Pricing my QH mare

Question
QUESTION: Hi!  I am hoping to sell my 4 yo registered QH mare in the near future, but I'm not sure how I should price her.  I will be selling her in southern and/or central california.  I had her started for 3 months with a professional cutting trainer.  He said if I had sold her just started at 2 yrs old I could have gotten 10-15000 for her, and if I trained her as a pleasure horse (which i could not afford) and showed her a few times I've heard I could have gotten upwards of 100000 for her.  He says shes the best mover he has ever seen and would make a great pleasure horse. Others have told me that she could go all the way to the top in pleasure.  Her gaits are amazing, perfectly cadenced, even trot, she really gets up under herself in the lope, and her conformation is impeccable.  She is a sorrel mare, i think just over 15hh, and she has some great bloodlines.  I have worked with her under the direction of my trainer up to now.  She is a bit green right now as I didnt have much time to ride her last quarter due to school, but once I or potential buyers work with her she will be fine.  If you think you have any idea as to what she is worth i would really appreciate it! If you need any more info please just let me know.  Thank you!

ANSWER: hi Katelen,
well trainers know best, i live in socal so i know there are some pretty darn good trainers here. if you have her started in cutting and want to switch her then do it now while shes young. if shes doing good in cutting then keep her going in cutting and show her a bit then price her at 20k. that way shes a proven show horse. if the trainer says she will be better as a pleasure horse then find a trainer at the same price as the one you have now. let he be trained in that until shes ready to show. getting her in shows will be the best way to get her out there and notice. so i say as a cutting horse 20k i can give you a number on as a pleasure horse because she hasnt really been trained or shown in it. Good Luck with your decision and training. if you have any other questions let me know.
Amanda Groff

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for your reply, it is so helpful!  I had a couple more questions relating to this.  First off, would I price her at 20k and hope for a bit lower, or above and hope for the full 20k?  Also, I'm not sure I can really afford more training or showing, she was in one IHSA shoe at Cal Poly.  She got two firsts and a third in 3 pleasure classes there.  If I don't take her to any shows due to financial reasons, what would you then reccomend pricing her at?  I don't want to ask too much and get no replies, but I dont want to let her go for a steal or anything.  Thank you!

Answer
hi Katelen,
when selling a horse you always price it for more then what you really want. so pricing the horse at 20k you would expect to get about 17k. finacial problems are a big thing, if you cant afford to keep her in training then put her up for 15 and accept no less then 13k. im having the same problem. i have two horses for sale right now one is a show jumper pony and the other is a roping horse. both very talented but the horse maket is down right now. not many horses are selling. i would price her at 15k.
Amanda Groff