Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Since We're Sort Of On The Topic............



I took these photos yesterday as I was on my way to the lawnmower shop to get parts. I've watched this piece of property for years now. About 4-5 yrs ago, they expanded this land and built a decent looking barn, lots of acres, 37 acres actually and watched them breed. The property has now been for sale for two years. The horses that once were actually in nice shape now look like this. It's hard to see in this picture, but it's easy for me to spot and anyone who knows anything about horses to spot. I'm guessing there's a 3yr old , maybe a 2yr old and a couple of yearlings. They are all wormy, shaggy and downright nasty looking. Have I seen worse? Oh hell yeah! On a goood note, I haven't seen any new foals out there this year, yet. But here is a prime example of biting off more than one can chew. In over their heads, IMO, yes. Should they have done this? I don't know, I wouldn't have. I can say this, however, I have seen my friend Jess's horses and NOT one of them look like this, they look good and well cared for and are doing or training for the jobs they'll be used for or they are retired and just enjoying themselves mulling around a pasture. I've also been to many horse blogs out there often and those horses look great. In fact most of us in the horse blog world have pretty darned good looking healthy animals. This is why we have too many horses out there on the market. I have watched these horses come and come and still they sit without proper hoof care or simply worming. These are what you see go through the auctions. Once in awhile, a good one that is no saled because it didn't bring the money the owner wanted and it was more than likely worth that money and I'm guessing the owner selling didn't want it to go to kill. People buy horses, they breed horses and they sell horses. It's been happening for hundreds of years. Now we sit with a bad economy, which, I don't know about you all, but I've been seeing this coming for years. It didn't happen overnight. Yes, the market is flooded with unwanted horses, poorly bred, bad mannered, ruined horses and it's a shame, but it's also a fact. We can only control ourselves. We cannot control those who choose to do this very thing and over breed, thinking they're going to make a shit load of money and not really understanding what they are getting into. Actually, when I take a real close look, I think that mare on the far left is in foal, Oh well....................

7 comments:

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

I suspect it's just a whole 'nother world for folks like that who own a lot of land and just expect the horses to live semi-wild and take care of themselves. You can bet they aren't the kind to read horse blogs.

Katharine Swan said...

Amen, NM. I'll bet most of them don't read much at all, actually. LOL.

Callie...

>>We can only control ourselves. We cannot control those who choose to do this very thing and over breed, thinking they're going to make a shit load of money and not really understanding what they are getting into.<<

I actually think this is an argument for responsible breeders sitting it out for a few years. You're right, we can only control ourselves, so saying "It's their fault for breeding crappy horses, I'm breeding nice ones" isn't a good excuse.

Callie said...

Katherine, I'm not saying that at all. I don't know that these horses are crappy. For all I know they have tremendous blood lines. I'm saying that this particular farm near my home is up for sale, the horses are not in good shape, even my husband, who is NOT horsey at all can tell the difference. I however think if someone has the means to and wants their own personal horse that they've bred that is on them and their choice. And I agree with your last statement. That's not an excuse for overbreeding at all. But I think breeding one horse every other year isn't excessive for your personal use. Like I said, I don't breed, don't need to. Wish I could take on one more, but with the ecomomy so uncertain, I wouldn't dare and if I did, it would probably be a rescue, some old mare somewhere.

Grey Horse Matters said...

I hear ya. There are too many unwanted and abandoned horses and too many irresponsible people who should never even own a horse. I saw on TV the other night two horses that were abandoned on a highway and just standing there waiting for their owner to come back for them.
My thoughts are, if you take a horse into your care you are responsible for that horse. If you can't treat it right and feed it and care for it then don't do it. If you have fallen on hard times at least contact rescues, vets etc...you owe the horse more than dropping it off on the highway to fend for itself. That made me so mad when I saw that. Then again we live in an age when no one seems to take responsibility for themselves so you really can't expect them to take responsibility for a dumb animal...
And the overbreeding has got to stop too, that's just another form of irresponsibility. In these times there are not enough buyers to make it worth it for the seller to keep doing this year after year and most of these horses will end up starving or at auction. Sorry, I can't help myself I get so mad about this stuff.

Callie said...

Arlene, Everybody's opinion is always welcome here.......

Pony Girl said...

I totally agree about the over breeding. People who have tons of young, barely unhandled colts that are sitting in pastures and appear to be waiting to go to a sale. I'd rather have to look high and low for a good horse then see so many unwanteds end up at auctions and sales. Many are well-bred, uninjured horses, there are just too many of them, and most of them are young and untrained. I think the market for a good, solid, well-broke and sound horse is still good, it's all the young ones I worry about. Nowadays, it seems like people have less money to buy a starter horse and put money and training into it.

Katharine Swan said...

Pony Girl, you're right -- it's the untrained horses that are least likely to find homes. I rescued an untrained yearling, but I did it 1) because I fell in love with him on sight and 2) because I didn't know how much training would cost. I'm not at all sorry, and I would do it all over again with him or any other horse I felt that strongly about saving, but I also have a different perspective about why people would balk about doing the same. It takes a LONG time before a horse is trained and ready for your discipline!