Cheap Horses for Sale
77Where Not to Go
Those looking for cheap horses for sale in today’s market have a veritable smorgasbord of choices, but should beware of buying from a trainer, even though some do have fairly amenable animals to offer the average buyer. They are often just too good at being able to hide some incredibly sever faults in the equines they have for sale.
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Where to Go
I always recommend going straight to a breeder in your chosen breed, and as a therapeutic Farrier with many years experience in western Washington in extreme lameness, folks tend to listen to my opinion on a new horse. This way, by buying a young horse with few or no problems, you have many options that you don’t have in a trainer’s stables. Some foals are kept only to be inadequate to breed as they mature, or the filly was kept to breed to a said stallion only to have said stallion sold, and now she serves no function in the program through no fault of her own. Many are foals who had a rough start in life. After the breeder has worked incredibly hard to get them going well, they may be more interested in getting a chosen favorite a good home. Breeders also want a better product for their buyer; trainers want your future business, so in the end it is the breeder who has your best interests in mind. Many breeding facilities (such as mine) offer a guarantee on their animals, insuring their replacement should some awful genetic disease should befall your horse, or even simply you two don’t get along.
Buyer Beware
In my program, I breed high quality palomino and buckskin Arabians, and because I never breed color to color, we end up with a 50% non colored product, foals we sell for significantly less than their colored counterparts do, and many are multiple champions themselves. They are phenomenal animals that perform to every stature their siblings do. I really don’t see too many people succeed with many “free” horses. Many are free for reasons other than the ones listed in the newspaper, and a good portion of my $500.00 shoeings come from well meaning people who got in trouble just trying to do a good deed and adopting a mustang from the Bureau of Land Management, or from a local rescue. I work with many rescues, and they are not always extremely intelligent about which horses have a working future and which one’s don’t. Some are so broken they will never heal, and some have been driven to violence by similarly violent humans, so buyers beware.
Remember that it costs just as much to feed a good horse as a poor quality one, and significantly less to shoe a quality animal than a terribly built one.
I'm so sorry to hear that Annette! The horse salesman is the orignal car salesman you have to watch out. My wife, the farrier, goes out with her clients when they go to buy a new horse because one of her clients bought a horse at auction that seemed like a good deal, bought two of the hoofs had been BONDO on because they were so destroyed. That is just horrendous. I personally like to get my horses as foals because then I know no one has had time to screw them up yet.
Great advice! Right now it is a buyers market since demand has shrunk due to the poor economy. I am looking but I am taking my time and looking carefully for just the right pair of horses for my ranch.
Good luck with that Ben! This is what we did right after the tech crash in 2000 - 2001 and picked up our starting breeding program. Real quality horses are still holding up fairly well though, look for someone who paid for a quality horse but is just struggling with the day to day costs. It helps them out and you!
There are lots of hobby farmers/city people that are giving up horses to a good home. It seems that boarding is just too expensive in this economy. We have taken in two horses in the last year because the people couldn't afford to feed or board them. If you don't need a purebred and want a good working/riding horse rather than a show horse this is a win-win situation. The two fillies we took in were just under a year so we were able to start them ourselves.
Totally saying that a person shouldn't buy a horse from a trainer is a bit one-sided. Trainers are great sources for finding good quality horses, you just need to go to one that is recommended and trusted. You many not find your ultimate, picture perfect dream horse but at least you know what you are getting when you buy it. Not all horse people are out to just make a quick buck. I know a lot of trainers that want to see their animals go to someone who is going to treat it well, can handle that particular horse for the particular discipline they want it for and welcome people to do a vet check prior to purchase. If I were to ever sell my horse I would tell the prospective buyers everything I know because I wouldn't want them to be unhappy w/the horse and dump it fast because they are frustrated. My 6 year old Paint gelding has PSSM, arthritis in his hocks, had colic surgery @ age 3, is very, very high energy, etc. I know trainers that would encourage me to disclose all this information because guess what, we actually love our animals and would never want to see anything happen to them after they leave our lives. Even w/all my horses issues, he is still sound, a great performance and trail horse and would make a very nice show horse for the right person. So, just because trainer's may have the ability to cover up things, it is the buyers responsibility to be smart and investigate what they are buying before they hand over the money. Buying a horse from a breeder is not the golden ticket to horse buying sucess.
certainly not, I have dealt with more awful breeders than you could shake a stick at, but they are easy to spot and walk away from. No trainer ever has anything but his pocket book's best intrest at heart, and saying that all trainers are criminals is not true, but they are going to benifit in ways that are, in my opinion, a conflict of intrest. Trainers have the ability to lie about a horse the way a breeder cannot, and since they are usually only pushing one or two at a time, your options are very limited. I almost always have a network of great horses available for those who wish one to puruse, and this keeps the buyer in a great spot, not at the mercy of someone who has one agenda, thiers. I would question whether it was ethical for you to even sell a horse like the one you described above, who would want such an animal?
where can i buy horses?!!!!
Nice Info on Horses for Sale. Thanks for sharing your thought.
look i am really trying to find a horse right now i need help to get a 14hh and over i really need one its important to me,,
Hi Horsegirl,
email me at bspohnholtz@gmail.com
There are plenty of bad trainers out there! No doubt about that, plenty of bad farriers, no doubt about that, heck even plenty of bad parents who put their kids on horses they should never even be allowed close too. To group any one profession as unreliable is unfair in my opinion. I have found in my experience which is rather extensive that building a relationship with someone who understands horses is the first step in finding a reliable source of information. As with any topic in life the world is full of know it alls and we are in demand of some learn it alls!
I want a horse super badly!! Does anyone know where i can buy a horse for dirt cheap? i'm 11 and i would kill for a horse please help!
my daughter is 14 and this will be her first time owning a horse. Am i best buying a filly or a foal as opposed to a gelding?
Hi, I need some websites for cheap but good small stables for a small shetland ponie. Please any ideas? :)
k, There are many stables, but I can't help, since the locations will be random.
diann, if your daughter has a lot of experience, or you have someone nearby who does, you can buy any horse you want. If the horse you buy will spend a lot of time near others, a gelding would be a good choice if you don't want accidental breedings. Geldings also occasionally have better temperament, they are less aggressive.
http://buyhorses.com/ is usually a very reliable site for me. Many breeds. Some breeders and some are just small horse owners needing to find their horses new homes. Some are cheap and some are expensive. Find your own price range, But it is your responsiblity to find out everything about the horse you are interested in buying. Good luck.
please can you advise me where i can buy a cheap horse bigger than 15hh. thanks. xx
I myself havin broke many horses over there yrs have seen to many crooked buyers/trainers tell pl they are gettin a gentle broke horse an have gave the horse tranquilizers just so it will be just like they say. I have a reputation where I am from that the horses is what i say or ya ring it back. When someone comes to pick up a horse i have broke we pull it out of the pen n saddle it n the customer rides it b4 they leave so I can see how they are gettin along, we go on a trail ride. Needless to say I have very happy customers.
Well folks... I have read a lot of nonsense here.
You get what you pay for. CHEAP is cheap for a reason. Those are the horses that will hurt you. Amateurs should never never buy untrained or young horses - period. First horses should be seasoned, schooled, mannered animals that you can learn from.
Locate a knowledgeable TRAINER or INSTRUCTOR - most good ones have credentials now days. Used to be anyone hung a shingle up and said they were trainers... yup... snake oil sellers.
I started handling horses around 12 years old doing whatever I had to for trainers and instructors for lessons. Became full trainer at 18 when I was winning at "A circuit" shows and was being paid. Have produced champion horses and riders at all levels of competition in various disciplines, breeds and color clubs. That includes Plantation Tennessee Walking Horses, American Saddlebreds, Arabians, Quarter Horses, Morgans and Appaloosas. Palomino is NOT a breed but a color as is Buckskin, Paint, Pinto which all can be any mixed breed if they are the right color. Many horses are now able to be registered in two or more registries due to color.
However, NO purebred Arabian is registered as a Palomino, Paint, Pinto or Buckskin. Gray, Chestnut, Bay, Black are registered Arabian colors. Half Arabians can be double registered as Half Arabian and Paint, Palomino, Buckskin, Pinto. Quarter Horses may not be paint or pinto but are Palomino or Buckskin. Most Warmbloods likewise may only be of specific colors for a full breed registry. However, to be used in dressage, hunting /jumping/eventing no breed registry is required so some people are going for all the additional color "chrome" as we call it.
Now ... back to buying the best horse. Always have a vet check for purchase, soundness, age, major problems will show up. Use a purchase contract same as with a car or house or any other large purchase. The cost of the horse purchase is NOT the end cost of the horse. Monthly worming, shoeing or trimming, and daily feed and hay and supplements to keep the animal healthy. Then annual teeth being filed and checked called floating, vaccinations at least annually... I do twice a year in Florida. Law requires Coggins tests for any transport off your property (should be done anyway) even for emergency must be pulled annually. Then you have tack and equipment. Once again... not any old saddle will do. Every breed and discipline has its requirements. Some horses have a wider back and some high withers plus riders size and ability. Horse clothing includes blankets, shipping wraps, turnout sheets for weather in the cold / heat or bug season.
NEVER set a time to see an animal and show up then. Go early and be sure to see the horse in the stall or pasture it is kept in and the animals with it. I even show up days ahead to visit and see what is done in the facility. A top trainer has nothing to hide. A bad sale will follow them and hinder their ability to bring better owners and horses in to train. Bring your instructor or trainer with you to check the horse and ride it first. They can tell if it is drugged or been worked hard to wear it down. I flop around and bang a horse with my legs and hit it all over with my hand from the saddle. I watch it move riderless in pasture and in a round pen. I want to wash it after the ride, weather permitting, to see how it likes water and any tricks it has. I want it loaded for me and I want to load it. Will it go on hot walker, tie, wear blankets, leg wraps.What feed ia the horse on and why. Does the seller have regular vet and worming schedule and who is the vet and farrier? Call them about the horse. Also ask for other clients for referrals. Ask the local feed people about the sellers reputation. Do your homework.
Buying a horse is not like waking onto a car lot and picking a shiny new model with a pretty color. It can kill, injure or cause damage if not handled properly. Buy books, read online from knowledgeable proven trainers.
I managed my own major breeding farm with several stallions and managed stallions for clients. I was trained in AI and did one of the first non vet embryo transfers in Florida .... we think in the US. I foaled 40+ mares annually. All that said... I was kicked in the head in 2006 by a mare I had used in my program for physically and mentally challenged people. I owned her 9 years and know she was kid safe. They climbed over her, rode her, washed and braided her. She fell asleep and didn't care. We pushed and pulled disabled people all over her and then had to drag her to make her take a step. She knew who could not ride, was afraid or was a kid. Yet an adult could use her for team penning and she flew. In one second she kicked me in the head because the stallion owner for her foal's sire walked into the stall. I had checked the foal, placenta, given her shots,had my friends pet the foal... she slept and had no care. The woman walked into the stall behind me and in a split second I was nearly dead.
Think about what you really want from a horse and what you are willing to do to find a good companion. A horse will give you years of service happily if you will take time to find the right one for the job and personality you can enjoy. They are individuals... some easy to handle, some tough, some love people, some care less. All have a long memory of your treatment and fairness. The best will give you their all when asked if you earn their respect fairly and treat them well. I could never be without a horse.
Good horse hunting.... http://www.Amazon.com/books,
http://www.horseridingresources.com/?hop=0, http://www.positivelyriding.com/
I'm looking for a horse but I don't have a lot of moneycan you help me out here?!
Glad to help any way I can. Where do you live, what do want a horse for (trail riding, pet, learn to show?), what kind of facility do you have to keep the horse in, do you have enough money to feed, care for, buy correct equipment, handle emergency costs, and finally what are you looking to spend for a horse? Some people are giving their horses away because they can not afford to feed or keep them. Some lost their farms and have to sell or give their equine friends better homes. Some animal shelters have them available and some horse/pet rescue sites have good horses. They will usually tell you if the horse has vices or issues. Our local shelter is run by a woman whose daughter in law trains horses so they rehab animals to find them homes. Try calling all the animal shelters, horse/pet rescues and most also know others to give you leads for. Be sure you can afford to keep the horse you get or it will be in jeopardy again. Be clear what you want before you jump into the situation. Good Luck - happy horse hunting!
I disagree with this article. My favorite and best horses were the ones we got free. My saddlebred that I have now, (Redd), has been my best friend and companion for a long time now. My first horse, Eeyore, was free and good with people of any age. My quarter horse, Major, Was the most obediant and well-mannered horse I ever had. It is the same case with all my horseback riding buddies. None of these horses had anything wrong with them, they had good health, their owners just weren't able to take care of them anymore. My friends had a VERY expensive arabian shipped from Utah. Within a year, this horse had gone blind in one eye, and had no manners whatsoever.
Well.. I disagree Ihave been looking at horse for the past 6 months. just because they are 'cheap' rarely make them any different. a horse is a horse. I have seen a horse be sold for 10,000 dollars and it was the worst possible horse it bucked, kicked, bit, charged, and was blind even though the ad said it was perfect for beginners and safe.. that horse was put down. But still I have a horse I got for only 400 and she is perfect a 8 year old retired racer throughbred and i got her from a plumber. I also got a minture from a trainer very expensive and I ended up having to completely retrain her. So no matter what the price or where you get it, it still may be the worst horse ever or the best that why you test the horse before buying it.
You bet! You need to try all horses to see how they behave with you. Horses learn bad and good from the people who handle them. A horse that has been well handled from the beginning will seldom go bad unless abused. Price does not dictate quality. Often when people look for cheap and have no clue - they get what no one knowledgeable wants. One of the biggest scams in this economy is that someone can't afford the animal. Sometimes that is true. I will NOT sell or give my horses to someone who can not handle the horse - even when I need to sell. I want the horse to have a good home with compatible owner. I can read what someone writes or listen to them a couple minutes and know exactly what level knowledge they do or do not have. If you have not learned and educated yourself by reading good horsemanship books or associating with good horsemen you don't know enough to understand the difference in a good or well trained horse. Good horsemen and trainers recognize each other instantly from a brief conversation. Happy horse hunting!
annettelennon2 2 years ago
I think you are right but buyer beware, I spent over 17,000 for a nationally named trainer and was purchasing it for a therapy program, I ended up in emergency room with a broken tailbone. The lady who purchased the horse from me sent him to a trainer to retrain his bad habits of spinning and bucking. The trainer Brandi Lyons.