If you are like me and check out the horse ads on Kijiji, it is plain to see the horse industry is in a bad state even in Alberta, where the economy didn't full out tank. The ads are flooded with both very young and quite old equines, mostly of the QH or Paint variety. Many of the ads are familiar to me as they have been refreshed and redone over and over. What is even sadder is to read the market reports from the local horse auctions:
Westlock Auction
Tofield Auction

Note how many stock breeds there are, and what percentage of those went to the dealers. How many untrained, but adult horses. Also note how high some of those meat horses went for...I have no idea what the per pound value of horse meat is, but it is apparently higher than I thought for those prices to make sense. Now I know the dealers don't drive around to check out horses advertised on Kijiji, but it does make me worry about the horses for sale for under $600, and makes me wonder about the ads for people wanting horses for super cheap (I would like a potential jumper for under $350 please, or a pony that is rateable for under $200). How many of those ads are honest? I have been around enough to know that people will use kids to get sellers to sell them a horse for cheap...that is then sent off to slaughter for a quick buck.

Now I am not against slaughter, I just wish it was much more humane, and that people truly understood when they bred their random QH mare, that this was going to be the fate of the baby.

Seems very sad that there are so many unwanted horses, and it makes it very difficult to find good homes for less than perfect horses. On the flip side though, there are not that many good quality jumping prospects out there for sale...just a flood of 14.3 hand stock breed horses.

So why so many homebred unwanted stock breed horses? I am sure part of it is because it is just so easy...lots of mares to be bought cheaply, and lots of people with stallions that will pasture breed a mare for a few hundred...no worries about ultrasounds and breeding exams in that world.

And further, there is incentive to breed...as a riding stable, you get a lower tax rate if you breed horses...so paying a few hundred to breed a couple mares may be financially worth it even if they only sell for a hundred dollars each at auction as weanlings. Perhaps the county should rethink this for the sake of the horse industry.

On a more postive note, our little pity buy Carma is going well. Wonderfully easy to get to the jumps, although still pretty green on the flat. Would love to find her some worth junior rider to take her to the show ring. I feel a tad on the big side on her, but plan to show her next spring if she is not sold. I would like to find her a new home so we can help another horse get a good start at a riding career!

If you want to do something to help horses in need, Bar NK rescue is holding a silent auction on their webpage/forum. Nicole Krill of Bar NK rescue helps take in and rehab a small number of horses, but on a larger scale she helps TB and Standardbred breeders find suitable homes for their race track failures; interviewing and screening potential buyers to make sure it is a good match. You can check out the Silent Action at: http://excoboard.com/barnkrescueandplacement/144263

Karen