Afraid To Buy A Horse At Public Auction?

Here are 5 things to do to put the odds of getting a good horse in your favor.

Let me share a short story with you about public horse auctions and my friend Jack.

I'll show you how to buy a horse at auction so you won't get burned. Jack, an old time horse trader and I use to travel to horse auction all over the state. I'd just watch Jack and maybe later ask my questions.

Jack was usually pretty closed mouthed, but he let me in on his secrets to buying good horses at auctions.

#1 Arrive at the auction real early like 3 hours or more before the auction starts.

You want to be there as the horses arrive, so you can see who brings them and how they unload and walk to their pen.

Who brings the horse? A horse trader, private party, woman, man, kid, also how many horses did they bring? You need to know this so you have a clue as to who you will possibly be buying from and who to talk to about the horse before you bid.

#2 If you see a horse you like the looks of, go to the horses holding pen.

Watch the horse and how he moves. If the horse is tied up in the pen this could mean trouble as the horse owner might not want you to see the horse move. Check the horse for blemishes and soundness, make sure the legs are clean and the hooves are healthy and maintained, there should not be any limping or signs of lameness.

I do not like scars, divots or bumps on the head and neck, This shows the horse has been in a wreck of some kind, which could mean the horse is prone to panic, I've been stuck with a couple of panic prone horses and they did hurt me. If you don't know about lame horses and what to watch out for, take someone with you who does or don't bid.

Now the horse should show signs of life maybe be a little bit excited, what with all the other horses and the new surroundings, if not you could be looking at a drugged horse.

#3 Talk to the person that brought the horse

you know this person because you seen them arrive. Make sure they are the owner of the horse, if not who are they? The standard stories are:

It's my neighbors horse, this often means it is my horse but I am not going to admit it to you, as I don't want to be held accountable for the lies I'm about to tell you.

Or I'm a dealer trying to pass off this horse as a good old horse so gentle to ride, the neighbor kid rode bareback on the road when in reality it's a dink horse that he can't sell off his trading string.

Jack use to saddle up to the person who brought the horse and softly ask; say can you tell me a little bit about your horse? ( then he SHUT UP! ). They would tell all the nice things about the horse and Jack would just look at the horse, not saying a word. After they got through the string of lies or half truths, they would start getting nervous because it was so quite they thought they had to ramble on some more and that's when a bit more of the truth starts to show up, yeah old Barley don't buck except that one time when he broke my collar bone opps...

#4 Follow the horse from the pen to the sale ring

Jack use to walk right into the sale ring with the horse and watch it move in the ring too. The other advantage is you can see who is bidding. The owner or someone with them may be running up the bid, you know this because you seen them arrive right?

Now you may not be able to get in the ring but you can stand next to it so you can see the horse and the crowd too. Most owners try too hard to get their horse to ride well in the ring which is usually too small to work a horse in anyway so you get to see how the horse responds under pressure. Watch for rearing, head tossing, humping up or crow hopping, usually the small size of the ring prevents them from bucking.

#5 If you still like the horse bid on it.

How much? Jack would only pay about $15 to $20 above killer price. How much is that? You need to snoop around before the sale and ask the dealers or auctioneer, I've seen it range from 15 cents to 1 dollar a pound, so that could mean from $150 to $1000 for a 1000 pound riding horse.

Jack was comfortable paying that price as he would take the horse home, try them out, if there was a problem he would run them through the next auction and not get hurt too bad, out $20 at most.

This works good if you, your wife, or kids don't fall in love with old Barley, Jack use to say if you don't send them right back to the auction. you end up with a field full of cripples and buckers.

You can get a nice horse at a rock bottom price following this method. My experience has been that I can get older well trained horses that people are bailing out on because the kids all left home and they don't want to feed the horse any more, or they just were flash in the pan horsemen and need the money for a quad runner.

I have also bought young unbroke horses that people do not have the skill to train, if you think you want a go at that, make sure you have a medical plan and go for it.

I do not pay top dollar for exceptional horses at auctions because, again experience has taught me there are no exceptional horse at these auctions, if you think there are some there, look close as there is usually a hole in them somewhere.

Now put this plan into action and you will find a nice horse that you can use and even make a profit on if you so choose at some time in the future, just do all the steps and you will get the successful results.

Dale Anderson

http://www.breeds-of-horses.com

dale@breeds-of-hors es.com; 360-398-1261

---

Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:51:58 GMT Arizona reports first West Nile death of 2008 - Bizjournals.com TheMedGuru Arizona reports first West Nile death of 2008 Bizjournals.com - 1 hour ago Arizona has reported its first death from the West Nile virus this year. It also is the first West Nile death in the US this year. First bird in Nassau tests positive for West Nile Newsday Fighting West Nile Alexandria Gazette Packet KTAR.com - AZFamily - FOXBusiness - Boston Globe all 231 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:45:00 GMT Would UN Security Council Postpone Any Prosecution of Sudanese Leader? - Voice of America Voice of America Would UN Security Council Postpone Any Prosecution of Sudanese Leader? Voice of America - 1 hour ago By Joe De Capua As the International Criminal Court (ICC) considers whether to issue arrest warrants for Sudanese President al-Bashir, some are calling on the UN Security Council to block the action. Sudan's Beshir pledges peace as he leaves Darfur AFP Jordan's lower house opposes charges against Sudanese president Xinhua Hindu - Los Angeles Times - istockAnalyst.com - AllAfrica.com all 1,823 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:30:10 GMT Swimmer’s Positive Test Puts Olympic Berth Doubt - New York Times New York Times Swimmer’s Positive Test Puts Olympic Berth Doubt New York Times - 30 minutes ago By KAREN CROUSE The swimmer Jessica Hardy has not been penalized for a doping offense despite published reports that she tested positive for a banned substance. Video: Source:Hardy Tests Positive for Banned Substance AssociatedPress Sequence doesn't make Sense Los Angeles Times Gay Wired - Palo Alto Online - The Wenatchee World Online - The Associated Press all 750 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:21:30 GMT Health Buzz: A $500 million Antismoking Campaign and Other Health News - U.S. News & World Report BBC News Health Buzz: A $500 million Antismoking Campaign and Other Health News U.S. News & World Report - 3 hours ago Billionaires Bill Gates and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced yesterday that they'll contribute a combined $500 million to a worldwide antismoking campaign, the New York Times reports. Video: Gates, Bloomberg Pool Riches to Fight Smoking AssociatedPress The $500 million war on smoking Minneapolis Star Tribune Reuters - Newsday - Economist - California Healthline all 639 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:43:30 GMT South Texas begins cleanup after Hurricane Dolly - The Associated Press Calgary Herald South Texas begins cleanup after Hurricane Dolly The Associated Press - 30 minutes ago HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) - Residents across south Texas slogged through knee-deep muddy waters, tiptoed around downed power lines and dug through debris Thursday, but were thankful that Hurricane Dolly didn't pack the wallop they had feared. Video: Tropical Storm Dolly Causes Flood Worries AssociatedPress Dolly weakens, pushes inland USA Today East Valley Tribune - AHN - KIII TV3 - KVIA all 7,399 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:21:14 GMT FOX News Poll: No Bounce for Obama From Overseas Trip - FOXNews ABC News FOX News Poll: No Bounce for Obama From Overseas Trip FOXNews - 27 minutes ago By Dana Blanton The significant news coverage Barack Obama is receiving on his foreign trip has not translated into a bounce in his numbers, a just-released FOX News poll shows. Wanted: 2 million poll workers for November The Associated Press Comment by Leonard Steinhorn Prof, School of Communication, American University New York Times - CNN - United Press International - PolitickerCA all 689 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:24:50 GMT Ford Has $8.7 Billion Loss, Shifts Away From Trucks (Update4) - Bloomberg Ford Has $8.7 Billion Loss, Shifts Away From Trucks (Update4) Bloomberg - 44 minutes ago By Bill Koenig July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co., the world's third- biggest automaker, posted a record quarterly loss of $8.7 billion and accelerated a conversion to fuel-efficient vehicles to wean itself from money-losing trucks. Ford's Worst Quarter Ever BusinessWeek Ford Posts Loss of $8.7 Billion on Asset Woes New York Times Forbes - CNNMoney.com - Reuters - Los Angeles Times all 1,181 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:07:48 GMT RSS Parser Increased Web Site Traffic

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Westie - West Highland White Terrier Puppies - Fragile and Needful Of Protection

Have you ever held any Westie puppies? These tiny creatures... Read More

My Needs are Simple and Few!

My dear owner,Thank you once again for giving me shelter.... Read More

Reincarnating Pets

It is always sad when a beloved animal family member... Read More

Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD)

What is Canine Hip Dysplasia?Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is a... Read More

Help! Ive Got a Pregnant Cat!

So, you've got yourself a pregnant cat.Was it a stray... Read More

A Dog Day Care Business Can Be A Lot of Fun!

If you love dogs and you enjoy making money then... Read More

How To Get Your Horse To Obey You and Look To You For Instruction

In the animal kingdom there is a pecking order. Richard... Read More

Crate Training Your Puppy or Dog

Introducing your puppy to the crate should be an easy... Read More

Easy Tips for Healthy Pets

Do you want a long and healthy life for your... Read More

Bark Collars: Stop Unwanted Dog Barking

Bark CollarsMany pet owners become lost as to what to... Read More

Dog doors ? dog and owner reprieve

Buying dog doors onlineIf you need to buy a dog... Read More

5 Common Grooming Mistakes Made by Professionals

1. Using tranquilizers.This is illegal in many states but other... Read More

A Review of Cat Fancy Magazine

Occasionally, some of us get to do work that is... Read More

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Dog for Family Life

Dog's come in all shapes and sizes ? out of... Read More

Care for Your Dogs Ears

I have had Goldens and Black Labs for many years,... Read More

Boston Terrier - The Costs Of Owning A Boston Terrier

Having a dog is a little like having a baby.... Read More

Correcting Cats Bad Behaviour: How To Discipline Your Cat; Youll Be Happy; Your Cat Will Be Too!

At some time or another even the sweetest cat "misbehaves."... Read More

Arthritis Pain Relief For Dogs ? Simple Home Remedies That Work

Did you know that arthritis affects one in five dogs... Read More

Choosing Dog Tags for Your Canine

Remember when you first met your dog? He was fresh... Read More

How To Save Money By Testing For Feline UTI Yourself

Do you want to save money, anxiety for your kitty,... Read More

Animals Are Forever

Throughout the course of my life, I've encountered my own... Read More

Mind Over Matter

Understanding where horses come from has been a long road... Read More

How to Increase Your Fishkeeping Fun

Do you really get the fullest amount of enjoyment out... Read More

Small Dogs - Different Breeds, Different Personalities

Small dog breeds are great pets, but since their personalities... Read More

Thinking of Getting a Lhasa Apso Dog?

One of the cutest looking dogs around is the Lhasa... Read More