Sad,Sad,Sad....   Sometimes things look great on paper but in reality they are not so great of an idea. Breaks my heart and makes me mad as all at the people that let them go.  Can't take care of all of them but some people think they can so let them pay for it. Not me.

I don't have any friends that would abandon or slaughter so you have to look at the people who would turn them loose before selling or finding a rescue to help in some way or just giving them away. There are always people looking for a free horse.

When I was a kid someone turned 14 starving horses loose on the highway in front of my grandpas ranch.  I guess they figured it was ranching country, someone would take them in.  The sheriffs dpt just took them to the auction were the slaughter guy bought them for $50 each.

The problem with sellling is it takes time, especially if the horse isn't 100% and if you actually look at some of the rescues they charge to take the horse (I looked at one and they wanted $400) and some want you to pay a fee to help care for it until its adopted. 

Some of you people don't get it.  If the only way someone can get a horse is to get a free one then they don't need one at all!!!!!!!!! If you can't afford to buy it then you darn sure can't afford to keep it. Just my .02.

Spooler;

You make a good point. If one cannot afford to have a large animal, and a way to provide for it, they should go talk to someone who needs to have their horses exercised, and get some training in HOW to ride, and be both secure in their seat, and balanced. So often someone is given a horse, and does not know how to properly ride, or how to handle an animal as large as a horse if something goes wrong. ( God Forbid some one gets hurt) I for one, would love to have a young person come and ride my horses, and I would also give them free training.

I hate when non-horse people make rules/laws about horses.  I wish everyone that wanted horse slaughter stopped had to agree to adopt X number of horses that were headed for slaughter.  I'd have given them about 2 months of feeding and veting before they wanted the horses killed.

It's very sad when common sense isn't common.

I think people will drag horses into Mexico to slaughter them, if that's not being done already.

I wonder how much tax money will be spent rounding up wild horses and euthanizing them and burial this year alone.

I lived just one county over from the Kaufman plant, drove past it often, and it wasn't any worse than a cattle slaughterhouse in fact is was cleaner and smelled nicer.

These video's appear on this site too.

http://www.vetsforequinewelfare.org/video.php

I believe that  horse abandonment will start soon , if not already.  After all, cats and dogs have been abandoned for yrs. 

And not having adequate resources to buy a horse does not mean you will not take excellent care of a free horse.  I have gotten several EXCELLENT free horses over the years.  I have also GIVEN away some pretty darn good ones.

Right now at KY sales , good reg riding horses are selling for 250-350 .

If every town had the old man down the road taking care of all the overbred scrub horses then this would be a better place to live. We all don't, do we? So slaughter is enevitable. I have a lady that lives 1/2 mile down the road she has had horses here whole life, she has a gelding down there that is founder very badly, I talked with her the other day, he has gotten so poor looking, he don't stand very much, he is at the end of his life no doubt. I was talking with her on Tues. afternoon she said "he will die on this farm and be buried here" she was about in tears. She went on to say that old horse has taught my children and there children to ride, she got him when he was three and the best she can remember he is now over 30. He won't make it but maybe a month or so longer. It's a good thing we don't live on the main road because some busy body would likely turn her in for abuse because of the way this old horse looks. I appaud her for what she is doing. I don't think I could do it. I would likely have him put down. I know people that could not make that call, so they take them to an auction knowing well a good what is happening. We live in a free world, can come and go as we please, we don't need the goverment telling me I can't put my horses down when they age, we don't need the goverment telling the lady down the road that she can't let her old gelding die a natural death, and we don't need the goverment telling someone they can't sell the horse for slaughter when they are old or unwanted. I also don't want the goverment telling people when they can or can't breed horses. Although many are breeding for the wrong reasons.

HWBar

I respect the decision of your neighbor although I chose to have the vet put down my pony because she was suffering;  and thank goodness that option is still open to us with our animals.  I am fortunate to be able to bury my animals here on the farm (at least for now).  I agree that we do not need government telling us what we can and cannot do.... Remember that the government is zealously regulating pain meds for terminally ill people.  In a perfect world, all people would be nice and honest and responsible and caring and compassionate......... 

Rose, the government regulates pain medication about as well as I knit.  (I don't knit)  If you can't get the medication from one doctor go to another(called doctor shopping).

The only reason I've seen that a doc would not give out pain med is because he's been investigated, or they feel the patient is doctor shopping.  We've got one in our town that has nearly all his patients hooked on something.  The honest folks go to my father-in-law or my husband.

Had one person come in and wanted another month refill after 4 days, she said her sister picked up her pills and wouldn't give them to her.  In reality she and her family sell pain pills to supplement thier disabilty and SS checks.  Needless to say she didn't get the pills she was seeking.  So was the pharmacy at fault?

She goes to the other doc but he's being investigated for Medicare fraud.

Then there is always internet pharm's ready to mail you anything.

If you want that kinda stuff don't buy it legally, it's all over the streets and it's cheaper there.  This is what my students used to tell me.

I think they should legalize it and stop paying unemployment and put a time limit on welfare, say 3 months.  Those folks will find jobs just to pay for their habits.

They could legalize it, and then tax it, that way the dopes would be at least paying for all the programs and entitlements that the wackos think we should be providing for this group of people.

At least Rush is paying for his drugs, without taxpayers help.

HWBar this is just for you!

Subject: Taxes & Urine Test