How much does the meat man pay usually?

[maree t]

Just heard that a pony we were interested in buying is going to the next auction. We were quite taken with her but the owner is asking way over what she is actually worth( to us ) at the moment. She is unfit and a bit poor but is a nice sort. We know several people who have known her for a couple of years and she could be bought back to a nice little sort.
OH says no at the moment but what sort of price will she fetch at auction ? she is coloured , 14hh, 11yrs old mare.
We want to have a fair limit but not sure what the meat man would be likely to pay. I would think that people wont be paying top dollar at this time of year.
Auction is in half term. Are we mad ?

 

[CobsGalore]

Just because she is going to auction, doesn't mean the meat man will buy her

 

[Moody-Mare]

Just because she is going to auction, doesn't mean the meat man will buy her

agreed, many horses sold through the ring go onto lovely homes x

 

[Boxers]

I think you need to decide how much you would be happy to pay for her. Go to the auction and bid for her but make sure you stop when you get to your limit. You could get yourself a bargain, or you could lose her to a higher bidder, but that is the chance you take.

If you think you might bid over your limit then get someone else to do it for you and keep away from them while they're bidding.

 

[PandorasJar]

Last one I knew collected by meatman went for £400 odd.

To be quite frank I'd set my upper limit to what she was worth to me regardless of external factors. She may be bought by someone giving her a lovely home.

 

[Polotash]

Agree with other posters, but in answer to your question £300-400 if she is a cob (bear in mind it varies but that should be ball park).

 

[Skyebald]

Not sure where you are but Brightwells run the sale in leominster and have the previous catalogues and sales prices on their website, might give you an idea of what ponies are selling for at auctions

 

[spike123]

at the moment at Ashford market if she is not ridden in the ring then chances are somewhere between about 300 and 900 dependant on the number of people interested in her. Tbh the meat man may pay bottom end of that price range but at the last sale I didn't even notice him there and I have heard that prices are higher here than in Europe hence they aren't buying so many from here to ship over. There is a good possibility one of the travellers may buy her (if from there) as they brought and sold quite a few at the last sale. Ridden she will probably fetch nearer the top end of that price bracket, unridden probably nearer the bottom to middle.

 

[Littlelegs]

If she's going in ridden then assuming she's sound then doesn't sound the type a meatman would bother bidding on. How much depends on the sale that day, & her. If she's ok confirmation wise, sound, etc & has a temperament that means she's still pretty well behaved even at a busy auction, then she will attract sellers. If she's all the above, then she'll attract dealers & people wanting projects. It also depends on if she goes in guaranteed or not. From what you say its hard to say what she'll go through for, could be anything from £300 to £800 at a guess. Although probably closer to the lower end. But if owner is currently asking more than she's worth, then they are likely to put her through with a reasonable reserve, so she may not sell anyway.

 

[HazyXmas]

Why don't you decide what she is worth to you & offer the owner that?

A lot of people would rather have the cash in their hands now & a good home, than the agro of hanging on to her for another three weeks & then taking her to a sale, where, if they've put a reserve on her to protect her from the meat man, she might not sell & they'd have to take her home again.

Given that you know people that have known her, & have seen & liked her, I would have thought that a cash offer of £900 - £1200 would be appropriate.

Good luck, let us know what happens.

 

[Littlelegs]

Ps meant to add that if she's a nice sort, get there early, people do sell in the car park beforehand so if you are intent on buying arrive early & keep an eye out for pre sale offers.

 

[indie999]

I think you need to decide how much you would be happy to pay for her. Go to the auction and bid for her but make sure you stop when you get to your limit. You could get yourself a bargain, or you could lose her to a higher bidder, but that is the chance you take.

If you think you might bid over your limit then get someone else to do it for you and keep away from them while they're bidding.

I agree if you cant buy her at a price you want go to the auction and bid. I was offered an unknown pony just before old boy died and feel really bad as it went for £25. I was too busy worrying about old boy and this pony went to meat man. I do feel bad as do a few others, pony was no good to me but it was a rideable type it probably cost more in fuel to take it to the auction. However I think a caring owner just would not do this unless they want well and truely rid of. I did see very few people looking to buy a riding horse and only saw one go to a riding school I think it went for about £600? The meat men dont pay high prices for horses, they want them cheap.

 

[wench]

As per other posters, just because it's going to an auction means that the "meat man" is going to buy them!!!

I have seen many nice pony's come from the sales, and have not gone into dog food.

 

[Shantara]

I have little knowledge of auctions, but Ned's owner bid against meat man and she got him for £600. I'm not sure how high meat man went, as in...did he offer £500 then she offer £600, or did he offer £599.99 and then she offer £600...I don't know!

 

[Archangel]

What sale is it? Here are the results for York for instance http://www.ylc.co.uk/horses/reports/155/ - 14.1 11 year old skewbald £120gns

They go for more at Ashford though.

What is the owner wanting for the pony pre sale?

 

[Cortez]

Current price is approx 35p per kilo.

 

[maree t]

Sorry if I didnt make myself clear, just trying to decide what the maximum we should decide on and wasnt sure how high others were likely to push it. We have tried a cash offer but was told he wouldnt budge on the price.
I dont think there will be anybody available to ride her there. she is looking fairly rough and a bit poor condition so we will have to wait and see. I believe she is going to ashford in half term so although we really like her we dont NEED her as such so will go just to make sure she either goes to a decent home or home with us.
I wont be letting my daughter do the bidding for sure !!
I will be happy to see her go to a good home but I remember how bad it was last October when the ponies were going for next to nothing. Definitley wont come home with any others though !

 

[kellybee]

In a very similar situation a friend of mine went to the auction and the seller's daughter in law was bidding against her to get the price right up, knowing what she'd offered in cash. The DIL stopped bidding just before my friend hit her limit and she took the pony for the price she'd offered cash. Otherwise she'd have paid a lot less.

If I were you, and you're planning to buy the pony, I'd take a friend to bid for you, give said bidder your upper limit, stand well away from them and keep your fingers crossed.

 

[indie999]

oh good luck I have been once to a horse sales and it was awful but a good experience(it was like something from medieval times). It probably reinforced my view that my animals are my responsibility, its probably worse as you know the animal. I hope it all goes ok. The owner doesnt seem to care much.

 

[brighteyes]

Send someone to bid in case you are recognised and they start running the price up?

 

[angel7]

A dealer friend of mine went to the Cowpers day sale in Cumbria last week.
He said prices were much higher than he expected- 15h unbroken coloured mares 3 and 4 yo's were making £800-1300 and werent anything special.
He couldn't find a single gelding or colt over 14.2h which is odd, as he bought 4 lorry loads last year.
He wondered if people were wising up a bit and getting rid of their fillies instead of breeding them again.

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

around £500 for a horse around here. Less for smaller types

 

[Archangel]

Ashford does go slightly higher so I would say £400 - £600 then. I will be there most probably. I don't need any encouragement to wave a bidding paddle about

 

[JustAnotherNeddy]

From what you've just said, about him not moving on price for a cash offer, it's highly likely that he'll put a reserve on it for the sale anyhow. So even if you and another person end up in a bidding war and the other drops out before you and you think you've got it, it's probable that the seller may just take him back home. Often, (i am a culprit of this myself) a unsold riding pony that is reasonably unwanted you can have a haggle after the sale. We wanted a 13.2 coloured and i was sent in at 15 to haggle with the gypsy man. Long story short, in the ring he said he wouldn't take less than £900, had a good deal of bartering and i managed to drop it to £750, the upper limit of what the family i'd ridden for had budgeted for the day.

That was York in 2008 and nothing went for any less that day apart form a very poor shetland for £70gns. How the market has changed!

 

[maree t]

Thanks , that is a good point, didnt think about him recognising me. It is an acrimonious split and he wont take the pony home , he just wants rid but we are friendly with ex so he wont budge for us.
If he does put her in I might see who else is going and ask for a favour.

 

[Bikerchickone]

Thanks , that is a good point, didnt think about him recognising me. It is an acrimonious split and he wont take the pony home , he just wants rid but we are friendly with ex so he wont budge for us.
If he does put her in I might see who else is going and ask for a favour.

If that's the situation can't you get someone he doesn't know to go and see the pony and offer him your cash price on your behalf? That's got to be better than letting the poor pony go through the sale ring. I'm sure someone would be able to help you.

 

[maree t]

Just in case anybody was wondering , the pony didnt go to the sale and he has agreed that we can have her on loan with a view to buy. My daughter is now going up and riding her regularly and we will be putting a deposit down and paying it off each month. He has agreed to put it all in writing and she will stay where she is until we finish paying for her .
Very pleased as she is a bit special. She hates her photo being taken and will turn away or just pull the most awful faces , it hasnt helped persuade the OH, he said it looks like a cross between a ***** pony and a dairy cow !!!

 

[mandwhy]

Aww that is good news!

 

[Bobbly]

What are they asking for her? Taking into account what it will cost them to transport her to market, the commission cost to the auctioneers and the hassle of taking her at all, is it worth offering the remaining value or similar to the owners pointing all this out to them?

 

[Burmilla]

Mrs Cynic here says get the loan wvtb agreement checked by yr solr before you sign it and/ or put down the deposit! He might just be a devious, unprincipled person who wants to upset hie ex via her friend! Very possibly not . . But 'prepare for the worst, hope for the best', as my old sailing master used to say.