• Pandemic Peak and Stabilization: Across national and regional auctions (such as the Colorado Horse Sale), horse prices skyrocketed during the pandemic as demand surged. A mediocre lesson horse that might have sold for $8,000 in 2019 jumped to roughly $18,000 by 2021. 
  • Today’s Averages: Prices have corrected slightly from that absolute frenzy, but they have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Safe, trained recreational horses (“good amateur horses”) now consistently command between $15,000 and $22,000. Buyers operating on a historical mindset—expecting a safe, broke horse for $5,000 to $6,000—find that budget only covers animals with major quirks or training gaps.