these caliber of horses end up in auctions more often than you think. I found one at an auction that was dumped there by barn owner because owners failed to pay board. his mane was long and shabby but he was well cared for and obviously a nice horse. I bought him for slaughter price, got him back in shape and he is out showing on the circuit and doing very well. Just because it ends up at an auction does not mean there is something wrong with it. A lot of horses fall into bad situations. Go to the sale if you are able and do your homework. I found a great one and saved his life and found him a new career
[QUOTE=snaffle1987;8492141]
these caliber of horses end up in auctions more often than you think. I found one at an auction that was dumped there by barn owner because owners failed to pay board. his mane was long and shabby but he was well cared for and obviously a nice horse. I bought him for slaughter price, got him back in shape and he is out showing on the circuit and doing very well. Just because it ends up at an auction does not mean there is something wrong with it. A lot of horses fall into bad situations. Go to the sale if you are able and do your homework. I found a great one and saved his life and found him a new career[/QUOTE]
Saying he was “dumped” by the barn owner is a little harsh. In my state if a lien is put on the horse for non-payment the horse must go to a public sale aka auction.
[QUOTE=Credosporthorses;8492276]
Saying he was “dumped” by the barn owner is a little harsh. In my state if a lien is put on the horse for non-payment the horse must go to a public sale aka auction.[/QUOTE]
True…but most then bid on the horse so it doesn’t end up in the kill pen…then sell privately. Alternatively…they hold a “public” auction at their farm. It just requires putting an ad in the paper.
A BO who sends a horse through and auction like this or New Holland without a reserve or buying them back is basically dumping them…but they are dumping them in accordance to the law.
Not every barn owner is able to absorb the back board and/or other money owed plus buy it, bidding against others, at auction. The reality of the boarding business can be harsh but financial limitations cannot be ignored and the whole lien process is in place to allow a service provider to recover something instead of take a dead loss they cannot afford when they get stiffed.
If anybody dumped the horse it was the horse owner that abandoned it.
[QUOTE=findeight;8492387]
Not every barn owner is able to absorb the back board and/or other money owed plus buy it, bidding against others, at auction. The reality of the boarding business can be harsh but financial limitations cannot be ignored and the whole lien process is in place to allow a service provider to recover something instead of take a dead loss they cannot afford when they get stiffed.
If anybody dumped the horse it was the horse owner that abandoned it.[/QUOTE]
I agree that the original owner certainly dumped. But I am also a BO…and I would NEVER let a horse sell at auction for meat prices. You are not recovering much then anyway. And personally…I would either resell the horse for more after I had clean ownership (which is really what that lien law is for…so you can gain clean title, not recover amounts per se)…or I would incur the costs of putting a horse down rather than recovering 600 and letting a horse go to slaughter.
It is why as a BO…I’m pretty darn careful who I take on as a boarder.
[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;8492444]
I agree that the original owner certainly dumped. But I am also a BO…and I would NEVER let a horse sell at auction for meat prices. You are not recovering much then anyway. And personally…I would either resell the horse for more after I had clean ownership (which is really what that lien law is for…so you can gain clean title, not recover amounts per se)…or I would incur the costs of putting a horse down rather than recovering 600 and letting a horse go to slaughter.
It is why as a BO…I’m pretty darn careful who I take on as a boarder.[/QUOTE]
You are one of the good ones!
So as a teenager, my trainer had a chronically unsound horse abandoned by the owners who quit paying the board. Some goofy people who wanted to restore the house across the road to its 1700’s grandeur came across the street when they were done with the restoration, because they needed an authentic 1700’s horse to complete the reno. The didn’t want to ride it, just put it in the authentic 1700’s pasture and in the authentic 1700’s bank barn in bad weather. She showed them poor old Montego - a classic bay who stood around 15.2 - and they swooned. Their colonial America advisor, who they brought with them for advice on an authentic colonial horse, swooned. The deal was done; BO gave them the horse, and they paid her to send a groom over to feed him on weekdays (they lived in NYC and came to the country on weekends). With the help of the colonial advisor, they fashioned an authentic 1700’s halter for him out of hemp (a nylon halter and lead just wouldn’t do) and led him across the street, where he lived out his life in peace with some authentic 1700’s sheep. BO didn’t follow the law, but nobody complained 
[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;8492444]
I agree that the original owner certainly dumped. But I am also a BO…and I would NEVER let a horse sell at auction for meat prices. You are not recovering much then anyway. And personally…I would either resell the horse for more after I had clean ownership (which is really what that lien law is for…so you can gain clean title, not recover amounts per se)…or I would incur the costs of putting a horse down rather than recovering 600 and letting a horse go to slaughter.
It is why as a BO…I’m pretty darn careful who I take on as a boarder.[/QUOTE]
To be fair you do not make your living as a BO and are financially in a situation where you can make the choice to “buy” the horse and continue to support it. I screen my clients very carefully and have never had a client even think about putting me in such a situation. If someone did I would hope that I could hold the auction at my farm, buy the horse myself, and euthanize it (I board retirees so no resale value), and I’m glad I am in a position where I could afford to make that choice. That said, I know some barn owners would need to recoup something/anything from the horse, and definitely wouldn’t be in a position to continue to care for it or pay for euthanasia. I don’t think that makes BO’s who cannot afford that choice bad people. The horse owners who abandoned the horse are the bad people.
[QUOTE=Lexie55;8494809]
So as a teenager, my trainer had a chronically unsound horse abandoned by the owners who quit paying the board. Some goofy people who wanted to restore the house across the road to its 1700’s grandeur came across the street when they were done with the restoration, because they needed an authentic 1700’s horse to complete the reno. The didn’t want to ride it, just put it in the authentic 1700’s pasture and in the authentic 1700’s bank barn in bad weather. She showed them poor old Montego - a classic bay who stood around 15.2 - and they swooned. Their colonial America advisor, who they brought with them for advice on an authentic colonial horse, swooned. The deal was done; BO gave them the horse, and they paid her to send a groom over to feed him on weekdays (they lived in NYC and came to the country on weekends). With the help of the colonial advisor, they fashioned an authentic 1700’s halter for him out of hemp (a nylon halter and lead just wouldn’t do) and led him across the street, where he lived out his life in peace with some authentic 1700’s sheep. BO didn’t follow the law, but nobody complained :)[/QUOTE]
that is a cool story. Lucky horse!
[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;8492444]
I agree that the original owner certainly dumped. But I am also a BO…and I would NEVER let a horse sell at auction for meat prices. You are not recovering much then anyway. And personally…I would either resell the horse for more after I had clean ownership (which is really what that lien law is for…so you can gain clean title, not recover amounts per se)…or I would incur the costs of putting a horse down rather than recovering 600 and letting a horse go to slaughter.
It is why as a BO…I’m pretty darn careful who I take on as a boarder.[/QUOTE]
You sound like an amazing person!!! If only we had more people like you! I agree with you 100% and would do the same if faced with that- who knows why a person can’t pay for the horse that it ends up in such a situation - death, illness? but to knowingly send a horse to a auction that could end up in slaughter - is disgusting and it is dumping the horse.
I think that a BO or trainer has to mind their reputation when dumping horses at auction. I would certainly think much less of someone that did something like that and would be much less inclined to recommend them to others for boarding or training as would many other people that would know that trainer. Word travels. True Story.
[QUOTE=findeight;8492387]
Not every barn owner is able to absorb the back board and/or other money owed plus buy it, bidding against others, at auction. The reality of the boarding business can be harsh but financial limitations cannot be ignored and the whole lien process is in place to allow a service provider to recover something instead of take a dead loss they cannot afford when they get stiffed.
If anybody dumped the horse it was the horse owner that abandoned it.[/QUOTE]
It’s lovely if a barn owner can buy one back at a sale. However, by the time a horse is taken to an auction for back board, the BO has been supporting the horse for at least 30 days, more than likely 60 or more than that.
Try it when a horse owner stops paying for 7 of them.:eek:
If the BO doesn’t send them on, they can also get a rep as someone you really don’t have to pay.:no: That word can travel too.
