These ads are from my local advertiser paper from today in this small community in Wisconsin. I first started noticing these type of ads IE: free horses, adopt my horse, cheap horse for sale, this past spring. Is it the changing economy?(And this economy is just starting it's recession.) Is it the closing of the slaughter houses? Is it the cost of hay and feed as more and more farmers change their hay fields over to corn and sell for fuel? Is it the cost of land? Is it over breeding? What do you all think? I think it's a combination of all. Is this happening in your area?
5 comments:
I am noticing a lot of the same ads on Craigslist as well. Lots of free horses. I think the cost of having horses has something to do with it. Also, I think people get horses and have one bad experience and they give up or get scared. The horse sits in the pasture for a few years and the cost out weighs the enjoyment now they just want to dump them for FREE.
I agree with photogchic. I think people who advertise horses as free don't have a clue what they are doing nor any real regard for the horse. They just want to be rid of them as quickly as possible.
It's a shame, but it seems to be more frequent and I wonder if because the horse market is down and horses are selling for next to nothing that people buy them thinking they can handle it and later find out that they can't.
I see so many people who are in over their head with horses and haven't got a clue that owning a horse shouldn't be so difficult. I can't help but think there must be others who get stuck and don't know where else to turn.
AND, I think part of those people who are having horses run them instead of the other way around are breeding horses when they can't even deal with the ones they have. I think that contributes to low quality horses and the excess in the market.
I agree with Raising Rainbow 100%. I'm cutting back on my breeding and I am very small breeder. We have 4 coming next year and less are getting bred next year. My boyfriend and I pick out 1 each to show, I'm partners on another, and we sell one. Now that they are so cheap, people think they need to buy them without checking out what's involved. The last sale people were buying 2 or 3 weanlings each. Everyone thinks they are trainers. Those babies will be back at the sale in the spring barely halter broke. People think they can buy them cheap and make money on them. I just sold a broke 3 year old that I raised and barely got my breed fee back. I don't want to sit down and figure out how many thousands I lost on that one. I fed it 3 years, trimmed feet, gave shots, had vet care, and I had him with a professional trainer for 2 months because I didn't have time to ride him. I forgot, I have to feed the momma too.
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