My mother told me to choose the very best one and you are it!

I wanted to have another auction report, the two monthly sales were this weekend, but unfortunately couldn't  because I still had my two projects. We had someone come try the mare and liked her, they were going to take her but didn't because they want her coggins redone. It's a nasty thing to get so I can understand the concern, it's just frustrating and time consuming- especially when it's out of my pocket. Her coggins doesn't have a name (because in all honesty they pretty much never do at an auction), says 'adult' in the age but mainly because the horse on the paper doesn't have a star and a lot of places won't accept a non exact match. It concerns me because we forgot to ask for a deposit and we've been burned by buyers in the past who talked themselves out of buying the horse during this kind of thing.
They lazy ass auction vets didn't draw on her goddamn very visible star- but they did draw and write that she has a partial sock on a hind foot. I'm going to call up my vet tomorrow and see how long it takes to get a coggins back from him, if it's more than a few days (I think it is) I'm probably going to trailer her and the gelding (his was from before the auction) to the Conway Sale barn on tuesday between classes which start that day- eek, and have them do the one hour coggins there. It's what a lot of people do because it's I think it's $30 and anyone can get it done.
I used to get really excited when I'd go to look for a project and see a  NICE looking horse outside and I'd wait and wait for it to come through and it never would. I was very frustrated until I learned that they were just there to pull coggins. *sigh* Glad they weren't being run through in the long run. Anyway, I'm not worried about her being positive or anything (the test tube number went with her tag number, they had her hind sock, we've had her for 3-4 months, I (sort of) know the previous owner (I've talked to him at auctions and sat by him a few times so we chatted then and when I got her- and after when I had some questions.) it's just frustrating!

So, now that I've got that out of my system, I'm going to talk about what I look for when trying to find a new rehab project at auctions. In reality I rarely buy the horses on my list that I've checked out- normally one comes into the ring and I just go *Oh! That's the one!* because I didn't see them before or they weren't saddled or tied.
(I think the first one who I had listed was a grulla AQHA mare they were riding outside- cute but 'smeh' build then. Same owner had her since birth and just needed to downsize she was a good age and had decent papers. Here's a picture because, well, I like showing off horses and because she got a whole lot better looking with conditioning. I got her, extremely late in the night, for $400. Never would have gotten her if she had been earlier because she would have gone out of my range.

When going to an auction: (I always bring a mini notebook and pencil- if I find a horse I like I write down the number and what I find out about the horse- especially color and sex.)

1. Most people know to check for a horse who's been drugged (see if they respond when you wave a hand at their eyes quickly- this will also show if they're blind) or gassy eyed just standing there lifelessly. You can also ask most of the people there- many will be happy to rat someone out, especially if they're selling a horse themselves.
2. Look the horse over for injuries- old or new. If  old, how bad do they look? Did it possible cause nerve or muscle damage?
3. Check the feet- while overgrown cracked feet can be trimmed, they're also a sign that the horse has probably been out to pasture for a while and not worked. Overly short indicates they just trimmed them- probably that day- which could mean they hadn't been touched in  while as well. Shod horses generally indicate a working horse- you don't really shoe a horse you never ride- but I prefer barefoot.
4. Look at the mane and the tail- are they brushed? Are they snarled and twisted like no one's brushed them in years? Because if so, they probably haven't, another sign of a horse who will need a tune up. Do they show signs of someone very recently yanking or cutting out dreadlocks? Is it show sheened with a bridle path (preferably shaved not snipped)? If so, the owners actually care about presenting their horse as best as possible and the horse has probably received regular attention and grooming. This one is a good sign.

(She also had pancake feet)

5. Does the horse have any cuts on their forehead- recent or scarred? This is usually a sign that they injured themselves in the trailer ride so they could be hard to load or not used to ever being near a trailer. Could also mean the other horses with it are just violent.
6. Is the horse okay with being handled all over? This only applies when you can actually go in the stalls before the sale-be careful not to be kicked by your horse or another one with them.
7. Check the teeth for age or sores (if they have sores you can pretty much count on a behavior problem as their reason for being there-idiots.)
8. ALWAYS check for balls. Stallions should always be in a pen by themselves- but sometimes they're just tied instead. Also look for milk bags with mares.
9. How friendly is the horse? Does it come up to you looking for treats or petting? This usually is a good sign the horses owners treated them with some care and attention and didn't just beat the ever living shit out of them. I always show up with my pockets stuffed with carrot bits.
10. Is the horse biting the others in the pen or kicking them? Not always a sign of an aggressive horse in real life but good to notice.
11. If possible, try to talk to the owner. Sometimes you can ask people around the horse if they know anything or who the owner is. If you can find and talk to the owner you can find out information and sometimes even ride the horse first. Good owners will often try and hang out by their horse for this reason or be riding them outside. Be warned, these horses will always go for more money because it's not as much of a gamble.
If the owner is riding the horse and willing to let you or anyone else ride, it's probably a pretty nice horse. While they will go for more, it's worth it. I once saw a horse, unregistered, average height and a non flashy color, sell for $1300 because the person was outside for hours before the sale riding it and they even did a back flip off the horse. The trader who owned the horse has a pretty good eye for horses and actually trains the ones he gets- he's also fairly honest and once informed me about another seller's dishonesty. This brings me to my next point.
12. Don't assume the horse is kid broke because a kid is on it! Those kids are usually little broncy bastards who'll climb on anything. The person above told me about a guy who had a horse with his two little girls on it who told me a whole long story which sounded nice and flowery. (I actually watched the horse during all it the speech which told me the truth anyway and wrote 'Do not buy!!!' on my paper.)
13. The auctioneer probably knows jack shit about the horse; even if they say they do. Common phrases include:
Anyone can ride! Buy the best! Kid safe horse! Best horse of the night! And so on.
14. I always look for a kind eye.
15. In the ring- are they ridden though? If not, do they say they're broke to ride- if so, why the hell aren't they riding it or paying someone else to? Probably a sign you don't want to climb up there either. If they are ridden through, do their ears ever go back to the rider  looking for cues or are they clearly terrified of what's going on? This should never be a deal breaker because it's a scary time for any horse.
15.  Is the horse dehydrated? If so, they're either too nervous to drink or the owner hasn't given them anything to drink all day or even longer- which may make them much more docile than normal.
16. How upset does the owner look? They probably aren't a trader if  they do look really sad or upset to be there- it's probably just bad luck or something. This type of person usually actually has nice horses. They'll usually be happy to talk to you after the sale as well.
17. Don't believe anyone who says their horse is broke to ride that does't ride them through or at least lead them. This is a huge warning sign! Do check for white rub spots though- then it might actually be true. More likely is that the horse has some real issues to work out under saddle.
18. Did the horse rear or buck in the ring? Could be behavior but most horses are in too much shock/panic to act up. Often this is because the rider didn't adjust the bridle to fit the horse or is spurring them nonstop. Gaping mouths and head shaking is usually because of that and a strange bit.
(It can even be because asshats in the back are torturing them right before with sticks or cattle prods. They do this so the KB's can get them as well as "sport". Someone once had to physically restrain me from beating the ever living shit out of someone who was hitting a fallen horse. The horse had clearly never been touched and had fallen down because of all the horses and couldn't get up because they kept stepping on him. Really wish I could have hit the guy, would have been worth getting kicked out.)
19. Ask people who the kill buyers are. They'll tell you.
20. Find out who the big traders are. If they're overweight they probably just buy from one sale, put them on pasture and take them to another without doing anything.

I kind of give every horse a semi behavior free pass during the sale- it could just be nerves and a new place. I've been told I bought a mean horse or a kicker who turned out to be a big softie who never started any fights.
I'm sure I have more but I can't recall them. It's really a 'feel' thing for me.