| I have made the mistake, more than once, of | | | | worth, when you decide to sell it. Any way |
| buying a horse without having a price range | | | | you look at it, you are going to lose money. |
| in mind. That means how much I plan to pay | | | | For this reason it is very important that you |
| for a horse, as well as how much that horse | | | | figure out the market value of the horse |
| is worth. There are a number of things that | | | | before you buy. |
| determine the value of a horse. They include | | | | |
| age, breeding, training, performance history, | | | | Keep in mind that all horses are different |
| usability, level of soundness, etc... | | | | and the price range you get for a horse is |
| | | | just that, a range. The individual qualities |
| On this point of the purchase, it is | | | | of a horse will be what determines the |
| important that you do your research | | | | ultimate price. This is where YOUR price |
| diligently. Try to find out prices of | | | | range comes into play. You must know the |
| horses in your area with similar breeding, | | | | maximum you are willing to pay regardless of |
| training, performance history, etc... Where | | | | how much you like a horse. |
| horses are priced is not as important as what | | | | |
| buyers are paying. Try to talk to people in | | | | Also, if you are in the market for a horse |
| your area who have recently purchased to see | | | | that children will be riding, you need to |
| if they will give you a range of what they | | | | plan to spend more to get a horse that is |
| paid for their horse. This is a step I have | | | | safe, quiet, and eager to put up with a |
| skipped in the past, and it has come back to | | | | child. I have had horses that visibly prefer |
| haunt me when needing to sell. | | | | a youth rider, almost as if they are |
| | | | protecting the child. We call these horses |
| If you pay too much for a horse, chances are | | | | "babysitters". That type of horse is |
| you will be upside down if you want or need | | | | difficult to find and can be expensive. |
| to sell. This is no different than buying a | | | | Invest in a GOOD HORSE and a GOOD HELMET for |
| car and owing more for the car than it is | | | | your child. |