To anyone looking to buy minis today

[Rhondaalaska]

Wow I have never seen mini horses for that price here. The least amount is 1500 for a horse. I got my diva for less because the owner hadn't had her shots and feet done yet and took that cost off the price. She was up to date before then but I bought her before the next appointments. So I had a vet come out to check her out before I bought her and I am happy with it. Her old owner loved her but needed to let her go, we keep in touch so she knows that Little Diva is well cared for, I got her off Craigslist , she is a stocky little thing not like all of yours, yours are beautiful .

people do need to research before they get a mini, and get a vet to check them out before hand. My trainer told me to get a vet even if I did not buy her. I am glad I did, I knew she was sound and healthy that way. People should not say they can get it cheaper some where else when they are looking at your horses. If they want that price then that is the horses they need to buy, just get a vet check first so you know what you are getting , and ask for all records before you buy. Just my thoughts, I am new to the mini world, but I have asked lots of questions of others to help me. I hope to learn something every day and this group is great because I get answers to questions I never thought to ask yet. Just a newbies thoughts , Probaly not very helpful

 

[kay56649]

I bought a very cheap mini ($200) and she was in foal when we bought her to a buckeroo great grandson. I don't care if she looks like dirt (I think her coloring and head is beautiful, there are pictures of her in my gallery, she is a paint), she is the sweetest, most versitle mini out there. She carries small children, drives, lunges, loads, clips, bathes, ground ties, bows, shakes a hoof (only on command though), does showmanship, cross ties, ties...you name it and she can do it and she just turned 5! Her foal is my avatar. Her foal has better confirmation than she does, but I just love them as pets. They are healthy and happy and I love them and that's all that matters. So those out there looking for just a pet, don't spend a fortune on a mini. There are way to many unwanted minis for cheap that are wonderful. Don't get me wrong, there are alot of snotty minis out there with a bad build and sometimes you will get what you pay for, but in this economy, people are just trying to get rid of their minis, so there are alot of cheap good ones out there. My mare isn't registered but my foal's father is. You don't need papers to say you have a nice mini!

Those of you who breed quality minis, they are very beautiful and have papers and are wonderful if you are going to breed and show, I'm just saying that if you just want a pet, you can find one.

 

[kay56649]

I got mine off craigslist too!

 

[Riverrose28]

Thanks Minimom for starting this thread, it has been along time coming! I haven't bred any horses since 2009, and my last foal crop was in 2010. This economy is really bad, I sold two young colts this spring for 350.00 far less then it cost me to bring them into this world. Some just don't realize that a really good proper breeder spends a small fortune bringing these little ones into the world. We have been in the horse business since 1977, and breeding minis since 1999 and have spent a small fortune and never have a made a profit, never! We have breed Champions! I once had a list of costs, just to bring a foal into the world properly and now I can't find it, but, the day the foal is born, a normal delivery is a 260 vet cost just for a well foal check, if there was a dystocia that I corrected and the mare also needed care it could run over a 1000. If the vet needs to be called out it could run into many thousands and you may still lose the mare and foal, but the bills still need to be paid. All of my expectant mares were under camera, and if they were close to foaling I never left the house, that meant that I needed to pay extra for grain delivery, and hubby and I would take turns sleeping so monitors could be checked around the clock. Once born foals need vaccs, worming,taught how to lead, walking and trotting, how to stand cross tied, have their hooves trimmed, to be bathed and clipped, and some have even been shown, and earned Championships before being sold. If you take your foals to auction there is a 200 or 50 consignment fee, a 60 vet call out fee, 36 coggins fee, and a 25 health certificate fee. If you sell on line, you need good photos, so then there is clipping training to stand and stretch, at least two people, it certainly can't be done by just one! Then there is the cost of the stallion, I paid 3500 for mine as a yearling, then spent many thousand more having him shown and promoted, professional photos, etc. Then I paid to promote his get. As a breeder you buy only the best brood mares, you have to educate yourself on pedigrees, then I've shown some. I will say I did buy an unknown mare that was really skinny and brought her back and she is one of my best producers and her pedigree is crap, but her foals are Champions, and I brought her to be Produce of Mare Champion twice and Allstars. So you can buy some for cheap if you know who to buy, but if you want the best you're going to pay for it, unless you are desperate and need to unload. In this economy yes you can find some great deals, believe me as I'm practically giving mine away because of the hay shortage, but I do hate it when someone comes to look at horses and says to me can you bring the price down to 200 like the flipper up the road, and then I have to say well are her horses Champions?

 

[Riverrose28]

Sorry for the second post, but, before you flame me, I have nothing against flippers, and this one is also my friend. She buys at auction really cheap then resells,b ut sadly most of what she buys is even below pet quality. Believe it or not she never has a problem selling, and I really don't know how she does it!

 

[Marty]

This applies to a LOT of breeding farms. I have two friends that each paid THOUSANDS to "reputable breeders" that bought horses so sick it brought down both their farms with sickness for months.