The price of horses is just sickening

Daughter and I went to an auction yesterday. Well bred, well broke horses were going for $350! There were some draft cross weanlings that went for $35 - if only I had had my trailer and a little extra cash!

There was a little mini paint stud colt that sold for more than a full sized grade horse - $175. Well broke grade horses were going for $200. There were some georgeous grade broodmares that went for <$100 - they were old enough to break and ride if you didn't want to breed them.

OMG!

And the prices will be even lower as the winter goes on and people run out of hay...

The prices in the UK are depressed as well

One could only hope that people would not breed them seeing as they are grade horses and the market sucks.

Its a buyers market. I saw this ad on craigslist and I had to laugh. You can get a reg. qh filly for $100.
2 yr old grade filly for sale

Daughter's husband thinks he can make a mint breeding his fugly stallion to fugly grade mares and selling the babies. Not bloody likely!

Although there were no kill buyers at the sale yesterday, my biggest fear for these poor horses is people buying them because they are so cheap and not being able to take proper care of them - the price of the horse is nothing compared to what it costs to feed/house them! (I'm preaching to the choir, though, I'm thinking...)

one man over here sold over 40 tbs with vaccinations and passports for 20 euro each.

It really depends on what you are breeding for and where you are selling. With reiners the market is still quite strong. It will be interesting to see how the Futurity sales go this year. Last year the average was up quite a bit.

I agree that most of the local auctions and adds are full of cheap horses. Makes me wonder why people keep breeding that type of horse. I have no problems getting my price for my stock.

I went to the auction here, and they had registered QH, TBs, TWH all saling for less than $50 a horse. They were all in great shape also. Also, I have been noticing on craigslist alot that ppl are letting their horses out, so neighbors have been finding horses just roaming around and such. Ppl are saling sooo cheap around here because they say they can't afford to feed them. :( It is very upsetting considering I don't even think the hay here is even expensive. I can't stand ppl that buy horses and don't even think about what the future can hold or they just want to sell them when they are finally bored with them. It really irritates me.

I just bought a really nice cow bred filly that has all reiners and roping horses in her ped, including her sire for only $500 which I thought was awesome. She has such a level head and great personality to boot, I just can't wait to put her into training next year.

It really depends on what market you are looking at. Both of my horses were from the 30k-40k market, and horses in those price ranges are flying around. There was one horse that I really wanted but somebody practically bought it right from under my nose, even the horse had only been for sale for 4 days! I even got my first horse before he was officially for sale, and my second I had to reserve because others were looking at him. I think at the lower ends of the market things are really cheap, but once you get past 25k or so the market is still quite strong.