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Angola Prison Horse Sale

Off Course
#41

[QUOTE=bayou_bengal;5760128]
Great idea. But then what future would the prison’s broodmares and stallions face? Would you see one group of horses face possible auction and slaughter in order to “save” another set of horses’ offspring?

Or are you suggsesting that the prison just allow the horses they already have just live out their lives on “The Farm” like most of the offenders?

Many of these mares are not trained to ride or drive and would be difficult to train as they are older. Same probably goes for the stallions.[/QUOTE]

Wow, just wow. I agree, they are in a pickle now with a herd of about 100 some horses…but I GUARANTEE you some of the offspring of these horses will end up at a location auction and I’d bet at some point, one of them will be sent to slaughter. Why- they’re not that nice, some are being sold for as little as $500. Cheap horses end up at auctions because they are purchased by people who can’t afford to keep them in the first place. And - if they are selling them through an auction, they won’t exactly be doing background checks on buyers. If they really cared about these horses they’d sell them privately - and refuse sale to anyone without a suitable home to offer.

But you are also wrong in that they couldn’t find homes for the breeding stock…if they have the manpower there’s no reason why it couldn’t be put to good use getting an older horse started under saddle - ive seen ppl successfully start 20 year old horses - if their dispositions are as good as everyone claims they should be, this shouldn’t be an issue. It may take time to find them homes and some might have to be giveaways (to appropriate homes) but its doable. Sure, they may be stuck with a few that are unsound and if these end up at auction - well that’s life, but like I said, I’d sooner see a few go to auction, then multiples more if they keep breeding.

The fact that you even bring that up proves that even you recognize that the worth of these horses isn’t all that - or else they’d be in no danger at all if the operation shut down as private breeders and those that are in love with “rare” draft crosses would snap them up regardless of age/rideability. I agree that they are obviously harder to find than TB’s and certainly I understand that TB’s (and other light breeds) can’t fill the roles they can, but there are still so many people breeding horses like this right now. If you can’t find one at a reasonable price for your needs, I’m guessing you might be looking an area where they are not popular, but in my area (where fox hunting is big) they are not hard to find.

And to anyone who’s offended by my helmet comments, really I just don’t want anyone to have their lives ruined by a traumatic brain injury that could have been prevented, as there is no safe way to ride a horse…and no I don’t want to be the one at the barn/show whatever calling 911 and having a heart attack in the process because I don’t know how to help you until the ambulance arrives.

#42

Great, Crystal Ball…

#43

It is a sale!!! I posted the info for those who might be interested in buying!

It isn’t broke as far as I know, so why fix it?

And I have BIG news for you. Some of those with the most money DO NOT spend it on their animals in so far as CARE. If one of their toys breaks, they replace it.

I think it is really nice to have an option that fits some folks pocketbooks for the huge horses that are at the moment immensely popular, at least with those who have never owned one.

I must say I am not surprised that a few folks with little or no knowledge of the operation at all have decided it is unworthy.

You don’t have to buy one. Yes, like ALL horses, some may wind up at auctions etc, but I have seen the cast offs of the great ones wind up there too. Even the imported cast offs. So there is no point made there.

Just a PSA, nothing more.

1 Like
#44

[QUOTE=horsefaerie;5760628]
And I have BIG news for you. Some of those with the most money DO NOT spend it on their animals in so far as CARE. If one of their toys breaks, they replace it.[/QUOTE]

Absolutely true…but strangely ppl would sooner take a dead lame imported horse with a certain brand home with it from an auction/rescue then a comparable horse that appears sound but doesn’t stand out of the crowd. I think my comments are more based on the fact that there are 40 some horses they’re selling and only maybe 5 of them stand out to me. If they just had these 5 to offer at a great rate and took their time selling them, well hey that might not be such a bad thing. But 40+ is too many - maybe if they switched to Cleveland Bays or sth that need help, but I even say that with trepidation.

#45

Well, not everybody has the same taste. SOmebody else might be looking at 5 horses that do not overlap with what you picked.

Generally happens a lot, actually, in terms of horse buying.

#46

Because they are a state entity, they are not ALLOWED by law to sell privately. It must be through public auction.

#47

Gee - why don’t you tell us how you really feel?!?!? :eek:

Just FYI, but the Angola program predates the current crappy economy/can’t sell them/can’t send them to slaughter environment by a couple of decades. They’ve been breeding NICE horses for quite a few years. One exceedingly talented TB gelding was owned by a client of mine, and shown very successfully in dressage by both his owner and me, with me doing the training. This horse was often mistaken for a warmblood, and beat a slew of “better bred” horses than himself in the show ring. So you might want to retain your credibility by not being quite so hasty about making ignorant, sweeping comments about something you’re clearly unfamiliar with.

Oh, and yes, they’ve been breeding Percheron/TB crosses for at least two decades. During the conversation I had with then-warden Burl Cain, he expressed a fondness for, and a breeding program that concentrated on, the 3/4 TB-1/4 Percheron crosses. After seeing several of the products of that program, I agreed with him. Lovely, lovely sporthorses.

JME. :cool:

1 Like
#48

I don’t get the big deal… If you don’t like their horses, don’t buy one. If you do like them, buy one. This was a PSA kinda thing, so people who might be interested could get a heads-up, not a debate… am I correct?

#49

:lol::lol::lol:
some days ‘The sky is blue’ causes a debate around here…:lol::lol::lol::lol:

#50

[QUOTE=Alagirl;5761723]
:lol::lol::lol:
some days ‘The sky is blue’ causes a debate around here…:lol::lol::lol::lol:[/QUOTE]

What are you TALKING about?? The sky is CLEARLY not blue. And you will never be right and since you believe the sky is blue not only can you not ride, you are a horrible person on top of it and you should be ashamed.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

#51

[QUOTE=ESG;5761318]
Gee - why don’t you tell us how you really feel?!?!? :eek:

Just FYI, but the Angola program predates the current crappy economy/can’t sell them/can’t send them to slaughter environment by a couple of decades. Oh, and yes, they’ve been breeding Percheron/TB crosses for at least two decades. During the conversation I had with then-warden Burl Cain, he expressed a fondness for, and a breeding program that concentrated on, the 3/4 TB-1/4 Percheron crosses. After seeing several of the products of that program, I agreed with him. Lovely, lovely sporthorses.

JME. :cool:[/QUOTE]

Warden Caine used to show Percherons. He introduced Percherons to DCI where he was warden in the late 1980s. For a while, they bred Percherons at that prison and they had a show hitch. They also used horses to do various farm chores and utility chores, like haul a refuse wagon. When Cain went to Angola where he is still warden, some of the Percherons went up there, too. Angola still has a red hitch wagon and a four-horse Percheron hitch that appear in area parades, etc. as I mentioned before.

The prison at Angola has always used large horses- usually some kind of QH/TB cross to produce the horses ridden by the guards that accompany the field workers. Eventually introducing Percheron into the " TB/ ? mix" created a calm and reliable horse of a substantial size.

Some of these horses have been available for purchase by other law enforcement agencies for some time. When these horses were retired and bought by people looking for a well-trained calm horse, the Angola horses became more sought after.

I think it is a good idea that the state is having these public auctions where members of the public can register, attend these sales, bid on, AND buy one of these horses if they want one.

In the past, people found about available prison horses only if they were “in the know” or a-friend-of-a-friend who worked for one of the prisons. A friend of mine has one of the older Percheron mares that was sold years ago, and never part of the breeding program. That mare has the distinctive outline of Louisiana freeze brand and the number 210. She did not buy that horse directly from the prison. I think she is the fourth or fifth owner.

Since I live relatively near both prisons, I have seen many horses with that distinctive brand and numbers that is used on prison horses. I have also seen some horses with LSP branded on one cheek. I have seen these horses at trail rides, rodeo events or all-breed shows. I have seen them being used as kid’s pleasure horses because of their reputation for a quiet disposition.

I am glad that the auction has been brought up here because now more people have a chance to go to the auction or send an agent, and bid on one of these horses, if they so desire.

#52

[QUOTE=BetterOffRed;5759913]
I’ve seen this brand on many of the NOPD mounted police horses. They are amazingly calm horses. I am sure most of it is the training, but it speaks well for the breeding.[/QUOTE]

I was seeing the brand on them in 1999 when I started at Tulane, and last time I was there I still saw horses with that brand. I don’t remember seeing police horses without that brand really. It was a while before I realized it wasn’t a brand to identify all police horses, but rather a brand from the prison that bred them.

#53

[QUOTE=Hampton Bay;5762373]
I was seeing the brand on them in 1999 when I started at Tulane, and last time I was there I still saw horses with that brand. I don’t remember seeing police horses without that brand really. It was a while before I realized it wasn’t a brand to identify all police horses, but rather a brand from the prison that bred them.[/QUOTE]

Many people thought the same thing because many police departments with mounted units got their horses from the prison breeding program. As I posted before, these horses were not generally avialable to the general public in the past.

Now these horses can be bought by the general public who don’t have to wait for them to be “retired” from the line, and know someone who can “hook them up” with one.

You can go to the Angola auction and bid on and buy a young horse to be trained by a trainer of your choice in a dicipline you wish to engage in. All you ahve to do is register as a buyer or get a registered agent to bid for you. If you are the lucky high bidder, you go home with the horse you chose.:slight_smile:

#54

Yes, yes, indeed, I am a horrible person!

:o

And really, I never did claim I could ride!!!

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

#55

I knew I liked that man! :smiley:

I only ever had the one conversation with him, asking about the sire of the horse my client bought that was bred there (sire in question was a very nice TB stallion named Swashbuckle). Warden Caine was a delight to speak to, and a font of information. He even sent me video of a 1/2 sibling of my client’s gelding that the prison had for sale, a TB/Perch mare. We didn’t end up buying her, but I sure liked what I saw.

I think it is a good idea that the state is having these public auctions where members of the public can register, attend these sales, bid on, AND buy one of these horses if they want one.

In the past, people found about available prison horses only if they were “in the know” or a-friend-of-a-friend who worked for one of the prisons. A friend of mine has one of the older Percheron mares that was sold years ago, and never part of the breeding program. That mare has the distinctive outline of Louisiana freeze brand and the number 210. She did not buy that horse directly from the prison. I think she is the fourth or fifth owner.

Ditto this. :yes:

I am glad that the auction has been brought up here because now more people have a chance to go to the auction or send an agent, and bid on one of these horses, if they so desire.

And this.

And I’d give a lot to know which KWPN stallion is standing at Angola now. I have my suspicions, but would love to know if I’m right or not.

#56

[QUOTE=ESG;5762594]
I knew I liked that man! :smiley:

And I’d give a lot to know which KWPN stallion is standing at Angola now. I have my suspicions, but would love to know if I’m right or not.[/QUOTE]

ESG- Why don’t you just email for info from the sales website, or contact LSP at Angola from its website and ask? I’m sure you will be directed to someone who can give you the name of the stallion you are interested in knowing more about.

#57

The Dutch stallion is an Anriejetto son, Onviejetto.

#58

one advantage is that most of these horses come broke…by who and how well, that’s to be seen, but they would have good temperaments. PMU’s are just foals.

#59

I attended the sale last year and while some horses did not sell most of the broke horses sold. I think the highest was about $5,000 to someone to a women but I did not recognize her so I am not sure about her sport. She seemed very interested that the horse had jumped before.

The program has had the guidance from several professionals in the area to assure they produce horses that are marketable.

Just as a side note, 2 or 3 of what I was told were very nice looking horses with angola brands, (from an experienced livestock person) showed up at a local livestock auction about 3 months prior to the big sale and were sold immediately for about $5,000 each (1 bidder each) and loaded onto a very nice looking trailer. The horsey rumor mill stated that a local trainer had scoped out these for clients and made arrangements to get them first. As long as they sold at a local auction and the sale was advertised (which it was just not in a way that would be greatly noticed) it was legal.

Another note the bidders varied from trail riders looking for a big solid trail horses to dressage and hunter people looking for a bargain. One friend bought one of the QH. He rode him once and put him out in a pasture for several weeks, he then caught him and rode him again and the friend said he behaved perfectly which impressed our friend.

Angola has LOTS of land and LOTS of free labor. I would much rather inmates spend time working with horses that can be made into a useful ‘product’ rather then nothing. If you are anywhere near Centrol Louisiana in October going to the rodeo is a VERY interesting experience, but I recommend getting your tickets early.

Bopper

#60

The Dutch bloodline on the stallion’s side is Anriejetto (spelling?), who stood for Cornell, as I understand it, having won Grand Champion at Devon 4 times. I’ve also seen the horse advertised as having received 10 on gaits from 4 international judges - don’t know if that’s true. The Dutch horses were donated after their owner died of cancer some years back. I was at the auction in October. The highest priced horse went for $5200.00 to a member of the Slidell (La) Police Department. The policy had been that the horses must be sold through a public auction, but the minimum (before the auction in Oct. '10) was $4500.00. The buyers used to be mounted divisions in various law enforcement agencies, including, as some posters have mentioned, police departments in Louisiana. The horses are also good for foxhunters. Once the economy tanked, the buyers became few and far between. There was a local Baton Rouge trainer who went to the prison every so often and helped the inmates. She also priced horses (this is back in '07) and, as I said, the minimum bid was $4500.00 If you wanted a horse, you would tell them, they would bring the horse to the auction and you would pay at least that, if not more, as someone else noticed.

Angola is the place where the minimum sentence is 20 years - anything less than that and inmates are sent to other prisons.

I bought a 3/4 Dutch, 1/8 Perch 1/8 TB at the auction and paid $4000.00. He is lovely and I am thrilled. We plan on doing everything - from hunters, to eventing to dressage. A friend who went with me to the auction bought a lovely 1/2 Dutch 1/2 TB who is also lovely - she plans to do dressage with him. The prison did not breed any horses last year and I’m doubtful whether they bred any this year. So it’s unlikely that there are many more in the pipeline.

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