When buying a horse at auction, one needs to be able to tell if a horse is good or not. Since horses at auction are sold without guarantee or any special legal protection for the buyer, if you buy a horse with a serious problem you are probably stuck with it. Therefore, you need to examine the horses prior to the auction in order to determine which ones have problems (hidden or otherwise) and which ones are worth buying.
One should start by arriving some hours before the auction starts, so that there is time to examine the horses, preferably starting as they arrive. Study them as they are being unloaded and put into their pens. They should walk easily, with no sign of discomfort. They should have an overall healthy appearance, with good muscles and shiny coat. One expects them to be alert and a bit nervous, due to the noise and unfamiliar surroundings of the auction. In fact, if they appear overly calm or indifferent, this is a sign of apathy likely due to illness or drugs.
How do the people unloading the horse treat it? If they are the owners and are gentle with it, apparently sorry to see it go, it is likely that the horse has been well treated. However, if they are treating it roughly, perhaps even whipping it into place, then it may well be an abused horse with associated problems.
When the horses have been moved to their pens, watch how they behave and move there. Any which have abnormal behavior should be removed from consideration. Look (without entering the pen) for any marks or scars, which may indicate a previous injury or even mistreatment.
At this point, you will likely have eliminated most of the horses from consideration and have a short list of possible candidates. Try to find the owners for these and ask them to tell you about the horse. Ask what illnesses or injuries the horse has had. Inquire as to whether it has any bad behaviors, habits or other problems. Ask how it has been kept and what it has been used for.
At this stage, if you are still interested in a horse, ask the owner (or other responsible person) if you can examine it. If so, ask to have the horse removed from the pen to an area where you can check it over, since working in a pen full of strange horses is both distracting and potentially dangerous. Look the horse over closely. Carefully examine the feet (including the underside) and run your hands down the full length of the legs to feel for old injuries. Look at the teeth for excessive wear, loss or other issues. Put your thumb on one side of the spine and a finger on the other side and push firmly to see if the horse shows any discomfort or pain; starting at the shoulder repeat this for the entire length of the back. During your entire exercise the horse should appear alert but should not shown signs of aggression or fear.
If you discover anything unsatisfactory during the examination, ask the owner to explain it. Unless that you are happy with the explanation and believe it, remove the horse from consideration. Remember that it is better to go home without a horse, than return with a problem horse that you later regret buying. Set a maximum price for each horse left on your short list, so that you don’t go over budget in the excitement of the bidding.
Before bidding on a horse, make sure that you have a place to keep the horse and to transport it there. If you haven’t made arrangements in advance, discuss with the auction staff if they know of a reputable person that can do this for you. At this point you should be prepared for the bidding. Good luck!
Duber Stewart writes articles on various aspects of and is the author of
categories: horse,horses,pets,animals
