• Welcome to the Chronicle Forums.
    Your forum sign-up is not complete, you must add an Alias/Screen Name before you can post to the forums. Your name and email is not exposed to Forum users, only the Screen Name is accessible or viewable. The forums and the rest of www.chronofhorse.com has single sign-in, so your log in information for one will automatically work for the other. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Chronicle of the Horse.
    Complete Profile
  • Welcome to the Chronicle Forums.
    Please complete your profile. The forums and the rest of www.chronofhorse.com has single sign-in, so your log in information for one will automatically work for the other. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Chronicle of the Horse.
    Complete Profile

Announcement

Collapse

Forum rules and no-advertising policy

As a participant on this forum, it is your responsibility to know and follow our rules. Please read this message in its entirety.

Board Rules

1. You’re responsible for what you say.
As outlined in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, The Chronicle of the Horse and its affiliates, as well Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd., the developers of vBulletin, are not legally responsible for statements made in the forums.

This is a public forum viewed by a wide spectrum of people, so please be mindful of what you say and who might be reading it—details of personal disputes are likely better handled privately. While posters are legally responsible for their statements, the moderators may in their discretion remove or edit posts that violate these rules. Users have the ability to modify or delete their own messages after posting, but administrators generally will not delete posts, threads or accounts upon request.

Outright inflammatory, vulgar, harassing, malicious or otherwise inappropriate statements and criminal charges unsubstantiated by a reputable news source or legal documentation will not be tolerated and will be dealt with at the discretion of the moderators.

Credible threats of suicide will be reported to the police along with identifying user information at our disposal, in addition to referring the user to suicide helpline resources such as 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-273-TALK.

2. Conversations in horse-related forums should be horse-related.
The forums are a wonderful source of information and support for members of the horse community. While it’s understandably tempting to share information or search for input on other topics upon which members might have a similar level of knowledge, members must maintain the focus on horses.

3. Keep conversations productive, on topic and civil.
Discussion and disagreement are inevitable and encouraged; personal insults, diatribes and sniping comments are unproductive and unacceptable. Whether a subject is light-hearted or serious, keep posts focused on the current topic and of general interest to other participants of that thread. Utilize the private message feature or personal email where appropriate to address side topics or personal issues not related to the topic at large.

4. No advertising in the discussion forums.
Posts in the discussion forums directly or indirectly advertising horses, jobs, items or services for sale or wanted will be removed at the discretion of the moderators. Use of the private messaging feature or email addresses obtained through users’ profiles for unsolicited advertising is not permitted.

Company representatives may participate in discussions and answer questions about their products or services, or suggest their products on recent threads if they fulfill the criteria of a query. False "testimonials" provided by company affiliates posing as general consumers are not appropriate, and self-promotion of sales, ad campaigns, etc. through the discussion forums is not allowed.

Paid advertising is available on our classifieds site and through the purchase of banner ads. The tightly monitored Giveaways forum permits free listings of genuinely free horses and items available or wanted (on a limited basis). Items offered for trade are not allowed.

Advertising Policy Specifics
When in doubt of whether something you want to post constitutes advertising, please contact a moderator privately in advance for further clarification. Refer to the following points for general guidelines:

Horses – Only general discussion about the buying, leasing, selling and pricing of horses is permitted. If the post contains, or links to, the type of specific information typically found in a sales or wanted ad, and it’s related to a horse for sale, regardless of who’s selling it, it doesn’t belong in the discussion forums.

Stallions – Board members may ask for suggestions on breeding stallion recommendations. Stallion owners may reply to such queries by suggesting their own stallions, only if their horse fits the specific criteria of the original poster. Excessive promotion of a stallion by its owner or related parties is not permitted and will be addressed at the discretion of the moderators.

Services – Members may use the forums to ask for general recommendations of trainers, barns, shippers, farriers, etc., and other members may answer those requests by suggesting themselves or their company, if their services fulfill the specific criteria of the original post. Members may not solicit other members for business if it is not in response to a direct, genuine query.

Products – While members may ask for general opinions and suggestions on equipment, trailers, trucks, etc., they may not list the specific attributes for which they are in the market, as such posts serve as wanted ads.

Event Announcements – Members may post one notification of an upcoming event that may be of interest to fellow members, if the original poster does not benefit financially from the event. Such threads may not be “bumped” excessively. Premium members may post their own notices in the Event Announcements forum.

Charities/Rescues – Announcements for charitable or fundraising events can only be made for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. Special exceptions may be made, at the moderators’ discretion and direction, for board-related events or fundraising activities in extraordinary circumstances.

Occasional posts regarding horses available for adoption through IRS-registered horse rescue or placement programs are permitted in the appropriate forums, but these threads may be limited at the discretion of the moderators. Individuals may not advertise or make announcements for horses in need of rescue, placement or adoption unless the horse is available through a recognized rescue or placement agency or government-run entity or the thread fits the criteria for and is located in the Giveaways forum.

5. Do not post copyrighted photographs unless you have purchased that photo and have permission to do so.

6. Respect other members.
As members are often passionate about their beliefs and intentions can easily be misinterpreted in this type of environment, try to explore or resolve the inevitable disagreements that arise in the course of threads calmly and rationally.

If you see a post that you feel violates the rules of the board, please click the “alert” button (exclamation point inside of a triangle) in the bottom left corner of the post, which will alert ONLY the moderators to the post in question. They will then take whatever action, or no action, as deemed appropriate for the situation at their discretion. Do not air grievances regarding other posters or the moderators in the discussion forums.

Please be advised that adding another user to your “Ignore” list via your User Control Panel can be a useful tactic, which blocks posts and private messages by members whose commentary you’d rather avoid reading.

7. We have the right to reproduce statements made in the forums.
The Chronicle of the Horse may copy, quote, link to or otherwise reproduce posts, or portions of posts, in print or online for advertising or editorial purposes, if attributed to their original authors, and by posting in this forum, you hereby grant to The Chronicle of the Horse a perpetual, non-exclusive license under copyright and other rights, to do so.

8. We reserve the right to enforce and amend the rules.
The moderators may delete, edit, move or close any post or thread at any time, or refrain from doing any of the foregoing, in their discretion, and may suspend or revoke a user’s membership privileges at any time to maintain adherence to the rules and the general spirit of the forum. These rules may be amended at any time to address the current needs of the board.

Please see our full Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for more information.

Thanks for being a part of the COTH forums!

(Revised 2/8/18)
See more
See less

Is Anyone Looking To Buy A Horse

Collapse
X
Collapse
  • Page of 3
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 3 Next
  • #1

    Is Anyone Looking To Buy A Horse

    Over the past few months, I have gotten deeper and deeper into working with several area rescues. We only live about 2 hours from New Holland, the largest slaughter horse auction East of the Mississippi. I had always "heard" about kill buyers, horses shipping to slaughter, but this is the first time it has touched me personally.

    This past September, I went to a feed lot for the first time and handed over cash to a kill buyer for a horse that was already tagged to ship to an Canadian slaughter plant. That was on a Monday. The next day, I was contacted by a rescue to see if we could go back and pick up a draft mare they had paid "bail" for and foster her until a suitable home was found. Monday, when we picked up my mare, the farm had close to 100 horses crammed into a small area with hay and water in front of them, no room to even turn around. Wednesday when we went back to get the draft mare, the entire farm was empty; all the horses had been loaded onto trucks and were on their way to the slaughter plants. It was heartbreaking. I have honestly never felt so heartbroken and defeated.

    I realize I can not hoard horses, but what I can do is help these horses find home! Each week, the lady that set me up with the two previously mentioned horses goes to the kill pen and evaluates between 50 and 100 horse. It takes her 8-10 hours and she does not get paid a penny to do this. She "tests" them on their ground manners and if they are quiet and sweet, she has a catch rider ride them. If the horse is said to jump, they hold up a pole and jump the horse over a pole. If at any time the horse acts a fool, it is put back into the pen, its fate sealed and they move on to the next horse.

    These horses will be sold either way - either a private person purchases them or they are loaded onto a truck and ship out to be killed. There is every breed, color, height, age, and gender available. If they don't have what you are looking for one week, they may the next.

    Almost all the horses are less than $700 and many are even less than that. I paid $625 for my mare - a 5yo black and white REGISTERED TWH that is broke, trail rides, has no vices, and has been completely sound. The kill buyer even had a WB mare this past week that was purchased by an Event rider and she got a STEAL of a deal on that horse.

    The catch - you don't get the ride the horse or see it go when you pick it up. You see the video and if you like the horse, you take your truck and trailer, pay cash, load the horse, and pray for the best. The kill buyer isn't making a ton off these horses and isn't going to waste his time knowing the horse is already "sold" one way or the other.

    I can tell you though, I now know many horses that have been purchased this way and very few of them have had any major "holes". They are horses that never should have ended up in the kill pen in the first place.

    So if you are looking for a horse, I would be more than happy to put you in touch with Kris, the woman doing all the leg work for these horses. If you are looking for a show prospect, I would also be more than happy to meet her at the farm when she goes and help evaluate them from a conformation and movement standpoint.

    Every week these horses are shipped to slaughter and there is a horse chance one of them is exactly what you are looking for!

    Included are pictures of my mare that came from this kill buyer. The picture in the stall is of when she arrived and the picture of her riding was my first time sitting on her. Best $625 I've ever spent!!
    Attached Files
    #JusticeForSunshine
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Thank you for posting this, I am not looking now but hope the word gets out, particular try reaching out to pony clubs, lesson barns etc.

    Comment

    • #3
      There is a lady in Oklahoma that does this, too. It's her life's purpose, I guess. She goes to the auctions early and posts on her FaceBook page what horses are going through that look like they are sane and sound. And then she keeps track of those that sell to the KB. She is now become friendly with the KB's wife and she then has two kids (age about 9 and 12) saddle up and ride those in the kill pen. She takes photos and a short (1.5 minute average) video of each horse under saddle and then posts them on her website with the price the KB is willing to take to sell them instead of transport (by the way, the KB's don't want good horses going to slaughter any more than we do. They just want to make a living). Most can be bought for around $650-750. None over $1000.

      She has told the KB and his wife that if EVER anyone who buys one of these horses comes back and reports that the horse had been drugged (to stay quiet or sound) she will NEVER post another horse for them. She buys some and tries to rehome, but she manages to find so many of them homes.

      I followed her for about a year and then, in September I BOUGHT ONE OF THEM! Yep, me. The one who calls anyone who buys sight-unseen a total idiot. And guess what? He is a DARLING! Big 16.1 hand chestnut gelding who is very broke and well behaved. Does anything you ask of him - even jumps. When I took him in to be checked by my vet, vet said he was about 15 and sound as a dollar.

      Pics below of my boy, Wilson, taking a couple days after he got here. Would I do it again? YES!
      Attached Files
      Last edited by Sonesta; Nov. 10, 2014, 02:42 PM.
      Visit Sonesta Farms website at www.sonestafarms.com or our FaceBook page at www.facebook.com/sonestafarms. Also showing & breeding Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

      Comment

      • #4
        Here is the video I bought him from:

        https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10201724379949961
        Visit Sonesta Farms website at www.sonestafarms.com or our FaceBook page at www.facebook.com/sonestafarms. Also showing & breeding Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

        Comment

        • #5
          That's more or less what AC4H did, before they went completely off the rails. I bought my pony mule from them years and years ago, for the grand total of $175.

          The main issue is exposure. Camelot is doing something similar out of a smaller auction house, and uses Facebook exclusively. Is your lady using Facebook at all? A regularly-updated website? Or just email?

          Comment

          • #6
            OP, you are great!

            We live in a world of disposal animals: horses, dogs, cats, etc., dumped and abandoned. Not many get homes and slaughter is the way many horses end up. And if you think slaughter is humane, watch the undercover videos. (Yes I am a fan of PETA).

            I cannot help take in horses as I board my 2, and one of them is a horse I took in when my former BO was cutting prices and leaving the state and the horses were not going to good homes. (Several have been resold as they were not taken care of in the places they were sold to. And yes, that BO bred some horses.) I took in my horse's girlfriend and she now has a permanent home with my horse.

            But you are great, OP. I just wish more people would not breed and then discard horses.

            Comment

            • #7
              This is the kind of thread I usually avoid just because it is so gut wrenching for me to read about, hear about, etc., when just like probably 98% of you I would take every one of them in if I could afford it, etc.

              It breaks my heart.

              I did NOT get a "rescue" horse, although he is a PMU. I would not be able to take a horse (for riding purposes) whom I wasn't able to try, etc., as I'm not very experienced.

              It breaks my heart. When I win the lottery I'm going to have a barn full of rescue horses and rescue kids to work with them. I swear.

              Thank you for doing this.
              LarkspurCO: no horse's training is complete until it can calmly yet expressively perform GP in stadium filled w/chainsaw juggling zombies riding unicycles while flying monkeys w/bottle rockets...

              Comment

              • #8
                Mixed feelings about folks spending millions chasing ribbons when that same $ , or even half of those $, could buy farms to house rescue horses and relief for those suffering.

                The dichotomy of the horse world and priorities is hard to take sometimes.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Originally posted by Countrywood View Post
                  Mixed feelings about folks spending millions chasing ribbons when that same $ , or even half of those $, could buy farms to house rescue horses and relief for those suffering.

                  The dichotomy of the horse world and priorities is hard to take sometimes.
                  Not to be unkind, but that's kinda life.....as you're standing in the pasta aisle wondering which of the 100 different brands and varieties you're going to chose, some kid is starving to death.

                  It is what it is. We all do what we can.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    OP- Thank you for doing this. I have always said that most of the horses that go to slaughter are healthy, sound and nice horses. They are just unlucky. If they had been marketed, and someone actually took the time to find them a home, they would make a nice horse for someone. Most are owned by people that are too lazy to try to find them a home, or the people needed to unload them quickly, and the horses were unlucky enough to not have many buyers at the auction that day. Or they don't have them ridden thru the sale and "repped" so someone can sell them with their accomplishments/positive remarks. Or the killer buyers obtain them as free horses by deceiving the owners saying they will give them a good home, and immediately send them to auction.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Saddlebred Rescue has pulled hundreds of nice horses out of New Holland. Many have papers. Many have gone back to being successful show horses.
                      I got a mare from them that was in the kill pen. Nicest mare you could imagine. Her former owner had traded her to a broker for a more boarding barn friendly gelding and was told he had a nice vet who was looking for just such a broodmare. Two weeks later she was in the "as-is" pen.

                      New Holland is the great used horse lot of the east. Thousands and thousands of really nice horses go through there and end up on a truck.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        I love hearing success stories like this . And evaluating an auction horse is an acquired skill, so it's great when people are willing to share that knowledge to find homes for some of the wonderful horses who ended up in a bad situation.

                        Originally posted by GoForAGallop View Post
                        The main issue is exposure. Camelot is doing something similar out of a smaller auction house, and uses Facebook exclusively. Is your lady using Facebook at all? A regularly-updated website? Or just email?
                        I wouldn't call Camelot's horses inexpensive, though; there's quite the price hike between when he gets them at New Holland & what he lists them for. It's a good business.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Originally posted by arapaloosa_lady View Post
                          I love hearing success stories like this . And evaluating an auction horse is an acquired skill, so it's great when people are willing to share that knowledge to find homes for some of the wonderful horses who ended up in a bad situation.

                          I wouldn't call Camelot's horses inexpensive, though; there's quite the price hike between when he gets them at New Holland & what he lists them for. It's a good business.

                          Maybe that's exactly what we need - someone who can profit a bit from it, while at the same time saving lives - otherwise the motivation has to be from the sheer pleasure of rescue. That is wonderful, but how sustainable, and how "fair" to the rescuer?

                          I'm no economist, but I'd gladly pay at least an extra $1K (do you know what the hike is?) if I knew that the money was going to save a ton of horses. He has to pick up the horses, feed them, make the connections, take the risks, etc., and then deal with the emotional stuff. I could NEVER, EVER, EVER go to one of these auctions or kill pens. It would destroy me.

                          Where I used to live, the local SPCA pretty much had a waiting list at times. It's a very dog-friendly area and an area where people can afford to pay for veterinary care, including oncology services, big surgeries, etc. Rescue/spca dogs are more of a status symbol among certain peer groups (mine included) than purebred, breeder-bought dogs are.
                          LarkspurCO: no horse's training is complete until it can calmly yet expressively perform GP in stadium filled w/chainsaw juggling zombies riding unicycles while flying monkeys w/bottle rockets...

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Originally posted by right horse at the right time View Post

                            I'm no economist, but I'd gladly pay at least an extra $1K (do you know what the hike is?) if I knew that the money was going to save a ton of horses. He has to pick up the horses, feed them, make the connections, take the risks, etc., and then deal with the emotional stuff. I could NEVER, EVER, EVER go to one of these auctions or kill pens. It would destroy me.
                            .
                            We're talking an extra couple hundred bucks, if we're talking markup on the Camelot horses. The majority are sub-$1000, except for a few nice "house horses".

                            I'm with you. If a couple hundred bucks is what motivates someone to go and pull some horses out of the hell hole that is New Holland, feed them/house them/provide minor vet care while a band of horse women come in and photograph them, list all their info online, and send sales your way from all over the country....then fine.

                            Camelot has helped a whole heck of a lot more horses than any other rescue operation. So what if someone made some profit?

                            I'm sure when I bought my mule for $175 off a video from PA, someone had actually paid $50 for him out of New Holland. But whatever, he was still dirt cheap. I was happy to pay $175, they were happy to make $125 profit just for putting his photo online, and most of all HE was happy to come up to Massachusetts and be spoiled rotten. Win win for everyone.

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Originally posted by GoForAGallop View Post
                              We're talking an extra couple hundred bucks, if we're talking markup on the Camelot horses. The majority are sub-$1000, except for a few nice "house horses".

                              I'm with you. If a couple hundred bucks is what motivates someone to go and pull some horses out of the hell hole that is New Holland, feed them/house them/provide minor vet care while a band of horse women come in and photograph them, list all their info online, and send sales your way from all over the country....then fine.

                              Camelot has helped a whole heck of a lot more horses than any other rescue operation. So what if someone made some profit?

                              I'm sure when I bought my mule for $175 off a video from PA, someone had actually paid $50 for him out of New Holland. But whatever, he was still dirt cheap. I was happy to pay $175, they were happy to make $125 profit just for putting his photo online, and most of all HE was happy to come up to Massachusetts and be spoiled rotten. Win win for everyone.
                              Exactly. That's chump change when we are talking about an animal who will cost more than that in one vet bill/shoeing/supplement cycle.

                              I used to do dog rescue (Labrador Retrievers) and had a very sanitized role - I never walked the pounds, and I stayed away from the horror stories because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do it. I was on the Board, and I also did placement and fostering. I was always surprised by the applications where people wrote that they estimated a dog to cost $100-$200 per year to care for. These same people quite often were the same ones who wondered why we charged an adoption fee if the dogs were "rescues."

                              Animals need to be revered, and I think that Facebook is helping. I still hide the people who post the awful photos of abused animals - sorry, I can't take it - for the shock value, but I do pay attention to every other rescue story and also everyone's cute pets. In a way, I think that Facebook calls attention, at least in my crowd, to the value we place on our animals as part of our families. I think it also makes people realize what hard work they can be.

                              Sorry for the tangent, OP! Keep doing the work!
                              LarkspurCO: no horse's training is complete until it can calmly yet expressively perform GP in stadium filled w/chainsaw juggling zombies riding unicycles while flying monkeys w/bottle rockets...

                              Comment

                              • #16
                                I remember one of the many times I was at New Holland with a rescue pulling horses out of the kill pen that the reality of it all brought me to tears. She had it narrowed down to two and asked for my help choosing between them. Both nice TBs, sound and in good weight. One had a locking stifle though so I told her to take the other one. The reality that I literally sentenced the other one to death hit me like a wave the second after I uttered those words.
                                McDowell Racing Stables

                                Home Away From Home

                                Comment

                                • #17
                                  Originally posted by Laurierace View Post
                                  I remember one of the many times I was at New Holland with a rescue pulling horses out of the kill pen that the reality of it all brought me to tears. She had it narrowed down to two and asked for my help choosing between them. Both nice TBs, sound and in good weight. One had a locking stifle though so I told her to take the other one. The reality that I literally sentenced the other one to death hit me like a wave the second after I uttered those words.
                                  That's how I see it as well. It's not the one that I could possibly save, it's the thousand? hundred? others that I walk away from.

                                  I don't have the emotional strength/compartmentalization/whatever it is necessary in order to see it as "saving one more horse." I see it as NOT saving the ones I walk away from, and I coulldn't live with myself...yet if you asked me I would tell you until the cows come home that you did save one more horse. I wonder how many more of me are out there who would love a rescue if they didn't have to actually go to the kill pen.

                                  This whole subject makes my heart hurt. I think there should be a waiting list for horses.
                                  LarkspurCO: no horse's training is complete until it can calmly yet expressively perform GP in stadium filled w/chainsaw juggling zombies riding unicycles while flying monkeys w/bottle rockets...

                                  Comment

                                  • #18
                                    Its tough to walk away. I don't know how the liaisons here in WA do it every week. She has to pick the ones that will be the most marketable and she lists those. There are hundreds that ship every week and most are never even listed. I took one last May - not sure why, he just tugged at me. He is a fantastic horse, but it kills me every week that I just can't take any more. There was one this week that was spitting image of my beloved retired horse who I've had for 23 years... And I couldn't take him. Broke my heart - although I think someone did end up getting him, thank gawd.

                                    Tell me they are not twins:

                                    https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/...c5&oe=54E56B52

                                    https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/...d5&oe=551CB6CF

                                    I've learned that you just have to do whatever it takes to make sure the ones you have never end up in a place like that.... (And buy mega-millions tickets every week so you can buy a giant farm for rescues to live on and be fat and happy).

                                    Comment

                                    • #19
                                      Originally posted by RedmondDressage View Post
                                      Its tough to walk away. I don't know how the liaisons here in WA do it every week. She has to pick the ones that will be the most marketable and she lists those. There are hundreds that ship every week and most are never even listed. I took one last May - not sure why, he just tugged at me. He is a fantastic horse, but it kills me every week that I just can't take any more. There was one this week that was spitting image of my beloved retired horse who I've had for 23 years... And I couldn't take him. Broke my heart - although I think someone did end up getting him, thank gawd.

                                      Tell me they are not twins:

                                      https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/...c5&oe=54E56B52

                                      https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/...d5&oe=551CB6CF

                                      I've learned that you just have to do whatever it takes to make sure the ones you have never end up in a place like that.... (And buy mega-millions tickets every week so you can buy a giant farm for rescues to live on and be fat and happy).
                                      WOW. They are twins! I'm glad he was rescued.

                                      I remember your writing that you got one recently...update!

                                      I play the lottery every week for this exact reason (and more).

                                      It's why I'm terrified to buy another horse - mine has a home for life with me yet I don't have horse property, so it would be difficult to provide for two at the costs out here, which are very expensive for horse keeping.

                                      I'm glad you rescued yours .
                                      LarkspurCO: no horse's training is complete until it can calmly yet expressively perform GP in stadium filled w/chainsaw juggling zombies riding unicycles while flying monkeys w/bottle rockets...

                                      Comment

                                      • #20
                                        Originally posted by GoForAGallop View Post
                                        We're talking an extra couple hundred bucks, if we're talking markup on the Camelot horses. The majority are sub-$1000, except for a few nice "house horses".

                                        I'm with you. If a couple hundred bucks is what motivates someone to go and pull some horses out of the hell hole that is New Holland, feed them/house them/provide minor vet care while a band of horse women come in and photograph them, list all their info online, and send sales your way from all over the country....then fine.

                                        Camelot has helped a whole heck of a lot more horses than any other rescue operation. So what if someone made some profit?

                                        I'm sure when I bought my mule for $175 off a video from PA, someone had actually paid $50 for him out of New Holland. But whatever, he was still dirt cheap. I was happy to pay $175, they were happy to make $125 profit just for putting his photo online, and most of all HE was happy to come up to Massachusetts and be spoiled rotten. Win win for everyone.
                                        Frank's business model at Camelot is actually a REALLY GOOD ONE for someone with a little land and the commitment and mental shielding to make a go of it; no, you can't save all of them, but the kind of cherry-picking someone like that with a good eye can do is really worth that couple of hundred extra bucks.

                                        We ALL know that the purchase price is the cheapest part of owning any horse; so if someone like a savvy dealer can at least pre-screen them for soundness, sanity, and usefulness, I think they're doing the horse business a good service.
                                        A friend of mine has bought multiple horses out of Camelot, and all were well represented as what they turned out to be.

                                        You'd be amazed what goes on; I know of another dealer who gets horses out of Canada and the Amish lands for New Holland-like prices, puts a couple of weeks to a month on them with some hard-assed little catch riders, and sells them to foxhunters for upwards of TEN GRAND!!!

                                        A "used horse lot" that makes a PROFIT is a lot more sustainable long term than a "rescue," which relies too much on volunteers and donors who get burned out.
                                        Frank's been chugging along for years now . . .

                                        Perhaps the upcoming "Harry and Snowman" movie will help a lot to publicize awareness that the New Holland kill pens are still in business, and bring some much-needed attention to overbreeding, irresponsible ownership and the "more horses than owners" problem in general.

                                        Comment

                                        Previous 1 2 3 Next
                                        Working...
                                        X