Holmfirth Horse Sales

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ruby82

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Has anyone been to Holmfirth horse sales this year? If so how many horses are going through and what types and prices? I live locally and used to go as a youngster it was far too upsetting, I remember buying a pack of polos and just stroking the sad sorry states, still beings a tear to my eye!
 
That's sad to hear, to be honest I didn't think things would of improved much! Do you know what prices they go for these days?
 
I was there about a month ago and whilst still pretty grim I have seen it a lot worse. As usual most of the selling went on in the lorry park with a few youngsters and shetties going through the ring for about 150g and 60g respectively.
 
I'm fairly local to Holmfirth and I usually go in winter to pick up my feed. The state of the horses going through there aren't particularly great as you can expect but you can get some that don't look too bad and as though some effort has been put in. Price wise it depends on the day, the horse and the dealer....there are some rather rough necks round there.

I've had 3 horses from there in the past, my first pony who was an absolute star, my Grandpas ex pacer who's the softest thing alive can do anything with him and finally my horse Meg who unfortunately had a more rough time than the others and has long term effects making her a tad temperamental :/ but we've learnt to live with this...
 
I am local to the sale although I haven't been for several months. Most that pass through the sale are in a poor state but I do think the standard has improved (slightly), I believe they were pulled up on how poor the horses were but I could be wrong. As gonebananas said there are a few that go through that have had a fair amount of effort put into them.
 
I went last weekend.

To be honest, i'd say 80% are in a poor state. Ie, Underweight, poor feet, matted coat.

They're mostly coloured, and the last coupld of times ive been theres been more youngstock than anything.

I get upset going, because of the state, and also because you see the fear in their eyes. You just want to save them all.

The auction isnt bad and the stalls there are good for bargins.
 
Thanks for all your replies, I posted the original topic but then forgot my password couldn't reset it using iPhone so started new account! Anyway the general impression seems it's still not a nice place for us horse lovers to hang out but it may have improved slightly! One day I am definitely going to rescue one from there, I know it would only be lining the dealers pocket but at least that one horse would have a chance at a happier life in a forever home.
Fayefriesian your right you can see the fear in their
eyes!
Gonebananas thankgod your mare now has you - sounds likes she had a rough time!
 
rubydog said:
Thanks for all your replies, I posted the original topic but then forgot my password couldn't reset it using iPhone so started new account! Anyway the general impression seems it's still not a nice place for us horse lovers to hang out but it may have improved slightly! One day I am definitely going to rescue one from there, I know it would only be lining the dealers pocket but at least that one horse would have a chance at a happier life in a forever home.
Fayefriesian your right you can see the fear in their
eyes!
Gonebananas thankgod your mare now has you - sounds likes she had a rough time!
Click to expand...

yes, shes had it rough, still shows now, she's only just accepted my grandpa after 3 years and still isn't keen on him, she won't be caught by anyone else other than me and she still has her moments. its screwed her up in her head. at one point i couldn't get her bridle on :( i don't know what i'm going to do with her now as i've got to go to uni this september (hudds) i'm not moving but i'm entirely sure how much time i'll have along with the others(i also have a youngster i'll be backing soon) the original plan was to sell but with her how she is she could easily scare someone and be passed around which i don't want :S decisions decisions :(:confused:

ETA: if i ever met the people who did whatever they did to her they wouldn't come out in a very good way!
 
You can pick up a bargain there if you know what you are doing.
The last few times that I've been I was pleased to see that there were fewer in-foal mares for sale. A bit of a laugh that they were all 'ready to bring back into work'.
I have seen some very sorry sights, including a group of youngstock who must have had salmonella judging by the smell, but have also seen some decent animals, particularly recently when people are having to get rid of their horses somehow.
I am always wary about buying tack , particularly in the auction, in case it has been stolen but a friend got a treeless bargain at one of the stalls last Autumn and loves it.
 
I sometimes go to have a nosey at the tack, don't hang around for the horses as its pointless, I'd only feel sorry for something and want to buy it, but firstly I've not got the spare cash or time nor do I want to line their pockets and encourage sales and breeding of poorly bred horses in sorry states plus if I see anyone mis handling a horse I won't be able to hold my tongue...so its best I stay well clear!

Having said that we have picked a few up in the past...years ago when my mum used to drag me round, she was a sucker for feeling sorry for them, we have had some lovely ponies from there and it was nice to give them a new start and a good home.

If you think Holfirth is bad, its nothing compared to what Panel Horse sales was like.
 
....and Basil Kenny's was worse than Pannel :eek: There are some decent horses go through Holmfirth, depends on the day, seen some good looking spotteds go through for good money. But as our farrier says you need to know what you are doing.
 
My YO bought two youngsters from Holmfirth a few years ago (she only went to look, honest :p). They weren't in amazing condition - not starving but underweight, with matted coats, long feet and wormy looking bellies - and had been handled very little. Anyway, they've turned out to be regular bargain buys! One of them seems to be a fair bit younger than the other and is taking a while to fill out and mature, but the older one is turning into a stunning young horse and will make a cracking jumping pony/ hunter when he's going well under saddle.
 
The sweetie man doesn't go there now, there used to be a good sweet stall there...a fond memory!
Least you could buy a pack of polos and give the sorry states a moments pleasure.
 
The last couple of times we have been there weren't many there at all, one particular dealer seems to be responsible for the worst ones condition wise. Many don't sell because the bids are so low and many turn up at the next York sale if they do sell. We bought the most amazing pink papered and branded Hanoverian youngster a few years ago, the dealer didn't know what he had, breeding to die for and we got him for nothing really! He will excel at dressage with his floating movement.

Kenzo, I remember Pannal well, as a teenager I grabbed a stick from one of the gypsy lads and showed him how much it would hurt the poor pony he was busy hitting with it. The ponies that went for meat always seemed to get battered with sticks from the ring to the collecting pens and I just lost it with this lad. It was an horrendous sale!
 
hch4971 said:
The last couple of times we have been there weren't many there at all, one particular dealer seems to be responsible for the worst ones condition wise. Many don't sell because the bids are so low and many turn up at the next York sale if they do sell. We bought the most amazing pink papered and branded Hanoverian youngster a few years ago, the dealer didn't know what he had, breeding to die for and we got him for nothing really! He will excel at dressage with his floating movement.
Click to expand...

Was it a huge chestnut?
 
I bought my mare Dolly from Holmfirth and she has been with me now for about 8 yrs. When I lived in Manchester we used to go to Holmfirth quite a lot as it is quite good for tack and equipment.

Like others have said, quite often the horses in there are a sorry state, but you do get the odd rough diamond! Like me with Doll! She was bought as a very thin 14.2 cob mare, R&D - she was very scruffy with about 4 inches of grown out hogged mane and her feet weren't in great shape. She had very obviously had a foal weaned recently too and was quite nervous looking. She never passed through the ring...she was tied to the back of a wagon on about 3 inches of rope so she couldn't move and inch.

the dealer was very dodgy and tried to tell me she had never had sweet-itch (despite the signs). I decided to take a chance on her and bought her for the princely sum of £800! Bargain as she has been a super-star!

I had nearly given up with horses just before I bought Doll and was under a serious confidence crisis (I accept that buying a horse untried from an auction was perhaps not the most advisable thing to do) and Dolly turned me from a nervous wreck to a farily confident rider! We have done all sorts in our 8 yrs together, from showing and distance riding to cross country and Le TREC (which is her major forte!). I love her to bits nad would never sell her.

I have even bred a lovely Welsh D x from her who is now 6yrs old and the apple of my eye! I consider myself to have been very lucky with my Holmfirth hatrack!!!
 
Thanks everyone it was lovely to read your stories about your purschases from Holmfirth horse sales. When I was younger I had a horse on loan and I loved him to pieces anyway the owner decided to sell him and my parents couldn't afford to buy him for me at the time. He was sold on to a lady and I still visited him from time to time, Imagine my shock and sadness when I popped in to see how he was getting on only to be told he had developed navicular and she had taken him to Holmfirth horse sales- I was heartbroken to think that my lovely boy even stood in those pens imagine how scared he must of been, gosh it's about 10 years ago and I have just started crying thinking about it! I hope he found a good home to see out his days - hopefully with some people like you.
 
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