World Thoroughbreds

Where are the off the track thoroughbred auctions?

So for a while now I’ve been hoping to by my own OTTB to retrain into an eventer. You hear all the time that these ex-racers get sold for a mere couple hundred of dollars, sadly usually to meat packers who are going to ship them off somewhere. What I want to know is where do these meat packers buy their horses from? Where are said horse auctions? I’ve tried searching google many times now and have come up with no results. I’m not looking to adopt an OTTB, and I’m not looking to pay a million dollars for a yearling either. I know I can probably go to a claiming race and pick up a horse fairly cheap, but I think an auction would be even less expensive.
Please tell me if you know how the sale of OTTB’s works, or link me to a site with more information.

This is hard to answer because I have no idea where you live. If you are in the US then as far as I know horses are not allowed to be sold for meat.
I’m in Canada and there are auction houses where horse meat is sold, usually the same auction houses will also sell other livestock such as cows, pigs, sheep so if you speak to a farmer you will find out where the auction houses are in the area and if they sell horses also.
You can also pick up an OTTB at the track, get talking to the trainers, grooms, etc. They will point you in the direction of where you may pick up a OTTB for sale cheap.
You can go to the big racing farms and ask if they have anything available for sale, usually they will have a selection that they would like to sell.
Look online at the Jockey Club and race associations, sometimes they will have a for sale page and also listings of upcoming horse auctions.
Pick up a thoroughbred magazine, there will be lots of info on where you can contact breeders, trainers and owners. There will also be lots of websites that you can find in there an check out.
Hope that helps!