Where do dealers get their horses from?

[dumpling]

I read the post about the lady being able to contact her horses' previous owner to get information about his past.

I've had my boy for 7 1/2 years and I bought him as a 2/3 year old who was bought for a riding school off a dealer. He was totally unsuitable and was sold on to myself.

So as the title says , where do dealers get their horses? Auction? Round up off a hill?!

 

[rockysmum]

The ones I know will buy them from anywhere as long as they are cheap.

He would buy from auctions, travellers, people who pulled up with a wagon in the yard, phone calls from desperate owners etc etc.

He mainly dealt in youngstock but he would buy anything if it was cheap.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Yorkshire dealers seem to get them from Ireland! But from sales I would think, plus people contact them to sell horses etc

 

[joeanne]

Some buy at markets/sales.
Others import.
Then others take part exchange so a horse could literally come from just about anywhere.
"Difficult" horses will often be passed between dealers (swapped in part for something else) and will often be seen at several different sales.
One horse I saw sold at Reading was seen at Exeter a month or so later.
Some dealers will also buy the better animals in holding at abbatoirs.

 

[Irishbabygirl]

I've often thought this about one of mine. The only thing in his passport is "place of birth - Ireland". And I'm sure he's come from a sale of some sort or dealers. Would love to know more!

 

[dumpling]

Interesting! I've had comments that he's probably from Ireland . He is piebald but not heavy, slightly cobby but everyone and myself would agree he's got a bit of welsh in him .

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

Gorsebridge and cavan are popular. Also breeders and sales on the continent. Then anything else has normally come from a part ex

 

[Sparkles]

Depends on the dealer and what they specialise in. If Irish dealers, generally have family or a contact in Ireland where they'll have a constant supply of horses to be sent over.

Ours, 99% of the time, come direct off a good friend/breeder close to us. Never go to sales or pick up 'just anything'.

In time, we have our own mares and colts who when older, will be hopefully used for starting our 'own' line eventually

 

[MrsB]

Depending on the dealer it could be anywhere... Ireland is a favourite, some of them will have hunted considerably at 3yrs! If the passport just says 'Ireland' - it's needle in a haystack to find out any more, tried that with Boris

Southall, Reading, Tilbury docks, anywhere where they won't pay a lot, even off the meat man...

Some of them even get them from established and well known breeders (shock, horror!!), but expect to pay a small fortune for one like that

 

[geegee1959]

I would say a lot of Dealers buy from all source's and pay low prices then try and make a profit,i know a lot of Dealers trade with each other.

 

[rowy]

My girl was imported from Ireland. All it says in her passport is tb x Irish and when I asked for sine info on her past they said they weren't allowed to give out that information. I'm guessing she has raced and she has definitely bred a few goals but when we first got her she was terrified of jumps and poles (except she was ok with xc fences) and new next to nothing in the dressage ring apart from she knew to move side ways away from the leg.
So wish I knew more!

 

[rowy]

Rah stupid predictive. That should be some not sine. And she has bred foals not goals.

 

[mandwhy]

The more decent ones I know seem to have plenty of contacts here and also buy the 'hunted in Ireland' types (I think this is where they make the most money) where I guess their contacts have pretty much backed and hacked them out, then they get them out x country schooling and going to shows, so they get some experience enough to be a riding club horse. I would buy from those people as I can understand how and why they make money.

If a horse is cheap from a private seller I would be much less suspicious than if it was a dealer, anything less than 1500 I'd think how much can they have bought it for in the first place?

 

[bobajob]

I read the post about the lady being able to contact her horses' previous owner to get information about his past.

I've had my boy for 7 1/2 years and I bought him as a 2/3 year old who was bought for a riding school off a dealer. He was totally unsuitable and was sold on to myself.

So as the title says , where do dealers get their horses? Auction? Round up off a hill?!

Every where and anywhere. There was some people advertising in England not long ago saying they was a horse rescue. People where giving them much loved old horses and ponies with tack and anything else belonging to the animal. Needless to say the ones that were too old or lame where sent to kill and the others got cashed in. I think they got shut down but not so sure. I will email a friend who told me about it in the first place to see what happened.

 

[Kallibear]

Depends on the dealer and what they specialise in. If Irish dealers, generally have family or a contact in Ireland where they'll have a constant supply of horses to be sent over.

Seems to be quite common. Dealer I bought Roo and Rebel off has three 'producers' in ireland who breed and grown on youngstock to be sold on. He also gets youngsters from the sales and send then to these producers to hold until old enough to bring over as ridden horses. The producers break and sometimes school on the horses for him.

That is the type of horse I'd buy happily from a dealer: they are there because they were bred to sell. Although usually very green they generally have few issues (no more than any young horse) and if you make a mess of it, it's your own fault.

However older horses at dealers make me VERY suspicious, esp lower end dealers. What's wrong with the 11yr old that it ended up at a dealers rather than privately sold?! High value horses produced to a high level to sell are slighly different but even then they're rarely more than 5 or 6yrs old.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

My first was straight off the boat from Germany, both hinds were creaky, the dealer did sales livery and sold whatever he got his hands on. To be fair, he was very honest when I went to look for a second, told me exactly what was wrong with two I saw and was stacking them high, selling them cheap.

The other dealer I know is Irish: he has friends back home and just points out which ones he wants in the field. He knows almost nothing about any of them but they are at least passported. The horse I bought from him flew through a five stage but was as green as grass.

 

[Equinus]

Our's was exchanged with one from a dealer, couldn't ride him so went to the sales, bought by meatman, sold to a dealer, then to a couple of mugs who should have known better (bought from the field) turned out to be unbroken but forced at ten. Totally traumatised bucker. Dealer is known to be dodgy, sells everything as quiet and suitable for a novice, but didn't know she was a dealer, never mind dodgy! Out of touch I am. Out of pocket too!

Found out history by chance. Not sure he will ever be rideable by an ordinary rider. He's an ace character though.