I don't know if this has been brought up before on the forum but I think the troubled economy is really affecting a lot more than just people. Anyone else notice how many cheap, 'free' and under priced horses there are on places ike craigslist.com? It is unnerving to me. All the years I had horses none were ever cheap. I paid good money for a horse and feed, farrier and vet care was never cheap. I sold out when shoeing went to $160 and a bale of hay went to $4.50. Way too much, I got priced out and that was three years ago. I inquired recently at Agway as to the price of a bale of straw. That commodity is not normally grown in Vermont but is plentiful in nearby Quebec. Agway says in a very unashamed voice, $8.99 a bale! A 50 # bag of oiler sunflower seeds to feed the chickadees is $30! Last spring (spring 2008 just a few months ago!) I paid $5 a bale for straw and thought that was excessive. I mentioned to my mother this trend of cheap horses and she said people in Michigan were trailering their horses to State land and dumping them there because they cannot afford to feed them! This is awful and I think the trend is going to get worse.
I agree... Here the auctions are so full of horses that they're being shipped by the trailer full to Mexico for slaughter. They will pack them with no concern to death or injury because they don't care. I've seen it myself, and its just too sad. It's not the 'bad' horses either.
There have been alot here in Indiana as well. If I could afford it and had the space I would take a couple of them. It is sad had bad this has become.
I have 2 beautiful new Percherons b/c the lady who had them couldn't afford to feed them and gave them to me for free. They're lucky she did that instead of letting them starve or dumping them somewhere. They're 7 & 8 years old, broke to ride, and very gentle. I did have to pay for their Coggins, vaccines, farrier, etc. Meet Thor and Athena: By the way Birch - what kind of Polish do you have?
Around here an average horse will bring anywhere from $50 to $200 or $300. The really good horses ( when and if you do find one) are still fairly pricey, but nothing like they were a few years back. Ive even heard (as bad as this is) that some people will take a horse to the auction and if it doesnt sell, they will tie it to the back of someones trailer (without the owner of the truck and trailer knowing) and leave it there for them to drive off with it. We have 9 horses ourselves.
I am seeing a lot of horse on craigslist too. Also a lot of goats, pot bellied pigs and mini donkeys.
This is one of the sad part of todays economy. I wonder how many boarding places have gotten stuck with horses because the owners can't afford them. I just read a article in USA today recently about people abandoning their domestic horses hoping they would revert to the wild. Horses are flock animals but I don't think many wild herds would take a domestic horse in. Over the years horses have learned to adapt to their wild surroundings. Herds can be very territorial to newcommers. Even the wild horses have it tough. I would think alot of draft horses would be the first to go as they eat more.
Everybody talks about these "free" and "cheap" horses everywhere and I have yet to see a decent free or cheap horse here in NJ that didn't come with some major vice. Every free horse I've gone to see up here has either been 20+ years old, lame, or unrideable. Mind you, I would never want to see horses suffering or starving, but this Spring I'm hoping to find a decent trail horse and I'm not very optimistic about it. I haven't seen a horse for sale on our local craigslist in a couple of months. Of course there are horses for sale at the auctions, but I want a decent trail horse and there's no garantee I'd get that bidding from high up in an arena stand! As you can tell it is very frustrating! My last horse we paid $3800 for and he is nothing special! A $2500 horse is rare to find and all we are looking for is a decent trail horse that may be able to enter into some fun shows or halter classes. Even unregistered horses are selling for a bundle. Maybe I'll have to travel to find a good horse. It's sad because I live in the country of NJ, right next to PA and still good horses are few and far between.
Chickerdoodle - did you see my post above? I got both my Percherons (ages 7 and 8) for free...maybe you need to come to FL and get a horse.
