The ranch next to the barn where I board my horse has been charged with cruelty to animals several times. (Shooting, beating, neglect of horses, cockfighting. Nice neighbor's, huh?) They always get away with it because they have "aquaintences" with the city council, or whatever. Also, they are a rent-a-horse on the beach trails for the day, and hundreds of people who have no clue about horses always back them up. Anyway, so there is one rent a horse in particular that I loved. I called him Strawberry Soldier because he was a strawberry roan and he was so brave. I realized he was a wild mustang, and that is how I got into my love of wild horses. Since he was wild, and nobody had taken the time to tame him, he was not a good rent a horse. He would come back with cuts and bruises after being ridden by careless people. He was there for 1 year. Now, these people buy their horses from meat auctions, and sell them there, too. They would buy 10 horses for $5,000, pick which ones they like, and send the rest to slaughter. Sometimes they even trade in their own horses for ones they like, and theirs would be sent to slaughter. 2 weeks ago last year was the date I first saw him, and 2 weeks ago this year was the last time I saw him. I was riding my own horse on the trails, and I saw the slaughter trailer coming down the road. Feeling very sorry for the horses, I stopped to watch. As the trailer passed, I saw a slender red nose poking out. It was Strawberry. THEY SENT HIM TO DIE IN MEXICO OR CANADA!!!!!! I can't believe it. My heart still hurts. If anyone ever sees a strawberry roan mustang gelding with the BLM freezebrand on his left neck at any meat auction, PLEASE SAVE HIM FOR ME! (we are in CA, but he could be anywhere) He is a really sweet horse. I hate the ranch next door. I'm still crying.
Geez, that's terrible. Call the slaughter trailer company and see if you can get it or find out where it went. Stuff "falls off trailers" all the time.
Ummm, I am pretty sure it is illegal to sell a BLM horse for slaughter any more. You need to check the BLM wild horse adoption pages to be certain. If it is, and he was sold for slaughter, report him.
I'm with SS, I thought about 15 years ago they made that illegal.... ETA - About 25 years ago I bought a horse for 25$ that I named "glue" because that was his fate and it's what he was worth. Best darn trail horse I ever owned
Ok, Update: Strawberry is safe! Around here, all the horses go to a "last chance" auction before their final journey. The auction people sent him back because you can't get a mustang without papers! And so he's back!!!!!!!!!! Yippeee! I'm going to ride him for the 1 st time ever soon!
Offer them the $500 they'd get for him and buy him yourself. Unfortunately, though, I do believe there is a place in the horse industry for slaughter (I know that I'm opening myself up to being flamed). I wish it were done more humanely, but it's got to be better than starving to death (which is what his happening, between people losing their jobs, the cost of equine care stuff going up and the lack of "disposal" opportunities) - and until the horse industry can breed responsibly and take responsibility for the stock they produce...again, it's better than starving to death. But not a mustang. NEVER a mustang. FWIW - all of my horses are rescues. Some are "worthless" in the sense that they cost a LOT and will never do anything for me in return but make more work. But they will live out the rest of their days here as comfortably as possible. But, if I was not available...I would prefer they were slaughtered to starved to death. And that might have been where they were headed if I hadn't stepped in.
