The Silk Road Journal · Selling · How to sell your racehorse series
Selling a horse out of training: costs, timing and paperwork (UK, Ireland, France)
The horse has left the yard, or is about to. The training bill has not noticed. Here is what waiting costs, when buyers are looking, and the paperwork in Britain, Ireland and France.
A light-hearted look at the horse world. Faris, Auntie Mariam and the Man Who Knew the Sire are invented. Facts are sourced at the end. Nothing here is financial, legal or veterinary advice, and no horse in this article is for sale.
Selling a horse that is leaving training is mostly about time. Every month costs money: about £50-£60 a day at British yards that publish rates, an average of €1,900 a month in Ireland, and €1,641 a month in France (a 2021 average). Buyers look hardest from late October to early December (autumn and December sales) and through the Gulf winter seasons. In every country the passport goes with the horse and ownership must be transferred: in Britain the buyer updates the passport within 30 days; in Ireland racing ownership is recorded with Horse Racing Ireland; in France the change of owner is declared online to the IFCE.
Faris (invented) has decided his horse is "between careers". The trainer has decided the horse is "between invoices". Auntie Mariam has decided this is the week to sell.
What does it cost to wait?
While the horse stays in training, the training fee runs every day, whether it races or not.
| Country | Main bill (published) | Per month, roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Britain | £60 + VAT a day at one yard that publishes its rate (2026) | About £1,800 + VAT |
| Ireland | €1,900 a month average training fee (HRI, February 2026) | €1,900 |
| France | €1,641 a month average pension (France Galop, quoted 2021: older than 2024) | €1,641 or more today |
Vets, farrier, gallops and entries come on top. Out of training (at livery or at grass) the bill is usually lower, but the horse still eats. Ask for a written quote before the horse moves. Our ownership costs guide has the full budget, line by line.
A horse that waits 3 months for a better price must find that price plus 3 months of bills. Sometimes it does. Auntie Mariam would like it in writing.
When are buyers looking?
The busiest window for horses in training in Europe runs from late October to early December. The Gulf seasons then keep private buyers looking until spring.
- Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training, Newmarket: 26-29 October 2026.
- Goffs Autumn Horses in Training, Ireland: 2-5 November 2026.
- Tattersalls December Breeding Stock Sale: 30 November - 2 December 2026, for fillies and mares with a breeding future.
- Arqana December, Deauville: 5-8 December 2026.
- Online sales (Tattersalls Online, GoffsGo) run through the year, with short entry windows.
- Gulf and Asian buyers buy privately through the winter: the UAE season runs to the Dubai World Cup on 27 March 2027. See our Gulf and Asian buyers guide.
Entries for live sales close weeks before the sale. If you have missed one, a private sale or an online sale is often quicker than waiting for the next catalogue.
Before the horse leaves the yard: 4 checks
- Settle the bills and agree the date the horse moves. Leaving on good terms helps: the trainer is often the first person a buyer calls.
- Read the training agreement. In Britain, clause 22 of the ROA/NTF agreement lets the trainer charge a percentage of the sale price if a rate is written in, whether or not they helped with the sale.
- Collect the records: passport, vaccinations, vet notes, X-rays and recent video. See our vet, X-rays and passport guide.
- Agree who can sign. If 4 partners own the horse, the buyer needs to know all 4 agree.
The Silk Road Letter
Twice a month: the sales worth watching, one buying tip and one real market number (plus the odd catalogue joke). Free with it: our 2026-27 sale calendar (PDF) and a one-page guide to what a racehorse really costs. We email a link to confirm first. Unsubscribe in one click.
Paperwork in Britain
- Passport: the seller gives the passport to the buyer. The buyer contacts the passport-issuing body within 30 days to update the ownership (GOV.UK). For Thoroughbreds that is Weatherbys.
- Microchip: horses born before July 2009 without a microchip need one fitted by a vet; in England you can be fined if a horse is not microchipped.
- Leaving racing for good: the BHA's online retirement process records that a horse has retired and who the new keeper is. The new keeper is then told to transfer ownership within 30 days.
- The racing record: Retraining of Racehorses notes that once racing ownership ends, the Weatherbys ownership record is the one that counts for Defra and the Central Equine Database.
Paperwork in Ireland
- Racing ownership: Horse Racing Ireland keeps an ownership register for horses that are "racing active". When a horse is sold, the seller or trainer tells HRI, through its online RÁS system.
- New owners must be registered owners before the horse can go back into training as racing active.
- The passport is updated separately, through Weatherbys for Thoroughbreds. HRI says its own record is not legal proof of ownership.
Paperwork in France
- Change of owner: declared to the IFCE (the SIRE database). Since 2022 this is done online in most cases; the IFCE listed the online fee as €15 in 2024. The seller signs over the registration document.
- Racing ownership: to race in France, an owner must be approved by France Galop, and a horse's registration documents must be up to date before it can be entered.
Rules change and every case is different. Check with Weatherbys, HRI, the IFCE or France Galop before you sign. French paperwork is excellent once it is finished. Faris is on page 4.
What if the horse's racing days are over?
A filly or mare with a good family may be worth more as a broodmare prospect: the December sales are built for that. A horse moving to a new career in Britain can be listed on Source a Horse, the official site run by Retraining of Racehorses. We sell horses with a racing or breeding future, and we will tell you honestly if your horse belongs on a different path.
Selling a horse out of training? Email us first.
Send "SELL", the horse's name and the country where it is. We check its record, tell you the best window to sell, and introduce it privately to buyers worldwide. Listing is free, and nobody sees your horse without your written OK.
Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com first, from anywhere in the world. Phone +971 52 311 2385 second. WhatsApp as backup.
Our selling terms: listing is free. We charge 5% of the final price (minimum US$5,000) only if the horse sells to a buyer we introduce, including through our website, within 6 months of that introduction. If we are ever paid by both sides, both are told in writing first. Full details: fees and process.
Are you the trainer?
You stay the owner's contact. If the horse sells to a buyer we introduce, you receive 20% of our fee, paid out of our fee and never added to the price, and the owner is told in writing. Terms for trainers.
Buying instead?
We buy for clients wherever they live and race, from the best sales and private sellers all over the world. 5% (min US$5,000), agreed in writing, and you pay the seller directly.
Horse not sold at the Horses in Training sale? Our After-the-Sale Desk replies within 24 hours.
The "How to sell your racehorse" series
- How to sell a racehorse in training: auction, private or agent (the main guide)
- How much is my racehorse worth? (2026 guide)
- Selling a racehorse privately vs at auction
- Selling a racehorse to Gulf and Asian buyers
- Vet, X-rays and passport: what a buyer will ask the seller
- What does a bloodstock agent do? (And what 5% pays for)
The Silk Road Letter
Twice a month: the sales worth watching, one buying tip and one real market number (plus the odd catalogue joke). Free with it: our 2026-27 sale calendar (PDF) and a one-page guide to what a racehorse really costs. We email a link to confirm first. Unsubscribe in one click.
Frequently asked questions
Who keeps the passport when I sell my horse?
The passport goes to the buyer. In Britain the buyer must contact the passport-issuing body (Weatherbys for Thoroughbreds) within 30 days to update the ownership.
How much does it cost to keep a horse in training while I sell it?
About £50-£60 a day plus VAT at British yards that publish rates, an average of €1,900 a month in Ireland (HRI, 2026) and €1,641 a month in France (France Galop, 2021), plus vets, farrier and other extras.
When is the best time to sell a horse out of training?
Late October to early December is the busiest time in Europe (the autumn horses-in-training sales and the December sales). Gulf and Asian buyers keep buying privately through their winter seasons.
How do I change the owner of a racehorse in Ireland?
For racing, the seller or trainer notifies Horse Racing Ireland through its RÁS system, and the new owners must be registered owners. The passport is updated separately through Weatherbys.
How do I change the owner of a horse in France?
The change of owner is declared to the IFCE (SIRE), online in most cases since 2022, and the seller signs over the registration document. To race, the new owner must be approved by France Galop.
Spotted an error? Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com and we will fix it within 48 hours.
Sources
Checked 25 October 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the source before you decide.
- Patrick Owens Racing, cost of owning a racehorse in the UK (£60 + VAT a day, 2026)
- The Irish Field, 18 February 2026 (HRI: average training fee €1,900 a month)
- MoneyVox, 21 August 2021, quoting France Galop (average pension €1,641 a month; older than 2024)
- Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale 2026, key information (26-29 October 2026)
- Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, Irish sales dates 2026 (Goffs Autumn HIT 2-5 November)
- Tattersalls December Breeding Stock Sale 2026 dates
- Arqana December sale dates (Aga Khan Studs sales page)
- WAM, Emirates Racing Authority 2026-27 UAE season (Dubai World Cup 27 March 2027)
- ROA/NTF training agreement and notes, clause 22 (trainer's commission on sale)
- GOV.UK, Horse passports (give the passport when you sell; buyer updates within 30 days; microchips)
- BHA, online process for retiring racehorses (new keeper told to transfer ownership within 30 days)
- Retraining of Racehorses, change of ownership (Weatherbys record, 30 days)
- Horse Racing Ireland, Racing Calendar 16 January 2025 (ownership registration and sales notified through RÁS)
- IFCE, SIRE changes 2024 (change of owner online, €15)
- France Galop, Code des Courses au Galop 2025 (owners approved by France Galop; registration documents kept up to date)
- Retraining of Racehorses, Source a Horse