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Buying or selling a horse?

Welcome to RanchHand Auctions.

A safe and judgement-free auction, serving Alberta, Canada, and beyond. Whether you're on the lookout for your next equine companion or thinking about selling a horse, you're in the right place!

Reasons to work with us

1

The traditional auction experience can be incredibly stressful for the horses. Suddenly, they are pulled out of their homes and thrown together with many, many horses in a place they do not know. This not only leads to the possibility of spreading illnesses (such as strangles), but a lot of fear and uncertainty. We aim to combat this by selling the horses out of the homes that they live in now. In the event that a horse cannot remain in its home until the sale is over, we have connections to try and get them to a safe layover spot.

2

When you're looking for a horse, you probably KNOW what you want and need. It is our view that you CANNOT properly evaluate a horse at an auction. The process of standing in a small pen and then being shown in a ring does not do justice to the horse. Some horses freeze, some horses act up.. In either case, you are not seeing the horse for WHO they are, which leads to "buyers remorse", creating more horses that need to go back into the rehoming space.

3

We are committed to doing all we can to paint an accurate picture of the horse that is looking for a new home. The more photos and videos we have, the better, so the client can see how the horse performs. Descriptions are written by us. We ask the hard questions without judgement, all so we can make sure what the ad says is accurate.

4

This is NOT an exclusive or performance auction. We WILL consign performance horses, but we really wanted to make this auction a tool to find homes for horses that may not be as desirable. You do NOT need to pretend your horse is more capable than it is. There are many horses out there that are not tame, not broke, and not entirely sound.. This does not negate the face that they deserve a safe place to live out their life.

5

We are transparent with our practices. Our fees are straight forward. This is a business, so we MUST charge something.. but hidden fees and extras aren't something we encourage. Other auctions take MASSIVE shares of the profits... We charge only the sale fee (plus GST - because the government says so). At this time, we do not charge consignment fees.

6

We are here to help! If you cannot get photos or videos, we can send out someone to take your photos and videos for you! If you need a vet, or a farrier, we can recommend one. This auction is run by horse owners, and horse lovers. Our goal is to try and make a positive impact on the industry, and do what we can to set a new standard for horse rehoming.

About Us

"If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later."

It's taken me a long time to figure out how I wanted to present Ranch hand auctions to the world.. I've been calling it analysis paralysis, (something I'm known for), but I've realised that it isn't. I’ve been missing my "why".

WHY did I spend the time and money hiring a team to create an entire platform to do this? What am I trying to achieve?

I want to change the way people buy and sell horses. I want to provide another option. Traditional in-person auctions are a social event that I LOVE to attend and network at, see the old boys in person - i also have the utmost respect for auctioneers and their profession. After working alongside many of them for years, I got to know a few of them personally, and damn, what a hard working, dedicated group of guys. That being said, I don't think a single one would disagree if I were to say that auctions are stressful for animals. It's a fact.

I want to provide another option.

I want to provide an out for the people who can't care for their horses anymore but don't know what to do.

People don't want to answer 18395 questions, and take photos of feet, and rinse and repeat 30 times before you sell the horse.

People may want to auction a horse but not put them in that environment, or expose them to other horses, or even may not have a way to transport them to auction.

So now, what if I took the horse auction online? What if the horse could stay home and peaceful in its normal environment? What if we could allow people a bit more time to bid? To think about what they're buying and ask questions? And thus, RanchHand Auctions was born...

I was working for Manheim Auctions when covid hit and the car industry - very similar to the horse industry in terms of old school-ness- had to go online. Car dealers did not buy cars online. Car dealers touched cars. They listened to cars. Drove them! Of course! But our industry, like the rest of the world, had to adapt. And adapt we did. I've seen the pain that comes from starting an online timed auction. I've seen what worked, and I've seen what didn't.. for cars. Everyone said they couldn't, but to this day, with covid in the rear view, the vast majority of car deals are done sight-unseen, so maybe the idea isn't as far fetched as it seems...

Will people still want to ride horses in person? ABSOLUTELY.
Will traditional auctions still exist? ABSOLUTELY.
Will people still want to do their own selling? OF COURSE!
I'm not trying to sell every horse in the world online, but I'd like to provide another option.

Here to help. A.

FAQ

What are the fees like?
Right now we are offering NO CONSIGNMENT FEES and NO NO-SELL FEES. The sell fee is a tiered system as follows: Sales up to $2,000: 10% // Fee: $200 max // Sales from $2,001 to $5,000: 8% // Fee on $5,000: $400 max // Sales from $5,001 to $10,000: 6% // Fee on $10,000: $600 max // Sales from $10,001 to $20,000: 4% // Fee on $20,000: $800 max // Sales over $20,000: 3% // Fee on $30,000: $900 max // Fee on $50,000: $1,500 max //
Why don’t you take payment for the horse?
To be transparent, we cannot afford to. When an auction house acts as a broker between buyer and seller, we need to procure a “Livestock Dealer License”. Unfortunately, this requires a $40,000 surety bond. I do not have $40,000. You are able to get insurance that covers your bond, but as I do NOT own property, I did not qualify. This is something we will look at doing in the near future as we grow.
Why do I have to pay the sell fee before getting information for the buyer?
This one is simple – If you get all of the info before paying, what incentive do you have to pay your fees?
Why can’t I talk to the seller before the purchase?
If there’s one thing I know about auctions, it’s that buyers and sellers really like to save money. What better way to save money than to cut the auction out of the sale and sell the horse privately? Will it happen, of course, but I’d like to get paid for the marketing we do!
Why do you push so hard for video?
It is my honest belief that video should be REQUIRED if you are selling a horse as “broke”. This isn’t something I am implementing at launch but will be in the future. If your horse is safe to ride, and you’re looking for money that reflects that, why would you not have video to show? If you need help getting photos or videos, we can help with that!
What if my horse doesn’t sell?
There is a possibility that your horse may not garner the interest or money that you desire. At this time, any horse that does not sell will have the opportunity to “rerun” for another week. Before reposting, we will audit the listing with the seller and see if we can add anything more, drop the reserve, or add more photo or video. There are no no-sell fees at this time. If a bid comes close to the reserve, the buyer and seller will both be contacted to see if we can make a deal!
Can I set a reserve?
Yes. You can set a reserve.
What if I sell my horse outside of the auction before the auction ends?
If you are running a horse and sell it BEFORE ANY BIDS ARE PLACED, it may be removed at our discretion, on our timeframe. Sending an email asking for it to be taken down at 11:35pm and then complaining that you have bids in the morning, and so it cannot be removed doesn’t cut it. There needs to be a level of respect for the auction and its buyers, so anyone who sells a horse who has active bids WILL BE BANNED. No second chances.
What if someone buys my horse and doesn’t pay me?
Although all buyers and sellers are vetted over the phone, it doesn’t mean this will never happen. In the case that it does, I would appreciate immediate reporting to myself, or any of the staff. The buyer will immediately be banned with NO SECOND CHANCES.
How do I sign up?
There is a contact form on our webpage – Please fill it out and a member of our team will contact you to get you registered ASAP!
How do I list a horse?
Only auction staff can list horses. If you are already signed up, you can email me at alex@ranchhandauctions.com to set up your listing. Please include as much detail as you can along with any photo and video of the horse.
What if I don’t have someone to take photos or video of my horse being ridden?
If you do not have sufficient video or photo to properly and accurately market your horse, we are able to send out a photographer/videographer. There is a fee involved which varies depending on location. Please contact alex@ranchhandauctions.com if this is a service you require.
When is payment due?
You have 24 hours to pay your fees once the auction has ended. Once your fees are paid, information for buyer and seller will be exchanged and it will be the buyer/seller responsibility to pay for the horse WITHIN 48 HOURS and take possession of it at the earliest convenience of both parties.
What about horses I need gone NOW?
We are partnered with kind people in the community that MAY be able to house your horse/s for you until they are finished selling. Please contact us if this is service you may require. No judgement, ever.
My horses are in embarrassing shape, I cannot afford to feed them, I cannot afford to care for them. Will I get in trouble if I reach out to you?
No. The goal is to help horses that need a new place to live. Things happen and although the welfare of the animal is our priority - judgement will not help the situation. The horse community is small, but it is also big - There are people who can help. We are in contact with those people. Please reach out if you are in a situation that requires discretion. alex@ranchhandauctions.com
Do you offer transportation?
Although the auction itself does not provide transportation, we do have a list of haulers who travel across Canada and the USA.