[avasmom]

I'm actually frequenting the auctions around here when I can-I have my eye out for something good to come along. I'm actually looking for yearlings but haven't found too many of them.

[tweiderh]

I picked Jetta up at an auction as a yearling and she definitely wasn't a rescue..

Jetta the day after I got her

[harli36]

Originally Posted by prairiegirl

In the scheme of things is this really something to complain about? (I didn't say you couldn't post...it's a free world, I'm just questioning if this post gives off the right "vibe".) If someone believes they "rescued" an animal and feels good about saving it (from whatever fate it might have met, good or bad) isn't it enough that another animal has a home and that someone feels like they made a difference to that animal? I

I agree with you that sometimes it isn't worth mentioning anything about for example it wouldn't bother me at all if someone walks up to me and says "see this good dead I've done". While I may or may not agree that they actually saved that horse from any ill fate doesn't matter at all what matters is that the person did something that made them feel good about themselves.

But there are plenty of people that use the old "we rescued him from certain death" to tug on heart strings to sell the animal and/or get more money for it then the animal actually deserved. Many times these people are also the ones who are saying that they saved the horse just because they bought it from an auction and one meat guy was there. This type of person burns my butt.

[Chester]

Oh poo. Does this mean I haven't rescued Dizzy? He is an ottb and if I hadn't said I wanted him, he could have gone to the doggers. Not likely, but he could have. He could also have fallen and broken his leg in the paddock. He could have gone to someone who wouldn't love him as much.

Sorry, I will now stop taking the mickey. I agree, not all auction horses are rescues, not all rescues are rescues.

[Buckshot]

You can get rescue horses at an auction, but not every horse from an auction is a rescue horse.

There are some REALLY high-end auctions that I would be surprised to call stock from it rescues.....Sme of the ones in Kentucky come to mind...

[aBreeze]

Originally Posted by chester

not all auction horses are rescues, not all rescues are rescues.

i like that

[Smoke N Lace]

Originally Posted by tightpaycheck

That is the main reason I don't give money to rescues or help donate to "save" these horses. If you buy a horse at an auction then resell it at a profit you are a dealer, not a rescue. But any dealer that calls themselves a rescue sells more horses. When I bought horses at the sale, I had a $300 limit per horse. If it went over that, someone else could have it. Why would I pay $600 for a horse that is on a feedlot when I know the meat buyers aren't giving that kind of money.
I have a silly question though. If there is no more slaughter, what are they supposed to "rescue" these horses from? How can they even call themselves rescues?

Rescue is not just from meat buyers. There's going to be a great number of horses needing rescuing from bad or no care in the near future. Those people who rescue horses from bad situations deserve to call themselves "rescuers" IMO.

[PeggySue]

I actually agree that most rescues aren't from the meat buyers they are from bad homes that is how they end up in the condition they get to where nobody wants them no even the meat buyers really ... that is a big misconception that meat buyers buy anything... they get paid by the pound so they really don't want skinny horses.. it takes just as much to haul a skinny one to kill as it does a fat one..

[CrazyHorse]

They have auctions here in Mississippi about 30 miles away from me twice per month & my hubby & I have been about 3 times. Although a lot of the horses are nice, well-fed, well-behaved horses, some of them are skinny, covered in rain rot & terrified with long, cracked hooves. These are the ones who's owners don't comply with the mandatory negative coggins tests & their horses end up quarantined until they're tested & the results come back negative. These horses sell for rock bottom prices because people want to give them a chance at a better life, so I guess you could say, to a degree, that some of them are rescues. You can tell some of them have been drugged too & it's a darn shame.

[Cowgirly]

Originally Posted by Buckshot

You can get rescue horses at an auction, but not every horse from an auction is a rescue horse.

I totally agree- you can rescue from an auction but not all auction horses are rescues. It is a pet peeve of mine as well- but not as big a pet peeve as people who claim to be 'trainers' or even worse, claim to have 'rehabilitated' a rescue horse that they barely know.

I know of one person who 'rescues' (buys at auctions) then 'rehabilitates' (rides them a couple times, enough to get a good picture or two) then 'adopts' (also known as SELLS) them. Worse than that, she sells them to people with very little experience - the kind of newbies with no experience and who think they can get a good horse super cheap. Sorry for the rant but it makes me mad because there is nothing to stop her- she just buys them for super cheap (or gets them given to her) and resells them, claiming rescue/rehabilitation/recovery.