Has anyone bought from an auction

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Moobli

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Has anyone ever bought from auction? What are the advantages, drawbacks and pitfalls?

Thanks.
 
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12 years ago I brought an underdone rising 4 yo as a project to bring on, that project is happily still with me! He was sold subject to vetting at the sale. A bit of a gamble maybe but I took a couple of very experienced friends with me. Also safety margin in that if he didn't do what advert said in auction catalogue could send him back in 14 days.
 
40 plus years ago I bought a horse from an auction - only problem was I didn't realise he was part of a job lot. I ended up with 1 horse, two ponies and 4 shetlands. Oh the good old days :)
 
Ebenezer_Scrooge said:
12 years ago I bought an underdone rising 4 yo as a project to bring on, that project is happily still with me!
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I did that too, only mine was a green 5yo and he is still with me now at the age of 20 :D

I also went to the sales once to buy horse feed and look for a new wheelbarrow... Came back with feed, a wheelbarrow and another pony :D
 
I've never done it myself. I have thought, from time to time, about possibly picking up companion ponies from auctions. It's a gamble though. It's not like you can have them properly vetted before you bid. Some people have walked away from auctions with "diamonds in the rough," while others have ended up with vet bills up to their eyeballs.
 
VikingSong said:
I've never done it myself. I have thought, from time to time, about possibly picking up companion ponies from auctions. It's a gamble though. It's not like you can have them properly vetted before you bid. Some people have walked away from auctions with "diamonds in the rough," while others have ended up with vet bills up to their eyeballs.
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This - it depends on what you want and the facilities you have available
 
When I was younger, I used to go to the auctions with the Riding School owner - sometimes it was hit and miss and we came home with something nice, something that went lame the next day and something that put one of us on the floor the first time we sat on it! As a 16/17 year old, I could go and ask all the naïve questions of the owners and find out about the horse/pony - if they were available to ride, I would ride and give an opinion. "It's lame" meant buy it, "It's really nice" meant steer clear - we had a good system going!

As an adult, I have bought a couple from auction - but I have known what I was buying - ex-police horses directly from the training school at Kingston. Both turned out to be nice horses and both sold on well - was doing it to earn a little bit of money.
 
I would never spend more than I could afford to lose (ie have PTS if it went wrong). Failing that, why not and what fun!
 
millikins said:
I assumed the OP meant Reading too. I've been to a couple, it's a reputable breeders sale, does seem to be mostly minis though.
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I can't find a catalog, have you seen one?

If anyone is going and planning to bring transport back further north, can you let me know? I really don't want to take a 7.5 ton truck to fetch a 20 inch weanling!
 
ycbm said:
I can't find a catalog, have you seen one?

If anyone is going and planning to bring transport back further north, can you let me know? I really don't want to take a 7.5 ton truck to fetch a 20 inch weanling!
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Oooh what are you buying? I don't think the catalogue's out yet, the website only has sellers entry forms.
 
Moo is from the New Forrest horse sales and she is honestly a dream!! She is worth her weight in gold and is the perfect stocky well built cob that has a to die for temperament :) so glad I was convinced to take her!!

I will say it has taken about a year for her to warm to humans she was so shut down and very much dead behind the eyes, had no real personality, would stand because she felt she had to and very much was emotionally shut down. Now she has spark and cheeky personality :) and likes to give me a run for my money now that I've upped my came riding :)
 
I did by accident! A lovely little spotty came into the ring at York with a smallish child leading him bawling her eyes out. I temporarily lost my mind and when the only other person bidding was the meat man, I started bidding. I bought him for 155 guineas:

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He was 2.5yrs old and a colt. I had a bit of an unpleasant surprise when I checked him over and found only one testicle. No doubt the reason he was there in the first place! But I had other colts and lots of land so I ran him on until it dropped a year later. I still clearly remember walking round the horsebox parking in a bit of a daze sorting out his lift home!

He was supposed to be a pony for my niece but she lost interest so he was backed and ridden away and then went on loan until his loaner bought him. Good job really as he made 14hands and she was only a tiny 7yr old. I still keep tabs on him and he has gone on to make an absolutely cracking PC all rounder. He was the most lovely natured pony I have ever owned and I just wish I could have gotten organised enough to meet the little girl who sold him to tell her that he had gone to a lovely home and I would always look after him, sadly I didn't and I never managed to track her down :(

But if anyone recognises him, rest assured that "Dots" got a good home and even now 6yrs later has me as a safety net in case he ever needs it, which I doubt as he is a much in demand superstar :)
 
I've bought twice from auction first time went for a Shetland came back with this ( destined for meat


This was her when I got her at 6 months



And now







And a plain looking standard Shetland with sweet itch turned in to this

 
millikins said:
Oooh what are you buying? I don't think the catalogue's out yet, the website only has sellers entry forms.
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I want a mini as a companion to my two year old one. Anything that's pretty from a weanling upwards, but I want it to go no bigger than 32 inches if possible, I love how tiny my Doodle is :)

I've tried all the rescue places but there's only one in Sussex and one in Aberdeen!
 
We have bought a few from auctions and not had any real disaters. We have bought from the Builth Cob Sales, Fayre Oaks, Clwyd WPCS sale and Hay welsh pony and cob sales.

Some of our real successes Caellyn Chantelle bought as a foal, won a WPCS bronze medal and went on to be the foundation mare of our stud. Thorneyside the Marksman went on to win the Mid Wales class at Lampeter Stallion show amongst numerous other firsts. Tongwynlais Magical Lady bought as a brood mare, dam of Nantwood Solomon section D overall ridden champion RWAS this year.
We have also sold quite a few at the cob sales, some have been exported some have gone on to fantastic careers.
Here are my rules
1. Always be prepared to walk away, there are other horses
2. Always take other people you can trust and get their opinion
3. Read the description carefuuly and understand the conditions of sale, you do have legal protection.
4. Remember when the hammer goes down the buyer is the only person in the room who thinks that the horse is worth that price.
5. Look at what you are seeing.

I love going to auctions, I feel that attending auctions and listening to people has made me a better judge of an animal.
 
Thank you for all the advice and for sharing your own experiences. I loved the photos especially - it looks as though some have had real luck at auctions.

I am considering going to the auction at Thainstone in October if I haven't found a suitable pony closer to home before then. I think ibidder might be a step (into the unknown) too far.
 
The pair of NF stallions I have just driven in heavy traffic through our local town cost 10 and 40 guineas respectively from Beaulieu Road 5 and 7 years ago respectively. Neither has been the slightest bother to look after or bring on, and we've had terrific fun since we first grappled a head-collar onto them as little fluff-balls.

Do it. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing your baby grow up :)
 
Yes, Ascot. Read all the conditions very very carefully, looked at the breeding to rule out popular lines and also ones known to be quirky. Spent a lot of time just in the stable with my final choices to see how they reacted to people, had the horse checked again by the vet there and finally....really treble checked to ensure I could get that amount of money out of my account with no issue on the day! Most exciting/scary and thrilling thing I have ever done. And the most frightening when I first had to get on a completely unknown TB in the school!
 
Yes. It was a Welsh A stud dispersal sale and I went looking for a 3yo filly....and came home with a 10 month old colt!
He was my first youngster, born on the mountain, never been handled.
I actually meant to bid on another colt but lost my nerve, so I was bidding blind because I hadn't had a close look at him!

So fast forward to ten years later, he's taught two little girls to ride, was Camp Champ at his first Pony Club Camp at Somerford this year, and last month he went to my friend on full loan to teach her little boy after he totally lost his confidence on his other pony.

He won the Sect A Yearling Class at NCPS POYS, and won Best Gelding at the National Welsh and Part Bred Champs in hand a couple of years later.

I'm close to tears typing this, it's reminded me how proud I am of my little boy. He'll be with me for life I absolutely love him to bits!!!
 
Aw lovely stories.

OK - so who would also buy unseen? I have bought two unseen ponies and not been disappointed at all - however, I did know a bit about their background before deciding to have them.

If I can't get to the sale, I could bid online ... is that just too risky?
 
While I didn't buy him, my horse Ned was bought from an auction. He ended up costing £600, to outbid a meat man!
He hasn't been easy, but he's certainly taught me a lot!
When he came he was skinny, moth eaten and his back was raw because of an accident in the trailer. He's still got a lot of issues due to how he was treated pre-auction, but he's done so well considering :D

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Yes, bought a connie gelding from Thainstone, the daughter saw him in a pen and fell in love ��.
Next day came out of the stable crippled...a bit of digging and we found out it was because his previous owners had tried to get his 13.3.5 down to 13.2!
He turned into my daughters pony of a lifetime, took her round the Scottish circuit and 3rd in JC/JD champs at Highland show.
Stayed with us till pts a few yrs ago.
 
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