboy , I kind of look at it like a toolbox , each year you try to add more tools to the box.

Yep, had a QH mare one time. At 2-5 she was good to hunt off of. At 6-10 she was a good all around competition horse. At 10-15 she was a great cow horse. I retired her at 18 after she got hit by lightening.

 

[holly heifer]

sometimes the price of a horse is misleading. I bought a really
well trained AQHA mare for $400. She was 19 when I bought
her 3 years ago. We show her in pleasure classes at open shows and she always places in the top 5( against much
younger horses) . She is sound and has no health issues.
The kids just love her, she is kinda like a insurance policy,
they will most likely not get hurt by her!

 

[ArrowHBrand]

If you are a beginner I would pay a little more for a well trained horse with lots of miles on it. In your case with little experience and a small cattle operation, look for a gelding that was either ranch trained or worked on a cattle operation, that is rope broke, and atleast 10. Now this is JMO, it's not the gospel. It's true the horse market is soft right now, but I wouldn't bat an eye at paying $1500, $2000, or even $3000 for a well broke horse. It also matters if you want a registered animal or just a good worker that you can go out, catch, and have a pleasurable ride with as little problems as you can. Welcome to the world of horse ownership!

 

[jvicars]

thanks for all of the advice. i spoke with a local horse fellow who i traded my arab mix for a qh mare who is 10. from a large ranch and trained. its takes a good bit to get her going but she is well trained and slow moving which is good for a beginner. spurs are next but she is easy and much calmer than my arab. she is gray like my arab but taller and a bit more muscled.

 

[ArrowHBrand]

I wear spurs all of the time, but with a well trained horse you almost never need them. If they start acting up just touch their sides with the spurs to let them know they are there and most of the time they will starighten right out. No need to jab and kick at them.