Rescued from the Killer

Talk about timing. I had been doing a bit of research on the horse slaughter issue, including the types of horses usually sent to slaughter, etc. My friend Joanie and I sometimes get into heated discussions about it because she doesn't support the bill to end horse slaughter and I do. I don't think that a recent event may change our respective stances, but it certainly shone a light on a different perspective. At the very least, it was ironic in its timing and just how it played out. True story...It’s been one of the coldest weeks on record for my area of the country, so when I noticed a new horse at the barn, I was surprised. It was an odd time of year to see one come in. “You like her?” Joanie asked. “Sure, she’s real cute.”

Renamed Lola after the Kink’s song that was playing on the radio when Joanie picked her up, the new horse is just 2 years old and is a draft/thoroughbred cross. Her owner couldn’t handle a young horse and instead of trying to find a new owner who could, called the killer to come pick her up. Soft-hearted horsefolk at the barn went into a flurry of activity to try to find an alternative buyer before the killer truck made its way through town. Amazingly, in one day, they found a new buyer--Joanie--and an available stall--after Joanie shuffled her horses around. So, instead of being sold for $700 of horsemeat, Lola was sold for $700 as a riding prospect—maybe foxhunter, maybe eventer, maybe just a solid all arounder.

Why the disposable mentality for such a horse, I wonder. Is life that cheap to people? Or is it just a horse’s life that is so cheap? Or is it because it’s just too easy to call the killer?

This scenario amazes me especially because this horse is sound, young and healthy and also because draft/thoroughbred crosses are becoming the rage for people who want the athleticism of the thoroughbred without the flightiness or the sensitivity. The draft blood makes for a solidly built animal with a quiet, easy-going mind. Practical Horseman just ran an article extolling the virtues of unique crosses including draft/thoroughbreds, and Rutgers University’s young horse training program specifically targets this type of crossing to produce all-arounders that appeal to many. Heck, I was considering going to the next Rutger's auction for a draft/thoroughbred cross and, in looking at previous auction results for such crossings, thought $1800 would be a great deal!

Plus, Lola really doesn’t look like a draft cross. Whoever bred her took the effort to breed for a baby that isn’t clunky while still having good dense bone and a pretty face that isn’t heavy draft looking at all. And she’s a cute mover and isn’t built like the draft horses that are built to pull carts.

Was it the money? The killer would only pay $700, and if the owner took the time to actually sell her to someone, he could have made more money. The Rutgers babies auction for higher than $700, usually more in the $1500-$2200 range. The lack of logic is astounding. Maybe he’s just cruel and dumb.

But at least the end is a happy one. Lola won’t end up on someone’s plate in Japan and instead has a wonderful new owner who will take the time to train her. And Joanie has a really nice new prospect that is worth more than what she paid for her.

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