Posted 2007-12-05 8:16 PM (#72487 - in reply to #72226) Subject: RE: Horse Market Decline article...long but very well written.
Member
Posts: 48 Location: Kansas
In my area legitimate horses- sound, sane and skilled- are still holding steady price wise. IOW, no one is giving away riding horses. The infirm & untrained are free, no matter what their breed.
Posted 2007-12-05 8:33 PM (#72489 - in reply to #72226) Subject: RE: Horse Market Decline article...long but very well written.
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
How many horses do you want to end up like this mare? I've had her for 4 years now and spent well over 2 thousand trying to save her. Someone just... I don't know, forgot they were supposed to feed her and then left her on the side of the road to die.
The second picture is the mare as of last Christmas.
Posted 2007-12-05 9:43 PM (#72492 - in reply to #72487) Subject: RE: Horse Market Decline article...long but very well written.
Member
Posts: 10
Location: Sunny Florida
They are giving away nice horses in FL...me included. I think most are listing horses for sale and getting zero interest (kind of like houses) and drop the price, still have zero interest and start to do the math on paying board/hooves/hay for another six months. I couldn't get $500 for a lovely gelding we had paid $3K for. Safe, 7 yrs, sane, many trail miles, kid/beginner safe and a looker. I finally put an ad up, screened the homes and checked references and found a lovely mature lady to take him. I ended up competing against other nice free horses! As the article stated, I think it's just the tip of the iceberg folks. There was nothing wrong with this horse..just no one LOOKING for a horse! I've used equine.com since it began to buy/sell. I knew the market had shifted just by the lack of interest in a good, no vice, all around family "using" horse. Yikes...
Posted 2007-12-06 12:16 AM (#72495 - in reply to #72485) Subject: RE: Horse Market Decline article...long but very well written.
Veteran
Posts: 238 Location: West Coast
Originally written by rose on 2007-12-05 7:01 PM
RK
How many horses have you taken in? How many crippled ponies have you taken in? How many miles have you driven to pick up a crippled pony? Or unwanted colt? How many horses do you have buried in your land?
It appears that you are regurgitating something from an animal rights site and that the info is out of date. There is only one slaughter plant for horses in the US and it is in IL. That is the problem; there should be a slaughter facility in every state. That way it would be unnecessary to haul slaughter bound horses any distance.
I agree, there should be slaughter facilities in every state. When the animal rights people got slaughter banned in California, it didn't stop California horses from being slaughtered, it meant that they had to go through a 20+ hour trailer ride to meet the same fate. All those horses crammed into a trailer, many of them crippled, has got to be a horrible experience. Now they are travelling even farther to Mexico, where we have absolutely no control over how humanely they are treated. To me it was short sightedness on the part of those pushing the anti-slaughter bill.
Also... I really think that many people don't understand the how much money and time it takes to own a horse, especially one with health issues. We have a 29 year old gelding that has been completely retired for 10 years. We have spent over $ 20k in those 10 years supporting him. He's worth every penny and has earned a comfortable retirement, but it has been a huge financial commitment. I would like to see everyone who pushed so hard for the anti-slaughter bill to step up to the plate and adopt one unwanted horse and pay their expenses for 10 or 20 years. Many may change their feelings about it when this actually affects them and their pocket book.
I do agree that people should take responsiblity for their horses by euthanizing them rather than sending them to slaughter, but many won't or can't do that. As others have mentioned many vets won't put down a healthy horse, even a dangerous one and rescue faciliites don't have room, so what options are left? Don't get me wrong, I'd love for there to be no need for slaughter plants, but at this point I think they are necessary.
Posted 2007-12-06 5:21 AM (#72502 - in reply to #72226) Subject: RE: Horse Market Decline article...long but very well written.
Veteran
Posts: 148 Location: columbia tn
I agree 100% on the article i think life as we have known it in the horse world is changing..There is alot of people out there who like horses think they are pretty to look at but as far as the thought of taking care of them it is just not for everyone.. It takes alot of hard work not to mention cash to take care of these horses,the next generation coming up yes some will get into it but times have really changed since we were kids (im in my mid 40's) not to mention hay prices and shortages, fuel prices & the economy in general..I still say this whole horse thing just runs in some peoples blood you have to love it to do it..there is so much that goes into the whole over all picture of horse ownership..I have been doing this since 91 our horses are part of the family i could not even imagine getting rid of them now...i really belive we (horse people) are going to really see a change over the next 5-10 yrs it is tough for me to swallow seeing abandoned horses not being taken care of left to die it hits home for me because so much of my life is centered around them....this is just my two cents worth (from a horse family who loves every minute of it)..
Posted 2007-12-06 5:43 AM (#72505 - in reply to #72226) Subject: RE: Horse Market Decline article...long but very well written.
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
The real issue is how long it will take to correct itself, the overbreeding really started around late 90's to 2000. Horses live 25 yrs. so that's going to be some more of a correction time.
Posted 2007-12-06 7:23 PM (#72572 - in reply to #72496) Subject: RE: Horse Market Decline article...long but very well written.
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
Thank you RoperChick. It was touch and go for the first 6 months or so. When I brought her home I carried food and water to her because she either couldn't or wouldn't get up to go to them. I think she was about to give up. It was horrible to watch her.
The sheriffs dpt found her lying on one of the back roads, someone called and reported a dead horse on the road. When they got there the poor Deputy said he almost peed himself because this dead horse lifted its head and looked at him. They took her to the vet and left her with him and told him to "take care of it" since they couldn't do anything with her. The vet was a friend and called to asked if I would take her in. He knew we had the room since I had just one horse on our 10 acres.
Posted 2007-12-06 7:29 PM (#72573 - in reply to #72499) Subject: RE: Horse Market Decline article...long but very well written.
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
heritagelandfarm
That mare is one of the best kids horses I've seen. My 6yr old (started riding her at 4) rides her on trail rides and with me out in the desert. We had an ambulance pass us during a parade and it suddenly turned on its lights and sirens and the mare didn't even blink, thank God because my gelding almost fell over and the horse in front of us started bucking like a rodeo bronk.
Posted 2007-12-06 7:37 PM (#72574 - in reply to #72501) Subject: RE: Horse Market Decline article...long but very well written.
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
Gone. I didn't think she would live. My vet lived 2 miles away and came by every night to check on her. My farrier worked for my vet and said the vet had his backhoe ready..... just in case. She was so malnurished she had no fat and almost no muscle left. Doc said her body was breaking down the muscle and using it to live since her fat reserves were gone. Her mane/tail/coat were dead looking and brittle. Most of it fell out. Most of her teeth had fallen out and the ones left were very loose. The second month I had her, it was Feb and cold, she came down with pnemonia and my husband thought I had lost my mind when I started getting up every hour to check on her and make sure she hadn't stood up and lost her blanket (she was laying down so I just layed a thick beadspread over her since I couldn't buckle a regular blanket on). Lots of $$$$$ on this mare but I don't think I could have found a better kids horse.
My husband was in North Dakota for a month when I brought her home and he said he was never leaving me home alone again!!!
Horse Market Decline article...long but very well written.
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