Horse Auctions

["Laura Hayes" <mark@madbbs.com>]

To make this endurance relevant....I bought the best endurance horse I ever had at a slaughter auction...still have her, 16 years later...best $400 I ever spent.

 

In New York State it is illegal to offer for sale at an auction, a horse who can not be worked.  In other words, if working the horse would constitute cruelty, you can not offer it for sale at an auction.  I was a cruelty officer for several years and had to remind the local sale barn of this law often, unfortunately.

 

By not excepting hurt and diseased animals, the owners are forced (hopefully) to dispose of the animal immediately instead of waiting three weeks for the next sale so they can get meat price for a broken leggged horse.  Basically it makes these horses worthless.  I think a bullet to the head is better than a trailer ride to the sale, standing around a killer pen all day, then a two day trailer ride with no food or water, crammed in a truck.

 

laura hayes