The Most Expensive Horse Breeds In The World
How much would you expect to pay for a good horse? A few thousand maybe? Maybe tens of thousands if it’s a really good horse? Guess again. There are horses that have a value of tens of millions, defying even the wildest expectations. It’s no wonder that jockeys have to go through such rigorous training before they’re allowed to even get on a professional race horse.
But how can a horse possibly be worth tens of millions of dollars? More to the point, which breeds could possibly be so valuable? It turns out that it isn’t technically the animal itself that’s so valuable, but rather the horse’s genetics.
Let’s take a closer look at which horse breeds are the most valuable in the world, and get a better understanding of why they command such absurd prices.
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred is the sort of word that has lost its original meaning. A thoroughbred is, of course, a horse that has been thoroughly bred. To put it another way, it is possible to track a thoroughbred’s genetic legacy for centuries, going back literally as far as the medieval era. Why is this important? Because the genetic line is strictly regulated, limited to the fastest, most energetic race horses.
If you’re wondering just how much a thoroughbred is worth, a horse named Fusaichi Pegasus sold for $70 million. Impressive, but not as much as the globally known British champion, Frankel, that had a value of $100 million.
Arabian
Although not as ridiculously expensive as a thoroughbred, the Arabian breed is beautiful, majestic, and incredibly rare. Many upper-class breeders prefer Arabians over thoroughbreds, not only because Arabians are more elegant, but because they’re better suited for Equestrian sports. Which is to say, thoroughbreds are valued almost exclusively for speed.
To put it another way, if you’ve signed your Arabian to race against a thoroughbred, better start browsing tennis betting odds, because you’re certainly going to lose the race.
A good Arabian breed horse sells for around $100,000. Not thoroughbred prices, but still certainly nothing to sneeze at.
Dutch Warmblood
The Dutch Warmblood is perfect for dressage competitions, giving it immense value in the world of show jumping. The breed, originally from the Netherlands, is now widely available in horse focused countries, with the global population being more than 800,000.
Hence, as far as horse breeds go Warmbloods are considered amongst the more affordable. Even still, there probably aren’t that many that are willing to pay $25,000 for a horse.
Akhal Teke
Although selling for around $100,000 each, the reality is that the Akhal Teke is so valuable only because it’s very rare. While the breed does participate in show jumping and long distance racing, it isn’t exceptional.
But then why does the breed exist at all? It exists because this is the national horse of Turkmenistan. You’ll find the animal on banknotes, stamps, and the Turkmenistan coat of arms. In that regard the animal is very valuable, making it a breeders dream come true.