Horses essentially have no financial value. A recent column by Cyndi Young-Puyear in the Indiana AgriNews explains how most sale barns will no longer accept horses or ponies without a minimum fee. That's because they know the animal is NOT going to sell and they want to be paid for their services. These minimum fees run from $35 to $65 when any of the animals in question rarely bring more than $5 to $10 apiece.All my life in the West, I have seen more horses owned for their . . . talismanic value, you might call it . . . than for any real purpose. They end up standing day after day in little pens and paddocks.
It's pretty simple really when you think about it. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH A HORSE WHEN NO ONE WANTS IT? OR CAN EVEN AFFORD IT?
April 26, 2011
Too Often, a Horse is Worth Nothing
Farmer-writer Frank James explains the obvious about why there are so many unwanted horses and problems with neglected horses.
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That's just sad. There are a few like that at our stable; with the owners' permission, we at least groom them and give them a walk a couple times a week. It was a real financial sacrifice for my wife to buy our Gypsy Vanner, and we groom/ride/drive him at leas four days a week. Then there's the guy out in Elizabeth who doesn't even ride, but he stables and feeds and looks after eighteen horses so far. He leases a whole twenty-stall barn. Keep writing.
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