Am I the only one that gets mad over this?

[BeachRiding]

Edited (http://sacramento.craigslist.org/grd/1253882060.html) Selling really aged horses. 28 for example.


RE - selling of old horses...

[Joey A]

Mad over what part?

[allie0]

Confused, do you mean getting mad over selling old horses to home where they will continue to be ridden?

[FatSpottedAppy]

I'm not sure this is allowed :doh:

But I completely agree with you, if you're thinking what i'm thinking. Selling horses off because they're old, when you've used them for so many years(We dont know if she has been with this family for x amount of years.. trying to save my butt). I dunno, I think a senior horse that's served your family/barn deserves a good retirement. :)



Bear's old owners were selling him because he was old and he was in that family for over 10 years I believe.

[Petra]

I don't see anything wrong with the ad. They may have a pretty good reason. What if they have to move and cannot keep her? What if they have medical issues? I wouldn’t pass judgment based on an assumption.

[BeachRiding]

FSP- Yes , at that age I think they should be kept rather than passed on to god knows who.

Petra- I hate that reason. If you move you CAN take your horses. IF you really want to keep your horse it is actually really simple. Unless your moving out of country, I think moving your horses with you to the next state over is not a good enough reason to dump them. Granted they may have a legitimate reason to get rid of the horse. But at that age and with her problems keeping on weight/dodgy teeth, this horse is not likely to get a good home. More than likely heading to Mexico... It would be kinder to pts if one can't guarentee the new home will be a good one and permanent.

[WashingtonBay]

I'm not sure this is allowed :doh:

It's really strongly discouraged. (rule below)

Do not post anyone else's private information without express permission. This includes pictures and advertisements posted here without the knowledge or permission of the owners for the purpose of criticizing or badmouthing them. We reserve the right to discourage and/or delete that kind of posting.
The reason is this... I have a strong dislike for that popular blog that slams other horse people on the internet and gets their posse to go gang up on people. Because of them and their bad behavior, I don't like to see posts like them here, or posts like them that might get passed on and copied there.

Beachriding... if you'd articulate what makes you mad, and remove the ad link, I think you'd have a good springboard for discussion about older horses, and loyalty and one that I probably agree with you about.

[BeachRiding]

I apologize WB did not realize. :) Will remove link.

[Joey A]

I don't see anything wrong with the ad. They may have a pretty good reason. What if they have to move and cannot keep her? What if they have medical issues? I wouldn’t pass judgment based on an assumption.

I agree, that and I'd much rather see a horse go to a home where they will continue to be cared for instead of getting forgotten like I see happen to so many.

Personally, I wish more people would do the right thing and find appropriate homes for their older / special needs horses instead of letting them waste away and deteriorate.

I think that people shouldn't get their own personal feelings and opinions get in the way of someone trying to do right for the horse.

If they're willing to sell the horse, then it's probably not a home you would approve of anyway, and we might find you on a soap box of another kind arguing that they shouldn't keep the horse if they won't have the horses teeth floated and don't do anything with it.

Personally I couldn't sell a horse like that, every year I find it harder to sell a horse at all, to the point that I don't even want to breed horses anymore. However I think that some of you should be ashamed of yourselves for chastising other people that are ultimately looking out for the best of the horse, WHATEVER THEIR REASONS may be. What matters is the welfare of the horse, not the ethics of the owners.

[oursarge]

I didn't see the original thing but I hate when people have an old horse and sell it just because it's old and can't do anything anymore. It makes me sad. Maybe it's because to me my animals are my family and I wouldn't sell my mother when she gets old.

I've seen real old horses come to the stable when their owners are done with them and it's so sad, they look so confused. My Dommie was 3 days from his 28th birthday, he was a pasture pet, he was the best horse I ever met and the only thing that could have ever parted us was death and I am still not over his death and never will be. The day he came here I promised him he would be here forever and he was. If we moved we would have taken him with us. We have 2 here now who are young but have issues we plan on keeping them forever, if we die first they will be taken care of. I wouldn't sell my mother [Even though at times she makes me madder than any horse has ever made me!] and I wouldn't sell an old horse who's chances of finding a good loving home are slim, some might but alot don't. I won't even sell the ones I have now and they are young, if I ever sold them I'd be thinking what will happen to them, maybe this home will be good but what if they go to another and are abused. Mine are here for life, I'm not saying I'm the best they can have, they'd probably do way better with someone who would do more training etc. but they are fed, watered, have vet and farrier care and they are loved. I have gotten e-mails from Rompy's first owner who had to sell him because she got old and she thanks me every time for loving him. He's easy to love but she was afraid he'd go to a home where the people would think of him as just a horse and not a family member. He can drive me nuts at times but he's family and he knows he's loved and he seems very happy here.

I know some people just think of them as livestock, use them while they can then unload them but that's not me.

[WashingtonBay]

It's OK beachriding - It's a hard rule to describe and enforce, because there's a lot of legitimate reasons to post ads for discussion, like being interested in the horse or having a question about it, and only those who have heard my lecture before know I have this persnickety opinion about "Isn't this awful" kind of posts.

I just really don't like the attitudes and behavior of that other site and didn't want to encourage that kind of internet vigilantism here. Should one of our threads or members end up being posted there one day, I'd like to be firmly in my seat on the high horse. :)


Now - on selling off of old horses, I do agree with you. None of my old horses will ever be sold when they most deserve loyalty from me. And I don't like to see it either.

[FatSpottedAppy]

The thing is, I couldn't imagine selling a horse that has been in the family for years. If she has to sell it then yes, sell it and find it a good home. However, if she's only selling it because it's old and becoming "useless" after having it and riding it for so many years, I think that's wrong.

For example, I could not even think about selling Tyke-- He has been in the family for 5 years now and is coming up on 26 next year. He deserves nothing short of a good forever home, not to just be passed onto the next person because he's slowing down.

[Kaitlyn]

Tyke is slowing down? lol. He'll never have a hoof in the grave at this rate haha. But I tend to agree that it looks like the horse is being dumped.

[Joey A]

The ad didn't say the horse was useless, in fact it said something to the effect of "great teacher for kids".

[FatSpottedAppy]

Tyke is slowing down? lol.

Ooh yeah.. You should've seen him the last couple years.

[WashingtonBay]

FSA - sentiment and bond is something people either have or don't have over an animal... And if they 'don't' feel it, no amount of us getting mad at them will make them feel it, or make them love the old horse the way it deserves to be loved. But outside of real neglect and abuse, we can only really control our own, and hope that this old guy and those like him do find their way to the home of someone who will give him what he deserves.

[Horserider]

If you move you CAN take your horses.

Not necessarily. They might not be able to trailer their horses all the way to wherever they're moving. They might not be able to get horse property there or afford boarding once they move. Moving is very expensive after all.

Plus there's the horses. In Horse and Rider one of the editor's horses had to be sent to another farm far away for a variety of reasons. And one of those reasons were their allergies (the horse's I mean). If they're moving a long ways away, the horse might not adapt well to the change in climate.

Think about the people that leave their cats and dogs behind with willing friends and family because they don't want to have to put their pet's through the move. (Of course, most of the stories I hear about that end with 'and they turned up x amount of time later after traveling x miles to a place they'd never been to...) And those are cats and dogs, pets that are much easier to pack up and drive to a new home.

I'm sure the people that sell their horses when they move would LOVE to take them with them, they just can't for one reason or another. :)

I also hate the reasoning of 'the horse is old' in a sale, but does the ad specifically say that? The only parts of the ad that bother me besides 'teeth need to be floated' are 'loves to run when saddled' and 'hates to be trailered.' Otherwise, she could make a good kid's horse if she can still be ridden.

ETA: like being interested in the horse or having a question about it

I was going to ask about that, but I see it's already been answered. :)

[cowboyup3371]

Although I too cannot see getting rid of an old horse who's faithfully served the family for years, there might be reasons we don't know about in this economy we have nowadays. Hopefully a good family will receive that horse.

[Petra]

Petra- I hate that reason. If you move you CAN take your horses. IF you really want to keep your horse it is actually really simple. Unless your moving out of country, I think moving your horses with you to the next state over is not a good enough reason to dump them. Granted they may have a legitimate reason to get rid of the horse. But at that age and with her problems keeping on weight/dodgy teeth, this horse is not likely to get a good home. More than likely heading to Mexico... It would be kinder to pts if one can't guarentee the new home will be a good one and permanent.

Honestly, if my husband lost his job we would have to sell our horses no matter how much it would break my heart. There is no way we could possibly afford to keep them. I personally would much rather sell them to someone who would be able to give them the care they deserve than trying to stretch the time between worming or trimming just because I would have no money to afford it.
If anything happened to me all our animals would have to go. My husband works 7 to 7, there is no way he would have time to take care of them.
Especially with the economy being so bad this kind of ad doesn't surprise me. The horse on the picture seemed to be in a pretty good shape for 28 years old. I think the owners do care about her well-being.

I don't agree with selling a horse just because he got old, but as WF said I'd much rather see the owners trying to find him a good home if they cannot give him the required care.

[lovesfortune]

I'm on the fence, but I agree with WB.. .either you have that attachment or you don't. I will have Norman until I am no longer able to keep him (due to unforseen circumstances) or until he passes. I don't ever plan on selling him AT ALL. He is 18.

I do see a lot of horses 'free to good home' or selling really cheap and they are upper 20's, etc. I don't like that. I feel like they gave you the best years of their life and then when they can't do what you want to the ability you want... then they pass them off.

Yes, senior horses require more care in most cases... but they deserve it.

[cheval]

I didn't see anything wrong with the ad and sometimes you cannot take your horse with you when you move. It does happen. Don't think for a minute the people that have to sell the horses in that situation are not heartbroken over it.