How Much Does a Thoroughbred Horse Cost? depends on many factors. Thoroughbred horse, a professional racing horse, has gained popularity in these last few centuries because of some unmatched qualities. These hot-blooded horses are used for racing, show jumping, combined training, polo, fox hunting, dressage because of their speed, Spirit, and agility.
They are tall, slim, and super flexible. Keeping a thoroughbred horse is a little different than the other breeds of horses as they require extra care.
They are expensive to get and their upkeep cost is also pretty high.
How Much Does a Thoroughbred Horse Cost
They belong to the most expensive breed of horses. And it’s very difficult to say how much they “actually” cost as they are professional horses and they are usually sold at auctions. To get you the idea of their buying cost, a 2-year-old thoroughbred horse was sold at an auction conducted back in 2006 for $16000,000.
Since they are pretty expensive, there is a way to have them without paying a full amount of money.
But if you are willing to fully own one, on average, you may have to pay $100,000 to $300,000.
The average upkeep cost of owning a thoroughbred horse
Since thoroughbred horses are professional they upkeep cost is also very high and different for each horse owner. As per a rough estimate, their upkeep cost would be somewhere between $40,000 to $60,000. Yes, you heard it right
This rough idea of cost includes training, medical, and other necessary expenses.
You can even expect it to go up as medical cost is always uncertain.
Training cost
To get them in the race you need to train them. And the trainers are charging almost $34000 a year to train a horse.
Shoe cost
As they participate in the race their shoes are also very pricey. On average you have to keep at least $4800 aside.
Medical cost
Medical cost is as uncertain as training costs. They get injuries more than any other horse and animals. They get sick pretty easily and they need vitamins and minerals to keep going. “Tissue damage” is common among them and it costs $60 per injection. In short, the veterinarian’s visit is not anywhere cheap.
Jockey fee
This is just another unavoidable cost you have to suffer to get it to run the race. Jockeys are charging a minimum of $100 a race in the USA.
Transportation, commission and Legal fee, sales tax, and insurance are necessary to keep a thoroughbred horse. And these costs vary by state. There can be some other changes too but these are the common ones:
Commission Fee
They are usually bought with the help of brokers and they are generally seen charging 5% to 10% of the actual price of the thoroughbred horse.
Sales Tax
States have their own rules of charging sales tax. You can be made to pay a minimum of 10% of the total price.
Legal Fee
As it makes you pay a handsome amount of money people prefer to seal the deal in a professional way. A legal contract is made by the relevant authority and it is signed by both parties. This fee is also paid at the time of buying a thoroughbred horse. It can’t be estimated because it depends on the price and the deal.
Insurance
To get a cover from unforeseen events you need to get the horse insured first. And it’s estimate can only be taken from the insurance provider only.
As thoroughbreds are hard to get people are investing in partial shares to cut down the cost. Actually, It depends on you how much you are willing to pay. An investment of 5% can make you pay $10,000.
Factors that determine the price of a thoroughbred horse
Like all other horses, there are few factors that determine the price of a thoroughbred horse. And they are:
- Age
- Pedigree
- Racing record
- Reputation
- Amount of money the horse has won yet.
- Trained or not trained
Age
Age determines the price of a thoroughbred. Horses that are in the peak age to race are more expensive to get than the babies and older ones.
Pedigree
Pedigree is “the most important” factor that determines the price of thoroughbred horses. Horses with the best genetics are mostly high-priced.
Racing Record
Racing record plays an important role in bringing the price up to and down. Horses that have won more races are definitely costly.
Reputation
A well-reputed horse makes you pay a huge sum of money than the horse with an average reputation.
Prize money it has won yet
Since these horses are bought to participate in the race so their past plays an important role in determining the price.
Trained or not
It is pretty obvious that trained horses are costly as training makes you take out a huge amount of money from your pocket.
Frequently Asked Questions about Thoroughbred horses
What makes Thoroughbred so expensive?
They are expensive because they are professional horses and few factors( age, racing record, pedigree, reputation) make them even more pricey.
Why are thoroughbred horses used for the race?
Not just for the race, they are also used for polo, show jumping, combined training, and fox hunting, etc. It’s because of their unmatched spirit, agility, and speed.
What is the average price of a thoroughbred horse?
It’s difficult to say what exactly the owner is expecting you to pay but on average they can be bought between $100,000 to $300,000. And the upkeep cost is up to $60,000 a year.
Interested to know other horses price?
Conclusion
Thoroughbred horses are professional racing horses and they are pretty expensive. It is difficult to say how much exactly you have to take out of your pocket to get one but they can be bought between $100,000 to $300,000 from the sale. Auction purchased horses are even more expensive. Their upkeep cost is also very high ($45,000 to $60,000). But for these characteristics, it’s pretty low.
