It is quite possible to buy a good horse for a low price at an auction, but there are often more problem horses than good horses so you need to be able to tell the difference. At most auctions, horses are sold ‘as-is’ and without guarantee, so if you find a problem afterwards you likely won’t be able to get your money back. Therefore, you need to do your homework in advance to pick out which ones meet your criteria, after eliminating the potential problems (e.g. injured, sick, bad habits, or behavioral issues).

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.

If a person unloading a horse is its owner, their behavior will give you some useful hints about the horse. If they are gentle with it and appear sad to part with it, the horse has likely been well treated. However, if they are abrupt or rough with the horse, perhaps even hitting it, then it may well be an abused or neglected horse, with the associated issues.

Once the horses are unloaded, the next step is to go to where they are penned or stabled. Watch how the horses move and behave, eliminating any that have abnormal behavior. Look for any scars or blemishes, which can indicate previous injuries or mistreatment.

By now, if it is a typical general horse auction, you will probably have removed most of the horses from consideration and are left with a few possible candidates. Ask around for the owner of each of these and when you find him, ask him to tell you about the horse. Enquire what injuries or illnesses that the horse has had. Ask if it has any bad habits, behaviors or other problems. Ask what the horse has been fed, how it has been kept and what it is used for. Finally, politely ask why it is being sold.

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 find a problem during the examination, but not enough to eliminate the horse immediately, ask the owner to explain it. If you are not satisfied with the answer or don’t believe it, eliminate the horse. There will always be other horses and other auctions, so it is better to leave an auction without a horse than risk buying one which may have major issues. Once you have your final short list of horses, decide on a maximum price for each horse, as by the time bidding has started it is too late to think logically about this.

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 manages Horses for Sale writes on various Horse Health topics

categories: horse,horses,pets,animals

Tags: Horses