Re: RC: Sac. horse sale opinions - longish

[Onefarmgirl@aol.com]

Wanted to add a few comments about the sale.   Many thanks to the organizers 
- it's always difficult to get something new off the ground and I hope they 
will keep this venue going.  I really enjoyed being there and seeing the 
folks and the horses.   Watching some of those beautiful horses at liberty in 
the arena was great, even though the low arena walls coupled with the hot 
athletic horses gave me a few gasps when the galloped toward the rail.    
Judging by the turnout, this sort of thing can certainly find an audience.   
A few hopefully constructive observations.........

I found listening to some of the speakers difficult, as the seats were 
surrounded by happy folks gabbing and laughing and visiting.   The seats 
backed up to the barn aisle where the horses were, so there was a lot of 
activity and a very high noise level.  In fairness, the organizers had 
planned for us to sit on the other side of the arena, but that area was 
facing into the sun, so they switched sides.   Still, would be nice for one 
of the organizers to shoo yakkers away from the area where the presentations 
are being made. 

Great variety of speakers.   Who can not love Julie Suhr?   She has my vote 
for Endurance Goddess of the Universe.   Watching her juggle golden star 
balloons, the microphone, and her notes on a breezy morning was a hoot, and 
she had great practical advice as well as a funny story or two.

I was a tad disappointed by the "vet evaluations".   Perhaps I misunderstood 
what was intended, but if so, I spoke to several other folks who had a 
similar misimpression.   The sale notices led one to believe that the horses 
would be evaluated by endurance vets and an experienced endurance rider or 
two, and perhaps rated or scored in strengths or weaknesses.  I talked to two 
gals, who had come from a pretty long distance away who were there primarily 
to educate themselves by listening to what these experienced folks had to say 
about some selected horses.   In actuality each horse had a vet check posted 
on the stall door.  Some of them were completely perfunctory, i.e. boxes 
checked indicating no health or soundness problems found, and a negative 
Coggins.   I saw no attempt to evaluate horses' fitness or appropriateness 
for the sport.   Perhaps consigners didn't want this done?   Or did we get 
the wrong impression from the ads?

I TOTALLY understand the desire of the breeders to get enough money for their 
horses to keep them afloat.   Good to see some of these horses selling for a 
decent sum.   However, in fairness, it might be wise to note in the sale  
advertisements that all horses will have a minimum bid, or that prices will 
begin at $2500 or some such.   No one can blame folks for wanting a bargain, 
and I think the "auction" format gave people the impression that there might 
be some chance to pick up a cheapie.   (maybe there was, but I heard a bit of 
grumbling on this point).   Again, not saying the minimum bids aren't 
reasonable, but it's also reasonable to let people know before they drive 
from two states away. 

The sale catalog was great.   Very professional looking and provided a lot of 
nice information.    I found myself wishing the consigners were all required 
to offer some basic information like a checklist:  has this horse had 
experience with standing tied? loading/hauling? both stall and pasture 
environments?  Some of the sellers offered this info, and some did not, 
leaving you to wonder if it was oversight or omission.   Guess it's always 
buyer beware, but if the goal is to turn this into a regular event with a 
reputation for high class action, that raises the standard a bit.

I myself wasn't shopping, and my budget is such that I frankly can't imagine 
spending four or five thousand dollars on a horse without a chance to ride 
and spend some time seeing how we get along.  For me, a $5000 dollar mistake 
would be a disaster.   But clearly that's not the case for everyone, and 
other sports hold similar auctions successfully. 

Again, I had a great time & I think this sale has tremendous potential.  I 
hope the organizers keep it going.   I can imagine it turning into a great 
opportunity for riders to take a horse they've outgrown, and pick up a new 
prospect all at once.   I don't know if it would help, but I would be willing 
to pay five bucks or some such just to get in the door....... perhaps help 
offset costs?   Anyhow, l'm enjoying hearing what folks thought about the 
sale in general.

pat farmer