Buying a horse from an auction/sale?

Bossdog

Bossdog

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 August 2006
Messages
739
Location
Central Scotland
Visit site
Just wondering what experiences people have of buying from horse sales and auctions. I'm not looking to buy but saw an ad for Melton mowbray sales and would love to go for a look but I daren't in case there is some lost cause that I just HAVE to take home! What sort of conditions are these animals in, who actually buys and sells at these places and do they really go on meat wagons?

Just curious really, would love to hear any experiences or thoughts!

Jules x
 
Hi
I bought my mare from the WP&C sales in Builth Wells last october and it was a great experience! It was run by Brightwells and was an amazing atmosphere!

The horses were kept in the stables on the Royal Welsh showground so were in good conditions.

Id definately go again!
 
i used to go to the local sales, but had to stop as i got upset and wanted to buy everything.as for buying at sales i think you need to know what your doing and your taking a risk buying at these places,but of cause you could get a nice horse but now i wouldnt.
 
I used to go to Derby sales but tbh dont go too often now, i went once and there was a little bay pony very sweet with the biggest sarcoid ive ever seen on its leg, people were stood looking at it saying ohh knacker man etc, i was so upset i went home before sale started i got home and cried soo much to my hubby, i must have gone on for a bit as in the end he said come on lets go get it, we went back but it had gone, i couldnt find it anywhere, think my oh was relieved!! i was gutted id already decided to call it Toffee!!
 
Don't think you'd end up with anything but a lost cause at Melton
crazy.gif
 
Our best horses and ponies have come from auction. Our worst from private homes.
We bought a fantastic 12.1hh little pony from Melton 3 years ago for my daughter.
He has won 100's of trophies and rosettes. My daughter has now outgrown him. I wish we could stretch him.
You do need to thoroughly look over the horse and ask to see it ridden.
I would never buy privately again.
 
Newark was the worst i have ever attended. It closed when foot and mouth came out. I realy miss it as it was very social. We bought a real star from there. A badly neglected case that turned into a fantastic show pony - champion of champions.
 

Bought mine from Andoversford horse sale about 8/9 years ago now. Best horse I've ever had although she is too much for me at the moment so sister has taken her on. She truly is the most genuine & honest horse I have ever come across. She's a little fizzbomb but on the ground is 110% trustworthy with the tiniest of tots.

I could have sold her 10 times over, the amount of people that have asked is she for sale/let them know if she ever does come up for sale.

I agree with Silver_Florin, auctions can be great but you do need to look the horse over & make sure that it is sane & sound.

The one we ended up with failed to sell in the ring as she went berserk! We had our eye on another one that had failed to sell, spoke to the breeder & ended up with Sunny. Registered NF 3yr old mare (fully broken which led to a back problem we had to have put right & her being turned away & rebroken) for just under £400. I will never part with her & think if you are careful that you can end up with some very good deals from auctions.

ETS - Silver_Florin, not the other quoted name.

 
SILVER FLORIN - is that the same Silver Florin I have seen the sign for over to the west of Lincoln?! I used to drive past every day and always wondered what it was about!!
 
I bought mine from an auction and to be honest I was quite lucky. His description left a lot to the imagination, his terrified face melted me and apart from seeing him under saddle in the ring i had little idea what I was getting.

My tips are: if they have a catalogue go through it thoroughly with someone else with you and decide what you want to look at when you get there. Find out those horses that you marked and take a long look at them and ask the seller questions if they are there with the horse.
Look for glazed eyes to see if they've been doped (it was frequently the case at the sale I went to) check over for lumps and bumps, check over the legs and things.
Check teeth if you can and just make sure the animal presented sounds like its description. Sometimes things were being sold as 3/4 yr olds and were barely 18 months/2 year olds.
Try and not let your heart rule your head. Yes there will doubtless be horses/ponies going to meat men, sadly we can't deny that this happens but you need to be prepared to expect it.
Set a budget and have a contingency if you really really want that horse.
I marked about 12 in the catalogue and went with a very knowledgeable friend who looked over everything with me and we ended up ruling out about 4 so only have 8 potential buys. In the end they all started above my top limit so I never had any of them. BUT, I found a late entry who looked ideal and got him in budget and was flipping lucky really.

Express- Brightwells at Builth Wells is a very good place to look for a quality cob
smile.gif
 
Yes it is the same Silver Florin.
We are quite a new Charity focusing on psychologicly affected horses and ponies.
Most of the horses/ponies you see in the field were to be put down due to them being nutters! They are well balanced lovely sweet natured horses and ponies now. They are allowed to live like horses which does them the world of good.
We are at capacity at the mo and in desperate need of shelters and a paddock hoover as you will have noticed, although they have all wintered well with good rugs and many of them will not go near a shelter.
Due to insurance we cannot have help. We have too many horses to poo pick after now and are desperate for a hoover as you will have seen.
 
We also attend Melton Sales on a welfare basis. If you do see something that concerns you, do report it to the office - they do, do something!
I got a Shetland mare and foal veterinary help eventually after haveing what felt like all the dealers shouting at me. Thats a long story!
 
on a slightly separate note - is there a comprehensive list of horse sales in the UK anywhere? - am interested in going to a few for the experience - and without any cash in my pocket to start with
blush.gif
 
We bought Muley from Ashford market. The catalogue said he was 6 months old! Yeah right, 6 weeks was probably closer to the truth!

He was totally wild and unhandled and tried to suckle everything and anything including geldings!

We were really lucky and had a friend with a Shetland mare who ran milk and wanted to love anything so he wintered with her and was re-weaned in the spring.

Today he is a very fat, hairy, lawnmower who remains my mum's pride and joy. I keep saying I am going to break him to drive but have never got round to it.
 
I've been to Melton market quite a bit!

My first time really annoyed me as you get the usual skanky gypos there racing up and down on ponies/horses and one lad was smacking and being darn right horrible to this horse who reared with him on it! Another time i went i see a big coloured mare skinny also had awful skin and feet with her poor foal i felt awful for her and kept looking at her for ages desperate to buy her i rung my mum to see if i was allowed another horse or two! lol but unfortuantly she sold with her foal for over a £1000 i think more than i could of afforded at the time.

I would buy from melton market as there are some nice looking horses there but i would be very careful what i brought have seen the odd lame one etc!

Im not particually good with telling who are the meat men but when i have gone most the horses seem to sell for over £400 so not exactly meat men money i dont think.
 
The two most important factors to consider when buying any horse. anywhere. is temperament and soundness.
At an auction you have very little time and a poor environment to assess either of these.
Hence the many disasterous purchases from auctions.

Another is issue is sentimentality.

If you are soft touch, your better judgement easily swayed by emotions, keep well away unless you are very rich and want to open your own horse sanctuary.

I would have a paddock full of rescue cases if I went to these sales as I am of the former mentality.

At the very least take an old Irish horse dealer with you, that is really hot on ageing horses by the teeth!
If you buy a young horse, it maybe a wild one but the probability is that it will be sound or sounder than an older horse being sold at an auction. If its young and wild and you are a competent horseman/woman you should be able to bring it on, if that is what you really want to do, for a bargain.
Invariably an older horse (15+) being sold on at auction will have something wrong with it even if it was fabulous in its youth, ie ex show jumper, ex chaser, ex hunter, and will cost you a fortune in vets bills.
If its under twelve and over five and broken to ride then its probably a nutter in some way and the owner is desperate to get rid of it.
Finally don`t believe a word that the seller/owner says ( I am not being prejudiced - but buyer beware!)
And absolutely finally, don't go to an auction unless you are a really competent horseman/woman!
 
I have sold at auction- was a very genuine sale of a nice enough pony, I was just fed up of totally unsuitable people trying her and gradually ruining her.
14.2 9 yr old buzzy dun mare, went for about 1100 I think

There are genuine sellers there. Dont buy something because you feel sorry for it, it generally wont buy you a helthy and sound horse!!
 
I bought my first pony form Derby market in 1994 and he was fantastic! I'm sure it was pure luck but I couldn't ask for a better pony he would do anything and we were in all the local Sj and games teams, we had him for 12 years but unfortunatly lost him to colic, we kept in touch with his old owners all the way through.
I think you take a risk with any you buy fro the sales and I personally would be more inclined to buy a yougster rather than an older hors depending on my circumstances, but then saying that If I were able to buy a horse everytime I went to the sales I would choose the one that looked the most sorry for itself!
 
I can wholly recommend it as that is where we got Mcfly -aka Oakfield George- from Leominster sales in 2006.
We were in two minds to go there or York but Leominster had more possibles that day in the catalogue.
I would suggest you do your homework before you go as that is what we did.
If you have a budget and can get hold of copies of previous sales catalogues and results then do so. Some are available online. York is very good and it is all free information as well. Check to see what the average price is at certain times of the year for the type of horse/pony you are looking for so that you don't get in a bidding war and pay over the odds. There are many sales and many prospective purchases at them so don't let people drive you up in price as people will believe me.( including shill bidding)
Try to look for the dealers/breeders and hunt yard clear outs. If you can spot certain names cropping up in the sales then they are likely to be dealers/breeders.
Also check for horses that went through unsold before turning up at an auction. The day we went we saw one go that had been at the sales in the summer and was unsold and described as cold backed. The description was different at the sales we were at. Whether it had been sorted I don't know but it didn't convince me with its temperament when being trotted up and down outside the pens. I wonder if the buyer or bidders that day were aware it had failed at sale at the same venue only a few months before?
Don't be fooled into buying a cheap thoroughbred type especially an ex racer or one that never made the track. They are usually at the sales for a reason and not always a good one. They may look cheap and the one's we saw only went for about a third of what we paid for our horse ( even less) but unless you have the experience and knowledge of the breed you will be taking on far more than you can handle.
The most important piece of information if you are not a horse expert is to ideally go a sale that has a vetting facility there. Leominster run by Brightwells do offer the service for a fairly small fee ( was around £60-65? I think in late 06).
Also avoid sales if possible that sell mainly unwarranted animals unless you are a dealer, expert or have the training and facilities to deal with problem horses or injuries/ailments.
Try and stick with those that have pre sale catalogues available. I know York and Leominster do for certain.
Download them or order via post and study them.
Know your budget.
Know what you are looking for.
Don't just go for a certain sex, height, colour or age. All that is immaterial if the horse you go home with does not suit your needs but you bought it because you wanted a mare/gelding, it was the right age/height or you liked the colour.
Your choice has to tick all the right boxes unless you have the knowledge or facilities to bring a horse on correctly.
I am saying that because in hindsight although I do not regret buying Mcfly he was probably not the right horse for us at the time due to the time we had, the yard we were at, lack of suitable riders to bring him on and he was the first horse we had ever bought.
Greenness aside were it not for his sweet and kind nature we would not have even thought about buying him at all.
He was one of a few we liked but we were smitten with his looks and his kind eyes and laid back temperament.
Since moving yards with an indoor school ( had no school before) and starting parelli with him he is changing so much and learning fairly quickly and it has only been a matter of a few weeks.
So I guess what I am saying is that if your heart does rule your head slightly is not all bad so long as the horse/pony you have has other good attributes and you have the committment, time and patience to put any work in that needs doing by yourself.
If you cannot agree to that then you need to look for an older-been there and done that type- that is bombproof and is anyone's ride.
They do crop up at sales as we saw a few like that at the sale we were at but they went beyond our budget.
Expect to pay more for those types though and they are more likely to be highly sort after than a just out of the field type or one with vices/problems.
Try to take someone who is knowledgeable about horses with you or at the very least have some notes or information on hand about what confirmation faults or injuries to be aware of.
Inspect the horses thoroughly. At some sales they may take them out of a pen and trot up for you. One lady even offered a ride to my daughter but as she had no hat with her and it was on concrete I declined. So another tip, take a hat with you in case you get a chance to sit aboard before bidding.
Ask loads of questions about the horse/pony.
Don't be afraid. At the end of the day they want to sell the animal so should be happy to reply if you may be a bidder. Try and find out if there is a reserve on it and how much it is. I had no idea about the reserves until we went to the sales. If the animal does not meet the reserve you may be able to agree a sale outside of the ring. But be warned you will not be governed by the rules and regulations of the auction if you do that and will have no come back should something not be right after the sale. So only choose the latter if you truly know what you are doing.
Ask why the animal is for sale. It may say in the catalogue anyway but even so ask the owner or the person at the sales about it. Also get them to elaborate on any details in the description such as good to load, catch etc all the usual stuff.
Familiarise yourself with what terms mean such as green, ready to bring on etc so you know what training/schooling the horse has had before the sales.
If you don't have transport yourself or through a friend then make sure you arrange it. Either hire a box or trailer yourself or ring around some transport companies to give you quotes and allow for that in your budget ( I think it cost us nearly £300 to bring ours home). Some auctions have transporters at the sales ready to accept clients. Find out beforehand who they are and ask for a quote. Only use reputable and licensed transporters.
If the horse is to be insured then try and arrange there and then by the phone after the sale. I know that is what we did even though he was covered for transportation by the insurance of the gentleman who brought him back for us.
Sometimes you may be able to get the seller to transport the animal to you as well. I know there was a mare we were interested in and the lady said she would have driven her to us after the sale. I may sound non trusting now but I would have been in that box with them while my partner drove home. I know that I accompanied the guy who took our horse home.
On a final note make sure to include any VAT or auctioneers premium in your budget and find out what it is before you bid so you don't get any nasty shocks. Also some auctioneers will charge a fee for card transactions ( we paid cash) so bear that in mind too.

Good luck and sorry for the long post
Caz
 
We bought Blue from Ashford market ummm almost 5 years ago now.

He was a baby looking, calm coloured munching on hay that some traveller/gypsy type woman was selling along with a few others.

Blue was £950, and must have just turned 3yo. BARGAIN! He is fantastic now.
grin.gif


I think you need to know what you are looking for when you go to an auction. We were after a young 3/4yo to bring on and sell..... though Blue was a keeper
wink.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top