Where I was in Texas, when you took a horse to the auction they required a deposit...in case the horse didn't bring the commission to sell him.
It's sad.
On another note, the horse sales during the Black Hills Stock Show seemed to go fine. Some good prices and lots of bidders.
Good horses still sell well. It's what they can do that makes the
difference. I saw a horse sell that I would have died for, had he
not been quite so big. This horse was a MACHINE, he was so well
broke. He'd done lots of ranch work and was consigned by Casey Vaughn, Scenic. SD. The footnotes said :
"Pudden has been used for everything on the ranch. I have drug hundreds of calves to the
fire and doctored cattle in the pasture. Nice to sort on and started
nicely in the arena." He was Doc's Lynx and Cee Bee Command bred.
He sold for $6700.
Another real nice horse, a grey gelding, 9 years old, Tyrees Watch bred, brought $8250, but he was a 'No Sale.' He was owned by Bill Dale and Jesse Dale, Timberlake, SD. The footnotes said, "We raised this nice Tyrees Watch/Two Eyed Jack gelding. This horses full brother qualified for the Wrangler Jr. High National Finals in Team Roping, Calf Roping, Breakaway and Ribbon Roping and won $40,000 in the USTRC finals in 2007. Darre is just as versatile. He has been hauled to jackpots and had roped both ends. He has great potential."
I'm pretty fussy about how horses are broke and these two were way above average in that department. It was fun to see. I have to say, that the horses I saw sell at that sale, were better broke than they used to be. Not so much "head up--nose out--mouth gaping" stuff.