Horse Markets

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S.M

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Was Just wondering if anyone has had any experiences of horse markets whether they attend them regularly , buy or sell horses at them.
But a general question why are horses sent to markets? as there are so many ways to advertise horses now.
Also have markets changed within the last couple of years?
Thanks for your help.
 
This is only my first post as i have only just signed up. I signed up because i am doing an equine studies degree and am looking for help with an assignment. Sorry if you find this suspicious.
 
For once I must agree with pastie......strange 1st post!
But ho hum. Yes I attend markets on a regular basis. Sometimes I buy, sometimes I dont, but I dont sell at markets, as I dont need to, thats not to say I wouldn't.
Quality of horses can vary wildly at any one market. Good horses will always command better prices, while the low end "dregs" might only make a few pounds (assuming it even makes the minimum bid).
Horses can be sent for all manner of reasons from behavioural, to change of financial circs, to purely they just cannot be bothered.....or they buy and sell as a living.
Some markets will break your heart, others will impress, and there will ALWAYS be that one horse or pony you wish you had just bid a little bit more on!
 
thanks. I know it is a strange first post and i would be suspisious as well but everyone has to start somewhere :/ I have gone to a couple of markets in the past few years and it really intrests me seeing the different horses/ ponies which go through. But yes i agree there is always a pony which i wish i could bid some more on. I guess the aim of this post is because i wonder why horses go to markets so thank you for answering that.
 
I don't see why it is a strange post, it is just a post asking a question! We attend regularly, sometimes buy and mostly don't these days. I think many of the horses are the ones that people want rid of quickly, with behavioural or health problems or simply because they want a quick sale and are not too fussed where the animal ends up. Many of these are sold without warranty or in sales rings that don't offer a warranty, by anonymous sellers. There are also the so called studs that seem to breed foals just to bang them all through a sales ring for next to nothing and not the least bit bothered about who buys them, heartbreaking!

Then you have the ones that are on the 'dealer circuit' that just seem to get passed from dealer to dealer all over the country, they are usually poorly turned out and on the thin side, often emaciated from lack of care. I personally cannot understand the ones that have signs on the door saying what fantastic children's ponies, they have been successful in all-sorts of shows or successful hunters and then as thanks they end up in the auction ring.
 
Unfortunately, most horses which are sold at the market have something wrong with them. Although you can be lucky and get a really good bargain.
 
Some of the sales eg Fell Pony sales, New Forest Pony sales are there because that is how the farmers do business with their sheep and cattle so the foals/yearlings are sold to the highest bidder or taken home again.
They cannot be bothered and do not have the time to advertise privately cope with buyers calling in and may live in remote inaccessible farms.
For the buyer the auction mart gives them chance to compare many different animals but they do have to make quick decisions in the bidding.
The Fell Pony Society sales and Shetland PS Sales often have a show before sale and the prize winners tend to draw higher bids in the ring.
 
I've attended a few horse markets and horses are sold for a variety of reasons. The main thing though is that the seller usually wants a quick sale (this could be due to loss of land, loss of finances, or many other reasons). If a horse goes to market with no reserve then the seller is guaranteed a sale that day, whereas advertising a horse privately can mean it being quite some time before a horse is sold.

The horse could also have a problem or vice which may make it difficult or take longer to sell privately or mean that it would fail a vet, whereas at a sale the horses are often sold as seen.

In addition dealers pick up horses at one market, and will put them through another later (even the next day) with a reserve on for what they picked them up originally to make a quick profit.
 
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SJ_Superstars said:
Unfortunately, most horses which are sold at the market have something wrong with them. Although you can be lucky and get a really good bargain.
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Fortunately, SJ, that isn't true.

Many many "markets" have excellent animals coming through..you just need an "eye" to spot them ;)

I agree with some of the comments above.

It is exactly what it says..a MARKET...somewhere to sell horses/ponies..just as car dealers buy and sell cars..no different.

i buy at markets...and i've also sold..but only at warranted Sales..i'm not keen to sell at Markets.

And yes, there is a HUGE difference between the two
 
Iv bought a couple through the sales ( ex racers) which went for 300 each and both turned out to be lovely horses so was happy but I would never sell at the sales. I love my horses to much to put them through that and not know where they are going
 
A lot of people I know sell at markets for a couple of reasons.

1, You are guaranteed to get your money, no false notes or rubber cheques.

2, There are not lots of strangers coming to the yard and having a nose around at what could be removed at a later date.

I have found that selling privately is no guarantee of a good home, horses having passed on within weeks. Now I preffer not to know where they have gone from the start. The best contact kept was ironicly from a pony sold at a market.
 
I've had a mare advertised for a few weeks now. Had a few phone calls from time wasters but thats it. The mare really needs to go so if she hasn't gone in the next week she will be going to market. There is nothing wrong with her, shes no superstar but she is a nice safe fun mare but I can't keep her indefinately, so she has to go.
 
guido16 said:
So what is your assignment on?

Dont find it a particularly strange post, not compared to some of the waffle we get on here.....
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My assignment is set in to different sections. These are:

]discussion on the range of cultural and ethical viewpoints surrounding the welfare of horses at markets and sales
]legislation and Codes of Practice and how the legislations are kept in place and put into use.
]Environmental assessments at markets. which means whether there are any welfare problems which have arised at markets.

I also would be interested to know why people buy from markets? and has the internet had an impact on sales.

Thank you for your help.
 
I dont think this is a strange post at all - what if she wanted to buy a pony from a sale and wanted our opinion.

I do, however, think it is a bit strange to criticise someone for posting quite an interesting question......

Never bought a pony from a sale - sorry, so no input there.
 
Monsters said:
Iv bought a couple through the sales ( ex racers) which went for 300 each and both turned out to be lovely horses so was happy but I would never sell at the sales. I love my horses to much to put them through that and not know where they are going
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I could never ever even think of my two girlies going into a market to Heaven knows who or where..quite frankly I would sooner send them up to the hunt kennels.They are my friends,my responsibility,they are blameless..whatever would any caring home do that for?

As bad as selling your horse live for meat in my opinion.Maybe I`m too sentimental.
 
Have and would buy from markets REASONS - felt sorry for them, am too bl33y soft, hence, we try not to go very often.
 
My friend sent her pony to the sales at the end of Aug, as she had tired all summer to sell it, and not one person had come to look or rung up. It was a nice pony, green, but nice.

I've always avoided sales, being a soft touch, but was surprised how many nice ponies went through when I went for the first time this year. I could have stocked a whole riding school for £1000. There were a lot of sadder cases too, lots of lame skinny hunters going through, that were obviously lovely horses in their day and had been trashed. They went for a couple of hundred too. Would have been interesting to turn them out on good grass for the summer and see what happened.

Ps. I didn't think there was anything wierd about this thread either.
 
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