Horses and the Economy

[Joe Malinowski]

I have been noticing a large influx of horses for sale many of them priced very cheap. There are alot of sad hotse owners who can no longer afford to feed their horses and themselves. The local television station did a segment on a horse rescue stable that is just barely getting by, they also have a waiting list of horses for adoption. When will it all end.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Most new horsey people do not have any idea what the cost will be, and the shock is bad normally, but with groceries and energy raising at the rate they are it is a real shock. By horsey I mean people that move into the area form the city and buy a couple horses because their friends own them, but rarely ride them, not people that use their horses on a regular basis, they are 2 separate breeds of people.

[Eugene]

There is a riding stable just down the road from son's acreage. There is currently little to no traffic in horse trailers on weekends. Last few years the horse trailer traffic was bumper to bumper.

The US closed down slaughter houses dealing in horse meat. Horses are currently moved to Canada or Mexico for slaughter. PETA type people are now complaining how horses in shipment to the slaughter houses are being treated. If people can't afford to care for their animals and there is no market for them - well - not a good out come for the animals.

Good intentions - consequences not well thought out.

[Virginia Mike]

I tried to keep my mouth shut on this but....

Why should one type of animal life be more sacred than another?

Pass the southern fried cat.

[Jim Becker]

Dog OK, but not Hawkins' dog.

[KETCHAM]

Here kitty kitty!!!! I like the wild cats around my house they keep the small stuff down Kevin as for horses I like them as long as I don't own them. They always step on my feet haha!!!

[Kevin]

my friend goes to an weekly auction every few weeks and he said people that don't sell their horses seem to just leave them there anyway and go home!!!
guess when times are good people take for granted that the horse is easy to take care of... but i agree with others here that horses seemed to be
getting as popular as a dog for a pet and don't think new horsey people think about the long term committment before the purchase of a horse i would
like to get a horse as i live on the edge of my uncles 100 acre farm and could keep it there with the other few horses they have but am not sure i want the
responsibility just yet!!! hope this horse and auction thing stops soon....

[moparado]

I tried to keep my mouth shut on this but....
Why should one type of animal life be more sacred than another?
Pass the southern fried cat.

Yep, one man's pet is another man's dinner. I've worked with many Asians over the years and they did enjoy their dog and cat meals in their old country. One Asian guy told me after eating dog meat apparently other still live dogs can smell the scent and sometimes growl at them.

Why should one animal be more sacred than another? Good question!
I'd like to think its the specific specie's intelligence and affection to us humans which ends them up in the pet category. Dogs undoubtedly are on top and what little exposure i've had with horses, they also seem to be extremely intelligent.
I got into it with a woman on another pet forum who of all things keeps(she used the word adopt!) wild mice as pets similar to keeping a hamster! She was abhored and scorned me for trapping the mice in my barn with good ol fashioned spring kill traps. Why don't you use non-kill traps then release them? Why don't you use chemical repellants instead of kill traps? ON and ON ad nauseum she went! She finally lost it when i told her i killed 23 mice in a weeks time..Ha Ha!
-Ken

[Former Member]

At the end of this last winter, after hay prices being so high, there were folks at the horse sale in Cookeville, TN that had taken a trailer hoping to get a good deal on a horse. After the sale they found 2 horses in the trailer.

There were a lot of news stories here of folks just opening their gates after taking the horses halters off and just letting them go because they could not feed them.

Several horse rescues have sprung up, and most of them are overcrowded.

[Lurker Carl]

I am a long time member of the League of Maryland Horsemen. Club membership increased over the last decade to the point that they stopped accepting new members. Then the price of energy skyrocketed, the credit market collapsed and the housing boom busted. Now members are dropping out, horses and fancy trailers and big trucks are up for sale all over the area.

Fortunately, the Board of Directors has been conservative with the boom-time funds. We've been through these cycles before.

[Phillip W. Lenke]

I know full well the cost of horses, It seemed a time when the wealthy owned cars and the poor horses, that flipped around a few times. I don't think we will revert to horses and farming, but who knows it may return.
My family has owned horses for as long as I can remember, (11 head) the work involved is tremendous, not to mention the vet bills,Shoeing if you are into that, fencing, and the midnight runs to round them up through the neighbor hood.
I remember many a night Dad would holler up stairs "boys get up the horses are out"
I think you will see the Vets feeling it as well . My brother had a colt he put $800 into , it died with a week after, horses are big money to them .
I try to help my brothers cut , rake and bale hay ,( I get to use my restored items,) but I did not retain the horse gene.
THANK GOD!
I like horses , but not on my tab.
I had to raise a family , not horses. Could not do both.
Phil

[CapeCodCubs]

I never thought much for horses, but have gotten to know a few. They seem to be a luxury item. My friend who is an Animal Control Officer in our town lost her house to foreclosure probably due to having too many animals and kids. Her horse is coming to my place and so are two sheep and a goat. I keep sheep to mow the fields and for the lamb meat. I also use the wool to insulate. Horses seem like I said a luxury item. Any idea what I can expect a single horse to eat daily in hay??? I'm getting hay more hay today and hoping her horse doesn't wipe out my hay supply. I haven't asked her yet how much he eats.
Thanks

[Jim Becker]

Any idea what I can expect a single horse to eat daily in hay???

I don't know, but suspect the expression "eats like a horse" is based on something.
More than you want to know here: http://www.equusite.com/articles/basics/basicsFeeding.shtml

[CapeCodCubs]

Jim...you got a chuckle out me. I suppose they didn't coin the expression for nothing.

Thanks for the link...Chris

[Bob McCarty]

If the horses are healthy (weight wise), the best person to answer your question would be the lady who owns them. Otherwise, there are a lot of variables that will be hard to answer without more information. Such as:
--what do the horses weigh?
--will they be ridden/worked, or just "hang out" all day?
--how much pasture is available for them, and what is the nutritional value of the grass?
--straight grass or grass/alfalfa mix?
--will their feed be supplemented with grain or processed horse feeds?
--other costs will include shoeing /trimming (as needed), worming, and possibly occasional Vet checks.
Ideally, any feed transition should be made gradually, to minimize the risk of colic. If they are already at your house, and doing okay, then that is a moot point now. We live in Colorado, my wife feeds year around, even when the pasture is good, so she can control their intake and weight gain. They are not in the pasture all day long in the summer, as they would gain too much weight. If you have neighbors with horses, they would also be a good source of information.

Bob