FAQ

In 1958 Mike Knapp registered the Lazy K brand with the state of California and started running cows in the Fresno area. In the fall of 1959, while attending Fresno State, Mike met a young "aggie" named Sherry. Mike knew from that day on, she would be his partner in their future cattle operation. Sherry even owned her own cow named Bernadine but little did Mike know they would also end up in the horse business. According to Sherry, "Early on, we were having trouble finding good horses that could gather cattle off of 45,000 thousand acres of high country, so we started raising our own and one thing just led to another".

Over 65 years later, 4 generations of Knapps are still running cattle in the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada Mountains as well as operating an extensive horse operation. Lazy K Ranch has become known for its unique pairing of good-minded, athletic working mares with the best ranch and performance horse bloodlines in the country. When you see a horse with a Lazy K on its hip, you know that horse can do an honest day's work and carries the bloodlines from some of the top money earners including; High Brow Cat, Shinning Spark, Peptoboonsmal, Metallic Cat, King Fritz, Doc O Lena and Peppy San Badger.

For starters, our mares are more than just brood mares, they work for a living. When she is not raising a foal, Lazy K mares have a job. Whether in the show ring, gathering cattle in the Sierras or going down the trail in Yosemite, she is paying her way. That means she is sound, has a good mind and knows how to be a good partner.

Combine these traits with world class genetics and it is easy to see why each Lazy K mare is more than just a pretty face. She is the culmination of a 60-year breeding program that emphasizes confidence, soundness, athleticism and a superior disposition. Qualities she naturally passes on to her foal. Qualities you want in your next horse.

Lazy K Ranch holds two online production sales a year (November and May), offering single brand, ranch raised Quarter Horses. A complete online catalog, including videos, pictures and description of each horse, is published on the ranch website prior to each sale. Click here to view the latest catalog.

To place a bid, potential buyers will need to create an account and log in. Once logged in, click the Horses For Sale button on the left side of the Welcome Page. This will take you to the Catalog Summary Page, listing all the horses in the sale. Please note, when the sale starts, a Bid button will appear next to each horse on the Sale Summary Page and your Favorites page. Click here to create an account or to log in.

Upon clicking the Bid Button, the bidder can either place a manual bid or select automatic bidding. To set up automatic bidding, bidder enters the maximum amount he or she would like to pay for a particular horse, then selects Place Bid. The system will bid in $100 increments on their behalf to keep them in the lead but only up to their limit. Please note, the system will not except two maximum bids of the same amount.

At the end of regular bidding, the system goes into a Soft Close. Each horse will have a 3-minute clock and if a bid is placed on that horse before time expires, the clock resets to allow the under-bidder to respond. Bidding for each horse will close when 3 minutes have passed without a bid being placed. An email will be sent to the high bidder congratulating them along with a link to our checkout page where he or she can complete the transaction using a Visa, MC or Discover. The sale is not final until the cc transaction is completed and a receipt appears on the buyer’s screen. If the high bidder does not complete the sale within 30 minutes after the bidding is closed, a Buy Now button will become visible allowing other buyers to purchase the horse.

Foals sold while on the mare stay at Lazy K Ranch until they are old enough to wean and have completed Lazy K ground school. Dates of which will be posted in the catalog. If a colt or filly is injured or otherwise incapacitated before it is ready to be picked up, Lazy K Ranch will keep the foal and allow the purchaser to apply their full purchase price towards another Lazy K horse. Older horses can be picked up as soon as the auction is over. If purchasing a weanling or yearling, please bring a trailer that is fully enclosed in the back and if using a 2-horse straight load, remove the center divider. For more safety tips, please visit the Care Page.

We prefer horses be picked up by the first Monday following the sale. If buyer needs more time to make arrangements, starting on the Tuesday following the sale through that Friday, buyer will be charged board at a rate of $15.00 per day per horse. Then starting on the Saturday following the sale, buyer will be charged board at a rate of $20.00 per day per horse. Board charges do not apply to foals staying on mares. For horses being transported out of state or out of country, board charges will be negotiated on an individual basis. We can also help you set up transport and the associated paperwork.

Please call or text Kayne at 559-481-9080 to set up an appointment so we can have your horse ready for you.

For those buyers wishing to view the sale horses in person prior to purchasing online, ranch gates will be open 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm on Friday and again starting at 9:00 am on Saturday, the last day of the sale. For those guests visiting Lazy K Ranch, please complete an online Release of Liability Form

Yes, to place a bid, you will need to create an account and register as a Buyer prior to the start of the online sale. Click here to create an account or to log in.

Sorry, we are not able to take your bid over the phone.

There are two sales a year, November and May.

Approximately 25 head in our fall sale and 40 head in our spring sale.

A majority of the horses available for purchase are weanlings & yearlings. However, Lazy K Ranch also offers started horses, brood mares, brood mares with foals and/or bred back, and older kids horses. Foals sold while on the mare stay at Lazy K Ranch until they are old enough to wean and have completed Lazy K ground school. If a colt or filly is injured or otherwise incapacitated before it is ready to be picked up, Lazy K Ranch will keep the foal and allow the purchaser to apply their full purchase price towards another Lazy K horse.

Foals sold while on the mare stay at Lazy K Ranch until they are old enough to wean and have completed Lazy K ground school.

If a colt or filly is injured or otherwise incapacitated before it is ready to be picked up, Lazy K Ranch will keep the foal and allow the purchaser to apply their full purchase price towards another Lazy K horse.

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

All of the horses we raise are registered or are eligible to be named and registered by you.

Lazy K Ranch has become known for its unique pairing of good-minded, athletic working mares with the best ranch and performance horse bloodlines in the country, including High Brow Cat, Shinning Spark, Peptoboonsmal, Metallic Cat, King Fritz, Doc O Lena and Peppy San Badger.

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

Lazy K Ranch takes a very proactive approach to genetic testing. Every horse offered for sale has their 6 panel genetic evaluation clearly listed in the catalog description.

The 6-panel is a test for six different genetic diseases found in quarter horses and other stock horse breeds. The panel includes testing for GBED (Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency), HERDA (Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia), HYPP (Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis), MH (Malignant Hyperthermia), PSSM (Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy) and IMM (Immune-Mediated Myositis). A few of our colts and fillies carry a recessive GBED gene which will not affect the health of the horse itself. GBED is only a problem if two horses carrying GBED are mated together, in which case there is a 50% chance of a still born foal.

Lazy K Ranch has the largest remuda of working AQHA mares on the West Coast. So, when she is not raising a foal, Lazy K mares have a job. Whether in the show ring, gathering cattle in the Sierras or going down the trail in Yosemite, she is paying her way. That means she is sound, has a good mind and knows how to be a good partner.

Combine these traits with world class genetics and it is easy to see why each Lazy K mare is more than just a pretty face. She is the culmination of a 60-year breeding program that emphasizes confidence, soundness, athleticism and a superior disposition. Qualities she naturally passes on to her foal. Qualities you want in your next horse.

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, breedability, trainability and conformation (good legs & feet, good withers & back, small head, big eyes). 40 years of experience also helps.

Prior to the start of each online production sale, Lazy K Ranch publishes a catalog on their website. Click here to view the latest catalog.

To place a bid, potential buyers will need to create an account and log in. Once logged in, click the Horses For Sale button on the left side of the Welcome Page. This will take you to the Catalog Summary Page, listing all the horses in the sale. Please note, when the sale starts, a Bid button will appear next to each horse on the Sale Summary Page and your Favorites page. Click here to create an account or to log in.

For those buyers wishing to view sale horses in person before purchasing online, ranch gates will be open 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm on Friday and again starting at 9:00 am on Saturday, the last day of the sale. For those guests visiting Lazy K Ranch, please complete an online Release of Liability Form prior to arrival.

Visa, MC & Discover.

Your registration papers will be mailed to you after the sale.

Great care is taken to show each yearling how to greet their handler, lead, stand tied, pick up their feet and load into a trailer. Elements of a much larger training program Tom Dorrance helped us set up years ago. Even with this foundation in place, like any young horse, one should always use good "horse sense" when working with them.

Yes, your horse will be haltered when you pick him or her up.

Please call or text Kayne at 559-481-9080 to set up an appointment so we can have your horse ready for you. When you arrive, pull your trailer into the loading area and Lazy K associates will load your horse(s) for you.

We prefer horses be picked up by the first Monday following the sale. If buyer needs more time to make arrangements, starting on the Tuesday following the sale through that Friday, buyer will be charged board at a rate of $15.00 per day per horse. Then starting on the Saturday following the sale, buyer will be charged board at a rate of $20.00 per day per horse. Board charges do not apply to foals staying on mares. For horses being transported out of state or out of country, board charges will be negotiated on an individual basis. We can also help you set up transport and the associated paperwork.

We are happy to help you set up transport and the associated paperwork. Board charges will be negotiated on an individual basis.

Each region is different so check with your state ag department. Typically you need a negative Coggins Test and a health certificate. We can set up the vet appointment and help you get the associated paperwork.