12/20/2025
Should you breed it? Would you like to keep your foal if it doesn't sell? Do you have a use for him/her?
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1H2E2JCNRb/
💰 Should you sell Weanlings or Yearlings?
Raising and selling Western performance horses is a labor of love, but it’s also a significant financial commitment—especially if you choose to retain them until their yearling year. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to consider for your bottom line:
• Hay/Feed/Supplements: At a minimum, you’re looking at $250/month if they are at home and upwards of $700+ if boarding to ensure your young horse gets the nutrition they need to grow and thrive.
• Risk of Injury or Loss: The year of growth comes with its own set of risks. Injuries can happen, adding unexpected costs and impacting the horse’s value or the unthinkable losing them all together.
• Sales X-Rays: Investing in X-rays to show potential buyers can range from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on how comprehensive they need to be.
• Fitting & Photography: Presenting your yearling professionally is key. Costs for fitting and a professional photographer can range from $1,000 to $5,000. Then there is sale fees, pedigree pages, etc.
• Nominations: For eligible competitions, you’ll need to budget $800 to $2,500 for nomination depending one what programs they are eligible for.
• Farrier Costs: Proper hoof care is essential. Over the course of the year, farrier costs can easily add up to $1,000 or more.
• Radiograph Outcomes: One of the biggest unknowns is whether your horse will X-ray clean. If not, arthroscopic surgery to correct orthopedic issues can range from $2,500 to $10,000, significantly impacting your returns.
Retaining a young horse until their yearling year can add value, but it also comes with substantial costs and risks. Careful planning and budgeting are essential to making sure your investment pays off.
We didn’t even factor in the cost of making said prospect above - more than likely another $3000+ or -. While there are perks to holding one until their yearling year be sure you are confident on potential of return rather than making a small profit selling at a lower price point. That confidence should be in a price jump of $10-12k or more to “break even”.
So ask yourself is that 8-10k weanling worth $20-25k to give you the same profit as a yearling and will the market agree with that number?
At the end of the day your horse is worth what someone will pay. That doesn’t mean what you have invested or how much you THINK they are worth. Reviewing auction results and calculating investments in those prospects is a great way to get a feel for the market and your prospect based on real numbers.
🐴💸
➡️ WzEquine.com
