This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Okay, okay, I confess. I bought another horse this past weekend. And not a Fjord.
We went to the local auction Saturday night. My first mistake was going to the "loose horse" section of the auction barn (translation: the kill horse section) and seeing a nice looking draft mare there. My bigger mistake was slipping into the pen and making friends with her. She's smallish for a draft -- maybe in the 15 hands range -- middle aged, bay roan with grizzled gray mane, black/white tail like a Fjord's, and dark points (ear tips, legs, muzzle) very like a Fjord. Nice feet with lots of dark feather. Clean-healing abrasions on her face from a halter left on far too long. Quiet, mannerly, but a little shy. Almost looks like a Brabant (European Belgian). I couldn't stand the thought of seeing her go to the kill buyers, so we bought her for $700 US (I estimate we paid about $0.60 per pound, if you want to look at it that way). Draft horses don't have much of a chance at this auction -- nobody (well, almost nobody!) wants one, so the kill buyers tend to buy them. I've seen some absolutely lovely, young Percherons and Belgians sold for meat that should be at a good home instead. Well, I can't save 'em all -- probably shouldn't have saved even one, but ... the object of my foolish, soft heart is now standing in my pasture quietly waiting for her next meal. I'm keeping her isolated from my other horses until the vet can check her out. Horse meat is selling for about $1.00 a pound at this time and is expected to rise much higher. The meat is mostly going to France. The kill buyers were buying horses at this auction for roughly $0.60 to $0.80 per pound. They're probably making a tidy profit per horse, especially since they can buy horses in reasonably good condition that don't need a lot of feeding before slaughter. The prices the kill buyers are currently paying are comparable to what many people pay for a reasonable riding horse at this particular auction. DeeAnna <- who needs another horse like she needs another hole in the head!
