Thursday 27 November 2008

Llanybydder Auction

A few of the cob youngsters offered at Llanybydder Horse Sale today . . .


The last Thursday in the month is when our local horse auction is held, at Llanybydder in Carmarthenshire. I was meeting up with a friend from a Horse Charity (Equine Market Watch)
which I also try and support along with Lluest Horse & Pony Trust. As I had used rugs which I no longer had any use for now the horses are all gone, and also things like bandages and brushing boots which are no longer needed, I have shared my "leftovers" between the two charities.

Anyway, after meeting up with Siobhan from EMW Wales, my husband and I looked around the sale, and the car boot sale in the hall - where a man in the entrance was surruptitiously trying to sell a tiny Jack Russell pup which was not old enough to be weaned. This is NOT allowed on the mart premises (hence him lurking in the entrance to the hall), but unfortunately although there was a big police presence - about 10 of our men in blue - the RSPCA inspector appeared to be invisible so I couldn't report this. I was fortunate enough to find a book about Arab breeding from the 1970s, so I added that to my collection. The photographs in it were wonderful and a lot of them are horses which are related to my darling lad - I still think of him as "my" lad, though he's settled in at his new home now.



Apparently recent horse sales at Llanybydder and Brecon have been swamped with people offloading horses and ponies of all sorts because of the economic climate - though the bulk has been mongrel youngsters with little or no future outside of a tin of cat food. Numbers were down today - average figures for the last few autumn sales I have attended in recent years. I took a few photographs, but was glad to see that hay was being provided in most pens and stalls, but I don't think I noticed one bucket of water . . .


Spots always sell. I felt sorry for the wormy chestnut at the back.

These looked pretty enough to attract a few bids.

A couple of pocket Shetlands . . .

I think this little chap had cornered the market in "cute and hairy"!

I had to walk away before I took even more of a fancy to the little black on the left.

One of the coloured foals on offer - it should grow out of being so croup-high, but I doubt it will ever have a longer neck . . .

There were some horses and ponies in the riding section which were being "talked up" with photographs and testimonials about their abilities - I hope they went to good homes, but if they are "right" it shows how desperate people are to sell them. Sometimes they're very much NOT right though - bigger horses with navicular or "invisible" ailments, or have problems under saddle - described as "has been known to buck" for which you may readily interpret as "would suit rodeo", or "takes a keen hold out hunting" : "Unstoppable", or "has been seen to crib" as it demolishes anything it can get its teeth into . . .

The coloureds - "gypsy cobs" - usually sell (though their owners have inflated ideas of their value; come Autumn no one will touch a Thoroughbred with a barge pole because they have to be FED over the winter; Section Ds (Welsh Cobs) usually find good homes with farmers, especially if they are mares which will be bred from or have good blood lines. In the summer months there used to be (haven't been this summer) some mares with quite tidy bloodlines being offered - this is the traditional "old farmer" way of selling homebred stock, though if it's REALLY good, it will go off to the Cob Sales at Builth.

If you're thinking, don't you get upset? Or "how can you walk away?" The answer is that not every pony goes to a necessarily bad home. I'm not there to see which - if any - go to the Meat Man. It's a case of not allowing your imagination or your compassion to run riot. Most of the ones there today were in pretty fair condition. The late-winter sales are another matter.

Anyway, we had other fish to fry, and had to head down to Ferryside, to what had been a series of old milking sheds (blooomin' cold and miserable and windsweapt it was today too). I bought a fixed cheek twisted pelham for my bit collection and a gorgeous Victorian (or older?) glass rolling pin with wonderful flaws in the glass, and my husband, who had gone for pitch pine and old brass handles for his current renovation projects, also struck lucky.

Cast iron fire surround anyone?


It was an Alladin's cave . . . largely of rubbish! Unless you wanted pitch pine pews of course!

There's a nice butterchurn at the back (just like one I have).






Now I have drawn the curtains against a wet, black and miserable night and shall settle down with my Arab book and my sewing tonight.

6 comments:

A Bite of Country Cupcakes said...

What an Interesting post!
I am amazed by all those horses and ponies and alittle saddened but what may be the harsh reality for some.
But there really was some lovely looking little ones amongst the pic's.
And the pews would've been comming home with me!
I have always wanted to lay my hands on some.
My aunty had some sheused in a corner of her home and made long cushions to sit on top of the seat area and they looked tops!

Kim said...

Oh, I've always wanted to go to that sale, since hearing about it when we were moving to Drefach. I guess it's a good thing none of that went through, as I can see a couple just from your pictures that I'd have difficulty walking away from!

A lovely post, I really am enjoying your blog :)

Kim x

nancy said...

Jennie, what fun! I absolutely love the bit - it's beautiful. and the rolling pin is amazing! I do love the pews. Could you just pop one of those into the mail?
Actually, we come across old church pews here from time to time. I mean to have one someday!
Nancy

nancy said...

I hate to think of the horses/ponies! It would be very difficult for me, I think, to see them and imagine their fate. Even the animals suffer hard times. One of my favorite books as a child was Black Beauty. It was amazing how the plight of a horse has stuck with me. Never having owned my own, I don't know how it would be to lose one. But I think I have an idea what you are feeling about your "lad".
Nancy

Sian said...

I am familiar with Ferryside and that looks a pretty amazing Aladin's cave - if it is not too much trouble, could you let me know its address please as I am rather fancying that cast iron saucepan - they are not easy to find :o)

Bovey Belle said...

Sian - he's only "open" on Thurs/Fri/Sat I think. We didn't have an address - just a blown up bit of a map. We went down on the A484 then took a side turning right (2nd of two quite close together and after the main R turn to Ferryside) at the bottom of a dip which takes you up - eventually - through Broadhay (Broadlay?). Then he had a "sale" sign up on the left as you went out through the village. The flier for it is out in the car and it's still pitch black at the moment. Hope that helps anyway.