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That's why I am not worried about the breeders (both horse and dog), because there will always be people who want to get their animals from those people...  Myself, am a different story.

My first (and only) dog growing up was a 3-4 year old rottweiler from the local humane society.  She was a sweetheart with no significant health problems.  My first cat out of college, I had inquired about, and then that evening got a phone call from the humane society telling me they were going to put him to sleep if I didn't want to come down and get him.  He is an older cat, no problems, and remains my favorite kitty =)  My second cat was from a coworker who had rescued her as a foster, but life situations changed so that they had to get rid of their fosters.  I took her on as a foster, but ended up keeping her.  She is a nice balance to my older laid-back boy =)  My first dog as an adult was a 7-year-old great dane mix with mild epilepsy.  She's on some pills, but shows no signs of health problems.

I started my horse search similar to how you speak of how you go about yours.  I know that when I get an animal it's for life, so I didn't want to make a mistake.  I ended up falling in love with a horse from a casual acquaintance of a friend.  Admittedly, there were some aspects to her personality that have caused me issues, but we've mostly dealt with them, and I continue to love her, and look forward to seeing her blossom in endurance.  I can't say how many people have commented on how beautifully she's put together, and how much her farriers have commented on her great feet.

I know and agree with the statement that breeders are important to an extent, but I also have a strong feeling (both from the experience of people I know, and general knowledge) that there are plenty of "not so good" horses from these breeders, for every grand story of success, we just don't hear as much about those because they're not going to plaster them on their advertisements.  There is no guarantee no matter where you buy the horse from, no guarantee they'll be right for endurance, no guarantee they'll be right for you.

I thoroughly recognize that buying a horse is different from buying a dog, as I've told people...  It's not just a friend, but a partner in a sport, and you tend to be significantly more limited in numbers of horses than other animals, for many people it can only be one.  Thus I won't get "angry" at someone for getting a horse from a breeder, I just think that one should be open to different possibilities, and get the horse that feels right, no matter what it's background...

I feel significantly different about the equivalent choice with dogs and cats, but that's off topic, so I'll keep my main stated opinions to the horse side of things ;-)

On Tue, Dec 16, 2008 at 5:39 PM, <Chipnml@xxxxxxx> wrote:

I have mixed feelings on buying rescue animals rather than from breeders.  I've had two rescue dogs who--while they were wonderful dogs--both ended up with severe health problems.  When I lost my beloved Border Collie, I specifically looked for a farm-raised Border Collie, bred to work, and non-AKC.  I could have gone through a Border Collie rescue, but my choice was to get a puppy from a farm that had both parents there, bred dogs to work livestock, and had no history of major health problems.  She's now 10 years old and in perfect health, acting so much younger than her years.  As far as horses go, the three endurance horses I've had in the 20+ years I've been competing have all been bought from people I know and trust.  Since I don't have my own place, and am very dedicated to competing in endurance, I must make sure the horse I buy will suit my needs, especially since, when I buy a horse, it is for that horse's life.  I still have my first endurance horse, aged 31, plus my second one, and the one I'm currently competing.  Therefor, when I decide buy my next endurance prospect, I will go to a fellow endurance rider, or someone who breeds specifically for endurance horses.  I'm not saying people shouldn't get rescued animals, but don't discount the responsible breeders who are producing quality animals...usually selling them for less than what they've put into them.

 

Chip

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"Don't breed or buy while shelter animals die"