05/14/2025
Let’s talk fair market value in the horse world… I have a lot of discussions with owners, sellers and buyers about this very topic… Although there is no Kelley blue book to refer to on horses, in my mind here’s how I come up with what we believe to be a fair price for each individual.
First we all must remember any horse is truly only worth what a person is willing to pay for it. With this in mind… If your horse sits on the market for months you should consider a price drop… If your horse sells in less than 24 hrs maybe you could have asked more. However at the end of the day- if the goal is to move the horse in a timely fashion- the 24 hr sales can feel quite perfect when you need them!! 
We insure ALL our personal horses- so I refer to how insurance will allow me to value a horse to help owners come up with a fair market value whether the horse is a weanling, yearling, 2 yr old, 3 yr old or a finished show horse.
When our babies hit the ground insurance allows for us to insure for 3 times the stud fee PLUS some more considering the mama’s earnings. This is the value our prospect will sit at until training. Insurance allows for you to use just HALF of your training costs to add to value- because let’s be real…
YOU DO NOT GET TO ADD BOARD, HAY, GRAIN, BEDDING AND BASIC CARE COSTS TO THE VALUE OF YOUR HORSE!! They all have to be fed and cared for- vaccinated, wormed, farrier work… Putting fuel in your car and changing its oil- does NOT add to your car’s value!!! I’m sorry folks but you just don’t get to add this to the value of your horse. Training and adding to the horse’s skill set however, DOES add value. Show winnings- ADDS VALUE!
So as you go through the 2 and 3 yr old year the value can go up!!! But there are many factors to consider on each individual besides training.
Level of ability- although they have not reached their potential- it’s fairly obvious- at least to your trainer the talent level your horse possesses fairly early on. Obviously the more talent- the more your horse CAN be worth.
Willingness to learn and work ethic- talent is great but more importantly a mind that says YES! This is worth its weight in gold. On the other hand the tougher horses narrow the market to be sold to- limiting value in the midst of the training process.
Soundness issues- we xray all horses before starting them here and STRONGLY encourage all owners to do so. Hopefully yours xrayed clean at the start, because imperfections on xray affect all future sales. I tell owners to put themselves in the buyers shoes on this topic. What would you be willing to pay for a horse with whatever particular issue yours has? If you have a horse that developed a chronic soundness issue in the middle of training this definitely can hit your fair market value hard as well. This is why we push the spa and other proactive and preventative measures.
Does the horse have vices? Not everyone wants a cribber- so this shrinks your pool of buyers. Not everyone will tolerate different quirks- again put yourself in the buyers shoes!
When horses get to showing- it becomes much easier to value said horse. When one wins their first futurity- or even later in life jumps out there and marks a big score. It’s fairly easy then to classify them in a price range. The hardest part is pricing the prospect in the middle of the process!
Is the horse easy to ride and show? In my experience this horse could work for sooooooo many it’s just a matter of time before someone approaches you to buy your horse!!!
And like they say- SELL WHEN THE BUYER IS THERE!!! It’s much easier than selling one in an awkward phase- a questionable phase or simply trying to sell one that is not desirable to most.
Happy sales y’all!!!!
