You’re RICH If You Can Afford These 10 Most Expensive Horse Breeds in the World

Horse breeding despite being a limited business alone contributes $101.5 Billion dollars to the US economy. Surprising isn’t it? And when I researched for the most expensive horse in the world 2020, I found some common breeds that they all belonged to. This is the reason why I am dedicating this blog to the most expensive horse breeds in the world.

Crossbreeding opened ways for producing characteristic blends. Blends with more speed, stamina, intellect, and beauty. The more good a breed is, the more price it will fetch. That’s the reason why this industry has such a huge business worldwide.

And by selective breeding, I do not intend to produce half-human centaurs and flying horses. But the breeds of enhanced desirable qualities. From being a man’s greatest companions to fortune makers, horses have truly come a long way.

And having discussed this perennial flow of never-ending scientific knowledge, let me just take you through the list of the most expensive horse breeds in the world.

League of the Most Expensive Horse Breeds In The World 2020

1: Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred is the most expensive horse breed in the world.

Price Range: Fusaichi Pegasus, who was sold for a whopping $70 million, is a thoroughbred with a world record of being the most expensive horse in the world till 2020.

Moreover, Northern Dancer is one of those legendary Thoroughbred sires, whose 174 offsprings had made $160 million in sales in just 22-years. So the price range could be enormous but between multiple million dollars.

Thoroughbreds are one of the most professional horses that are specially designed for hunting, dressage, and jumping. They demand extra care and training to show their highest capabilities. With short back, long neck, chiseled head, and spaced eyes, they look adorable. But despite being sold in millions of dollars, a few thoroughbreds could never prove their worth on tracks.

For example, Green Monkey. Despite having such good bloodlines he could neither become a good horse nor a good breeding sire. But due to their good appearance, they are eagerly bought, especially in its palomino variant.

2: Arabian

Price Range: $1000 to $1,50,000 or more

While Broodmares could cost $30,000 or more, Arabian can also be bought for $1000 or less when used as a trail horse or a pet.

Being one of the oldest existing breeds, Arabian is mostly known for its endurance and intelligence. The breed that had a struggling past of cavalry mount and endurance rides during the late 18th and early 19th century, is today one of the most sought breeds.

It was the US army who bred these horses till the 1940s. But as the time drifted close to 1950, the period of exploitation started. And close to 1986, tax changes and unfair breeding crashed the Arabian horse market. The rates dropped due to which many owners abandoned their purebred Arabians.

But today they are once again popular for their well-shaped face, long neck, and high tail carriage. Their prices are again breaking records for all its variants like chestnut, black, gray, roan, and bay. However, training is a must for an Arabian which takes time during its initial years.

And it’s because of its early training that these horses rule racing tracks and make millions for their owners. But today, around 70 percent of the Arabians in the US are used for recreational purposes only.

From being one of the common horse breeds to a highly popular one, Arabian shows why worthy things can never grow old and exhausted.

3: Friesian

Price Range: $1000 to $100,000

While Friesian breeding horses cost substantially higher, a well-trained show horse can be bought for $40,000 or less.

The Friesian breed started off with high stepping carriage horses, that are now cross-bred with Arabians, Thoroughbreds, and Morgans for imparting race arena compatibility. So you can expect Friesian traits with the stamina and agility of other breeds if you are looking for a crossbred stallion.

Originally from the Friesland arena of the Netherland, Friesian horses are typically black and pretty much ancient. They have served as mounts for the knights which shows their powerful side as well. But these ‘Dutch Trotters’ are also good in agricultural use. They have flowing tails, feathered feet, and expensive hair.

But why is Friesian horsehair so expensive? Because their extracts are used in many hair products which keeps them in demand throughout.

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4: Dutch Warmblood

Price Range: $4000 to several million dollars. Totilas, a dutch warmblood, is one of the most expensive horses in the world (2020). It bagged a price of 21 million dollars.

When this breed came (mid 20th century) only a few breeds were good at dressage and showjumping. But with its involvement in the arena, the show changed completely. Its highly set tail and long neck imparts an appealing personality with its highly proportioned body making it ideal for riding. Interestingly, the more trained a warmblood is the more expensive it will be.

So why are warmbloods so expensive? Because they are professional horses that actively participate in sports and other professional tasks.

They perform exceptionally well on tracks and participate in the Grand Prix Competition and World Equestrian Games. The modern-day warmblood is a blend of the native Dutch breeds and Thoroughbred for improved characteristics.

Bust since its inception is the latest, it’s still in the evolution phase. However, Athletic Sport, Original Gelderland, and Elegant Harness are three dutch warmblood categories that have been identified till now.

5: Selle Francais

Price Range: $15000 to Tens of Millions of Dollars.

One famous Selle Francais named Palloubet d’Halong was sold for $15 million in 2013. Jan Tops, an Olympic Gold Medalist and coach of the Qatar Jumpers Team, bought Palloubet to represent his country in global sports events.

Selle Francais emerged in 1958 primarily as a sport horse good in show jumping eventing, and dressage. They are athletic and are found in two variants namely bay and chestnut. With a broad forehead and straight facial profile, they look powerful and appealing during the sales events. Moreover, they are very friendly and calm, but energetic which accelerates their pace of learning and thus experience.

The accolades and medals in events like the Summer Olympics and World Equestrian Games have very much helped in skyrocketing their prices.

6: Akhal-Teke

Price Range: $5000-$20,000 or more. The average cost however is somewhere around $10,000. These prices vary as per age, health, experience, and pedigree. So the cost is directly proportional to its overall strength and structure.

Absent, a gold medalist in dressage at Summer Olympics 1960, was the most famous stallion of this breed. Apart from winning medals, he also turned out to be an excellent sire.

Akhal-Teke is a rare horse breed. There are just 8,000 of them worldwide, with a thousand only in Ashgabat. Their characteristics vary from being vigilant to highly restless. Akhal-Teke is one breed that prefers to be reserved for its owners and requires extreme gentle care. The metallic-coated (due to hair structure) horses appear highly exclusive and exotic. The only thing common among its colorful variants is a long neck and wide head.

It’s the national emblem of Turkmenistan and has its imprints on stamps and currency. They bear high endurance and stamina and are pretty much popular for that.

7: Andalusian

Price Range: $3000-$65,000. However, a well trained Andalusian will cost you a minimum of $50,000.

Derived from the Sorraia horses, Andalusians belong to the Iberian Peninsula and is one of the oldest known breeds. Their ancient survival evidence is still engraved in the paintings from Spain. It is however believed that Napolean stole these horses and helped in spreading this breed throughout Europe.

What’s distinctive about them is their upright steps during canter and trot practices. These purebred Spanish horses are judged on the basis of their type, conformation, and movement. Apart from the white variant which was previously used for diplomatic events by the Spanish government, it comes in various dramatic appearances that go well with its performance.

Not just horse racing, they have also participated in wars, bullfighting, and stocking cases.

8: Standardbred

Price Range: Average price fluctuates between $500 to $5000.

Maverick, a trotting horse bagged a whopping $1.1 million at an auction in October 2019. That’s the only Standardbred that made millions. So we have a reason why Standardbred is one of the best horse breeds known.

This breed’s bloodlines date back to the late 18th century England but was first developed in North America. They possess exceptional harness-racing capabilities for which they are known worldwide. American Standardbreds are used as sport horses and trots. They beat Thoroughbreds in weight and look great with muscular body profile.

Their powerful shoulders and flack back make it an ideal ride for its riders and thus global racing events. Standardbreds are specially bought for the beginners for being a gentle breed.

9: American Paint Horse

Price Range: $1000 to $35,000.

The highest price an American Paint Horse could bag was $33,000. Its owner Mark Teel from Okholama laid a bid which later proved to be quite worthy for him.

From the 1800s, this breed had acquired several names like pinto, paint, skewbald, and more. But in the 20th century, the official registration of their variants started. Apart from colors, what makes them highly distinctive is their strong, balanced bodies. They are believed to be the descendants of Andalusian and Arabian bloodlines.

And this selective breeding has made them a breed of supreme characteristics. Such traits comprise of speed and agility, but at the same time smart, calm, and friendly. They have high endurance and carry a lot of stamina; which is why they are used for general riding in many sports events.

Coat Patterns identified by the Registry: Tobiano, Tovero, and Overo.

10: Morgan

Price Range: $2500 to $5,000

Morgan is one high-class American breed primarily known for its intelligence and willingness to adapt as an all-rounder. Their temperament is cool which is why they show deep loyalty for their riders/handlers. They have a small stature, arched neck, silverish hair, and a muscular body beyond expressive eyes.

The fact that they were previously used to work in farms and pull buggies shows their versatility. But they are also good for the racing tracks and as cavalry mounts. Many equestrian events host Morgan to compete in sidesaddle competitions and trotting events.

Morgans have won many accolades in Global events which proves that they are not just a beautiful horse breed, but a powerful one as well.

Conclusion

The rates for all breeds depend primarily on their characteristics like strength, stamina, and experience; and secondarily on their appearances. Because nobody would spend millions of dollars just to buy merely a showpiece. There have been cases when horses were bought for millions but their performances were hardly above average.

But as far as this article is concerned, Thoroughbred emerges out to be the most expensive horse breed in the world 2020. Dutch Warmblood and Arabian Horses are both rare and cost almost the same (comparatively). Mustang is also one beautiful horse breed, but not an expensive one. These stats for horses are derived as per data from 2019, 2019, and 2020. So you can totally rely on these most expensive horse breeds in the world data.