Horses at Sales

H

hollykb

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 July 2009
Messages
125
Location
Romsey, Hampshire
Visit site
Just thinking out loud really.... someone mentioned exeter horse sales so decided to waste sometime and look up a catalogue. Sounds like there were some really nice horses there. Obviously the description may not be 100% accurate but just wondering why you would send a nice horse to sales and take the risk of it ending up anywhere! For example:
LOUGHVIEW SAM Bay gelding. 10 yrs 16.2hh. Irish sport horse. Quiet to box, clip and
shoe. Hacks out alone or in company. Excellent in traffic. Good cross country. Has
hunted. Good paces, 60%+ in only second dressage competition. No vices.
I guess it saves time if you need a quick sale, can't think of any other reason myself. Any ideas anyone? Never been to a sale or know anyone that has so just interested!
 
I think you have to be very careful when you go to sales and remember that the horses there are there for a reason.

Soundness etc can be disguised easily for a day although they generally come with warranty and if they are not as described within the first seven days then they can in theory be returned although I have never heard of anyone doing this!

The odd gems go through but I go quite regularly to watch and pick up the odd one and most of the ones described as "sad sale of this much loved horse" or "selling to cover a livery debt" are from dealers that are there every month!!

I do have a very nice papered welsh cob from a sales though
grin.gif
 
um if your talking exeter a large amount that go through belong to the same person.. under different names.. one to be avoided, i sat and watched them bidding on their own horses at the last sales.

in general, you dont see much quality go through exeter.

kivells are doing auctions in devon/cornwall. there catalouges are normally good, and include pictures etc. well worth a look at the website.
 
If you watch and download the catalogue you can tell which ones are the dealers as they have a few entered, then you have the stud reduction horses normally young horses, then you may have the odd ones that perhaps the owners, as you say need a quick sale, maybe lost a job, grazing there were a couple 2mnts ago very nice horses had been BEF futurity sold for no more than £500 I know this because I know the woman who took them and it was because of a marrage breakdown. You have to know what you looking for and be able to spot the good ones from the bad ones, best to buy one with a waranty them you have a certain time to take them back, the markets deal with this once you inform them of any vice or ailment. But as always buyer beware.
 
Ah ok, dealers in disguise! I don't think I'd ever buy from a sale, too distrusting! But just wondering really, is an area I've never been involved in. Have been to cattle and pig markets and thinking surely they can't be the same?? Exeter is just the catalogue I happened to nosy at as the name came up. I suppose there are bargains to be had if you have a friend who's a vet or something that could tag along!
 
QR I bought a horse from an auction and I guess I got lucky. I would happily buy from one again too. I know of other people on here who have regularly bought from auctions and done ok with what they have come home with.
Sales are not always bad places. Not every horse is there for a reason. Except for one maybe because it needs to be sold. Selling at auction I would imagine is far easier for the seller. They still have rules to abide by though so it is not all buyer beware. There are provisions in place to protect buyers. You just have to be very clear as to what you are buying and try not to go over budget or over/under horse yourself. Selling at an auction is far quicker for the vendor. No adverts to make up ( except for the one in the catalogue, if there is one), no phone calls to answer, people wanting to come and try the horse at your home/yard. Buyers can still try horses out at sales though and at some of the better ones the owners/sellers are there to answer questions you may have. Some sales even have vets on hand to vet the horses after you have agreed to buy as hammer falls. The sale is therefore subject to the vetting being successful. If it fails you decide if you want to go ahead or not.
Not every horse at an auction is there because it is dangerous, or has medical problems, or is an older/younger horse in disguise. Some sales are better than others. As long as you do as much homework before you go and have a fair idea of who the dealers are and can sort the wheat from the chaff then I still stand by what I claim that auctions are a viable place to buy a horse/pony from so long as you have some common sense/knowledge about horses.
For those who lack either though then stick to reputable dealers who can source and sell you a suitable steed for your needs.
 
Ah I didn't know you could try them at the sales, would that include riding if you wanted (if it was being sold as rideable)? I didn't know about the vet bit either. Sounds a lot better organised that I thought, though I don't really know what I thought to be honest! Hence the questions! I don't have the experience to judge what I was looking at, but can see now that if you do you could come home with something nice. And definitely sympathise with all the selling hassle saved, selling mine was a nightmare, flippin joy riders!
 
I don't know about Exeter Holly as the one's I have been to are Beeston and Leominster. Much preferred the latter of the two. Have seen some nice sorts at Beeston though and have seen them being ridden around outside on the car park. Don't know if the owners/sellers let you try them there or not? But at Leominster which is run by Brightwells it is very organised. Lots are in pens outside. On the day I went ( nearly 3 years ago now) there were a lot of people on hand to ask questions of. My daughter was offered to try out more than one horse but as she didn't have a riding hat with her and the pens were on concrete I said no. I didn't know that you were able to try them out you see, or else I would have taken them with me.
I saw a few being ridden by owners though, both trotted up and walking. One lady who was selling a horse that had recently been used as a broodmare and brought back into work even had earlier pictures of when the horse was being ridden and jumped attached to the bars of the pen.
When I went to the sales that day it was a toss up between there and York as both the sales clashed. There were more suitable types in the Leominster catalogue which was why we went there. They also had a tack auction there which I couldn't go to as was busy with the horses ( Beeston does too) as well as stalls outside to purchase horse items from. I was able to buy new rugs for the new horse and the one I already had at home from the sales that day as well. I found it really handy because if you did happen to buy a horse there on the day and there were items that you needed desperately then chances are you could buy them there and then and save time on rushing around the tack shops when you got home.
Brightwells have a website and do have different sales. As they also run bloodstock and racehorse sales too. Beeston used to have a website too, their sales are run by Wright Manley. They take place on a Wednesday. There used to be sale reports available online for free but this has since been removed but they did have paper ones available from the auction office ( or they did when I last went there).
York sales also have a website which is really useful. York sales
You can register by email for free for access to reports etc. Catalogues are available to view online for free and you can download them too. If you sign up you will get an email telling you when the sale is and also when a catalogue has been updated due to late entries too. Sale reports are accessed via the catalogue section. Click on updated catalogue then see section sale reports. I find them interesting to read as it gives you a lot of useful information. Have seen some real bargains on paper going through that sale. Have never been so no idea what these horses actually looked like but some of them went for silly money at the end of last year/beginning of this and I mean silly money like a few hundred for horses that were 16plus and 17hands, not aged and neither were they little ponies.
Good luck if you do go the sales though. I haven't been in a horse sale since I got my lad from there as it is too tempting. If I had the money, space and time I would quite happily have another from an auction.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top