Buying from Ireland Auctions, Gorsebridge or Cavan

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Prince149

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Hi all :)

I've been looking at buying an ID or ISH for a few weeks now, and just don't seem to ever see anything j fancy over here! I'm not being picky and I don't want some thing for nothing, and I'm in no rush to buy, I currently have a lovely loan horse but I've finally got the go ahead that I can get my own so I'm taking my time! (official first horse that I would call my own!)

So I'm now debating about going over to ireland to the horse auctions, there's a couple in July, August at Cavan and September big sale in gorsebridge.

I used to go over years ago with our yard owner, I mean about 10 years ago and always loved it and a few nice horses always came back for reasonable money.

But has anyone been recently? What's it like now? Standard of horses and prices paid? I'm not going to the monthly sales, just the performance ones and would always get something re vetted and blood tested if I bought. Is there a preference being seen at either inevitable and in your own opinion which one would be better? I'm sort of thinking to try Cavan in July or August (work dependant!) and then Gorsebridge in September if nothing catches my fancy.

Ideally I'd like to go once and I know I can preview the lots online before hand so that would give me a good indication!

Basically any experienced advice would be appreciated!

Thanks :)
 
I was speaking to a goresbridge vet 2 weeks ago as we were going down. I thought I would have the opportunity to have horse home and xrayed I could send him back if anything wrong. Apparently not, once the hammer goes down you have 30 mins to have the horse checked and bloods took on the day. So if anything not showing on the day unless there is something in the blood, you have no right to return. So I would ring goresbridge and confirm this before buying. We went on the 6th feb performance and there was nothing athletic enough with out one thing or another wrong, that suited us. Some lovely cute hobby riding types though. We have been to going for gold sale, standard at this sale completely different very high indeed. We have also bought and sold over the years at cavan and they did have a horse returned to owner for us on vets advice.
 
shugmx said:
I was speaking to a goresbridge vet 2 weeks ago as we were going down. I thought I would have the opportunity to have horse home and xrayed I could send him back if anything wrong. Apparently not, once the hammer goes down you have 30 mins to have the horse checked and bloods took on the day. So if anything not showing on the day unless there is something in the blood, you have no right to return. So I would ring goresbridge and confirm this before buying. We went on the 6th feb performance and there was nothing athletic enough with out one thing or another wrong, that suited us. Some lovely cute hobby riding types though. We have been to going for gold sale, standard at this sale completely different very high indeed. We have also bought and sold over the years at cavan and they did have a horse returned to owner for us on vets advice.
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From what I've read on the conditions of the sale, it does say I need to let the auctioneer know within 30 minutes to have it re vetted and blood tested, but if it fails either I do not have to buy. So I suppose as long as I follow that rule, I should at least have the same peace of mind as buying over here with a vet cert. I just wonder how much that would cost?

Does anyone have any experience of both Cavan and Gorsebridge and have a preference as to which one you prefer?
 
My local tack shop is in Cavan every auction and would be a good contact. Look up Murdock saddlery in carryduff and give Peter a call.

The issue with any auction will be the fact that the horse will be yours and theres is little come back as they're usually sold as seen. If it's a horse for life I would be weary of Irish horses as many can be hunted to the ground which is why many end up in auctions.
 
I've been buying at both sales for nigh on 20 years, and I always prefer Cavan for ridden horses; Goresbridge for 3 year olds, although you can of course get good horses of both types at either sale. I would strongly refute the notion that horses are routinely "hunted to the ground", that's simply not true of the vast majority - horses sold as hunters will of course have been hunting, the average Irish sporthorse type is nowadays prepared for showjumping (and unfortunately little else - the flatwork is often atrocious).
 
Thriller said:
If it's a horse for life I would be weary of Irish horses as many can be hunted to the ground which is why many end up in auctions.
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What do you base this on please? I agree that some of them have been hunted (which IMO is good life experience for them, and I would personally actively want to buy something that has hunted a bit), but it seems to me to be far more likely that horse breeding is an industry and the product ends up at auctions as it is a relatively hassle-free for the vendor to sell
 
I most certainly wouldn't say the majority of horses at the likes of Cavan and Goresbridge have been hunted 'into the ground' - their owners would be trying for the highest price they could, and getting hunting scrapes and scars would lower the price! Maybe cobs and lower value stuff might've hunted quite young, but definitely not the valuable sports horses!
 
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