Issue 8:  Serving the equine community through information and product offerings.

• Buying Your First (or 2nd) Horse - at the Auction
• *A Closer Look* Bill Donovan's Leather Lotion
• Current HorseSaddleShop.com specials
• Daily Equine forums full of friendly equine enthusiasts
• Sell All Things Equine Related - Free Classifieds!
• Save more with your next purchase from HorseSaddleShop.com

 You are at the point in your life (and equine education) that you want a horse of your own.  You have studied breed standards, taken riding and ground lessons, and fully understand the care, feeding, housing and medical needs of an animal as big as….well, a horse! You have a support staff, including veterinarian and farrier waiting in the wings.  You know exactly what “job” you want your horse to do, and you have narrowed your “want” list to the breeds that can best do that job, or discipline. 

Now where do you begin to look for your perfect first horse?  Horses can be purchased at auctions, directly from owners, breeders, or from a reputable horse dealer.  Talk to people, check classifieds ad, both online and in print.  Visit your local feed stores and tack stores, most have bulletin boards for sellers to post ads onto.  Be prepared to look at a lot of horses, and really look, not just sweep a glance over a herd in a paddock.    

At horse auctions, you are very likely to see a large number of animals, and unless you attend a breed-specific auction, you will likely see a wide selection of breeds or breed-types.  At some auction yards you may also see a “meat pen”, surrounded by bidders, hoping to pay bottom dollar for the horses that no one else wants.  This is not for the faint of heart, nor is it usually the place to find a good quality, healthy, sound “first horse”.  Unless you have experience rehabilitating a horse rescued from the auction-yard and the meat buyers, the rescuing is best left to someone else. 

This does not mean that you must rule out every horse at every auction, but it is best to take along someone with above-average horse judging abilities.  It is also advised that if you find a promising horse at an auction, use the services of the auction-yard veterinarian and have the animal examined, for a fee, prior to the horse going into the ring.  Disreputable sellers, who can remain virtually unknown to the buyer at an auction, may attempt to cover soundness, health or behavior issues in their horses with medications. 

A horse purchased at an equine or livestock auction almost never comes with a return policy, a money-back guarantee or a warranty.  It is also up to the buyer to make sure that any registration papers are properly issued, up-to-date, and match the horse being purchased.  It is imperative that you receive a dated receipt for the full purchase price, along with the necessary health papers required by your state, or any state that you may be traveling through.

At most auctions, you must be prepared to take your purchased horse from the site by the end of the auction.  A sturdy, extra halter and lead rope in the truck may also come in handy as, with most horse transactions, your beloved new equine friend will have a very limited wardrobe.  As with any purchase, consider the weather, and plan accordingly if your horse will need a sheet or blanket while traveling. 

A well-prepared first-time horse buyer, who has the assistance of a well-educated, and experienced horseperson, along with a veterinarian’s services, may be able to find his or her beloved and never-forgotten first horse at a breed or livestock auction.

We all have them: Dirty Saddles and Dirty Tack.  Bill Donovan the award winning trainer has a simple solution named Bill Donovan's Leather Lotion.  Bill has created the spray on and wipe off solution that will clean your saddle while also conditioning it at the same time.  Bill's Leather Lotion will keep your saddle leather soft and helps remove any mildew.  Be sure to keep your leather in top condition (much is riding on it) at an economical cost.  Visit Bill Donovan's site at http://www.leather-lotion.com

Current Saddles on Clearance

Our saddle makers are always introducing new models and making changes to old models of saddles.  This causes us to have inventory problems which is a very good thing for our customers.  Here is our current list of NEW but old model saddles.  We've knocked the price as low as we could to make room for the newer models..  Act soon because these saddles have a limited availability.

  

16" Black Fabtron High Back Saddle 7107hb CLEARANCE Suggested Price: $589.90 Our Low Price: $405.00

15" Cordura Barrel Saddle by Big Horn bh230 Suggested Price: $748.00 Our Low Price: $492.00

16" Big Horn FQHB Cordura Black Saddle 275 CLEARANCE Suggested Price: $750.00 Our Low Price: $475.00

16" Western Barrel Racing Saddle - Custom dk355 CLEARANCE Suggested Price: $1,120.00 Our Low Price: $680.00

15" Tex Tan Whatapleasure Trail Saddle 08-423c5 Suggested Price: $1,120.00 Our Low Price: $715.30

16" 17" Circle Y Trail Starter Saddle CLEARANCE 3607 Suggested Price: $1,050.00 Our Low Price: $735.00

15 1/2" Tex Tan Flex Endurance Saddle with Horn CLEARANCE 08-tf903c55 Suggested Price: $1,470.00 Our Low Price: $875.00

15" Crates Endurance Lite Traveler Saddle CR 5000 Suggested Price: $1,480.00 Our Low Price: $924.00

16" Tex Tan Hereford Old Timer Roping Saddle 08-1380s Suggested Price: $1,595.00 Our Low Price: $939.99

15" Tex Tan Connie Combs Barrel Racing Saddle 08-845na5 Suggested Price: $1,695.00 Our Low Price: $945.00

16" Tex Tan Eliminator Reining Saddle 08-1288 Suggested Price: $1,790.00 Our Low Price: $1,090.00

Have you visited our informational site DailyEquine.com?  We have a forum that is dedicated to spreading the knowledge of the equine enthusiasts.  We have a very knowledgeable group of Moderators and Members that provide help on many topics.  Visit them and see what it is all about.

Recent Topics (click to view the conversations):

New Shavings Queries- Opinions-

Tetanus!

Melrose Oil

Hay prices

What age to start riding-

INEXPENSIVE SADDLE

We've added a feature to our DailyEquine.com website to help you sell your tack, saddles, trailers or horses.  This is a free service that allows you to reach thousands more people than you normally would.  Check out the new Classifieds at http://www.dailyequine.com/classifieds/QuickClassifieds.asp

Looking for something to buy?  Look no further than our Classifieds section brought to you from DailyEquine.com

At HorseSaddleShop.com we strive to provide the best service, product and price.  We ship all saddles in the 48 Contiguous United States for free and offer an additional savings for every order.  Whether you are ordering on-line, over the phone or at our store you can use the coupon code ts2p for a checkout discount.  Happy shopping!

Please send your responses to specials@dailyequine.com. We look forward to hearing from you!