A. Lazy K Ranch, owned and operated by the Knapp family, has run cattle and horses in the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada Mountains for 3 generations. Started as a cow outfit, Lazy K Ranch has become known for producing great horses. According to Mike Knapp, "Gathering cattle off of 45,000 thousand acres at elevations up to 6500 ft., takes a special kind of horse. He has to have a good mind, good legs and a big heart."

Q. How did Lazy K Ranch's Annual Pick A Colt Day Production Sale get started?

A. Unable to find a reliable source of quality horses for the stock operation, Sherry Knapp, the matriarch of Lazy K Ranch’s horse program, purchased the ranch’s first AQHA stallion and then searched the west coast for cow bred mares with good conformation to cross him on. Before long, word spread and friends and neighbors were asking if they could purchase horses right off the ranch. One thing lead to another and in 1982 Lazy K Ranch held its first annual Pick A Colt Day Production Sale.

Q. Is the Pick A Colt horse sale an auction?

A. No, it is not an auction. It is a first pick, first purchase situation, and everything is pre-priced.

Q. Why don't you just have an auction?

A. This unique sale is better than an auction because you don't have to sit around and wait for hours for a particular horse to come into the ring, and there will not be anyone outbidding you and raising the price. You know ahead of time exactly what the price will be.

Q. What is the procedure on Pick A Colt Day?

A. The ranch front gate is opened at 8:30 a.m. on Pick A Colt day. Upon arrival you sign in, receive a catalog and are given buyer's number. At 9:00 a.m. all riding horses will be previewed. At 10:00 a.m. Pick A Colt Sale will begin. Corral gates are opened and buyers are escorted to the corrals where the Pick A Colt sale will commence. All horses have a pre-set price which is listed in the catalog next to their description. Upon finding the horse you wish to purchase, show your buyer's number to the ranch person in a red shirt, who is standing near the catalog number of your horse. Let him or her know which horse you want. Sign a purchase agreement with your horse's catalog number on it. The Lazy K Ranch person will attach a sold sticker to the catalog number near your horse. When you are finished looking, return to the front desk with your purchase agreement, and pay for your horse.

Q. Can horses be purchased online ?

A. At approximately 11:00 am, you will be able to purchase any horses that are still available. Please note that pre-registering is strongly recommended.

Q. When is Pick A Colt Day ?

A. Starting in 2011, Pick A Colt Day will be the first Saturday in May.

Q. How many horses are generally offered at Lazy K Ranch's Pick A Colt Day ?

A. In the past few years we have averaged about 80 head.

Q. What are the ages of the horses offered?

A. A majority of the horses are weanlings, including some born the previous fall and left on the mares all winter. There are often a few yearlings, two year olds, started two year olds, started three year olds, brood mares, brood mares with foals and/or bred back, and older kids horses.

Q. What do you mean by weanlings ?

A. We define weanlings as foals that have just been taken off their mother. They can range from 3 months of age to as old as 8½ months. Of course, foals born in the Fall will actually be yearlings by sale time. These foals are usually very "growthy", as they have been on the mares all winter.

Q. What is the price range for horses offered at your sale?

A. We guarantee to have 45 head priced between $575.00 to $975.00. Most of the remaining horses will average $200 to $300 more.

Q. How can the prices be so low?

A. All of the mares work in the summer as trail and lesson horses so they earn their keep, and all the foals are bred and raised right here at Lazy K Ranch. They are all top quality!

Q. Are the horses registered ?

A. While we may occasionally sell a foal without papers, 99% of the horses we raise will be registered or can be named and registered by you.

Q. What are the breeds of horses offered ?

A. AQHA-American Quarter Horses, APHA-American Paint Horses.

Q. What percentage are usually Paints?

A. Generally 40% of the weanlings in the sale are APHA with loud Paint markings.

Q. What types of Quarter Horses will be offered?

A. There will be some of the top working cow horse and halter horse lines available anywhere! Many have Doc O' Lena, Little Peppy, Shining Spark, Holywood Dunit or other well known horses on their papers.

Q. Are the horse registration papers available the day of the sale?

A. If you pay with cash, travelers checks or Visa/MC, the registration papers will be available the day of the sale. If you pay with personal check, we will hold registration papers two weeks until your check clears our bank.

Q. What are some of the colors available?

A. There is usually a little bit of everything. Browns, Blacks, Bays, Sorrels, Buckskins, Palominos, Blue Roans, Bay Roans, Red Roans and the occasional Grullo.

Q. What kind of mares are these colts and fillies out of?

A. Most of the mares are registered AQHA, with cow horse and pleasure horse lines. Because they work in the summer, you can be assured they are sound, with strong legs and good minds.

Q. How do you decide which mares and stallions should be bred together?

A. First, only our best mares make it into our breeding program. We start by looking at the traits of each mare and then cross her on the stallion that best compliments her. We consider qualities like disposition, breedablity, trainabilty and conformation (good legs & feet, good withers & back, small head, big eyes). Then we take a little luck, mix in some trial and error and season it with 30 years of experience.

Q. Can you send me a Sales Catalog ?

A. An online catolog, including photos, will be available for your review by the end of April. Printed catalog will also be available after the gates open at 8:30 a.m. on sale day.

Q. Can I see prices listed online ?

A. The exact prices will be posted online on Friday, the day before Pick A Colt Day. Before then, horses can be sorted into three price catagories ...horses priced less then $775, horses priced less then $975 and horses priced less then $1200.

Q. After looking at the catalog how do I find the horse I want to pick ?

A. After you've looked through the catalog, you will be escorted to the area where the horses are penned up. Each horse has a numbered sticker on its rump which corresponds to it's number in the Sales Catalog. Most of the horses are housed in small pens (two in each) and will be in numerical order.

Q. Can horses be previewed before Pick A Colt Day ?

A. An online catolog, including photos, will be available for your review by the end of April. Please note that in order to keep it fair for the people who are traveling long distances to attend our sale, we do not allow any of the horses to be previewed in person or prepicked.

Q. What forms of payments are accepted ?

A. Cash, Travelers Checks, Personal Checks and Visa/MC. Please note that a convenience fee of 2.5% of the transaction amount will be charged to Visa/Mc users. If you pay with a Personal Check, your foal's registration papers will be held until your Personal Check clears our bank.

Q. Have the weanlings had halters on them?

A. Yes, they have all been worked with, however, like any young horses, one should always use care when working with them, and should always use good "horse sense".

Q. Does a halter come with my horse ?

A. No, most people bring halters with them, but you can purchase halters at the sale.

Q. Are there young horses that are started in the sale ?

A. We usually have some very nice started 2 & 3 year olds in the sale.

Q. Are there older kids horses in the sale ?

A. Normally we have two or three very gentle kids horses in the sale.

Q. Is there someone available to help me load my horse ?

A. Yes, we will load your horse for you.

Q. What if I can not take my horse with me the day of the sale?

A. If at all possible, we suggest you take your horse home within a day of purchase so that it may get settled in. You may, however, leave your horse for 48 hours after purchase with no extra charge. If longer, board will be charged at the rate of $4.00 per day. This will include alfalfa hay and a grain supplement. After 30 days, form purchase, board charges will be renegotiated. Board charges do not apply to foals staying on mares.

Q. What should I do when I get my weanling home?

A. If it is a young horse, put him in a small board or pipe pen until you are able to walk up and easily catch him. Work with him slowly and be cautious about putting a young horse in with an older horse which might kick. Give him plenty of fresh water, good feed, and supplements. We are happy to help with any questions you may have and will hand out a list of our recommendations for your new foal.