ridecamp@endurance.net: endurance horse prices

endurance horse prices

Karen Callan (Karen_Callan@radian.com)
Fri, 7 Mar 1997 15:37:15 -0600


S. Rikard wrote:

<Your horses are worth to you whatever is the largest
<offer that you will refuse, and they are worth to others
<at least as much as they agree to pay for them.

<S. Rickard

Interesting! and well put. I've noticed lots of posts
regarding a "reasonable price" for a "good" endurance horse.
I think so much is a matter of your own good sense, good
timing, good luck, and willingness to work with a horse
yourself! I worked for an Arabian Stud Farm in the late
80's, when they were still selling their horses for
UNBELIEVABLE prices (one filly sold for more than the
mortgage on my house!). These were not just "sales list"
prices - people were actually buying these horses for list
price.

At the time, I was riding those $$$$$-goofy show horses on
the trail just for easy conditioning - and looking around
for a horse of my own. I looked at lots of Arabs, and was
getting close to buying a 2 yr. old for $800. Still looking,
I found a beautiful 3 yr. unbroke mare - and they were
asking $3,000, down from $5,000. Way too much for me, but 6
months later when she still wasn't sold, they really wanted
to get rid of her (!?!?) and just wanted her to go to a good
home.

So I got a beautiful, 3 1/2 yr old for $12 gas money. I
didn't know anything about endurance, I just loved to ride
the trails. Years later, after LOTS of quiet miles on our
own, we did our first 50. She's gone on to top ten in just
about every ride we've ever done, several firsts, finished
4th and got reserve BC on her first 100, and has a 100%
Tevis completion.

My rambling point here is, especially for new folks, don't
be discouraged by "top dollar" for good endurance horses -
as a matter of fact, I'd be leery of a high price tag. You
can develop your own solid endurance horse - don't go
looking for someone else's perfect horse, or perfect recipe
for success.

Though somewhat of a "lurker" here, I do think this is a
wonderful and educational forum. I also think, that if I, as
an "endurance newbie", had been reading all this before I
ever did an endurance ride - I'd feel somewhat intimidated,
both by the level of physical and mental prowess it sounds
like it requires - that I may have thought my "homegrown"
mare and I could never do it! So I just want to encourage
anyone thinking/conditioning/planning for rides - GO FOR IT!
Just get out there on the trails - for as long and as
peacefully as it takes to develop a good, solid,
well-mannered horse, and then go do a ride. And another.

I'm afraid I too often see situations where a horse has been
rushed into a 50 miler long before he's ready. They can
become physically "ready" before they're mentally ready. The
beauty of really caring for a horse and his athletic future
- is to take the time to groom the horse for what/how you
would like him to be. If a person was just getting into a
sport, they wouldn't start with ultra-marathons. I believe
it takes several years to develop an endurance horse - and
you don't have to pay a zillion dollars.

Karen Callan






Home Events Groups Rider Directory Market RideCamp Stuff