----- Original Message -----
From: neatolgart
To: againstslaughter@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, May 28, 2004 9:21 PM
Subject: [againstslaughter] Re: Horse slaughtering deeply divides racing, breeding community

Quote from the article:

"    He said a quality horse would never sell for $300 or $400, and a killer buyer can't afford to pay more than that for a horse that's headed to slaughter. Killer buyers typically earn 32-35 cents per pound. "A good horse doesn't go to slaughter," said Kiehl, 69. "A killer buyer can't afford a good horse. The horses that go are $300 horses; they all have problems. They don't ride good. They aren't sound. They have physical problems, and they have mental problems."     "

Here is a list of the horses rescued in the past year from a Beltex contract dealer by me and people in my area with the help of rescuer Lynn Harmon. Keep in mind that any or all of these horses would have been sent to the plant:

Paint broodmare, registered APHA, black and white overo, bred to below stallion, $700

Paint broodmare, grade APHA, black and white overo, bred to below stallion, $600

Paint stallion, registered, sorrel homozygous tovero, $1000.  This young stallion, 3 years old,     was to be sent to the slaughter plant price notwithstanding, within the week if he was not bought.     The dealer does this to fill quotas, or when he just gets tired of looking at them. (In his own words.)

This young man has his first APHA babies on the ground this year and they are gorgeous, correct, and     every one is colored. He is a perfect gentleman, easy to handle and pasture breeds with exquisite gentleness.

Blue roan mare, registered AQHA, green broke 4 years old, $400

Black mare, registered AQHA, green broke 3 years old, $400

Three chestnut TB yearling colts, grade with breeders' certificates, $300 each.   Patricia and Ginger might care to share pictures of these gorgeous guys.

At that time he was also offering two roan 3 year old TB fillies, registered, for $400 each.  Fortunately they  were  sold.

The story about the paints? They all came from the same herd, bought at a bulk discount from an old man who was going out of the breeding business. Most of the weanlings and yearlings and two year olds were sent to slaughter right after the dealer brought them home. Lynn saved as many as she could. Any mares who were not sold within two weeks or so also went to slaughter.

The new owner of the stallion contacted his breeder, who was devastated at the loss of his life's work. The breeder had never known that the dealer was a slaughter buyer. He was assured that the horses would be sold to new owners.

All of the above listed horses were sound and sane.


Amy Backo
Xanadu Farm Trakehners
Navasota, Texas