The price of horses in France
The cost of buying a horse is extremely variable according to : the activity they are bought for, their potential (level), age, experience, parentage, etc…. Auction sales are a good source of information regarding the price of horses. Studies are also conducted by the REFErences network on the market of sports-Leisure horses to give a clearer view of this part of the market.
- What data do we have concerning the price of horses ?
- Race horses : prices stand out for thoroughbred racing
- Saddle breeds : competition horses are the most expensive
- Low prices for pleasure horses
What data do we have concerning the price of horses ?
However, the market of warmblood horses also includes a number of other types of horse (see diagram) : competition horses only represent a third of the horses sold every year, and with regard to show jumpers, 90 % are bought to compete in amateur and club competitions.
Indicators regarding the price of the horses bought for other purposes, where the transactions are mainly by mutual agreement, are nevertheless the object of studies carried out by the REFErences network. Since 2011, surveys of buyers have regularly been carried out via Internet (4000 price indicators are collected every year).
Race horses : prices stand out for thoroughbred racing
Horse auctions for race horses mainly concern yearlings (especially thoroughbreds) and horses in training. The average price for a thoroughbred yearling is around 50 000€ at the sales organised by ARQANA, twice as high as for trotter horses at the same age.
Regarding TB horses in training, although they are older, the price is on average lower (35 000€) than yearlings. In trotting the reverse is true, since a trotter in training (around 18 000€) has already been subject to the rigorous selection of qualification tests.
However the average prices in the ARQANA sales does not take into account the disparity of prices at the less prestigious sales, which is due to the selection of the horses – and therefore the quality of the offer – more or less high quality : in the most prestigious auctions, horses are bought for around 5 times more than in the other auctions.
Saddle breeds : competition horses are the most expensive
Extremely variable prices for competition use
Horse auctions are mainly for 3 year olds (70 % of those sold at auctions). In 2012, they were auctionned off at an average of 9000€, excepting the horses categorized as « elite », for whom the average price is much higher (around 30 000€ for the FENCES sales), this illustrates the stringent selection of the horses up for sale with regard to their breeding and aptitude. However the auction circuit only concerns a small selected percentage of the offer.
The prices noted in the studies on the overall market, show a high range, particularly for saddle horses (see figure), where 2/3 are purchased at a price between 3000 and 15000€. Prices vary according to breeding (unknown parentage, or specific breed), the age of the horse, and the potential or actual level of competition (from less than 5000€ for club level, to 20 000€ or more at professional level). Half the ponies sold are purchased for less than 3000€, as are 70 % of Trotter or TB horses bought for competition purposes.
Modest prices for leisure horse, apart from certain breeds
Average prices noted for horses bought for leisure purposes (instruction, hacking) are much lower than prices for sports horses : they range from 2300€ to 3000€ for a warmblood bred horse (1300€ to 1700€ for a pony), against less than 1800€ for a horse of unknown breeding (less than 900€ for a pony), whereas Trotter horses, the main breed purchased for hacking out, is purchased for 1000€ on average. In this leisure horse sector, a few breeds stand out however, with prices averaging over 5000€ (Lusitanian, PRE, Friesian, Appaloosa, Paint and Quarter horses).
Low prices for pleasure horses
A pleasure horse is purchased with no other purpose than to serve as maintenance for a plot of land and/or to offer the animal a retirement at grass and/or to be a companion to other horses.
This type of horse is often quite old, or no longer suitable to be used under the saddle. Consequently they are purchased for very low prices (on average for less than 700€). These prices are close to the « floor price » which are established by the meat price valuation, the last resort to get rid of an unsold horse, unsuitable for other purposes, or deemed dangerous.
Source of data : surveys regarding the price of horses
The data regarding market prices of horses in the sports-leisure sector come from nominative surveys carried out since 2010, via Internet, with persons having updated their ownership certificate. Around 2000 questionnaires are collected every semester.
The price indicators presented in the chart of the Stats&Charts tool are as follows : average price, minimum price, first quartile Q1 (equivalent to the price below which 25 % of purchases are situated), median price, the 3rd quartile (price above which 25 % of purchases are situated) and maximum price.
The prices presented in the charts are analysed following different variables (depending on the number of answers available) : main purpose the animal is bought for (breding, racing, sports-leisure….), the sports-leisure activity (competition, hacking out…), the animal’s age when purchased, the type of breed (racing, warmblood, pony….) the actual breed of the horse, the discipline and level of competition.
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- Translated from french by : Karen DUFFY Translator
- IFCE - Observatoire Économique et Social du Cheval (OESC)
