why is "horse auction" such bad words here?

Question

there are many registered breed auctions killer buyers don't get many slaughter bound horses, some high quality horse auctions killer buyers don't attend at all. Because an inexperienced or distressed owner sells a horse at auction does not reflect on the horse at all. I go to lots of auctions, practically every weekend, and have for a lot of years. I've bought more than several horses at auction, most were/are very good horses with zero permanent problems. "dealer" is another word that seems to have negative connotations here. I know several people who used to make a good living relocating horses, most add value thru training or feed. I've never considered myself a dealer because of volume of sales only, not that i'd be insulted. My father and many of his friends were considered horse dealers and saved many horses from slaughter. Most of those "killer buyers" also buy sound horses to sell privately or take to places local markets are better. i see no shame involved.

there are very few "reputable breeders" who keep their culls and old brood mares till they die of old age. The ones they give away are never tracked to see that they don't go to slaughter when a newby gives up cause he got nipped or tapped or fell off or finds they can't afford it. no one wants to mess with a horse that will bite and kick but someone has to all too often. I've never seen big horse graveyards anywhere.
There are very few sick horses get in any auction, they are all vet checked when they get there. A broken leg or such would get you in a lot of trouble to bring in unless it had healed. a lot of people are judging things they have no knowledge of other than the net and second hand apparently. if i saw any of the atrocities i hear of i'd do more than ***** about it here. yup horse sales are messy. a healthy horse will sh*t 7 to 10 times a day. if you want to play with horses you'll step in some. if you haven't stepped in any don't judge those who do every day.

Answer 1

There are unscrupulous breeders, trainers, sales managers, dealers, etc, etc. etc. Do your homework, be informed, know what you are looking for, know from whom you are buying (yes, you can do that at an auction) and blame no one if you didn't get what you thought you were getting. I would rather buy, sight unseen, a horse from a horse trader that I know, than from some backyard breeder, owner, trainer that wouldn't know if he was telling you the truth or not, because he doesn't know...he just wants to get rid of the hay eating monster that he is scared to get into the pen with.

Answer 2

A friend told me once she would never buy a horse from an auction because, in her opinion, the horses that are there are horses whose owners have lost hope of any better (different?) way of selling him/her. I guess selling a horse at an auction is not the best way to get the best (most money) possible sale. Maybe it's more important to that person to move the horse than waiting for the "perfect" situation.

However, when going to watch an auction and talking to another lady, the point was made to me that sometimes sellers take horses to auction just for the ease of getting rid of the horse. Maybe the owner doesn't have the time to deal with people who want to come look at a horse, or make plans to see the horse and then don't show up.

I have another friend who got some great older horses at an auction that the kids just love.

I think however you buy an animal from someone you don't know, there is some risk involed weather it's in person, at an auction, or on the internet. Either way, an animal could be majorly misrepresented even by wel-meaning individuals.

As far as the tearm "dealer"... I guess that word has negative meanings associated with it because too many dealers seem to just want to move the horse, make the sale, and don't care about a good match. Just like a used car dealer, I guess.

Just my opinion...

Answer 3

For the same reason "pit bull" is a bad word. Not everyone is operating under the same assumptions of what the word means. Breed auctions are the way to go in the Haflinger world around my house and when my friend sold her gelding last year, she had to convince people outside of the Haflinger world that she wasn't just sending him to slaughter. Many breeds run well recognized auctions that are just a way to get a good price for a horse. This world is so open and people feel that they can pass judgement on things that they don't know or understand. There is no reason an auction has to be bad, however to the generl public, that's all they see of horse sales is over-crowded, uncontrolled, "slaughter" auctions so obviously all auctions are bad. When people don't have the strength or the knowledge to stand up and say, "you're wrong", it's the loundest voice that is heard, which is often the most paranoid (ie, the one screaming, "All auctions lead to meat markets"... in this case).

Answer 4

I think, like with many things, there are a few people who ruin it for all. The are a lot of "horse traders" who think nothing of drugging horses, loading them with painkillers to mask lamesness, etc. and then selling them to the unsuspecting public. BUT on the other hand, the public is the reason they get by with these kinds of things. Mom and Dad want a horse for Junior. They start out uninformed and do not seek out professional advice from the get go. They go look at a few nice horses and are shocked by the price, not realizing the time and money that is invested into a well trained animal. So to save a buck, off to the auction they go. And think they are getting a "bargain" for $500. Which usually sends Junior to the ER and the horse back to the sale. Which the same dealers buy again and again and resell again and again to other suckers. I know one dealer in my area that has sold the same horse 12 times. He loads him up on tranqs to keep him calm for about 30 days. This also keeps him from rearing up and flipping over. After the drugs are gone, back comes the flipping problem. When you call him, he will take him back and give you $200 for a horse he sold to you for $1500 (or more). So every 30 days or so, he is making $1200 on this horse. And someone else is feeding him. And unfortunately, there is no legal recourse for this. No "lemon law" for horses. So these people remain in business, while people who spend time and money training are going under, because their horses are "to high priced". Until the public stops supporting these people by not buying from them, then I do not see much change happening. The auction houses take the stand that they are agents only. If they would hold the sellers money for 10 days until the horse passes a vet exam or any drugs have a chance to wear off, then you may see a reduction in the number of crap dealers. But since the auctions make commissions and have no liabilty, I do not see this happening. There is no shame on being a legitimate horse dealer. If you are willing to back up what you sell. But for the most part, John Q Public will not buy from them, due to the expense, but would rather keep the BYB and "traders" in business to save a few bucks. Which usually winds up costing more in the long run. And there is no shame in buying from the higher end auctions. These are people who work long and hard to build up good sales with top quality animals that were not consigned for a $10 fee. And will back up what they sell if there is a problem.

Answer 5

Yes there are some auctions where the killers don't attend. I've attended several of those put on by Proffessional Auction services. You can usually find very nice horses at these. But you are probably going to pay more too. Dealer brings to mind the term horse trader. I don't like to deal too much with either auctions or dealers as they don't have a lot of personal information on the horse. I prefer to deal with a private sale where a person either raised the horse they are selling or have owned it for awhile. I like to ask questions and have them answered. As always...buyer beware.

Answer 6

I agree with you. Most people mark "auctions" as bad because they or someone they knew bought a horse that didn't work out. (or they thing they got screwed) i am at auctions all the time. I have never bought a bad horse yet. But people need to understand that it takes an experienced person to buy a horse at sales like these. In my opinion someone can buy a bad horse privately just as easy as buying a bad horse at an auction. I think you see a horses true colours when they are put under pressure at an auction. They are in a lively place thinking of many other things than they are used to, i think there is an advantage in it really. You look at a horse at home, they are quiet and used to their surroundings but than when you take him or her to a show and they freak (some horses obviously not all) In an auction you can see how they are reacting and their demeanour right? That's what i think anyway. bottom line is your right there, is no shame in it at all. A lot of the time you can buy a GREAT horse for a GREAT deal because the prices are low at that particular sale. I know i have. thanks for your question.

Answer 7

Because people attach human qualities to their pets,and many don't realize that most of the horses slaughtered are not ground into dog food but are packaged for human consumption over seas primarily in Great Briton,people here have no problem eating a steak or hamburger but they put little thought into what the sale barn was like where that cow was sold to be slaughtered,they don't care because they don't "bond" with cows well I hate to break it to those people but people in England,China,and Australia to name a few EAT HORSES just like cattle and many times that is where the old and problem horses end up on a dinner plate,over seas horse meat is cheaper and more affordable than beef,also horses are not susceptible to hoof and mouth,as are cattle and sheep,I have gone to a auction where slaughter buyers are and I have seen them stop bidding on animals that are being bid on by individuals so that they don't run up the price on an animal that some one wants to buy as a pet,so some of them do care but facts are facts what else do you do with all of the horses that no one wants?

Answer 8

I think you've misunderstood. There's nothing wrong with buying at auction...or selling even, especially at the breed/upper level you're talking about.

What's bad about auctions is when a person breeds a bunch of marginal horses, guess what, they don't sell, so they dump them there without any regard to what is going to happen to them...and do the same next year. That's just ridiculous, but it's these folks that I can think of a lot of "bad words" to describe, not the sale itself.

Another aspect is the novice going to the sale to pick up a bargain. Most reputable horse people (at least in my experience) don't run their horses through the rinky dink sale barn...so they get "more" than they bargained for, and not in a good way.

Dealers? Well, again. It's subjective. Face it, if nobody sold horses, where would we buy them? It's the dealers that move such large quantities, without regard for the animal or the buyer, only thinking of the dollar in his or her pocket, that gives horse traders a bad name.

A reputable dealer will evaluate the customer, represent the horse accurately and honestly, and honestly express concerns if the buyer falls in love with a poorly suited horse for their ability or intended use.

Answer 9

Hi Michael
I think those auctions became a bad name due to low life individuals that present drugged horses for sale there,and then those you name "Killer Buyers".
I've attended auctions a few times in my carrier, as adviser for someone who was actually trying to find a horse for him/herself,
yeah, you gotta be careful some times.
But I also had a closer look at the so called meat dealers, and I saw them mainly buying those horses nobody else would bid on, too old, unsound, irreparable health issues and so on, if they would not have bought them....I think every one here knows now about unwanted horses since the horse slaughter got banned here in US...
Like I've mentioned in an earlier answer, the thought of slaughtering horses makes me shiver too, but i have no better solution on hand...
I don't think that horse auction is such a bad word, and horse dealers are reputable people in my opinion as long as they
keep up doing clean and honest business.

Answer 10

Nice answer, cnsdubie. I agree, and we have a nice gelding we bought at one of those cheap auctions. I look at it as if we "rescued" him from his current owner, a backyard breeder who shouldn't own horses let alone breed them. He has a great disposition and will probably make a nice trail horse for our daughter. We bought him as a weanling, and he is started under saddle now as a three year old.

I wouldn't advise an inexperienced person to buy at a local sale barn auction. They won't know what to look for, and will pay too much for someone else's problem. But in our opinion, we did just right: picked the weanling with a cute head and best color and spent a lot of time putting the kind of disposition on him that we could. He has no fear of anything, has a naturally low headset, and has not had one "hiccup" in his training so far.

I think the term dealer is looked down on, but if someone is able and willing to put training on a cheap horse and improve it and make it valuable, I see absolutely no problem with selling it three months later at triple it's initial cost. The horse world needs more of that and less unwanted, unbroke, and unvaluable horses being left in run down condition.