Times are getting tough

[Valentino]

Like a bunch of back yard biddies!

You do what you can!

You can't save the world and the world is a cruel harsh place outside most of your fences.

Tough decisions lie ahead for all, you make the best of it and live with it.

Criticism should not come from those who have not walked in your shoes.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

A 110 lb bale of good grass hay here is $16.95. Is it really that hard right now that folks can't pay that once maybe twice a month?I have no income, haven't had since Nov. But I am able to purchase hay for my mini and my goats. I will go with out something, shut off a luxury such as cable etc before my animals go hungry or are sold. My mini trusts in me to take care of him and until my old body gives out and I cant wheel my chair our there he will remain here where he is and be fed.

I feed my goats left overs. tators, carrots, celery, lettuce. Once a week I will do the same for my mini, it won't hurt him. If I have bread or biscuits, cereal, chips or oatmeal, they all get some. My animals will not go hungry nor will they be sold. But now also remember this is me, ShotGun is my heart and he stays with me until our hearts no longer beat.

I don't expect others to feel the same as I do but 17 bucks a month is not going to break any one. If you have a herd, then buy in bulk, let them graze more, try different things to get them fed.

That's fine but hay is a lot more expensive in some places, as is boarding, and in some places that is the only possibility.

Also, living hand to mouth is fine until you get a Vet bill as not many Vets are willing to wait for their money.

It costs me a few dollars a week to keep my horses.

Then it can cost me $3,000.00 in a few moments if one colics or needs a C-section.

So.....if Shotgun needed colic surgery and you could not afford it, could you hold him whilst he was shot??

Sorry to be so harsh but these are the possibilities and the realities of the situation that we are facing.

And on the diet he is being fed, BTW, you will not colic, the goats will not colic, but the horse might.

Sorry.

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

I agree with a lot of things people on here have said, especially about needing to reopen the slaughter houses! I don't believe all unwanted horses need to be slaughtered but if they are old or in bad health then yes they could go there, it is a humane alternative to having to pay to haul it away or euthanize it. As for not breeding that is a good idea to an extent but I dont think that breeding should cease completely. The "backyard" breeders as some people like to call them, that breed anything and everything regardless of value need to stop breeding, people who actually look at quality should continue breeding to help preserve the breed but they should do so in smaller numbers. I breed good horses but I will never breed if I can not keep the resulting foal. I do plan to sell the foals but I also plan to keep it if the need arises. That is called responsible breeding. Yes I will say I would like to sell a horse to make more room for my show string but I do not NEED to sell that horse.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

No, the slaughter houses do NOT need to be opened again, not unless you have suddenly found a way of forcing them to be more humane.

Not unless you have found a way of forcing someone, anyone, to enforce the laws already in place.

Opening Abattoirs that function in the way the old ones do will encourage people to breed even more horses.

If there is a market for it some idjits will always breed it.

As it is, if there is absolutely NO market for it, they will have to stop.

Since it is a sad, hard fact that the idjits (irrespective BTW of IQ) will continue breeding if they can sell their stock you need first to plug the hole in the borders and make it illegal, as we did 25 years ago, for an animal to travel live across a border for slaughter.

Once that has happened it may (MAY) be feasible to open a few government run, low cost facilities that pay nothing for the horses they kill, but which charge very little for the amenity.

I don't care (I really, truly don't) what happens to my animals (any of my animals) AFTER they are dead.

But try to treat one the way any animal is treated on it's way to slaughter and you have me to deal with.

And believe me, once I get up off the crutches and start running on pure adrenaline, you do NOT want that!!!

An enraged Hobbit is a sight to behold!!

 

[SaddleTrail]

A 110 lb bale of good grass hay here is $16.95. Is it really that hard right now that folks can't pay that once maybe twice a month?I have no income, haven't had since Nov. But I am able to purchase hay for my mini and my goats. I will go with out something, shut off a luxury such as cable etc before my animals go hungry or are sold. My mini trusts in me to take care of him and until my old body gives out and I cant wheel my chair our there he will remain here where he is and be fed.

I feed my goats left overs. tators, carrots, celery, lettuce. Once a week I will do the same for my mini, it won't hurt him. If I have bread or biscuits, cereal, chips or oatmeal, they all get some. My animals will not go hungry nor will they be sold. But now also remember this is me, ShotGun is my heart and he stays with me until our hearts no longer beat.

I don't expect others to feel the same as I do but 17 bucks a month is not going to break any one. If you have a herd, then buy in bulk, let them graze more, try different things to get them fed.

That's fine but hay is a lot more expensive in some places, as is boarding, and in some places that is the only possibility.

Also, living hand to mouth is fine until you get a Vet bill as not many Vets are willing to wait for their money.

It costs me a few dollars a week to keep my horses.

Then it can cost me $3,000.00 in a few moments if one colics or needs a C-section.

So.....if Shotgun needed colic surgery and you could not afford it, could you hold him whilst he was shot??

Sorry to be so harsh but these are the possibilities and the realities of the situation that we are facing.

And on the diet he is being fed, BTW, you will not colic, the goats will not colic, but the horse might.

Sorry.

I would shoot him myself if thats what it took. I don't have a problem with that. But I also have a savings in his name and will only be used for vet bills. Like I said, I dont expect others to feel the same as I do. I know times are hard, I'm living through them now my self. I also realize not everyone has that extra 17 bucks a month. There are other solutions.

As for his diet hehe.

That is a once a week treat, if he is lucky. The goats eat most of it. They are fed seperate and he is fed in his castle. He is on Equine Senior and grass hay, plus 24/7 grazing.

You not being harsh honey, I understand what your saying and I appreciate it always.~S~

 

[SaddleTrail]

I am one of the lucky few who has a home that is paid for, has no outstanding bills, or at least bills I can't pay off, everything I own is paid for.

Why is that? Because my husband and I have worked all our lives to do this, to keep a roof over our head, our children fed and clothed.

He was diagnosed with lung problems in June and is now 100% disabled. So we are now in the same place as others. We have no income, no jobs, no savings any more because of huge medical bills.

The one thing we do have is we love our animals. They will be taken care of just as we had to take care of our kids.

Again, not every one is as lucky as I am in this time of hardship.

I have fought for the slaughter houses reopening and will continue to do so. I feel there is indeed a place for them, as well as more rendering plants.

Do I like the fact they are transported to Mexico or Canada? No, but due to the bans and laws being changed that is now happening. They are making longer trips, to suffer in Mexican slaughter plants. In the States a penetrating captive bolt is used, it does not stun, it kills and is approved by many including the AVMA as being the most humane method of slaughter besides a bullet. Be it for humane consumption, donated to zoo's, for research, etc horse slaughter is a viable solution to the millions of horses that are not being taken care of.

I hate to use the word, unwanted because that simply is not true!

We ALL want the horses, we ALL just can't afford to keep them.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Then stop horses being transported alive across a border (ANY border...state/national) and stop the inhumane treatment.

IF the abattoirs were anything like humane instead of the heck holes that they were, I would support their reopening.

It is not good enough to just say "there is a place for them" and then walk away (I am not suggesting this is a specific attitude, BTW, just one I have seen in most people who support their reopening)

I was against their closing, I thought, and still think, that forcing the owners to actually abide by the law would be better, and I also see no reason why the horse should be singled out for sentimental reasons, it does the whole case no good.

I have eaten horse meat, so long as I know where it has come form, and I am certain it has been well and humanely dispatched, I am OK with it, but I must emphasise that I feel exactly the same about Ducks, Chickens, Cows etc.

But now they are shut I would like to see a much better reason than "they are needed" for reopening them.

Like their being clean.

And humane.

And able to actually act like a human being towards them instead of feeling it necessary to cause as much distress as they can to the animal!!!

Which boils down to hiring people with a higher IQ than the animals they are killing, basically!!!!

 

[appymini]

I was talking to a horse dealer that deals in buying and selling. Not a meat man. I asked him if he been going to the horse auctions this winter .And he replyed by saying he is still full of horses that he bought in the fall on deals.And can`t afford to go to be tempted to buy more.

 

[horses4u2]

We knew the economy was getting tough. We down sized. Two buyers from the past called us telling us how bad things are and they dont know what to do with thier minis. I feel so bad. One person has 2 yearlings and another has a mare in foal. I am trying to help place these minis. Any suggestions would be great. I am going to see how many I can take. Any suggestions where to place these horses???Thanks

This is my very first posting and it had to be an issue I was adamantly passionate about to draw me into "putting it out there" in cyber space for criticism.

I personally don't think slaughter houses are the answer! Our minis are no different than some people's feelings about their dogs. When they are tired of them do they expect to make a profit from their demise for edible consumption......I don't think so. People euthanize dogs all the time. It is a necessety of life. Why is it expected that everything be made a profit of? Yes, it is an expense, but it is part of responsible ownership. It is also Biblical not to eat your companions - donkeys included.

There is another whole market and answer that we as breeders should be considering. Every breeder is probably close to a 4H organization or FFA entity in local schools. Offer these minis up for lease - FOR FREE. Perhaps down the road you will be able to afford them again. Until that time - Volunteer to mentor these groups. Help support the kids to go to Open 4H shows and try and incorporate some 4H classes into your show to encourage dual membership in these organizations.

This will be more beneficial than you can imagine! First, you will find someone who will truly love your mini even if you can't. Many clubs have barns that the kids can rent stalls to keep their projects. It will give the kid an opportunity for a future education in addition to the valuable lessons the mini can teach a kid on a daily basis. Second, if you incorporate those 4H classes into your show you will have additional stalls filled and roll over into your youth classes and perhaps even your Amateur classes. This will in turn build your local market. As we know when you start showing - just getting in the ring without falling on your face is your goal. After you get some experience....you want to do what it takes to win. That may mean re-leasing the horse and PURCHASING your next one. Performance is something most horses can do - especially showmanship. Believe me.....it is a WIN/WIN for everyone!

 

[wildoak]

Breeding is like the "Spandex" rule: Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

It's a serious subject, but just have to say......I like that!

We are seeing plenty of issues here, lots of craigslist ads for cheap horses, and some of the accompanying pictures make you want to run load them up and bring them all home to feed. By the same token, I've had quite a few calls this month - from all over - about buying horses. I think it's going to get worse before it gets better, but I'll stop short of predicting gloom and doom.......at least just yet.

I have nothing in foal for this year, partly by choice and partly by chance. I intended to have a couple of mares bred, but they didn't take.....maybe just as well. I bought back several horses last year from someone getting out of the business. They weren't starving, but had decided the horses were no longer affordable for them and the last few were dumped at one of those dead end auctions.

The slaughter issue is a sticky one. In a perfect world, it wouldn't be necessary. In our imperfect and struggling world now, it provides a solution, a way out for horses and owners who have run out of options. Does it need to be more humane? Absolutely! What's happening now with horses being hauled to Mexico for slaughter is unconscionable, and fixing that should be a priority. Our Vet Board in all its infinite wisdom is spending our dollars and time trying to "protect" our horses from dentists and massage therapists while the ones who need protecting the most are crammed into a dirty trailer and headed south. Seems like this is an issue they could stand to be a little more vocal about.

Jan

 

[SilverDollar]

horses4u2,

Thanks for your idea. I really appreciate it when someone offers an idea of how to address this challenge we're facing. This is the stuff that keeps me up at night--literally. I challenge people to "think outside the box". I am racking my brain day and night for possible solutions. The whole slaughter idea is one that can be debated for decades and is but only one option. I believe most people don't really want to send their horses to slaughter but are so desperate for a way out. I'm with you on that one, wildoak.

rabbitsfizz, what do they do in the UK? And what about other countries? Are they facing the same problems with horse overpopulation that we are? Just curious.

Ideas? Anyone? horses4u2 is right; we need to focus on the future of horse ownership and promotion as well.

 

[SaddleTrail]

I believe the States are the only place with the over abundance of horses. I may be wrong but don't think so.

I would much rather have every single horse find a good loving home that can afford to feed it, give it the care it needs when hurt etc.

The only thing is, that is not feasible. People are boarding out there horses because they cant have them at home, the ones who do have the room at home are living pay check to pay check it seems like.

There are so many variables that it causes us all to lose focus on what is the right thing to do and that is to make sure these animals are cared for. Either by slaughter because yes slaughter is a viable solution or by finding over 90,000 some odd horses a home.

Now since the economy isn't going to allow for this, the rescues are full and over loaded, private owners have and will take in as many as they can and you still have the over load of horses.

Yes slaughter is a horrible word and action but it is also a viable solution for those thjat have fallen on to hard times, for those horses who can no longer be saved, the horses that no matter what can not be trained.

IF you want to breed a horse, thats your right to do so, just keep in mind, every time you put another foal on the ground, it may go to a kill buyer to be sent miles on a truck to a slaughter plant that does NOT use the humane captive bolt we use.

After it is all said and done......The horses will suffer no matter what we do. So lets do it, get it down to a managable amount and go from there.