Advice please: Off to the auctions!!

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lcharles

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Well apart from not bringing home every horse with lice, three legs, mange etc that isnt sold and will go to the meat man if i dont bundle it into my lorry, what can i expect from going to the auctions? Its Malvern auction if that helps!

I got my catalogue on Saturday and i have circled all the ones to look at. Was very strict with myself and only circled 18, all over 16.2 and under 8 years old.

When i get there do i register as a buyer to get a number? When and how do you view the horses? Can you touch them, feel their legs etc?

I only went once before and only remember my mum telling me not to put my hand up at any point, so sat there on my hands terrified of accidentally buying a horse at 6 years old haha! x Would hope that they would ignore a 6year old tbh!! x

Any good/bad stories of your purchases?

What sort of price range would a newly broken/unbroken 16.2hh plus with average-good breeding go for? or is it hard to tell?

I wont be too upset if i come back with an empty lorry as it'll be an experience at least! x
 
Check the breeding before bidding
I bought what I thought was a IDxTB. Advertised as king of diamonds line.
Big fairly well built lad. Turns out there is a TB called king of diamonds too!!
I got my money back as he was an ex racer and not advertised as one. Obviously I wasn't the only one who thought that too as lots were bidding at what would have been way too high a price for an ex racer
 
I went last year for the Connemara bit. There wasn't really anything that took my fancy & they went for a lot more than i was expecting! For example, i had a good look at a grey connie gelding, daughter was able to ride it but it hadn't really done anything & quite ordinary but well turned out. It went for £4000!
Another, connie part bred, bay gelding went for £2800. Again, he was very ordinary. We did bid on him but £2500 was our limit.
I do regret not buying a very sweet unbroken dun mare, she was a bargain at £1200.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.
 
I've never been to that auction, but some have facilities where you can see them ridden/possibly try them and you can usually give them a quick check over if the owner is about.

You need to register in advance and last time I went (a few years ago now!) they were auctioned in guineas and there is usually a percentage fee to go to the auctioneers too, so worth remembering.

Personally I'd only buy youngstock up to 3/4 yo, preferably unbroken as I feel it is less risky and I wouldn't buy anything unwarranted either.

I've seen people get great bargains from the auctions, but some disaster stories too, so be careful and good luck!

ETA I also think it's useful going just to watch a few times too, it gives you a feel for what they are going for and to see how things work, it's brilliant for brushing up on your conformation critique too!
 
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If you do get a chance to lay on the old hands, push a thumb firmly down the spine too. I bought a mare recently from Ascot and she had such severe kissing spines I had to have her PTS.

Best of luck!
 
I love auctions for anything. There have been a fare few threads about the horse auctions on this site, one of the most logical bits of advice I have read was to go young, as anything over 5 will have already done a fair bit, particularly in Ireland and may well have been stuck in there due to the related problems of being ridden too young too hard. I think If I was going I would be looking at just backed four year olds.
 
Do they get alot of ex-racers there then? x Do you have to look at the horses in the morning before auctions starts or can you look throughout the day?

Do they bundle the horse into a big circle arena to show it (like when i was 6!) or how does that work? The catalogue mentions 'showing classes', i assume this isnt like a show? Is this where they bundle them in?!

Apparently they have facilities to try the horses and to jump etc, do you just ask the owners if this is ok? Will the owner always be around their horses?
 
Yes DoonRocket, this is what i was thinking but also i am looking for a 3/4 year old to back/bring on anyway. I wouldnt buy a 15 year old from auction personally.

Tend to have the idea that the rubbish, broken horses that cant be sold end up at auction but i guess you also get decent ones that people can't be bothered with hassle of selling?

One horse had a website link in its advert in the catalogue so i looked it up, knew it would be too expensive for me, but wanted an idea of what horses are there, and it was £5,500 on there website and i thought it would be about 5k by its advert so hopefully i got a good idea of prices!
 
lol didnt get that at first, Rhino!

I'll probs end up with something by accident!! lol x

Some adverts are very vague, is this a sign that they don't want to say too much? I understand that they can be sent back as not advertised?

Sooo excited!!
 
Things can end up terribly overpriced in auctions - you only have to look at what some things go for on eBay to see that. It's because there is a range of what people think something is worth and the person with the unrealisticly high idea tends to win - also its easy to get carried away.

That said I know snack all about horse auctions so could be talking pants. :)

Paula
 
In all honesty, my advice would be don't go to buy right now. Go along regularly & develop an eye for buying/horses at sales, & preferably go as a spectator with someone who does regularly buy. However experienced you are, buying from auctions is a set of skills all on its own. There's a million & one pitfalls for someone new to sales, & the dodgy dealers will spot you a mile off. I've had some great bargains from sales, & some lucky gambles. Difference is I was taught by someone who did know their stuff at sales, so when I took a gamble I had my eyes wide open & was prepared for if it hadn't paid off. Also, develop tunnel vision. I know I can't buy everything, so lots of sales stuff leaves me upset. Therefore I've developed the skill of not fully focusing on a horse till I think its a possible sensible buy. That way I spare myself some of the less pleasant sights.
 
mcnaughty said:
If you do get a chance to lay on the old hands, push a thumb firmly down the spine too. I bought a mare recently from Ascot and she had such severe kissing spines I had to have her PTS.

Best of luck!
Click to expand...

How can pressing thumbs on spines diagonse KS???

Only sure fire way of diagnosing this is x-ray. Sorry.
 
wench said:
How can pressing thumbs on spines diagonse KS???

Only sure fire way of diagnosing this is x-ray. Sorry.
Click to expand...

Poster didn't suggest that you could... I think she was suggesting that by giving a spine a thumb test it might give an early indication if there was any pain in the region. If she had done this to the horse with KS then she may have rethought her purchase perhaps?

But then I'm not trying to be picky and just doing some reading between the lines?
 
My advice - take a friend who can pin you to the ground when you want to bid for something totally unsuitable!

I had to be physically restrained at Southall once as they were selling two donkeys, both in apalling condition, they went for £200 the pair. I had three friends holding me down - one even had their hand over my mouth so that I wouldn't shout a bid! LOL!

However, my next foray to Reading Market was better and I came back with a 16.1, 6 year old IDx ex-policehorse - he was fab! But my knees shook the whole time I was bidding, and I am pretty sure I bid against myself at some point - but got him for a good price.

Friends have come back with various things - among them an 8-year old sheltland pony that actually turned out to be 18 months and ungelded, a teeny-weeny puppy that grew into an odd mixture the size of a great dane, some chickens that never laid an egg as they were all cockerals, and a goose that terrorised the whole yard!!

I look forward to seeing what you bring back!
 
I went to this sale last year and there were faciltities to try the horses before the sale. I didn't think the prices were too bad but the little Irish cobby-types did go for good money. There were a lot of TBs and older horses that did not sell. But generally i thought they were pretty good value
 
Aww well i'll try and keep my sensible head on!! We're not allowed donkeys at our yard, could probably keep a couple in my garden though!

I picked up a racing pigeon off the road last week as it must of been hit by a car and was very poorly so i now have a pet pigeon as the owners dont want him back!! :rolleyes: Couldnt just leave him to die, so will really struggle to leave the ones that'll end up at slaughter :( x Have to be logical and someone once said 'it costs the same to keep a bad horse, as it costs to keep a good horse' and this is very true!

Aiming for a 3year old unbroken 16.2 plus so hopefully come back with that!! x
 
In my experience of this sale years ago, all the horses are in good condition- none look like 'rescue cases' like you often see at the less reputable/ unwarranted 'markets'. I'm having a careful trawl of the catalogue to cross out all of the ones not suitable so i'm not even tempted! :-)
 
My only experience of sales is the Ascot Bloodstock when I was roped into leading some horses up for the seller. It was an educational experience and I was sorely tempted to buy something and the fact that we had a lorry with us didn't help! I can see how someone can easily get carried away :)
 
Billie1007 said:
Poster didn't suggest that you could... I think she was suggesting that by giving a spine a thumb test it might give an early indication if there was any pain in the region. If she had done this to the horse with KS then she may have rethought her purchase perhaps?

But then I'm not trying to be picky and just doing some reading between the lines?
Click to expand...

My mare had very bad KS. She was seen by a very good back woman about 5 weeks before she was diagnosed... the back woman didnt pick it up, and the horse showed no signs of pain in the area whatsoever. Therefore "pressing a thumb" on the area would not have given any indication of KS whatsoever!
 
I am afraid I don't know anything about sales, but if you want a nice youngster for a decent price why not go to some breeders who breed for what you want and see what you can get?
 
I have looked booboos, in fact, one that i looked at and really liked is going to be at the auctions but the owner won't sell it before hand! :( x Must be confident it'll fetch a good price so we shall see! x
 
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