What's Your Horse Auction Story?

I've grown up around yards so me and the yard owner often piled into her 5 horse horsebox and set off to any local auctions. So I've seen a multitude of horror stories and hero stories, sorry if this gets really long. (I've never bought one myself but helped Amelia choose)

Horatio was the most vivid memory. 15.2hh skewbald Connemara x, 4 years old at the time. Came screeching into the ring and was obviously really panicked and sweaty but he was a STUNNER and had completely sound conformation. Amelia bought him for £600 and after a year or so of in-hand showing (where he picked up almost everything) he then began eventing at six years old. Sold him as a novice eventing prospect for £4500. His temperament was to die for and he was completely unspookable, could chuck him at any fence and he'd clear it like it was nothing. If I wasn't as tall as I am I would have bought him in a shot.

I also remember our first 'charity case' horse. Olly, 13.3hh Welsh Section A. Underfed, unloved with bad conformation at 10 years old. Owners had bought him not realising just how much it took to look after a horse and had a child on him waaaay too big so he had back problems. No one wanted him so Amelia bought him for £30. Got him home and it turned out he had been incredibly well trained at some point down the line and she poured in three years to that horse. He's now actually owned by someone at a local yard, doing pony club and such. Lovely little boy.

The most pathetic auction story I've ever seen which genuinely brought tears to my eyes was not one actually at an auction, but on the way back. Back and forth we'd always pass this piebald cob mare in the middle of nowhere who we had never seen anyone contact. On the way back once we saw it standing at the gate - the headcollar was actually embedded into her skin as it was too small for her, she was SERIOUSLY underweight and her hooves were curling. Amelia's one of these action first, questions later type of people so she got so angry she stopped the truck and opened the tailgate declaring 'Right, she's coming home with us.'

After an EXHAUSTING hour trying to get her in she finally went galloping up the ramp and we got her home without too much complaint, I think she just gave up trying to fight.

She took the longest to turn around - almost three years before she was at a healthy weight and properly ridable and bombproof, but the horse she has turned out to be is fantastic. Still at the yard as a riding school horse. She's lovely <3

I've bought three horses at auction, all as weanlings. One of them was also a pretty pathetic sight. I passed by him several times thinking he as some really old, really skinny small pony. He was way underweight, still had a very shaggy coat at the end of May, and just stood there listlessly with his head hanging from the ligament at the top of his neck (which was clearly visible). There was no spark of life there. After going past him a few times, I took a closer look, then checked his teeth and saw that he was just a baby, no more than a year old! I bought him for $200 (in 1994, before the prices dropped). With nothing more than food and wormer, he quickly blossomed into a handsome large pony with a great personality. He was easy to train and became nearly bombproof. I sold him as a 6 year old for $5000. Of the other two, one turned into a nice Arab/QH who has done a little bit of everything (I still have him at age 17), and the other was a Clydesdale that seemed like a good idea at the time, but I ended up breaking and selling as a 4 year old.

I have been to auctions without buying anything (but it's hard). I have not bought any tack at auction and never will.

I have a couple of yearlings I bought at last year's autumn sales; they were poor little souls but my eye is good enough that I could see that they'd be good ponies if given a chance. I paid under £25 for the pair, with full papers - it's often the case that people will let them go for next to nothing (or absolutely nothing) to avoid having to feed over the winter, and the two boys I bought last year weren't the only ones who would've been shot if unsold. (They actually were unsold, I bought them in the car park afterwards.) Nothing wrong with them, or the others who go through the ring in similar circumstances, they're just surplus.

The year before that I bought two young mares, one I still have and is being an absolute gem for my children, she's the kind of pony who's the same whether she's ridden 4 hours a day or once a month, she's safer than houses and a total sweetheart. The other mare I would've kept for ever and hopefully bred from, but we lost her after a very severe allergic reaction.

There are an awful lot of ponies in a terrible state going through the auctions. There always have been, but it's worse now; some breeders will sell to anyone at any price just to get rid, there's not even good money in meat so that's how bad it has become - a youngster in some sales is next to worthless unless someone takes pity on it. I didn't go to the autumn sales this year because it's so hard to come away empty handed.

Hmmm big question! I've got tons of stories but here's a tip.... Have someone else take you and leave your wallet at home. Take about 10-15 dollars with you in cash but don't take ANYTHING else (including cards). Also stay away from the seller's/buyer's booth and the outside pens. The best portion to show up for is the last part which is the riding horses. This is the time you'll see less pathetic cases that a bleeding heart (like mine) will feel sorry for. I've gone and watched several times without buying. Doing this will help you keep a cool head when buying in the future.

How sad about the blind horse :(

and you sound kind of like a previous yard-owner I knew, she used to go to auctions and feel sorry for a bunch of them - take them home and put them all in a nice big field, ride them every now and again and basically - they led a life of luxury!

I know a pony which was sold for £50 as a 2 year old at auction, now wins every showjumping class its entered in locally! Smart attack has won a saddle , money and countless rugs and rosettes and he has very little good breeding to speak of and pretty poor confirmation - just an incredible bond with his little rider and a sheer love for jumping!

everyone knows the horror stories, get the horse home - fatten it up, and it becomes a bloody nightmare - sometimes dangerously so, sometimes i dont think horses can get over the trauma of being handled so poorly or cruely in the past - they never fully trust humans afterwards and who can blame them? You get some good dealers at auctions, you also get atrocious ones - i think you need to know who is who to be able to buy a good horse in such an environment.

Just wandering around the tiny stalls the ponies/horses are kept - with very little hay/water (some are left with no water for the day - disgusting ) really depresses me so i cant bring myself to even go and watch my local one anyway :( nothing sells anyway, so so sad!

Picked up a little red mare. Calamity Jane. She was skinny, had lice, and an attitude problem. She would case the dogs, kick and buck. I wanted to keep her once I re-trained her in ground manners and started braking, but being a high school student who recently quit my job I knew I couldn't afford this winter so I sold her. She is on the other side of Oklahoma being used as a little farm pony for the neighborhood kids and the guys grandkids.

I cried when we were loading her...It's hard to let them go :'(

A friend found a horse that had been trained at my barn at auction under a different name. Clearly the owners didn't realise her potential and her past training! The friend bought her, rehabed her (she had picked up some bad habits and a small injury in the two years she was gone) and now events a truly excellent horse, with papers and registration. The horse is truly wonderful and did great until she tore a tendon (can't remember which) last year.

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