Friesian Horse Price in Australia
A quality Friesian horse in Australia costs somewhere between about $20,000 purchased as a foal and upwards of $80,000, and the honest answer is that most of that range is explained by three things: status in the KFPS studbook, keuring results, and training. We also place a very high emphasis on temperament and type, and on a low coefficient of inbreeding in a purebred horse.
We have put real numbers on this page that we have discovered as we have searched for and purchased horses, in the hope it helps buyers understand how horses are being priced. A buyer who cannot find out what a horse should cost, and what determines its value, is a buyer who gets taken advantage of.
What a purebred Friesian costs
A well-bred young purebred Friesian foal or weanling starts at about $20,000, and a quality mature horse runs upwards of $80,000.
A two year old purebred unbroken filly with excellent bloodlines, but in a lower breeding status in the studbook, was $30,000 in 2025. A five year old purebred mare, started under saddle and ready to breed, can start from $40,000.
More average quality purebreds sell for less than that, sometimes for a quicker sale and sometimes because the foal is not of as high a quality. Being advertised as a Friesian does not automatically mean it is a quality horse with good conformation and temperament.
What a Friesian Warmblood costs
A good quality Friesian Warmblood weanling can start from $10,000 with as low as 25% Friesian bloodline. With a higher Friesian percentage, ongoing training, being ridden under saddle and out doing competition, a Friesian Warmblood can sell for upwards of $30,000.
Price is reflected by the percentage of Friesian, the quality of the mare and the stallion used for breeding, whether the resulting foal shows strong Friesian characteristics, the quality of the ongoing training, and whether the horse is going well under saddle.
What our horses cost
These are our price guides for Friesian Warmblood horses, and they are the range rather than a figure against any one horse. What a horse sells for inside that range depends on its breeding, its conformation and movement, and how much training is already in it.
Unbroken,
50% to 75% Friesian
$16,500
Unbroken,
85% Friesian and above
$19,800
Started and in progressed training
*$25,000+
*depending on the training stage
Breaking in with our preferred horse breaker is $3,500 plus GST, which is $3,850.
We have a Contract of Sale that must be viewed and signed before the deposit is paid, as payment of deposit will indicate acceptance of the terms of the contract.
A deposit of $1,000 holds a horse, the balance of payment can be made as a lump sum or can be set up in a payment plan that results in the balance being paid in full before the horse leaves our property. These terms will be set out in the Contract of Sale.
What moves the price
Price goes up with recognised quality bloodlines and status in the studbook, with keuring results, and with training. A foal sits at the bottom. A weanling to two or three year old with an excellent foundation of training costs more. A horse started under saddle sits above that, and a horse that is out competing sits above that again, because someone has put years of work and a considerable expense, into getting the horse to that level.
Something horse purchasers will not realise is just how much planning, expense, management, feeding and training time it takes to get a live foal on the ground and then get that foal through all of its life stages of training to the point of sale. That can include dealing with the loss of a mare or a foal, or both, and with accidents and the ensuing veterinary care and rehabilitation time for the injured animal. When breeders import mares or stallions to improve their breeding programs they are in fact helping every breeder around the country, because that outstanding animal becomes part of Australia’s gene pool for these horses.
When a considerable dollar value is attached to a quality, well educated horse being advertised for sale, there is always a huge backstory to getting that horse to that age and stage, so a very lucky person can step in and welcome it into their life and continue its education and its story.
Where you see low prices, the price has come down for a quick sale, or the horse is of average to poor quality with average to poor training. That is worth understanding rather than just chasing the cheapest horse.
With the Friesian Warmblood, the Friesian percentage moves the price too. A quality purebred Friesian should cost more than a Friesian Warmblood of the same age and training, and within the Friesian Warmbloods, a higher percentage horse costs more than a lower percentage one.
Why the cheapest horse is
rarely the cheapest horse
Poor conformation and poor temperament affect a horse’s ability to have a long and robust life, and both are likely to be passed on. The saving at the front end can turn into vet bills, a short working life, a horse that is difficult to train or is dangerous, or a horse you cannot sell on.
Poor training of any horse will affect its behaviour and may also put it into the cheaper price category. The horse industry is rife with unscrupulous sellers who will effectively conceal a horse's behaviour on inspection day, only for the purchaser to get it home and find they have a very different horse to the one they initially inspected. This is a terribly unsafe practice, it puts people’s lives at risk and the horse ultimately will suffer as it gets passed down the line, possibly ending up at the doggers.
So much consideration needs to be given when breeding horses. They are not dispensable money making items, they have a whole life to consider.
We breed high-quality mares with correct conformation to the highest-quality stallions we can and we put a solid foundation of training on our young horses to make them safe to handle. We will ask hard questions of purchasers and require them to get hands on with our horses, because the home our young horse goes to, matters a lot.
That is the whole reason our horses are priced as they are. If you are weighing up a cheaper horse, our guide to buying a Friesian sets out exactly what to check before you hand over any money.
Hubie: square stance conformation
Remmie: front leg conformation
Bandit: back leg conformation
Diagram 1: front leg structure
Diagram 2: rear leg structure
YouTube video: assessing conformation
Weanlings, started horses and
broken-in horses
A foal cannot leave until it is weaned and a foal should not be weaned before 6 months of age. A weanling price reflects everything that goes into the horse up to that point, including the extensive groundwork every one of our young horses gets.
If you want a horse kept on with us for more training past weaning, that can be arranged. Feed, farrier costs and any unplanned veterinary expenses for that period are the responsibility of the purchaser. We also offer horsemanship training at an hourly rate, scoped to your skill level and what you want to end up with. Breaking in is done by our preferred horse breaker at $3,500 plus GST.
Registration papers come with the horse, along with a training and nutrition handover so you know exactly what the horse has done and what it has been fed.
What you will spend after you buy
The purchase price is not the whole cost, so plan for the rest of it. Transport is the purchaser’s responsibility once the horse is weaned or ready to travel. If we keep the horse longer for you, farrier work, feed costs and any unplanned veterinary expenses are the purchaser’s responsibility. We will expect you to take out insurance effective from the date of purchase, because boarding and transporting a valuable horse carries risk. Our transport page gives indicative times and costs by state so you can budget that part properly.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Common questions
How much does a purebred Friesian horse cost in Australia?
A well-bred young purebred Friesian foal or weanling in Australia starts at about $20,000, and a quality horse can run upwards of $80,000. A two year old purebred unbroken filly with excellent bloodlines but a lower breeding status in the studbook sold for $30,000 in 2025. A five year old purebred mare that has been judged well at the keuring, is started and going well under saddle and is ready to breed, starts from about $40,000. More average quality purebreds sell for less, sometimes for a quicker sale and sometimes because the foal is not of as high a quality. Being advertised as a Friesian does not automatically mean it is a quality horse.
How much does a Friesian Warmblood cost in Australia?
A good quality Friesian Warmblood weanling can start from about $10,000 with as low as 25% Friesian bloodline. With a higher Friesian percentage, ongoing training, being ridden under saddle and out competing, a Friesian Warmblood can sell upwards of $30,000. Price reflects the percentage of Friesian, the quality of the mare and the stallion used, whether the foal shows strong Friesian characteristics, the quality of the ongoing training, and how the horse is going under saddle.
Why are Friesian horses expensive?
Friesians are expensive in Australia because there are very few of them here, they are a specialty breed, and a quality young Friesian sells for a premium price. The cost of breeding a quality horse is also real: a high-quality mare, a high-quality stallion, veterinary reproduction costs, and the years of feed, farrier work and handling before the horse is old enough to sell, all come at considerable cost to the breeder.
Do Friesian Warmbloods cost less than purebreds?
Yes, a Friesian Warmblood usually costs less than a purebred Friesian of the same age and training, and the price climbs as the Friesian percentage climbs. A higher percentage horse sits above a lower percentage horse of the same age and training.
What makes one Friesian more expensive than another?
Price goes up with recognised quality bloodlines and status in the studbook, with keuring results, and with advanced training. A horse started under saddle costs more than a weanling, and a horse that is competing costs more again. Price goes down for a quick sale, or where the horse is of average to poor quality with average to poor training.
What does a Friesian cost to keep after you buy it?
Budget for transport to get the horse home, farrier work and feed, and insurance, which we expect every buyer to take out effective from the date of purchase. If you leave a young horse with us past weaning for more training, feed, farrier costs and any unplanned veterinary expenses for that period are the purchaser’s responsibility. Optional horsemanship training is available at an hourly rate, and breaking in with our preferred horse breaker is $3,500 plus GST.
