Purchasing a Horse

PLEASE READ THE CONDITIONS OF SALE

1. WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE

We suggest that you arrive on Thursday. That is our day for the Preview of Sale Horses that starts at 2:30 pm.
Horses will be demonstrating their skills in the indoor arena for an allotted time, about 2 to 3 horses at a time. After all of the horses have previewed in the arena, we will invite them all back inside for you to come down from the seats and visit with the consignors. You should inspect the horses you are interested in and ask questions as well. If you are very interested in trying out a horse, Try before you Buy, you will need to sign the Riding Release Form at the sale office when you sign up for a buyers number. Some consignors may require for an appointment to be made before asking to ride their horse at the sale. This works well for both seller and buyer. Please check with the consignor prior to the sale to see if arrangements need to be made for that. We highly advise that you visit the horses/horse at its home if at all possible. You may have vet work/examinations done before the horse goes to the sale and you can of course ride the horse at your will and personally inspect him. We will have a consignor contact number listed with each horses description in the catalog and on our Facebook postings. Please feel free to contact them.

2. PHONE and ONLINE BIDDING

We highly suggest, if you are planning on purchasing a horse Online or By Phone, that prior to the sale, you or a trusted associate, set up an appointment with the consignor to go to their home/barn and inspect and ride the horse you are interested in. You may have at that time, any vet check/radiographs, or vet exams that you would like done. Examine horses prior to bidding and purchase. There is no implied warranty made by the Auctioneer or sale company to the merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose of any animal offered for sale in this auction. All responsibility lies between the Consignor and the Buyer.

3. WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO SEE AT THE SALE

Thursday afternoon at 2:30 will be the Preview of Sale Horses in the coliseum.
On Friday we highly recommend you attend the seminar on “How to Purchase the Right Horse for You and Your Family” that will be given on Friday at 11:30. It will cover many of the questions you may have about purchasing a horse that will suit you.
Friday at 2:30 will be the Flat Hat Farm, Ranch Horse Competition. You will see horses showing their ranch horse skills on pattern work, boxing and roping.
Friday evening at 6:30 will be the Grand Entry of Sale Horses followed by the Trail Horse Competition with the horses competing over natural obstacles found on the ranch or trail.
Saturday morning at 8:30 am will be Cowboy Church held up in the stands by the office. All are welcome to join us.
At 9:30 will be the Trail Competition with the top ten scoring horses coming back for the Finals of the Trail Competition.
That will be followed by the awards presentation and the Horse Sale starting at 1:00 pm.

4. WHAT DO I NEED TO PURCHASE A HORSE

First you will need a buyers number that allows you to bid on the horses. You will need to go to the sales office up on the concourse as you enter through the main doors. You will need to show a current drivers license for identification. You will then be issued a buyer’s number card. To purchase a horse we accept cash, personal checks and credit cards. There will be a 3.4% fee for credit card purchases and a 4% fee for On-Line or Phone Bid purchases.

5. HOW DO I BID ON A HORSE

If you find a horse or horses you like and you want to bid on them, have your buyer’s number ready. When the horse you like comes into the sale ring, raise your hand when the auctioneer calls for an amount that you would like to bid. Watch the ring man in your seating area and he will let you know when you have been out bid. If you are the last bidder and the auctioneer says SOLD, he will ask you for your buyer’s number, you may call it out to him. Please stay in your seat, and a ticket clerk will come to you with the buyer’s ticket for you to sign. Read the ticket and sign your name, at that point you have become the new owner of the horse. You may go to the office at any time to make your payment. There is no rush, but there will be a line if you wait until the end of the sale.

Assistance Bidding on a Horse:
If this is your first time at a horse auction and you feel uncomfortable about being able to bid live, we have someone who will be glad to help you and bid on your behalf. Please ask at the office and they will direct you to the booth where you can speak to someone about helping you with the bidding process. We are glad to assist you with this and make you as comfortable as possible during the process.

6. PAYING FOR YOUR HORSE

If you pay for your horse with cash, you will be given the original registration paper, and the coggin’s test to take with you. If paying by check or credit card, you will be given the coggins test, copies of the registration papers, and the original paper work will be mailed to you within 10 banking days. You will also be given a check out paper that will allow you to remove your horse from the VHC facility.

7. WHEN DO I HAVE TO REMOVE MY HORSE

We highly encourage you to locate the consignor as soon as possible after you purchase your horse. Then you can discuss all pertinent questions you may have about what the horse has been eating and what amounts they have been fed, etc. After your horse is paid for, you may leave at any time with your check out paper work. If you are staying over on Saturday night and leaving Sunday morning, try to make arrangements with the seller for them to possibly leave feed and hay if they have any left before they leave. Check out time is 9:30 am on Sunday. If you need to stay later, please make arrangements at our sale office on Sunday morning. Please note if you need buckets, halter, etc. you may want to buy that ahead of time at one of our vendors while they are there on Saturday. Most consignors will be leaving as soon as the sale is over.

8. WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A HORSE TRAILER WITH ME or I AM PURCHASING ON- LINE OR BY PHONE?

PLEASE try to have arrangements for hauling planned out prior to attending the sale! We have several equine transporters on our website under ATTEND/Equine Transport who may be available to haul a horse for you. Please contact them prior to the sale. If you will be attending and have no trailer, we will have an information board set up at the office that will have consignors and buyers who are able to haul a horse back to their state or a near by state. It will list a name and contact number for you to call them while at the sale. If you are unable to find a transporter for your horse, you will need to make contact with the seller and make arrangements for the seller to take the horse back to their facility and then you make arrangements for transport to be made from there at the buyers expense.

9. MAKE YOUR HORSE A HAPPY PARTNER WITH YOU

Talk with the consignor about the brand, quantity, and type of grain and hay your horse has been eating. Also any information about his past that will help them acclimate to their new home easily. Remember your horse is leaving his home, barn, stall or pasture, and coming to a whole new home that they know nothing about. If you have other horses please give your new horse time to adapt to their new environment and new equine friends. A smooth transition helps prevent possible problems down the road. Your horse will also be tired from their long trip to Virginia then riding for 3 days straight. Then another trip to his new home state. So be understanding and hopefully give them some rest time so they can get back to feeling good about where they are. Happy Trails!