Re: wise buy!/demand=price?quality=price?

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Some one once told me that ALL horses worth throwing a saddle on cost
$5000 at the very least.  Either you can 1) buy a ready-made horse that
costs that much or more, or 2) you can breed and raise your own and
spend that much feeding it until it's ready to ride, or 3) you can buy a
green-broke/rough/mystery horse for $100/$400/enter dirt cheap price
here and spend that much either in getting someone else to train it for
you or in spending that amount in your own time in training and
conditioning until you have a finished horse.  The only difference is in
how, when and in what currency do you want to pay out the money.

I always thought it was an intersting point and probably not too far off
the mark.

Susan Garlinghouse






Chris Paus wrote:
> 
> A friend and I went horse shopping last year about this time. We both
> wanted horses around $1000 or less. I knew that was going to be difficult,
> given what I wanted to do with a horse, but we have the "struck by
> lighting" theory. Never pay more for a horse than you can afford to lose if
> it gets struck by lightning!
> 
> Anyway, Star was an unwanted grade Arab. His previous owner died a year
> before adn he was left alone in a field. He was given to a stable to be
> sold. The stable owner couldn't find a buyer, even when she called him a
> Quarter Horse!. She took him to the sale barn, and the highest bidder was a
> killer. She brought Star back home and began firing me emails that I had to
> come see this horse.
> 
> I went from Kansas City to Oklahoma City to see him. He didn't look like
> much at first and had a little attitude when I tried to ride him, but
> somethign said to take this horse. I probably paid too much, given his
> condition, $800, but he has turned out very nicely. Once we got past the
> new horse jitters, and he learned what his job was, he just got better and
> better.
> 
> And PRETTY. When he shed out and got some good feed and vitamins in him, he
> turned gorgeous, very classic bay Arab -- small, dished face, black points
> on his face, curved neck, short back, high tail carriage, strong legs and
> feet. He's quick as a cat on his feet, somethign I had to get used to after
> my lazy Morgan. And he's funny - what a personality.
> 
> Anyway, my throwaway horse won his first CTR (my first too). The lady who
> won in the lightweight category was also on a throwaway horse she got from
> the Humane Society. The lady who sold him to me has since said she would
> have charged me more money if she knew how well he would work out. I
> reminded her he was a diamond in the rough and it took many hours of work
> to find the terrific animal.
> 
> My friend ended up spending a little more than 1,000 for her horse, but not
> much more. And she got just what she wanted, a rocking chair with legs and
> a tail! She has since adotped a wonderful appendix QH for $75 from Horse
> Aid who is turning out to be a wonderful gentleman.
> 
> My Morgan was a freebie. I raised him from a foal. A neighbor bred his
> Morgan stud to my Appy mare. I asked him what he wanted for breeding fees.
> he said wait til spring and see what you get. I called him int he spring
> and said I had a lovely bay colt, what are the fees. He said "don't worry
> about it. He had a ball."
> 
> there's our stories.
> 
> At 06:35 PM 1/7/98 -0600, iggy wrote:
> >
> >Hi Tracy
> >
> >I was not going to post on the subject, But can't hold my tong. You
> >inspired me to brag.....
> >
> >My best, fantastic, great, if ya want it,  it is going to cost ya, short
> >backed pony size (to most people) no name horses under 250. cash and carry.
> >Mr POA who I first walked a way from for 400. and the most recent
> >mustang/TB cross.  Beats every thing I have had so far.  More than happy we
> >could see the potential. O'my, I admitted to only paying 250 for Mr. POA.
> >The secret is out, we will never live it down........ re name the horse.
> >No one will remember......
> >
> >Not knocking expensive good papered animals (payed for some of those
> >too...with good genes.) Don't flame me I am just bragging about buying
> >wise, so far............Hee Hee Hee  Then again one might think he's
> >junk............
> >
> >Time for a story.  Yup there is  always  a story,  what can be said.
> >Grampa (who will be un-named ) told me" Yup my son paid between 150,000. or
> >200,000.(think the price goes up every time the story is told it was over
> >100,000. OK)  for a weenling race horse at the auction a few years ago in
> >kentucky.  My comment was "Must be one hell of a horse"   His comment to me
> >was "NO, he was the idiot who paid that much for it. "
> >
> >I always figure it is a 50 / 50 chance ya have for soundness alone by the
> >time they reach 4 and don't break a leg etc. etc. etc..
> >
> >I always remember this  when buying a horse.
> >
> >
> >Sigrid
> >
> >
> >*******************************************
> >
> >>yeppers....best horse I've ever owned I paid $350 for.  His daddy is in
> >>Scottsdale with a $2500 stud fee!
> >>
> >>tracy
> >
> >
> >The Space Cadet
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >