I know that I can’t save them all but some catch your heart more than others…I think I will always have a soft spot for the older TBs because I am forever grateful for the saintly older ones that taught me to ride. I hope he went somewhere great as well!
@Heinz_57 I echo all of your thoughts, especially the crazy prices!
I hope someone grabs this guy, seems like he just needs a dang meal. Looks sensible and a nice mover, wish I had more space!
Those prices are ^^^ for some skinny horses.
They actually have a few cute prospects.
In March, I bought a 5 year old gelding from Bowie that was skinny and had no background information. I saw a short video of him being ridden in a halter and added him to my cart.
He is such a nice solid horse, I have zero complaints. He’s put weight on quickly and is a joy to ride. A do anything, go anywhere, same horse kinda guy.
The process of getting him was easy, I quarantined him at a great place close by. The nice people at Bowie even gave my gelding a ride there. The quarantine place got him everything he needed for the month and his hauling paperwork in order.
I would do it again if we should have need for another. This little horse checks all the boxes though, super pleased with my kill pen diamond.
Pony people need to take a look-see at this mare:
9940 - Very Cute 2yo Prospect - Bowie Livestock (bowietexaslivestock.com)
Unfortunately that’s not always the experience.
People buying from these lots need to be prepared to spend $$ to buy and more $$ to care for and receive an untrained, unhealthy, unsound pasture puff rather than the rare exception diamond in the rough.
I hear you, there are definitely some steer clear horses to avoid, but I have had the opposite experience, personally.
In my 20’s, I regularly purchased horses from auctions to retrain and didn’t have any major issues.
There are plenty of nice horses that end up at auctions through no fault of their own. Perfectly good horses as well as the problematic ones.
I have decades invested in horses and I realize that does certainly help when it comes to choosing an auction horse. There are many avenues available when it comes to buying a horse, this route may not be for everyone, indeed.
I would recommend networking with a vet and other horse professionals with auction experience for the best results. Much like any other horse purchase.
Buying a horse is always risky. Look how many people end up with the experience you describe^^^ after riding and a thorough PPE buying through a trainer or private seller…
I don’t know what it’s like in the US.
In Canada it’s very hard next to impossible to source sound, sane, broke in the same horse at the low end auctions (obviously WB or ranch horse auctions are different but you pay the going price there). You can get sound sane but unbroken very young “grade quarterhorse” or “wildies” (mustangs that are allowed to breed on Indian reserves). My own mare came out of a local auction as a 2 year old (owners couldn’t stand her any longer) but she broke a few bones in my poor coach before I came along when she was 6 and a safe ride.
While I’d agree buying a horse is always risky, I disagree that risk of buying a horse at all = just as risky as buying from a supposed kill pen. Sellers may try and trick a buyer during any type of sales process. Many horses can make it through a PPE and wind up with some unsoundness that was undiagnosable at the time, developed later, or was just missed. Same with training issues not being apparent. Horse could ride fine because of drugs, just being in a familiar environment, etc. However, buying a horse in rough condition with unknown background and skipping both a hands-on examination of the horse AND a veterinary evaluation is much much riskier.
Frankly, it depends on the auction. There are some local ones where you can absolutely found something sound, sane, and broke that might need some groceries, vet care, and a bit of a refresher. You can also, much more easily, find animals that should have been put down because they were ancient and unsound, young and wildly unsound, ill, or flat-out dangerous.
The meanest pony I’ve ever met came from auction (years ago). If she was any bigger, she’d have been put down for being dangerous to people. She’ll charge people in her stall, bites when not muzzled, walks off with people, and will walk through people if she decides she’s done. She is a small pony and walked away with me in a stud chain. Just, dragged me off pulling my full bodyweight on the chain, because it was a an hour before dinner. Her confirmation is terrible and she’s riddled with health issues.
Two of my horses came from an auction. I got them via a rescue. One had decent ground manners and was trustworthy to ride, but the other had seemed OK but was not at first. He was only 13.2HH but weighed over 800 pounds–picture a quarter horse size body on pony legs. He crushed one of my feet shortly after we got him, ground down on my foot on purpose. I still have two very flat toes, and this was 20 years ago. He bolted for home when my daughter was riding him, tried to scrape her off on trees, the clothesline, under the eaves of the house. My daughter thought he had back problems, and stopped riding him. Early on, DH and I tried to persuade her to send him back to the rescue, but she was adamantly against it. Luckily, she never got hurt.
I had to retire my Hackney pony, and I started training the larger pony to drive. I am pretty sure he’d done it before, as the training went faster than I expected. I got him out on the road, and he was always the perfect gentleman in harness. My daughter thought it was me versus her, but I strongly believe it was just that he far preferred driving.
After about the first year with devil pony, I think he figured out we weren’t going to mistreat him, and he became trustworthy on the ground. My theory is that he’d been abused, and it just took a while to earn his trust.
I kept him (as I did with my other horses) until he finally died of old age. Once his cataracts got too bad for him to be safe on the road, I just hung out with him. He turned into a very affectionate horse.
Rebecca
Maybe.
Not all the Bowie horses are in rough shape and there are plenty of people who have a horse shipped in ( from another country or state) without getting their actual hands/ eyes on them, seeing them ridden only via video and a PPE through a vet they don’t know and they pay big bucks. That to me is risky…
I’d be very wary buying from a kill pen. If you ask a vet, they might scare the heck out of you regarding what sort of contagious diseases can come out of any place poorly vaccinated horses with unknown histories can come up with when brought together. Strangles, everyone knows about, but what about salmonella? That would be an absolute nightmare. Before buying, please ask your vet their opinion. If you still want to, get advice on how to mitigate the risks. Some disease, like salmonella, can be dormant for longer than the base 30 day waiting period.
EHV /M, in other words EHV Neuro, killed my last horse.
It wasn’t pretty and wasn’t cheap.
Speaking of overpriced horses. The free one was not.
And we got lucky no other horses caught it.
I’ve been toying with the idea of buying a horse from Bowie for months now. I bought a great horse sight unseen (just videos and photos) this winter and feel a bit emboldened.
Would you mind sharing the name of the quarantine facility? Were you able to check in every few days? Did they give you updates? Did they recommend a vet?
This is the girl I have my eye on. No worries if someone scoops her up before I pull the trigger, I just want her to have a good life and I’m a sucker for Arabians.
I hope you get her! I PMed you all the information and am happy to share with anyone who would like it.
I am not sure if the facility has an official name, or I would share it here.
Thanks so much!
Nice-looking little mare. Even said the horse had vet care and was UTD. ( on what, idk)
I am FULL right now, no time for more - but this guy would be my top pick of the current horses. Full disclosure, his lower lip is droopy on the left side and it’s hard to say, but it looks like his face might be a bit swollen - would need the requisite vet visit to investigate that on top of the usual wellness exam. Could be nothing or could be something. But he’s got legs for days, a nice slinky way of going and only 2. He should be stunning in a few years. I felt a bit bad for him watching the video, he kept trying to go to the person holding the camera - you can tell he has had some good associations with humans in the past.
If someone wants to drop him off in my back pasture, DH probably wouldn’t notice another redhead. LOL
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