Miniature Horse Keeping Questions

[Tess]

Yes, that is what I was thinking.

 

[Tess]

Hi,

For a pet mini what is a reasonable price?

Thanks,

Tess

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Honestly, it depends.

For my guy that was 41", unregistered, but really nice and DEAD broke to drive - I asked $1200 and got a ton of interest - like so much I thought I was asking too little. He was an old soul and seriously 'stupid proof' - a once In a lifetime pony. However he died of a freak unknown medical condition within 2 weeks of listing him - very glad I had only had people look at him and no one had paid for him! By the way he vetted clean too - one lady had a vet check done but was waiting on a Christmas bonus. He died of spinal cancer a week later. He was just 3 yrs old.

It depends on the horse really. I paid $500 for my current pony filly - and I stole her for that. She has had no training whatsoever and is a poophead - but she has out of this world conformation. I show and have experience though. To me, I stole her.

If broke to drive, or with show experience I would say around $800-$1000. However - you cannot put a price on peace of mind and a horse with a good brain is always worth their weight in gold and then some. My old pro of a show horse is one of those - I overpaid for him in the condition I bought him in - but his brain is just so perfect that I wish I could clone it and transplant it into all my horses! His value to me is far higher than anyone would pay.

My advice with horse pricing is this - if it 'feels' too high it prob is - and do not be afraid to walk away. There will be more! Or the seller could change their mind on your offer a day or 2 later and accept after all. Don't be insulting though - I've never got the price down more than 20%. If I had someone offer me only 50% what I was asking, I'd kick them out.

 

[Minimor]

Pet minis come in all prices. Here in this area I would expect to pay $300 to $400; if you move into the $500-$600 range you would have many to choose from; for $800-$1200 you wod find one that you would be happy to show. (actually it would be quite possible to find show quality for less than $800). I don't know what prices are like in your area.

 

[Tess]

Okay for a mini mare that has been shown by a child how much should she cost? Is $1,800 reasonable?

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Define 'shown.' Local 4h? Local fairs? Breed (AMHA/AMHR/PtHA) shows? World shows or congress? And the first question I would ask is why that child isn't showing her anymore! Just because the mini was shown by a kid doesn't mean it went well.

 

[Tess]

AMHA and AMHR shows.

 

[Minimor]

I would say $1800 is high; I would expect very good quality for that price. So, depends what the mare is like. Very competitive when shown, or just shown with little hope of placing? If you want just a pet then you do not need great show quality, though good sound conformation is good to have. I would think you would be able to get your ideal horse for your original price of $1000, unless prices there are extra high.

 

[Tess]

Hi,

If someone was moving to less property and had to sell most of their horses would they lower the price of one of their horses to sell it quicker if they really wanted to move soon?

I plan on trying to lower the price to at least $1,500 because I do not plan on showing or breeding. If they wanted to sell quickly I might get an even lower price.

Thanks,

Tess

 

[chandab]

Meet the horse, if you can, before making an offer; but yes, it's quite possible that they would lower the price if they are moving and want to find a good home in a timely manner. I don't think it's unreasonable to offer 20% less than the asking price; so in the case of an $1800 horse, that would be an offer of $1440 (so perhaps a starting offer of $1400). Others on the group that have purchased and sold more than I have would be able to tell you if that is reasonable.

 

[Kim P]

We were only looking for a pet and paid $250.00 for our Patty and he (gave) us the other two little stallions. He should have given us all of them.

 

[Max's Mom]

The prices will probably be going up now as it is spring, but honestly for a pet mini I think that you could find a nice, calm, pet quality one for a lot less. Their price might be quite reasonable for what is being offered, though. Obviously the price will reflect factors like their success in showing, their level of training, whether they are a good breeding animal, etc. If you don't care about breeding or showing, you may not want to "pay extra" for these things.

Another thing to consider is that many people are careful not to price their horses too low because they want to screen out killer buyers and people who haven't given adequate thought to what they are about to undertake. If you care about your horse, you don't want someone reading the ad and thinking "hey, this one is only $250, so if it doesn't work out, no big deal, and I can just sell it at the auction..." You might find that once you meet the horse and talk with the owner that if you can show that you are a responsible person offering a lifetime home, they might be willing to let the horse go for a lot less than the asking price.

 

[Tess]

Hi,

I need help finding a vet and farrier could you help? As I said before I live in Spokane, Washington. I have been emailing back and forth with the seller of the horse I described. The horse's name is Feona. The seller also has a gelding named Dolphin for sale. I think I like them. She said she would be able to deliver them to us on April 25, 2015. I need to find a vet and farrier soon.

There is a horse training facility nearby should I ask them what vet/farrier they use?

Thanks,

Tess

 

[chandab]

It wouldn't hurt to talk to the training facility near you and see who they use. Be sure to ask the farrier if they are willing to work on minis, some won't cause they don't want to bend over that far to work on them; if not, see if they'll recommend someone that does work on minis. Don't take it personally if the people at the training facility aren't impressed with minis, some just don't get it.

 

[Tess]

Okay Thanks

 

[Tess]

Hi,

Do I need a bridle? I only plan on walking/running with it every day or so. I thought I could just use a halter. If I don't need a bridle what do people use them for?

Thanks,

Tess

 

[chandab]

No bridle necessary, except when driving (or riding, if the kid is small enough, and horse trained well enough).

Halter is fine for all work on the ground.

 

[Tess]

Okay

 

[Tess]

Hi,

I have a Great Pyrenees dog. She is not able to get at the mini's pen. She barks all the time unless I am outside. She barks at night before I go to bed. Will the barking scare the minis?

Thanks,

Tess

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Good question Tess, I have a boxer so I always ask when looking at a horse or mini that they are ok with dogs. She can never get into one of the paddocks where the horses live , but she does bark so I like to ask cause you never know if a mini you are planning to buy has had a bad experience with a dog at some stage, so always good to ask ........................

All my horses are fine with barking