Have you ever bought seriously/successfully at a sales?

Molly'sMama

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Hi,
Just looking through the York sales catalogue after it was bought up in earlier threads and it seems like some of the horses are pretty nice sounding, if you could believe the seller before seeing/without riding?
So, what happens really at an auction and did your horses work out? How was the whole experience?
Thanks x
 
All the time.
Sales are fantastic places to buy Horses/Ponies
Just go with an open mind and if you are a sales virgin, with a friend and you will be surprised what comes through the Ring.

Sales are not, contrary to popular opinion on here, the awful places that is portrayed.
Yes, a few Sales are dire, but even at those there are plenty of Diamonds in the Rough.
Give it a go.......my only advice...DO NOT buy anything you feel sorry for...unless its Aged or to be a field ornament/companion
 
I bought this :

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5093907&l=4fefd923a1&id=606503666

from York Sales just over a year ago. Completely on a whim, I've been loads and loads of times and never bought anything, but something made me buy Dotty! He was 12.2hh ish and 2yr old at the time and is now 3 yr old and a strapping 14hands + and looks like this:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7341466&l=33af2add72&id=606503666

Best thing I ever did! He cost pennies and hes a star. I've sold him once and taken him back and I cant see him going anywhere now. I'm hoping hes going to be my future riding horse, well more accurately pony :D

Its easier to take a risk on something young and unbroken though!
 
We have bought several times at sales & would do it again, this is our latest purchase who we bought back in April, Bluerocks Crystal Diamond an 8yr old Arab mare.

071-1.jpg
 
We bought Donovan at The Builth Wells sales almost a year ago. (cant believe its nearly a year!) He had benn brought in off the mountains 2 weeks before the sales, had very little handling as far as we could gather.
DSC00026.jpg

We do some in hand showing with him, quite successfully at local level, and last week he was backed for the first time.
show.jpg

don-2.jpg


So yes, it can be successful!
 
In 1990 I bought a four year old Arab (in my avatar)cross mare from Hereford (now Leominster) sales. I had her 21 years, she did everything I asked her to and she was/is my horse of a lifetime.
My friend has also bought 2 coloured driving cobs from Leominster who have both proved to be excellent buys.

I would certainly do it if I was looking for another horse.
 
York is actually one of the better sales around here. You can actually try them out in a small area, not brilliant but better than many.

You can also buy them with or without warranty, I'm not sure how long you have but with warranty you can get them vetted.

Steer clear of Holmfirth unless you want to take a chance on a rescue.
 
At York, yes but she was bought out of the ring. Napped like hell and daughter had lost confidence. But a few months later and she was out hunting, just needed a good rider and some schooling.
 
I've been to Reading market a couple of times, and not the finest of sales to say the least with a whole lot of dodgy dealers and gypsys selling some poor ponies. Nonetheless, when I was managing a riding school we went and came back with a 12.2 palamino gelding for £70! He is blind in one eye and can say he was gelded by gypsys using two bricks (!) but he turned out to be a super star of a pony. As long as you have a basic knowledge of health and looking past what the horses look like but what they can become, its an enjoyable experience! However I did want to bring the entire sale lots home with me:rolleyes:
 
Give it a go.......my only advice...DO NOT buy anything you feel sorry for...unless its Aged or to be a field ornament/companion[/QUOTE]

Love it!!
 
I havent but my friend bought an unbroken young horse a few years ago with good Breeding for £800, she backed and rode it for 1 year or so , it was a natural eventer, she took it to a xc clinic with a very famous eventer and came home with an empty trailer and £10,000
 
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