Following as I’m also curious

This is a big question 😊 I think most players have different ways they price horses for sale, but from my perspective, the biggest variable is what other players are currently looking to buy. This is because different players might prioritise different elements.

Generally speaking, wild horses often sell pretty well. In most instances you could throw them up for auction with a starting bid of 10k and expect at least a few bids on them. However wilds with plain coats may be more difficult to sell.

Genes like flaxen, Manchado and mushroom can also make a horse more valuable, This is the same if a horse is visibly dappled. There are also legacy genes in certain breeds that aren’t available in breeds now (without being graded in). For example roan in Arabians, Sabino in Clydesdales and Silver in Chincos. These also potentially make the horses more valuable.

Next up is training boost, PS, level and BV. A horse with a high training boost (over 15), good PS, good level (say 75+) and 4 or 5 stars would naturally be worth more than an average horse (e.g. with a training boost of 10 or less, lower level and 3 or 4 stars). I also factor in age (I don’t generally buy horses over 10-15, especially if they are less than level 50) and number of foals (I’d be looking for fewer foals). I also try to avoid inbreeding so I prefer horses with shorter lines (some players aren’t fussed by this). I’d consider grade horses and non-campaign crossbreeds less valuable as they can be harder to level up without being able to halter show them.

I don’t consider foundation horses to be worth  more than you buy them for at the foundation store unless you’ve invest a lot of time in training and showing them. Even then I wouldn’t expect them to sell for a high amount.

Breed popularity also impacts sale price. This game has a smaller player base and sometimes there just isn’t much interest in a breed. Other times breeds can have a surge in popularity (like when new art comes out or a crossbreed campaign is finished). The discord server is a good way to see what others are working on / interested in. You can also ask for advice on pricing specific horses until you get more confident.

Perhaps the biggest thing to keep in mind is that you can’t really lose out (in my opinion). Sometimes you sell a horse for more than it’s worth, sometimes less. I think it all balances out in the end ❤️

Definitely everything Pip said. I highly recommend joining the Discord group. You'll meet some of the more active/invested players, and it's great for getting advice. There's different channels for general help/advice, advertisements, horse bragging and some of your more disappointing finds (which can actually be quite helpful for figuring out what's popular vs. what isn't). 

In terms of coats, what might be incredibly popular on one breed (recently sold a silver chinco foal for over 400,000 through an auction) may not be as popular on another (a silver appaloosa probably isn't gonna go for as much unless it's paired with another popular gene, mostly because of how common it is).  Dapples and manchados are some of the most popular among most, if not all breeds.

Wilds tend to have a higher base price, at least in my experience. If you sold the exact same horse, except one was bred by you and the other was a wild - you're likely to get a little more for the wild (obviously that depends on the genes). 

So, just experiment. There's no shame in a horse not selling. What may be overpriced to me may not be to you. It does get less complicated as you progress:)

Thank you both for your insight, it's so incredibly helpful!