The writer of this email found our response helpful. Sue suggested that there are probably many others who may fell the same way and might like to read the commentary.
Hi Jeff, No, I haven’t found the next horse for me. I want it all, temperment & athleticness. But, the asking prices are too high for this amateur owner. I own a beautiful place & take extreme care of my horses. However, the price tag for a lower level horse, i.e., 2nd-3rd level, has gone crazy. These prices are the same as for the pro. Dressage may top-out soon if people (Germans included) do not get realistic with their prices.
This is my hobby, however, I wont compromise for quality. You were the only one who checked back with me. I suspect you to be one of the few with integrity.
I’m not spending over $25k, and it had better have the potential for international levels. I want the simple changes properly trained. No older than 10-12 yrs old. Mare or gelding. No history of colic or founder or suspensory injuries. A mind for pressure & no taller than 16.1 or 16.2. I am not big nor strong like an ox!
Thanks for your email. You sound as if your fit the frustrated buyer profile we see from time to time. I do understand how you might feel this way after reading your email. Sue and I have sold and imported dressage horses for 20 years and worked with many, many buyers and more than one happy owner started out where you seem to be.
You are right we operate from the highest level of honesty and integrity.
There are many reasons that horses end up priced as they do. Some are correct and some are idiotic but we work within what is rather than what we wish things should be.
Believe me, I wish I had a magic wand but I easily can’t find a horse with FEI ability and the temperament to tolerate an amateur rider making mistakes, ready for 3rd level with clean correct changes and zero issues under $25K.
I can’t breed, raise and train it using Sue’s 20 years of experience for under 25K and make a profit for our efforts or cover the overhead of the farm even if sold as a 6 year old and we run a very cost efficient operation.
I agree that Dressage may top out soon in America but for a very different reason. People don’t want to pay trainers enough to survive and the quality of training is not good in many cases because in America anyone can call themselves a trainer. The education required to get to where Sue is costs more than a PHD and few people value that knowledge and experience.
As for the German’s; in 2001, I was able to buy a good (not world class) amateur safe horse in the 20K – 30K Euro Range.
I was with the German Oldenburg Inspector, Saturday afternoon here in Virginia and I still can buy a good German trained horse with changes for the same 20K – 30K EUR from about 70 breeders with great reputations in Germany.
The problem is not the Germans, the problem is OUR DEBT. The US dollar is worth a little less than 53 Cents from 2001 levels. Add another $6500 to import and maybe you can see your problem with Germany in a different way. By the way the Germans are already out of the downturn the US caused and sales are at normal levels with other trading partners. They are now selectively importing some of our best horses from US Breeders.
If you are limiting your budget and firm in your criteria for under $25K, you may be looking for a while longer and looking at a lot of junk in the meantime. Using a normal process, you might find 1 in 10 horse suitable to try and then you still have to see if you get along with them so you will probably be trying about 30 horses and vet 2 or maybe 3.
Add to that the time and cost of the search and you are looking at another 5K to 10K in time, travel, expenses and commission or daily rate paid to your trainer if you have one working with you.
How do I know this? I did the same thing for a while looking for horses we could buy and turn for a profit and I couldn’t make the numbers work because of the costs of sorting through junk and I do this for a living.
If you can increase the budget to 30K to $35K and buy through a professional focusing exclusively on sales rather than searching backyards, your odds are much better and I would think we could help you find the right horse in 60 days or less.
Please don’t shoot the messenger even if the truth is not what you would like to hear.