It’s no secret that horses aren’t the cheapest of pets; you can’t just pick one up at your local rescue shelter and take it home to sleep in a makeshift bed you made out of a cardboard box and some old blankets, it’s a big commitment.
But even so, there is some serious cash involved in equestrian sports and here at The Insurance Emporium we love seeing how the other half live, so we had a look and found 5 of the most expensive horses in the world, just in case you find a few spare million pounds down the back of your sofa.
1. JUSTIFY
In 2018 Justify became the most expensive horse ever sold. Born in 2015, he was sold for a mere $500,000 and started racing when he was 3 years old, going on to win the Kentucky Derby.
He was due to be sold for $60 million but that sale came with a caveat that an extra $15 million would be added to the price if he won the Triple Crown, which he did, so he was sold for a whopping $75 million. He has since retired and is currently living his best life on a stud farm in Kentucky.
2. FUSAICHI PEGASUS
This horse held the title of the most expensive horse in history for 20 years until Justify trotted onto the scene. He was sold for $4 million and won the Kentucky Derby in 2000. His racing career was only brief though, and soon after he was retired and sold as a stud for $70 million. He spent the next 20 years in various racehorse breeding facilities around the world until his well-earned retirement in 2020.
3. SHAREEF DANCER
Another thoroughbred, Shareef Dancer was sold in 1983 for $40 million, which at the time was the highest price ever paid for a racehorse. This hefty price tag was partly due to his impressive heritage – his father was the famous sire, Northern Dancer.
He went on to win the 1985 Breeders’ Cup Mile before siring a few successful racehorses himself.
4. THE GREEN MONKEY
When The Green Monkey was sold in 2006 for $16 million, it was the highest price ever paid for a 2-year-old racehorse. He was descended from two other great racehorses – Northern Star and Secretariat – so expectations were high. Sadly his racing career never really got going, and he only raced three times, never coming higher than third.
By the time he retired he’d only earned just over $10,000 and he spent the rest of his life on a stud farm in Florida, until he sadly died at the age of 14 from laminitis.
5. PALLOUBET D’HALONG
The only showjumper on the list, this horse was bought for $15 million in 2013 by showjumping legend, Jan Tops, as a gift for his wife; surely a present that you’re never going to top (or wrap!) This makes him the most expensive showjumping horse ever sold.
He won the Grand Prix of Rome, and the Grand Prix of La Luna in Spain, among other competitions around the world and although he’s a gelding so hasn’t produced any offspring, since the age of 16 he’s made the most of his retirement and still lives with Jan Tops.
WHAT MAKES THESE HORSES SO EXPENSIVE?
This list is dominated by racehorses; they are some of the most expensive horses in the world and this is partly because of their racing potential; if they have either a good pedigree or a successful racing past, they’re more likely to earn a lot of money for their new owner, particularly if they are in great physical condition and still young. They can also produce equally successful offspring of their own, long after their careers have ended, and they can enjoy their retirement while still bringing in huge stud fees.
If you want to read more about horses, take a look at our biggest horse breeds blog and read about some of our favourite gentle giants.
While you don’t need to spend millions on a horse, they are still quite costly to own and one way to manage those costs is to have a look at horse insurance. Our Pick ‘n’ Mix policies help make insurance simple; you start with one standard policy that you can add to from a range of Optional Benefits such as vets fees, and public liability. Visit our website today for more info; whichever policy you choose, you know you’re doing the right thing for your horse, even if they’re not a multi-million-pound racehorse, and that’s the mane thing!
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