The Tack Auction

Sat Apr 23, 2005

Went to a cool "horse & livestock operation liquidation auction" today, despite it being 29 degrees, 30 mph winds and SNOW (Winter Storm Warning, just a dusting of accumulation though). They had a good crowd there, I never even knew the place existed...a rather small horse operation, with a smallish pole barn/"arena" (I thought the arena where I boarded was small, but you coulda fit THREE of this arena into that one), and maybe 15 box stalls, an outdoor arena, round pen, and pastures...the owners' home was a singlewide, LOL, so you can tell where she spent her money...priorities!!

Met a LOT of people I knew, that's always nice, including the owners of the barn where I used to board (Arabian show barn), they're great people, hugs all around, of course I "just happened" to have pix of Quzqo in my purse, LOL!! Happily he passed muster with those in the Know (but since Edwin Bogucki already approved of him, I didn't care!)! My farrier was there, and some people from the barn where I am presently.

They had just about EVERYthing there...from cattle chutes to Show saddles, bridles, pads, clothes, halters, tubs/buckets, horn wraps for steer ropin', everything, even an Arabian Costume!! GAH! No, I didn't get it...I was really tempted, but truthfully, what would I have done with it? Parade around out on the trails?? None of the shows in this area even have any sort of costume class. It would have looked nice though, purple satin with gold trim (even little bells!). Ah, well.

Was a good auction though, prices weren't bad but a lot of the stuff was CRAP! I missed out on buying a nice black w/white trim English headstall, I thought I was bidding on it, but I ended up with all the "stuff" that was left on the table (damned tall people in front, I couldn't SEE!!!)...so for $17.50 I got two English headstalls (just the cheekpieces/crownpieces), two English nosebands (don't match the headstalls), some GREAT English reins with rubber grips, those I can use, TWO sets of Curb Reins...anybody need any? LOL! (off to eBay once I clean them up), a neat twisted copper wire bradoon, that'll go to eBAy, Quzqo would flip over and die if I used that nasty thing on him; Some English stirrup leathers (don't need 'em), a Tie-down, a back cinch, an off-side latigo, and some NICE leather draw reins...those I can use, I suppose! Anybody need anything? LOL!

Also bought a nice shiny blue day sheet, it's got a couple of massive rips in it (like I said, a lot of the stuff was crap), but I can sew it...not bad for $5, and I'd only need it for those nights-before-the-show so somebody doesn't get poopy tummy when he sleeps! Of course when I tried it on him at the barn, it BARELY fits! GRRRGH...more of a pony sheet I guess...a good 6" of his butt hangs out the back, but it covers him on the sides/barrel, so maybe it'll work. What do ya want for $5, anyway?

And, what I thought was the BEST...TWO Arabian Show Halters!! The real deal...cable, with sterling silver ornaments, and gold throatlatch chains! $22.50 each (that's about what the throatlatch chains cost alone!!) Course when I got home and really looked at them, I see the one has missing/broken vinyl covering the noseband...shit! And the cable is frayed at the end! GRRRGH! The other one is intact except some MORON (not me) trimmed away the "excess" at the crownpiece, so it can't be adjusted any bigger than it is...which, I found out...isn't big enough!! Quzqo head isn't THAT big...I toyed with somehow cobbling up one good halter between the pair of them, but the crownpiece is riveted on on the black one, and screwed on with the red one...it's a shame, cuz the red one is so cool and would look awesome...it has gold "beads", and a gold beaded throatlatch. Of course, there's always the possibility Quzqo might lose some weight before the last weekend in July, which is our first Halter show, as far as I know. (I saw him running around on the hillsides when I walked out to get him, so with
the snow gone & no more huge hay piles to wallow in, he might just lose some weight!)

I got a third halter for a whopping dollar! It's an Arabian show halter, but for a foal or else a Mini...but I figured for a buck, I can throw it on eBay! Sadly it's in the best shape of all of them!!!

They had another show halter, all leather, with the nose chain (but no lead), that went for $67!!! Whew! They can have it. I've still got my $30 eBay one if worse comes to worse.

I also got a ziploc bag full of Halter Ornaments! All sterling silver!! They won't work with these halters, but they MIGHT work with my leather one, I'll have to investigate. Otherwise, off to eBay!

$68 total for basically a couple sets of reins, grrr.

They had some beautiful young Foundation QHs they were going to auction off, but I left before that. One was a gorgeous grulla, *sigh*, but, no thanks.