Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2003 2:58 PM
Subject: My account of the Sept. 5th Stephenville auction
On September 5th I attended the Stephenville
Texas horse auction. This was my first time to go. I have been to horse
auctions in other states and have rescued many horses that were going to
slaughter from them.
I was with a friend of mine and my 14 year old son Cody. We arrived at 6:00
PM just as things were starting. At the first part of the auction they sold
tack so we decided to go back in the barn where the horses were kept to see
what was going to go through. We saw many horses, I would say between
200-300. This included, mules, donkeys and ponies too. As we were back there
there were trailers lined up with more horses to unload and sell.
After looking at the horses in the back, we went
into the sale ring to assure ourselves of a seat. While there I saw several
men that stood in the rings and took up the front seats on the left side. By
several I would say about a dozen. I assumed them to be the killer buyers as
this is how they are at auctions everywhere. Front row and center. They ran
the little horses and ponies in first. The little donkeys were very scared
and their legs crumbled under them. The guys in the ring were very mean to
the animals, beating them with their sticks and prods. When the little donkeys
were so afraid they could not move they would have 4 or 5 older kids
slapping, shoving and twisting their tails to get them out. I wish we could
get the beatings these traumatized babies get on film. It would shock
the world and get the attention of the non-believers.
It was very very sad. The donkeys did not go for very much money at all. I
also think it is wrong to not have a sign up telling people who do not have
a clue that their horses will have a very good chance of going to slaughter
if sold at auction. I hate the sneakiness and secretive ways of the killer
buyers.
The ponies and mini horses came next and there
was a man who would start the bids, always the same man. I assumed him to be
a meat buyer. He started the ponies at a very very high price considering
what i had seen them go for before. I was very surprised as he started most
all of the prices for all of the horses very high compared to most auctions
I have been to. Most were started at over $300 for the smaller horses and $700
for the larger ones. In fact a friend of mine attended the Weatherford
auction the very night after and when we compared prices, the Weatherford
horses were started at less than half of what this guy started them at,
which I thought was very odd; they also sold for a lot less. Another thing
that I found to be really sad was at all the auctions I have been to before,
the killer will immediately back off from bidding when he sees someone else
bidding to give them a home. These guys seemed to take a fiendish delight in
driving the prices higher and higher, keeping the horses from being able to
find a home.
We also noticed something which we found to be
disturbing. There were several yearlings and other young horses from the
Western States ranches that went through with serious eye injuries. They of
course went to slaughter as did many of the horses. Most of the horses who
had owners who were kind enough to stick around were pulled because they
either wanted more money or perhaps figured out they would go to slaughter.
The loose horses went higher than I thought they would. There was a very
large paint that looked to be half draft that sold for around $1,200.
The auctioneer seemed to be concentrating on the
men in the front row to the left so hard, it took other people being persistent
to get noticed when they were bidding on the horses. Unfortunately we had to
leave before the auction was even halfway done. We left at about 8:30. When
we went outside we saw several double decker trucks lined up outside to haul
the horses away. it was a very sad and depressing night. We hardly said a
word to each other on the way home as we were so saddened by the experience.
Amanda James
Comanche Texas
Sept.7, 2003