Horse Sales and Auctions Key Terms
Bid or sell confidently at any horse sale with the right preparation
Equine professionals who frequent horse sales and auctions probably have a significant background in some area of horse production or performance. But, even potential horse buyers and sellers with no background in horsemanship or equine science can avail themselves of some horse sales and auctions key terms to properly prepare for a sale.Many horse auctioneers are fast talkers, but the majority of the action at horse sales and auctions takes place well before the four-legged sale lot enters the ring. Beat the gavel and make sure you're getting what you pay for -- or listing in consignment horse sales locally -- using horse sales and auctions key terms.
1. List or purchase a horse for sale on consignment with a full understanding of the sale and purchase terms you'll face.
2. Attend a special horse sale -- a racehorse auction or quarter horse sale, for instance -- armed with specific knowledge pertaining to that type of sale.
3. Do some independent footwork and research before bidding in online horse auctions.
List or purchase from professional horse auctioneers that offer tips and tools
You may be able to find consignment horse sales locally, but you run the risk of buying unproven stock. On the other side of the gavel, you could leave the sale with the same horseflesh you brought to sell. Unregistered horses sell relatively well, depending on the current livestock market, at local consignment horse auctions. If you are looking to complete a transaction involving a quality, registered or even prize-winning horse, go with the red-carpet professionals who've made horse sales their forte.
Try: First and foremost, study the buyer's glossary provided by Barretts Equine Limited. Whether buying or selling, take a hint from Professional Auction Services or Equisearch.com to augment your auction prep.
Exhibit a strong showing at racing horse sales and other special horse auctions
Race horse sale companies are among the best in the auction business, but aside from the luxury and showmanship of a racehorse auction, buyers and sellers prepare for months to make high-dollar transactions. The same is true for any high-end paint horses for sale, a championship Quarter Horse sale, proven lineage Arabian horses for sale, or winning Western athletes, such as barrel horses, for sale.
Try: Any racehorse auction worth its salt will post the entire sale catalog online, months before the sale, and Keenland Thoroughbred Racing and Sales is no exception. Read the catalogs, research the pedigrees and review the American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP) standards for medication use in horses put up for sale. Know your rights before you suspect doping to mask chronic injury or a nasty temperament.
Approach online horse auctions warily, and do your homework
Internet horse auctions for quality stock aren't all that common, but you can find some respectable bloodlines through ranch-specific broodstock and yearling sales, some of which even include horses that have been "started" under saddle. The key to doing the right research is in understanding the structure of an equine pedigree. Pick your breed or sport, find the bloodlines you want, and comb through the pedigrees of sale horses to find the right combination of ancestors before you bid. Or, start your own bloodlines with online horse auctions for wild horses and burros from the untamed American West.
Try: Learn the basics about pedigrees from Pedigreequery.com. View a sample catalog-style Quarterhorse pedigree through Equineline. Find out how you can save a wild mustang through the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Internet Adoption Program.
- Online horse auctions present challenges for buyers who want pre-sale veterinary exams, but they don't preclude medical advice. Find an AAEP vet near the horse you're considering, arrange the exam -- which should include a battery of blood tests, vaccination verifications, X-rays, lameness and breathing tests -- pay your bill and get your report. The vet should consider you the client, and should give you a thorough report to help you decide whether or not to bid.
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