well I hope there will be. We use our horses, at least the ones we have trained thus far, for working cows. You may be able to move cows via 4 wheeler but you can't tie off on to a 4 wheeler and hold a bull down or even a cow... and you'd be lucky to keep a 4 month old calf tied even!
And the Amish comunity still use horses for farming. Other than those two examples I don't know what other "work" they would be used for anymore. Tractors just work much faster, you don't "feed" them etc.
And as far as the market goes, I don't see it turning around until 2 things happen.
1. the obvious... Ecconomy needs to turn around so people can afford extra.
2. the one nobody really wants to hear but the Horse Slaughter needs to open back up.
I don't like to say it either but as a realist there is just no way to feed all the horses out there. The unwanted horses need a place to go and the rescues are over loaded with horses that can't be taken care of properly because of numerious reasons.
It's as simple as supply and demand. There is too much supply and no demand.
We have 8 horses ourselves because of people we know that can't take care of their own just giving them to us... DH is a softy for horses and a dreamer so we rarely turn one away. Funds are already so tight but we don't have kids so... horses, cows, chickens, dogs... these are our children.
I hope and pray but for now that's all I think I can do!
