Auction Report – Arkansas
Aug 22 2007
Yet another auction report from a reader…more reasons not to breed if you can’t afford and have the know-how to breed a TOP quality horse who is likely to stay safe from this kind of outcome.
I do disagree that anyone “has no choice” but to let horses go to the killers. The right choice is euthanasia if you can’t find them homes and can’t give them away and can’t afford to feed them. Selling them at an auction or hauling them to a slaughter plant yourself is about MONEY. It means you are a greedy fuckwit. I have no sympathy for someone who breeds a HUNDRED horses and then can’t feed them. STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT you insufferable evil morons!
~~~~~~~~~~
My husband and I went to the monthly horse sale last Saturday (40 miles from us). We were there until the sale was over at 3 a.m., got home at 4. The place was PACKED with people and horses. I watched as one horse after another went through. Good, sound, PAPERED, broke and some even harness broke, horses were going for between $100 and $350. Mostly to the killer buyers who were there. If they had not been there, the prices would have been even worse…*if* the horses sold at all! One dun gelding was really appealing to me – he looked like a Morgan. Beautiful crested neck on him with a huge laid back shoulder. Lots of bone, smoothly muscled, very pretty. Quarter Horse papers. Kid broke, 6 years old, and broke to drive. The killers got him for $350. The place was pretty quiet most of the time. A lady we know had three mares and a gelding there. She mainly takes in rescues. For a year now she has been OVERWHELMED with people asking her to take horses they can’t feed, etc. anymore. She told me that for the first time, she’s turning away horses that she just can’t take. The gelding she brought was an honest 17 hands! She’d fed him for months to get weight back on him and dealt with some training issues. She crawled all over that horse in the sales ring, even sliding off his rump. He was great. He was 9 years old. The killers bought him for $250. Her mares went the same route. She had no choice. She’s overrun with horses at home and winter is coming and hay is still hard to find – if you can afford it. Her husband, who is not a horse person, has put his foot down. The horses have been for sale for months and did not sell. She had no choice but to let them go at the horse sale. She is not a breeder. One elderly man had two pairs of nice mules. They were as pretty as a picture – he had them groomed and fitted out just beautiful. He didn’t want the teams separated. He guaranteed that they pulled *right* and that they were completely mannered and trained. He had used them to pull wagons full of people. This man is well known for his driving animals. The second team had a palomino mule in it that also was broke to ride so they were riding him in the sales ring. He PO’d both teams. He said he couldn’t take less than $500 per mule ($1,000 per team), and they were only going to $300 each in the bidding. Another mule went through – a tall saddle mule that was also fitted out really nice. I’d watched him being ridden outside for hours, all around the parking area. He was really well broke and attractive. I would have loved to have had him. He, too, went to the killers for $250. One Paint QH gelding with papers went through. Kid broke, 8 years old, 16.2 hands, very pretty. A man in front of me got the last bid on him at $350. The owner said he had to have $600 (I thought THAT was awful low!). They asked the buyer if he’d pay that. No. They asked if he’d pay $500 if the owner would do that. No. They asked if he would pay $400 if the owner would to it. Yes. He got that nice horse for $400. At least that one didn’t go to the killers. One man had several really well bred QH’s go through of varying ages. All of them went low, and all went to the killers. A reg. Paint mare came in with a fairly new Paint filly at side. No more than a couple of weeks old. Both had their papers and both were Medicine Hats. The mare was only 3 years old. The killers got the pair for $350, then turned around and had the filly resold. She brought $100, I think. She was WAY too young to be taken off her mom. Every single mare and foal that came in went this same route – killers bought the pair, then resold the foal. Some friends of our’s bought one of the foals. They have TB race horses so I hope they will be able to raise this rescued foal ok. One reg. QH mare went through that brought just over $1,000. She had been shown like crazy and had a bunch of show wins in addition to being well broke, etc. She brought the highest bid of the night. Only one other horse came close to $1,000 – all the rest were down in the low $100′s, some even lower than that. I had to fight the impulse to bid on more than one horse and mule that went through – so many NICE ones going for so cheap! There is a Quarter Horse breeder here in our area who is one of the largest in the state – puts literally hundreds of foals on the ground every year. They are well known and have had production sales for years and years with their horses bringing really good prices. We have friends who have bought their horses there. Usually they sell about 400 at each sale, each year. They *do* work with their’s, too. These are not wild. And they have the *colors* a lot of people like, but they mostly specialize in certain bloodlines. Everyone around knows this farm and their sales. Last winter, the elderly father was telling us how their sale went last fall – only half of the horses sold, and the prices were not good. They now had 200 head of horses that did not sell that usually would have, and they were coming into a winter where hay was non-existant and they didn’t have enough hay for the ones they had expected to sell. They personally had to load up and haul 100 of their own horses to the Texas slaughter plants (before they were closed). They had to. There wasn’t anything for them to EAT for the winter. This man wasn’t happy about it at all, but he feels they did what they had to do for the rest of the horses to be fed right. They still kept the other 100 and managed to feed them. I don’t know if they did any breeding this year, but I reckon they had foals this year due to their not knowing in the spring of 2006 that things were going to turn out so bad by the end of that year.
132 comments to “Auction Report – Arkansas”
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I am truly heatbroken today! I am so new to all of this abuse. I have hunter trained horses and went to the Chincoteague pony auction and swim, and no foal there went for under 900.00. I ended up buying a precious Palomino and White Pinto for 2150, which was a bargain! One went for 17,500! Granted they take them from their mama’s way too early, mine was 2 months old, but he is thriving in his new environment! We feed him milk pellets and supplements, and he gets pasture and hay. Of courses, as soon as those little “nuggets” fall, he will get gelded, I dont care how good his conformation is, I have found out from this post, where unwanted babies go, and that wont happen to anything I choose to create. Horses go for SO much around here too, I have a mare for sale for 15,000, which is a great price for an eventor/jumper in this area. I just bought a 3 yr old Hanoverian for 20,000, thats barely trained. Thank God they go for so much, I guess, keeps the kill buyers away. Love the blog, but it has been a sad day on here today.
My gosh, that report just makes me sick. I don’t even want to think about what’ll happen this fall. Must. not. get. more. horses. (even if I did put up enough hay).
The other thing that is pushing hay prices right now is that a lot of farmers are sitting on their crop, waiting to see what happens to prices this fall. The guy I’d bought hay from for years told me he has over 1,000 bales in the barn and is waiting to see what the prices do. Fortunately I started early enough to pack my barns full of hay just in time–two guys I did buy from said they stopped selling right after I bought some because they, too, are waiting to see what happens this fall.
I do not know of any “rescues” who sell to kill. I have to agree with FHOTD on that one. It is a choice that person made, not that they “had to do.” There are no “choiceless” moments in life.
There is a “horse jockey” a short distance away from where I board. While we are not too far from Canada, he isn’t buying and selling kill horses like he used to… he will buy riding horses at kill price to resell as riders for a profit. There is no money in for him in “kill” with the meat and gas prices. That is just one example though. I am certain it does not encompass all dealers or scenarios.
Oh my. This is terrible. We all knew it was coming, but how far do we have to go before….?
I’m freaking out over hay myself. My horses will be fed somehow but I’m unable to get hay NOW.
And I have a young one on the way…. a young one I intend to raise and break and with quality bloodlines…. I worry for him or her…..
Thanks for insight on the hay situation. Luckily the owner of the horse I ride has plenty of land and makes her own fabulous grass hay; she made enough for her own use this year (for her cows and horses) and not much more, because she’s very busy with other things.
I guess being in New England, I wouldn’t see a lot of hayfields converted for corn/ethanol production; it’s just too hilly and rocky around here, our climate isn’t great for most corn varieties, and there are no facilities for processing corn into ethanol. But from other barn owners, I know that the price of hay is up this year.
I feel for any of you who will be stretching every penny to buy hay for your beloved horses, if you can find it. (The not being able to find hay problem is **scary**.)
As has been mentioned before there are alternatives to hay. I lost my last horse a year and a half ago, she crossed the rainbow bridge at age 38, for the last five or six years of her life she lived on Equine Senior, she had very few teeth and was unable to chew hay, but she thrived on senior feed and was ridden by small children up to the last couple years of her life. I owned her for over 30 years and when the time came she was put down by a vet and buried on the farm where she had spent her final years.
Hi all, l have to be really honest and state that l HAVE and WILL(if need be) taken horses to the slaughters(called knackery here)but in saying that l have to tell why.l am not legally allowed to bury animals on my property due to regulations concerning a river near me.I also do NOT want my animals to be travelled with a truckload of others or bashed around in the crowd so l take them there and am not charged any monies to have them put down(blood &bone)nor do l receive payment for them. All l do is making sure that it’s over quickly with as little suffering as possible, sometimes there are no other choices for whatever reason,my reasons have NEVER been feed or vet bill related as l have a good working relationship with her. l have NEVER had a sound healthy animal destroyed and would hope that all people do their best to place their animals correctly or make the most humane decision for their animal if the choice has to be made. It’s a very sad fact of life that for many people money is the number 1 priorty (no l am NOT rich)
the worst case l have dealt with was being asked to pick up and help a poor little shetland who was healthy to look at but had not had his feet done for 9 years l got the vet and the farrier but they both felt his pain was so extreme that it was unfair to try to fix him so l had him put to sleep, what shocked me most was that his owner asked for half of what l got for him(l dont know this person from a bar of soap ok) l told his neighbour that all l got was a vet bill would he like to help pay it. Not once did the owner meet me face to face in relation to the ponys issues.
JFC, I’m tired of hearing about poor working families sending their horses to slaughter so they can buy peanut butter, or whatever other food substance they’re barely getting by on.
Get a clue, people. These horses are yours, you’re responsible for them, and you owe them a more fitting end than trying to manufacture your own reality saying sending them to a slaughterhouse is some kind of kindness. There isn’t anything about horse slaughter that is remotely kind. Slaughter is not the same as humane euthansia. Saying it’s kind doesn’t make it so. Sell your “I didn’t have a choice” bullshit someplace else.
Give them away, find them homes, make some effort, stop taking the chickenshit way out hiding behind the facade this was some kind of twisted noble act you’ve engineered.
And as far as these tiresome production sales of 400 horses of ho-hum lineage, with little in the way of show or performance record within three generations, just how many working cowboys are out there looking for mediocre “ranch horses”? Obviously, not enough. These multi-generation “Heart of America” ranchers are some of the largest contributors to the horse population problem, and, believe me, they sure don’t lose any sleep at night knowing a lot of their excess will wind up on some foreigner’s dinner plate. Their so-called family business has all the charm of cockfighting and puppy mills, and speaks volumes about their character.
Poor ranchers, my ass.
Right. I’m British and don’t know very much about this “killer buyers” thing. The ILPH in the UK are still battling ( as far as I know ) the live export to Europe thing. But…..no one has to do anything. You do have a choice. If you can’t afford to feed them and can’t find a home for them, PUT THEM TO SLEEP. Don’t make a fast buck off their final suffering. And if my husband gave me a choice between him and sending my horses to the slaughter, I’d say “bye honey, nice knowing you”….
I just don’t understand this. Where I live, you can’t sell horses to KB cause it’s aginst the law. People find ways around it, but still. Any horse I sell, I sell with a contract and they ALWAYS have first right of refusal included. I have actually bought back a couple of the horses I have sold.
And as for the hay, I would love to be paying $5 per. Where I live, you are lucky to find a feed store selling it for less than $14 per! And I have 6 horses, so I curb my spending, don’t eat out as much, and I always make sure my animals are well fed and cared for.
I just dont get people who “couldn’t” feed them or find a home for them. If you can’t, then DON’T! Those are lives you are taking, and in my eyes it’s the same as having an abortion cause you don’t want to deal with another “mouth”!
Sometimes I wonder if the common British attitude that horses are only for the posh and rich is actually a better situation for the animals.
i wouldnt say thats an exclusively ‘british’ attitude, but id have to say its the one id prefer. it breaks my heart to think poor people cant have what will make them happy and rich people can, but thats reality.
horses are a LUXURY item. not a necessity, no matter how much love you have to give, no matter how much your soul may desire it. a horse needs food before love. what defines real love for a horse is putting his needs BEFORE yours.
sacrificing your own desires for the good of the horse is what this blog is about.
I think it was bluewillow who asked about forage complete feeds….
I’ve had good results with ADM/MoorMan’s Patriot Feed Easy (I feed the 12% protein ration – they also offer a 14% protein). I do supplement with hay to allow adequate “chew time”.
http://www.admani.com/AllianceEquine/PatriotPerformanceFeeds.htm
The ADM website also has some interesting articles on equine nutrition, if anybody needs a break from the day.
>>Sometimes I wonder if the common British attitude that horses are only for the posh and rich is actually a better situation for the animals.< <
I can’t say I disagree with that. There are certainly a lot of people who truly cannot afford horses and the horses in their ownership suffer as a result. The problem is it’s hard to look into someone’s head and know what they will do. I am of moderate income. I spend a huge portion of my pay on my horses. I know people who make 3x what I do and spend much less and their horses get worse care. The existence of money does not always translate to responsibly spending that money.
I don’t buy the “can’t find hay” excuse either. We got short on hay last winter (made sure that won’t happen this year) and we bought chopped alfalfa at the feed store for $9.00 a bag (equal to a bale). I know someone in OK who ordered in hay from out of state (paid a hefty price too) last year and when that was unavailable fed bags of chopped hay from the feed store and when that ran out he fed beet pulp to his horses. There are alternatives to hay.
I agree having alot of money does not automatically translate to good care for horses. Just a few weeks ago there was a story on the news about a local well-to-do veterinarian who went off on an extended vacation and her horses and dogs were confiscated by the humane society because they were dehydrated and starving – this summer has been brutal in this area. No one was caring for them while she was away – fuckwad. My hubby and I spend a Hell of a chunk of our income on our critters and they are well cared for and well fed. We sacrifice alot of things for them but they bring us so much enjoyment it’s worth it.
lifelike001 said…
to give away a horse for free you have to not give two shits what happens to it.
I have to totally disagree as I have acquired a few horse that costs more to keep than two of my other horse combined and he will die happy here when the time comes. I was happy to jump through whatever hurdles the person wanted because it was their horse. She checked references and I sent her pictures of my other horses and property. I still update her from time to time. Yes giving away a horse can go very wrong but so can selling a horse. Horses are honest, people are not! The only thing you can do is be satisfied in your research and with gut feeling.
I just wanted to comment on the hay situation. I live in Michigan and right now there is a big shortage of hay, not the fact that people don’t want to pay (as some people think), but the fact that some farmers around me quit selling. Some have their own animals they have to feed and others want to wait until winter comes when more people will be needing the hay. No we are not cheap as some people on here think, but there has only been a first cutting and hardly any second cutting. We have enough money to buy what is needed, but we just need to find the hay. Although traveling is a good idea (I am set on hay so this doesn’t really apply to me), I don’t know if everyone is going to want to do that and how many other states have EXTRA hay that they could sell?
Also, I just wanted to touch on the subject of auctions and slaughter houses for a minute. So all the people that are against it, are you saying that it isn’t ok to take horses but it is ok to send cows, chickens, pigs, and whatever else there? I am not saying that it is ok, but sometimes you are left with no choice; you have no money or your in a pinch and have NO CHOICE. In your perfect reality it may seem possible but for some people it is not.
>>>horseygirl5146 said…
So all the people that are against it, are you saying that it isn’t ok to take horses but it is ok to send cows, chickens, pigs, and whatever else there?< <<<
If you categorize horses as livestock meant to be for human consumption I guess you wouldn’t have a problem with slaughter when the going gets tough. Oh wait you wouldn’t eat your horse but it’s ok for some rich European to, right? What kind of a fucked up argument are you trying to make? You lost me.
A lot of horses are used for dog food and glue, but how do you know that the other animals are not being sent over there either. Besides the farmers that have the livestock for slaughter, I know a lot of people that value their cows and whatever else as we do our horses. They are sitting on the opposite side going “it isn’t a big deal to send horses to slaughter”. I guess what I am getting at is the fact that if you are faced with that, you don’t have to call people a KILLER!! It’s a good chance that it isn’t what they WANTED to do but yet what they HAD to do. I guess if you are out of money, having the animal put down is not an option, you are out of money!
If you are out of money…
GET A SECOND JOB
TAKE OUT A HOME EQUITY LOAN
SELL YOUR CRAP…do you know how much CRAP most Americans have? TV’s, PDA’s, Nintendo, Quads, Mopeds, Bicycles, etc.
It is not that hard to find a few hundred dollars for euthanasia and disposal and as many have pointed out, bullets are even cheaper.
It is never acceptable to send a horse to slaughter. I do not care how poor you are. There are other options. As I’ve said before, animal control in many places WILL take your horse. They will even pick up. I’ve seen it happen.
Slaughter is about greed, not necessity.
From FOHTD’s post:
“The existence of money does not always translate to responsibly spending that money.”
THANK YOU. That definitely needed to be said.
Over the years, I’ve been told by barn owners where I have boarded that they really appreciated me paying my bills on time, unlike the rest of the folks parked by my old Dodge. You know, the Lexus, the Mercedes, the Hummers, the BMW’s.
Working for a vet for many years, some of the worst care and husbandry, some of the most malicious and idiotic, finance-based decisions, we saw were from very well-off folks.
Just because you have the money does not mean you’re willing to spend it for the animal’s well-being.
I’d prefer to adopt out to a lower to moderate income family who demonstrates the “will find a way to make it work, no matter what” type of attitude, than to someone who just looks good on paper, any day of the week.
Thanks to the person who posted the link on the complete feed.
True horse lovers do not send their horses to slaughter knowingly. I am scared to death to sell any of mine even though I should because you just can’t trust people even if you have a signed contract. Oh and I don’t know of any farmer (I grew up on a farm) who holds their cattle or hogs in such high esteem they regret sending them to slaughter. Again, what kind of stupid fucking argument are you trying to make?
Yes, a friend of mine who works with AC rescued a horse not long ago whose cannon bones had come through the soles of his feet. That’s just as bad as you think it sounds, in case you’re wondering.
Asshole was wearing a Burberry coat, had a beautiful farm, plenty of money.
He was just ignorant and wouldn’t call a vet. The horse was seized by animal control and hauled to the vet immediately and euthanized. Very, very upsetting for everybody involved except of course the clueless ignoramus who owned him, who just didn’t see the problem.
untamed mane – you are the rarest of exceptional cases in that the horses home mattered more than the money it brought in. most of the posts on this blog, if you read it, prove people care more about making a quick buck than providing compassionate care.
Apparently these idiots have enough pasture for summer grass to sustain their horses since they don’t worry about hay until early fall. In southern states (such as AR) we can grow grass in the colder months. Why don’t they get off their lazy asses, trot on down to the feed store, buy some damn winter grass seed, and plant those fucking pastures? My horses would rather graze on fresh ryegrass than eat hay any day. I know there are still some gaps between the seasonal forages, but it would definitely cut down on the hay bill! If these fools actually gave a shit about their animals, they could easily find an alternative to “no hay”.
“I can’t say I disagree with that. There are certainly a lot of people who truly cannot afford horses and the horses in their ownership suffer as a result. The problem is it’s hard to look into someone’s head and know what they will do. I am of moderate income. I spend a huge portion of my pay on my horses. I know people who make 3x what I do and spend much less and their horses get worse care. The existence of money does not always translate to responsibly spending that money.”
Don’t I know it.
I suppose you have to be grateful for the fact that the majority of people in the UK view horses as such an expensive luxury their purchase is a massive financial decision. Not to say only the rich own them, or that horse owners can easily afford their keep alongside a luxury lifestyle for themselves, but it’s far rarer to see someone struggling to maintain their family looking to buy such an expensive pet. It’s probably mostly due to the expense of land, and therefore livery (boarding) prices.
The majority of horse owners I know cut out their own luxuries not only to pay for their horses’ keep, but to buy silly luxuries for them like martching rug sets and personalised buckets. I’m not buying my own horse until I’m firmly in good work and can afford to buy such silly things.
Of course, you get the exceptions. And no amount of money is going to stop some moron from chucking a horse in a field and ignoring it because they’re bored and lazy, or from strapping their 3 year old’s head down with gadgets and throwing it over 4foot fences.
lol if you want in on the whole slaughter debate, go to the FHotD post for August 22, 2007 “And Just Because We Need Some Humor BADLY Today….” That’s the running debate on that post currently.
I would love to print that auction report and put it in every mail box owned by the redneck backyard breeders in this little area!
FHOTD said:
“If you are out of money…
GET A SECOND JOB
TAKE OUT A HOME EQUITY LOAN
SELL YOUR CRAP…do you know how much CRAP most Americans have? TV’s, PDA’s, Nintendo, Quads, Mopeds, Bicycles, etc.”
Precisely!
I lost my first horse, a rescue OTTB that I loved dearly to colic when she was 20. I spent thousands (most of my savings since I was only 20 at the time) trying to save her before her gut ruptured. Since then I have had other horses and I have maintained a horse savings account that has $5000 in it at all times in case I ever find myself in that position again. I have also kept the collection of Breyers my parents started for me when I was a small child. All 300 are in great condition. I’ve kept them because I love them, but would sell them in a heartbeat if my *live* horse was in need.
Horseygirl–1. Most glue now, Elmer’s, etc. is casein glue, based on milk by-products. Other glues, such as hide glues, come from calves or rabbits; some are based on fish by-products, and, IIRC, cattle bones. And I’d be willing to bet most dog foods aren’t based on horsemeat because, slaughterhouses or no, there just isn’t anywhere near as much to work with as there is meat and Pieces Parts from other animals more in demand for food here in the states.
2. Those animals are raised for slaughter, and even many omnivores aren’t entirely comfy with the way some are handled during their lives, so they’re picky at the supermarket. Horses are, for the most part, are Beasts of Burden. They _work_ for a living, putting up with everything from cold metal in their mouths when you forget the bit warming, to being beaten with 2×4′s because they can’t properly understand what some subtard with a fuse even shorter than mine is trying to get them to do. Unlike us, they can’t slack at/call off work because of the flu or killer headaches. At best, they can hope to have good riders/keepers who’ll see what’s going on and call the vet if need be. I can’t speak for everyone here, but I have a personal problem with treating someone who busts their butt for you like a disposable object. There was a horse in the barn where I ride who had chronic problems with one of his legs (I forgot what, all these years later), and he was put down humanely. With a lovely last meal and everyone saying goodbye. Am I totally against the idea of others, two or four-legged eating them? I wouldn’t on a bet, but my other big problem is that most slaughter isn’t what some folks here (rightly) recommend in the case of some poor completely broken-down/crazed/unrecoverable animal: a VERY well-aimed shot and the horse’s body going to a zoo. The only option, quick, painless, and the body goes to what would probably be its natural predators anyway. Those cattle trucks? Have you seen them going down the highways? They’re built for CATTLE, who are much shorter than anything but a pony. And the slaughter places, they aren’t rigged for horses, either. And don’t tell me, oh, what if they changed the trucks, etc…do the math, and I can guarantee that comparing the no. of horses to the no. of cattle, etc., it just wouldn’t make economic sense for people to change things around to make it easier on the horses.
I’m w/most of the others here…if you can’t afford a horse, or can’t find some payment-in-kind creative way to keep it fed/sheltered, then think about trying to share costs and time w/a friend, or pay for, or work at a barn in exchange for lessons.
This breaks my heart. There is no need for anyone to be breeding that many horses, or for someone to have to get rid of their horses “right now”. If that lady was taking care of her horses before, she could have waited until she could find suitable buyers later. All she had to do was not take on any more horses.
I have a purebred arabian mare from truly excellent bloodlines, and you can bet i’m not going to be breeding her. With so many irrasponsible people out there, what need is there to add to the chaos?