I’m not looking to buy right now. I’d just like to know more about how remuda sales work with ranches like Four Sixes. Are horses there only available through these sales? Has anyone on here bought from one? Can you get a PPE done at the sale? Can your trainer try the horse? How do prosective buyers do research on bloodlines? Thanks in advance. Just trying to educate myself.
Can’t answer your question about “how” the sales work but if you’re looking for information on bloodlines, a great set of books is the Western Horseman “Legends” series.
Also, subscribe to AQHA & APHA breed journals, you can learn a lot just perusing stallion ads and show results.
I am sure most of the ranches will do private sales on a very limited basis, but my experience is most of them have limited numbers of horses they can sell, so they save any horses they plan to part with specifically for these sales.
Contact the individual sales about their PPE policies, some might have x-rays and such on file. But I’ve never heard of people being allowed to try horses at the sales – you can look at them, and talk to their handlers, but not riding etc. The riding horses are usually demoed (by the seller) the day before the sale, or the morning of.
These ranches take a lot of pride in their reputation, so they’re not in the business of pawning off a horse just for a quick sale. They will be as honest as they can be as far as what that horse is and what it has done – that’s how they stay in business for hundreds of years. 
So it’s a little easier to trust them and their stock, versus just going to a local weekend horse trader sale.
As far as research, guess it’s getting to know the bloodlines, and also the ranches and how they handle the horses. Maybe try industry magazines, and going to shows and watching is also a great idea, and just talking to people with horses you like – people are very friendly!
If you are just looking for a ranch horse there are cheaper ways to go. Are you particular about 6666 bloodlines/horses?
Bought from some ranch sales in So Texas years ago. Horses were sold as is, usually demo ridden before the sale starts if broke. These ranches were well established and had nothing whatsoever to gain by hiding anything. They produced the product and were putting their reputation behind it. Got a few nice horses that way that were as advertised and had paperwork in order if registered.
That said, Recommend you personally see how they move and interact with humans and other horses or take somebody with expertise in such things along as well as know exactly what you are looking for before bidding on any lot. That gavel falls, it’s yours.
