[HappyJoy]

i feel compelled to talk about this. people say how sorry they are to see horses go to slaughter. and yet they breed more horses. people say what a shame it is for so many nurse mare foals and pmu foals to be put down. and yet they breed more horses. people say how terrible it is for the neglected, abused horses taken from crowded farms. and yet they breed more horses. sensing a pattern? if you really want to end slaughter, then stop giving slaughter houses horses to kill. if there was a demand for all the supply then the companies wouldn't have surplus horses to snatch up for low prices. slaughter is a terrible thing, and the horses live out there last days in intense fear and mental anguish, but what would happen to them if they didn't go to slaughter? i don't wish to get into the issue of slaughter, because slaughter is only a symptom of the problem. the truth is that there are simply too many horses due to people selfishly breeding them for personal gain. why do people breed their mares? for the life of me i can't think of any excuse good enough to justify it. if you want a prize foal, why? to be a hit at all the shows? to breed more foals with good bloodlines? how can the blood running through an animals veins make it more valuable? how can a horses worth be judged by its papers? to make a champion horse you train it, teach it, and love it. not that any animal pulled from a rescue will make a champion dressage horse, or jumper, or barrel racer, but put the time into researching rescues and i promise you will find a beautiful animal to suit your needs if you have patience and wait for the right one. horse ownership isn't about getting everything you want easily. people want to go out and buy an all purpose horse who's ready for anything. if you don't want to put the time into training, or if you don't have the experience, adopt one from a rescue and take them to a trainer. it'll still be cheaper than if you bought the 'perfect horse' all set to go. a lot of people think you can't get a purebred from adoption but you can, i've seen vast amounts of registered quarter horses, thoroughbreds, tenn. walking horses, you name it, go to waste because people haven’t been quite pleased with how they've handled, or the way they moved. it's a living, breathing animal not a car! and foals... there are countless foals out there-purebred even- who are the aftermath of pmu farms and nursemare breeding. people are so selfish when it comes to horses, or really the animal kingdom in general, they would rather breed more and contribute to the cruel slaughter of these beautiful animals then spend the time to rescue some horse looking for a second chance. there are horses of every age, sex, breed, and endless variety waiting to be adopted. what's stopping you?


links to adoption sites
http://www.rescuenetwork.com/rescue/index.php
http://www.equinerescue.info/links.html
http://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/requirements.htm
http://www.pmurescue.org/ranches_rescues.php

those are just a few of the national sites, when i did research before adopting my mustang i found countless more small scale rescues in my state(OH). any google search will bring up tons of helpful sites.

[EqUeStRiAn]

I think your making a bit of a generalization. Not all people who feel sorry for those horses breed, and vice versa as well. Although adoption is an excellent choice, it's not for everyone. Many people just want a mount that is already trained for pure pleasure, and they dont want to have to rebuild the horses confidence. I agree overbreeding is becoming a problem. To answer some of your questions....

why do people breed their mares? - I have no problem with people breeding their mares, there has to be some sort of generation cycle. But i agree, its going too far.

how can a horses worth be judged by its papers?- Thats just the way some people are. Its human nature to try and be the best and have the best, its a fact, and its not going to change anytime soon.

This topic has been brought up many times before, but still a decent post. Good for you for at least stating your opinion.

[HappyJoy]

i certainly made many generalizations. i'm not too good at stating my thoughts clearly. i realize that not everyone is motivated by selfish reasons. i just feel that far too many people treat breeding too lightly. obviously you couldn't stop all breeding of horses forever lol. but if we campaign to get people to realize the waste that breeding causes then if even one persons chooses not to breed then there is a slight victory for the horses. you say that adoption isn't for everyone, but it can be if you take time to do it properly. there are tons of horses out there who haven't been abused and don't need their confidence built up, they just need someone to give them a home. i have seen people with very little knowledge of horses get bomb proof, excellent 'first horse' horses from rescues. this isn't just a spoof either, people don't realize how many perfectly good horses go to rescues. rescues are also good in the way that they allow you time to try out a horse to see if it's a good fit. they aren't trying to hussle the horses off, their goal is to make commited matches between horses and owners.

[EqUeStRiAn]

Originally Posted by HappyJoy

i certainly made many generalizations. i'm not too good at stating my thoughts clearly. i realize that not everyone is motivated by selfish reasons. i just feel that far too many people treat breeding too lightly. obviously you couldn't stop all breeding of horses forever lol. but if we campaign to get people to realize the waste that breeding causes then if even one persons chooses not to breed then there is a slight victory for the horses. you say that adoption isn't for everyone, but it can be if you take time to do it properly. there are tons of horses out there who haven't been abused and don't need their confidence built up, they just need someone to give them a home. i have seen people with very little knowledge of horses get bomb proof, excellent 'first horse' horses from rescues. this isn't just a spoof either, people don't realize how many perfectly good horses go to rescues. rescues are also good in the way that they allow you time to try out a horse to see if it's a good fit. they aren't trying to hussle the horses off, their goal is to make commited matches between horses and owners.

I agree with the above, many "backyard breeders" take it a little to lightly. I think the problem also lies in our fast paced society. People want things right away, which is why many people dont want to use their money on a horse they have to really rebuild, when they can get a trained steed and less "heartache". That was a good post.

[HappyJoy]

thanks this whole topic is something i've never discussed with anyone and i really didn't know how people felt about it, i just knew how i felt

[julie&chico]

This topic has been brought up and I agree with you on most things....most pmu babies aren't sent to slaughter......anyways, I will buy a pmu baby or an auction horse meant for slaughter or adopt an animal from a rescue, the whole overbreeding thing for money gets me too. But not all people are the same, there are horses you just can't buy from a rescue (like a olympic caliber jumper) but for most people's taste the horses are just waiting for a home.....anyways I hope this doesn't turn into some nasty debate......

[crazy4horses205]

I agree with you on most things also. Bloodlines do make a horse a lot. If your horse has good blood flowing through his viens and he is good at say jumping, then chances are his foal will be good at that too. You can get a good horse at an aution but if it doesn't have the bloodlines to eccel at something, chances are it won't be a champion winner. And its very true that too many breeders are backyard breeders who just want a baby because it it sooo cute. And if we want to help to stop abuse and slaughter, we first need to stop breeding, atleast a little bit, until the surplus is under control.

[HappyJoy]

for me the whole bloodlines thing is just absurd, but to explain that i would have to go into my views on shows and the like, which is something i really don't want to do. i know i would offend very very many people and since i enjoy debates but not angry arguing i'll avoid that. i'm just realizing more and more how i cannot stress adoption enough. i think it's a wonderful way for someone to get a horse, wether they are experts or have never ridden before.

[Thrills]

This is my personal opinion on the matter...I don't want to say anyone is right or wrong as we are all individuals. I have owned purebreds and non purebreds. I have no favoritism between the two as I've had crazy and tried and true between the both. The nice thing about a purebred though, is that if I wanted, say a performance (WP andEP ect) horse, I would know that their mothers/fathers/granparents/great grandparents have done the same and excelled, therefor the yearling I'm looking at will most likly excell in those classes as well. That is if I was looking for a specific baby. It can backfire; I bred my old showhorse and am now riding the result. She is not a great performance prospect. She has great bloodlines, and I do get bugged about breeding her all the time. I will not breed her any time soon, if at all. I think some people think just because you have a mare, they should be having babies. The decision to breed my original horse was a time consuming and involved a lot of research. and 7 years later I still have her. I did sell the original mare 6 years ago, but I was strapped for cash and could not afford to own both. Does this make me a bad person?

[SweetIron]

I guess that sometimes, purebred (reg'd) horses are simply worth more because, well, with them you have the potential to produce more reg'd horses.
My mare came from an auction several years ago. She was bought by "well meaning" people who had no idea what they were getting into and had never had horses or even been around them. They did not even know the proper way to position a halter on one!! Her and their other horse, ended up being abandoned by the buyers at my friend's place, where they were boarded.
I would love to rescue a horse from one of the local rescue groups, but what turns me off is that they permanently reserve the right to reclaim the horss, as well as to be able to inspect the horse on your property when ever they wish. Granted, this is a good thing in a way; it prevents people from neglecting the horses that were already rejected by someone to begin with. But I really don't like the idea of being babysat and what if some kind of falling-out occured between me and the rescue group or someone affiliated with either of us, and they simply decided to take the horse back regardless of my conditions? I would not be refunded my $500 adoption fee.
I duno; anyone have experience with this sort of thing happening?