HGPaints
Posted : 7/21/2009 1:22:02 PM
Interesting topic. I don't mind getting an occasional call every now and then from people who have bought horses from me. Now, one of my boarders sold a horse back in the beginning of June and that horses new owners call me to ask questions. It gets a little annoying, but I appreciate that they are trying to do whats best for the horse so I return their calls and answer anyway. I send an e-mail every now and then to one of the previous owners of my current horses, and bump into a few locally sometimes. I don't find it mandatory and I find that most people don't.
I am going to fall into the horses are livestock section. Now yes, I do have a few that are like family and I could never sell, but on the other hand I am with Shiver and have no problems with the idea of slaughter. I would not slaughter my own of course, but as far as horses with physical issues, or the surplus of somewhat "useless" horses, I don't have a personal problem with the idea. I also have 2 pet pigs by my barn and a pen for food pigs in the back pasture. Just because I have them as pets doesn't mean I have a problem eating ham. My husband just says that Teddy and Reba are the lucky ones.
As far as rescues, I an associated with one. I was actually dragged into it by my trainer to help develop a training program to get some turnover in there, as many of the horses had been there for years. The organization has a lot of potential, but I have seen that some of my original views were wrong. Originally, I was told by them that part of the vicious cycle with rescues was that rescue horses (which just about always have issues) are usually adopted by the novice owner. People that had the experience to work with these horses didn't come to rescues to look for them. This made sense, at first, until someone with almost 20 years of horse experience tried to adopt a horse that had been my personal project. Her barn was well kept with her retired show horses, and now she just wanted to help one out. Seemed ideal, until she was put through such an intense drilling in an interview that she just said "the heck with it". I have to say that I personally wouldn't have gone through with it either. Its one thing to check in with a previous owner, but a completely different thing to be breathing down their back and criticizing every decision. I know through talking to a lot of people that this is a problem that people find with rescues. I have dealt with one rescue that was much easier to work with, a phone call or e-mail every now and then isn't too invasive at all. Some of them just get a little carried away.
I have read somewhere that people are 8x more likely to donate to an animal charity than a human charity. Its kinda sad, I see local animal organizations making thousands of dollars in a one afternoon fundraiser yet there is a therapeutic riding barn less than 20 miles away that may have to close their doors due to lack of funds. "Help the horses" seems like a more appealing phrase than "help the children".
I know that everyone needs some financial backing and I have no problem with these programs, but it is sad when the local grocery store that gives you chips at checkout to donate to your favorite charity has the "humane society" box overflowing and the local childrens house hardly has enough to cover the bottom.
I love my horses, but every horse that I have has to have a job, either for me directly as my personal horse or giving lessons, or at least on their way in that direction. If it doesn't, then that horse is sold to someone who could give it a purpose. I see more and more horses being adored for the "ooh ahh" factor. I like getting check ups, but what that person wants to do with the horse is up to them. In my situation, I could dwell on what just went out, or focus my time on helping what is coming in. I don't mind answering questions that a buyer may have, and I always let them know that. I do not find it necessary.