Back in The Day...

Lately we read a lot of stories about the terrors of horse auctions, and horse dealers, and how we shouldn't frequent them to sell or buy from them. Some people think Auction equals slaughter and horse trader equals kill buyer. I've read posts on forums describing people at sales as "laughing, talking, and having a good time, and some even had their children with them!!!!!!” .... The posters seemed to feel this was horrific behavior, comparable to giggling at a funeral, or renting x rated videos for the kids. I guess they don't realize there was a time not too long ago when going to a horse sale WAS an enjoyable event. It was a time when people who had something in common...horses, got together and talked about something they knew and loved. It was something a lot of people enjoyed...a community event where the kids could learn a thing or two about what makes a good horse. They didn't need an Internet guru, mom and dad had the information, and the horses were there in front of them. If there were flaws in conformation, or temperament, they could see them for themselves, and have them explained by people who handled horses every day. The "feedback" was right there in real time and meant to educate. And if there was someone new to the horse world looking, there were lots of folks willing to offer advice, take a look at a horse for sale, or even help explain the bidding process. You could get a good deal, because people weren't shamed into keeping a horse that no longer fit into their program. That babysitter horse everyone wants and the kids of one family outgrew would be up for sale, instead of standing out in a field with nothing to do but act as a pasture ornament. That barrel horse that may not have worked for one family, could be just what another family is looking for, and that horse that is just "too much" for one child may just be the perfect step up for a child looking to move up into a more challenging mount. That's how it used to work, and that's WHY it worked. It wasn't that people didn't care, or that they were dumping the horses, it was a chance to find something that would work for you, while giving someone else a chance to find the same by offering your horse up for sale. But that was back in the old days when people who actually sat on the back of a horse had a bit more say in how we did things. And if you were one of those laughing, talking, and having a good time with the kids in tow, count yourself as lucky that you're able to look back on those memories.
by Ranch Hand2