[SaddleHappy]

Ok everybody, this is going to be very long. I'll try to make it as short as possible, but I'm kind of long-winded anyway (I'm sure no one's noticed ) and it's just a lot of details to tell, so if you don't like long posts, just stop reading now.

We went to a horse auction Saturday night, my family and my sil's family. ONLY for the tack and then to just check out the horse part and see what it was like, how much the horses go for, etc, but not, absolutely NOT to buy a horse. Well, the first thing that went wrong is that my husband got excited and bid on a horse while I had my back turned (commenting to my SIL actually that I thought that horse looked drugged!) No one else bid and we found ourselves the owner of the most bedraggled looking little horse you've ever seen. Because I had been talking, I didn't even know whether he had bid on a mare or a gelding!Due to some confusion over the actual amount of the bid, the deal fell through so whether we lost a great deal or were saved from a nightmare we will never know, but anyway we don't have the horse. The auction ended without further incident and we were almost all in the car to leave when my nephew spotted a horse that he thought had sold, but evidently had not and it turns out this was the horse he has wanted all of his life, this precise exact one... despite the fact that the horse is an Appaloosa and his mom is the one who loves Appys so much. Anyway they got talking to the owner who promptly plopped a little adorable 5 year old girl up on the horse's back and began to talk about this horse and how friendly and kid-safe this horse is. He would absolutely guarantee the horse to be healthy, sound and kid-safe. Or he would return the money. After holding up the seller for about 45 minutes, they decided to go ahead with the deal. Actually, my bil decided, my sil was against the idea altogether because we've been warned so much about auction horses when none of us really know what we're doing. My nephew insisted that even though the horse was tired, he had seen him earlier in the day when he first came off the trailer and that kids and adults were riding and he was just fine. Several of us rode the horse right there that night and he did seem fine at the time. He's obviously been broke, knows how to follow commands, etc. My SIL asked the owner if the horse would still be like this in 2 days and the owner said "I don't use no drugs! This horse will be like this in 2 hours and 2 days and 2 weeks." So the horse was delivered that night.
The next morning, when we walked out the door, we could hear him up near the barn, neighing and carrying on, no doubt looking for other horses. He called to us as we drove by him on the driveway and we stopped to pet him and he came right up to the fence. He followed my BIL around like a puppy that morning when he came over to turn him out and was just as friendly and relaxed as he could be. Later, when we came home from church, he came right up again and we fed him some carrots. That was about it until later that afternoon. We weren't home because we had gone to the horse rescue, but my SIL called us on the cellphone. They had put the saddle on him and he was trying to buck it off and they said they were going to wait for us to get there before even attempting to mount or do anything else with him. However, before we could even get home, the horse laid down on the ground, rolled around till the saddle was under his belly, then stood up and bucked till he broke the saddle off of him. We only have one saddle between all of us and that was it, so when we got home, we tried to calm the horse down and my husband mounted him bareback. He fell off right away because the horse looked like he was about to buck and my husband was trying to dismount. It wasn't very graceful. So next we hoisted my son up there, which was what I wanted to do in the first place, since I'm sure his bones are a lot more difficult to break than my husbands, plus he's just a tough kid, I thought he would be able to handle it. I told him what to do and up he went. The horse immediately began to buck, so I told Nick to go ahead and get off. The horse tossed him up another good time, and he used to momentum to jump up and out and landed on his feet with no problem. Sooooo here we are with an $1100 unrideable horse in our pasture! But he's so friendly... he makes me think of a colt who's just not broke yet, but we know he's broke because of how he rode at the auction. Also he's 6 years old. Our assumption at this point is that the horse was definitely drugged. They have called the owner and he did answer the phone the first time, but said he would call them back, which he hasn't done yet. They've tried to call him back twice but he's not answering. Then they called the auction owner, who assured us the night of the auction that this owner is honest and we could trust him. The auction owner told them on the phone that if they had gone inside and bought the horse through the auction (which they thought they were doing) instead of paying the owner cash in the parking lot, that he would come get the horse and give them their money back today. He promised to call the owner and encourage him to make this right. Meanwhile, another lady called them who apparently works at the auction or knows the auction owner, or something, we don't really know how she's connected. But she was standing there when they bought the horse and says that she's had business dealings with the owner and that she trusts him. She has never bought an auction horse before, but she did that night and from this same owner, strictly because she trusts him that much. Anyway, she talked to BIL and SIL about what happened and named off about 10 reasons why this could have happened and said she thinks they should give it a week or so, that she thinks this is a good horse, and that in fact if she had had the money she would have bought this one too. She thinks pretty much we did everything wrong from the get-go. And I totally agree with that. HOWEVER, would that make a well-broke horse behave that badly??? Here are some things I know for sure went wrong:
Tim and Linda aren't real comfortable with saddling and I think it took them a long time. They called us and told us they were going to saddle the horse and about 20 minutes later we called them to see if the horse was riding ok, and they were still not done saddling. So there's a possibility that either the horse knew they didn't know what they were doing and just didn't want to cooperate, but that doesn't seem like it would turn him into a complete bucking bronco. Or maybe the saddle was pinching him or poking him or something? He also could have already been sore from the hours of riding he had to do the day before, so I guess if something were hurting him that would be a more likely explanation. But would he continue to act up after the saddle was off when we were riding bareback? Also, none of the people attempting to saddle up and ride really feel confident around horses, except my son... and he went last.
Also it was windy that day, which the lady on the phone thought maybe made a difference, but there again, would a well-broke horse start bucking just because it's windy??? That doesn't seem reasonable to me. She also seemed to think the horse needed a couple of days just to adjust to the new surroundings, but the auction surroundings were new and there were jillions of strangers milling around, making noise and riding him, and he did fine there. I also was thinking he could be herd-bound and there's not another horse out there yet.
So, should this horse get a second chance? If he's going to be a good horse they don't want to get rid of it, but at this point if they can actually get the owner to honor his guarantee I think they'll just send it back. But if not, they don't know whether to try to resell the horse or hire a trainer or just work with him a little at a time. The horse is still really friendly, and leads with no problem. Any thoughts on what to try will be appreciated. Needless to say, I don't think they'll ever be tempted again to buy a horse at an auction.

[belle4]

WOW! I am so sorry that you are not pleassed with your first horse. I think inexperience has a lot to do with the whole situation. I hope the previous onwer will get in touch and make this right for you and your family. You are right about the new situation (your house) not being a factor. The horse was hauled and ridden at the auction yard. That was surely a new environment. We haul horses all over the state every summer. Every weekend in a new stall, working in a new arena. That is not the problem. Coul be the saddle was not on right. Maybe too far forward or too far back or not fitting, but still does not explain the bucking when ridden bareback. Maybe the horse has some pain or some physical problem. Did you ever ask why the horse was being sold or how much training the horse supposedly had? Your best bet is to insist that the seller of the horse make the deal right. His reputation is on the line. Good luck and be sure to let us all know how everything plays out. Be Careful!!!

[Sandra-A1]

Buying a horse from a public auction is not the best place for novices to get a horse from. Yes, people have done it before and successfully, but as you can see the odds are against you!
If your SIL can get in direct contact with the seller they can ask him to come out and show them what they are doing wrong...and this will also give him a chance to see how the horse is acting and you can video tape the whole thing so you will have proof that he has knowledge of the horse's behaviour while with all of you. Possibly you will then be able to return the horse to him. Odds are that he will simply want to swap that horse for another and your SIL will not see their money again. I hope that is not the case but it could be.
You see auctions like that are where animals are sold as is and the saying: " Caveat Emptor: Let the Buyer Beware" is understood.
I hate that it happened and do hope all works out for your SIL.
Still buying a horse is a risky enough business without adding the monthly horse sale at the Auction yard into the picture!

[spyro1]

Holy Bologna!! eek! What an ordeal you guys have gone through. man, the best advice that I can give is to try a few more times to get ahold of the seller, then again, he may not want to be *gotten ahold* of. That is a tough one, is there someone experienced in your area that you can have come and evaluate him for you? Make sure that all tack is fitted properly, get on him and evaluate his knowledge, make sure there is no soreness anywhere, etc?? I know that hind sight is 20/20, but some things to look for in the future are , dull, listless eyes with a glassy look to them, stumbling over his feet, resting hind leg excessively, sheath very relaxed and dropped , even when walking. Not attentive to what is going on around them, even your "bomb proof" horses will perk ears and watch the going's on around them. I really hope the seller steps up to the plate and is a man of his word. Another side note here, a lot of auction houses will have a house vet on call for vet checks, I haven't ever used it, nor have I ever bought a horse from auction, so I don't really know how that works, maybe someone else does? Anyhow, good luck and let us know how everything goes

[SaddleHappy]

Actually, Belle4, my BIL did say that he thought he had the saddle on right but that as he looked at it from a distance he thought maybe it was sitting too far back. So that could have caused the problem, but he should have been ok bareback.

I asked the seller myself why he was selling the horse and his answer was that he just buys them and sells them. He has only had this horse for 3 or 4 weeks. We have no way of knowing why someone sold the horse to him. Maybe because the horse is INSANE??? We just should have known better, it's not like all of us haven't been warned. I am glad of one thing. As we stood there while my BIL was trying to decide, he asked me what I thought. The truth was it seemed fine to me and I felt it was a good horse and although I did tell my BIL that's what I thought, I also told him that I don't think any of us have enough experience to make that determination, so to please not buy the horse on my reccommendation, because I just felt we couldn't tell. I also did tell him that the horse had been ridden all day and could just be completely worn out. I am so thankful that I didn't encourage him, because then I would feel more responsible. As it is, I feel like I should have said I wouldn't do it. The fact is that we all knew better but got talked into it by a 15 year old boy and a "horse trader." Caveat Emptor is exactly right!

I feel that if I could get on the horse myself I could determine whether he's going to settle down or not, but my coccyx was severely fractured last fall and it'll never be right enough to handle a bucking horse.... I'll be thankful if I can ride at all and we are planning to get a TW or a Paso for me for that reason. I was so tempted though, but my husband just wouldn't hear of it. Thanks for all the advice, and for not saying "I told you so" because I know a lot of you really did tell us so.

[Dawn]

Judging by the time elapsed between starting to saddle up and riding bareback, his back could've become very sore just during that time. In addition to that, he was annoyed with the whole process. So, it is possible that you bought a nice horse, and he's just in pain and bored. I will say though that it's not likely. If the man had only had the horse 3 or so weeks, it is possible that the previous owners had drugged him. Of course, the likelihood that it wore off the night that they bought him is slim to none. What I would think the most logical explination is is that the horse knew that no one knew what they were doing and took advantage of it. As someone else suggested, get someone that really knows what they're doing to come out and watch/demonstrate.

[SaddleHappy]

For now we are pretty much leaving him alone to become accustomed to his new surroundings. Meanwhile, no word from the seller. No big surprise there. Other than feeding him and putting him up at night, we are just not having a lot of commotion out there. After a few days I think my BIL is going to attempt to ride him again, although that's in debate because my sil is adamantly opposed to his getting on the horse at all. She feels, and I agree that we should get a trainer out here and see how he does. The whole problem is made worse by the fact that my sil is extremely intimidated by horses in general and this horse in particular. So she tends to stand back away from the situation but shouting out not to do this or that, and that we are tearing up her nerves. There can be little doubt in the horse's mind just how afraid she is. The other 2 horses they are buying are still at the sellers house where they are taking lessons and becoming accustomed to the horses before bringing them here. My sil is actually becoming comfortable with it gradually over there and they definitely should have just kept on with that nice slow start.

[harli36]

If this guy(seller) has yet to call you back. Then he is not a reputable seller. He could have had that lady call you and tell you that he's a good guy. For all you know she could be his wife!

I think you are doing a good thing with letting the horse settle in to his new surroundings.

[spyro1]

Another little piece of advice here, maybe when your BIL is ready to attempt getting on the horse again, have him do it when your SIL is not at home. Of course, have someone there, but have them *quietly* sitting. Another thing to try here is saddle the horse, no bridle, just a saddle and lunge him. See how he goes on the line. Get him relaxed on the line with the saddle. Let him know that the saddle isn't going to mean *abuse* in his mind. Now you have a lot of guess work in front of you, since you don't know this horse's story, it could be many different things going on with him. Abuse being one of them, not being ridden in a very long time, drugged for the auction, etc..

[CJ]

My theory is that horses are at an auction for a reason, some reasons are benign, some not. I've had various friends who: sadly sold a v.nice arab mare b/c they were cash strapped; bought a pretty but feisty stud colt for $500 and found out it was worth 10K on pedigree alone; bought an ex-racehorse who was postlegged but sweet, and I bought & resold a skin & bones aged mare just to keep the killers from getting her. I also once sat on a reportedly do-it-all pony when a horse several stalls away erupted suddenly. The pony never flinched,nothing; I stongly suspect it was "shot-down" on something. Auctions should be considered emblazoned with a sign that says "Caveat Emptor", Buyer beware; b/c you don't know for sure what you bought for 72 hours, when whatever may have been used will have worn off.