| I would like for you to ad this auction to your list. This is a auction stockyard that is really made for cattle, but this winter they started running a horse sale every 2nd Saturday of the month. Me and some of my friends have been attending and have saved a few horses, but we are neither horse traders or hoarders and I only know so many people, so if more good folks knew of this auction maybe more of the horses would go to homes instead of slaughter. The horses that are run through first are sold by the pound, there is a digital board above the ring that lets you know the sale price the buyer and the seller. Nearly all these horses are going to the same few meat buyers. Some of these horses are really nice registered Qh's, thouroughbreds, paints, and arabians. Alot of them are draught horses that fetch a good price by the pound. Most of the horses at the
sale are sold this way. After the "loose horses" as they call them are run through, the "using horses" are sold. Most of these horses are going for under $300 dollars (less than some of the horses by the pound). I have seen them sell as low as $10.
In March I purchased a 6 year old arabian gelding from the kill buyer for $375. I gave him to my 15 year old daughter who cleaned him up and put some training on him and one month later took him to our tri-county 4-H show and took a 4th in hunter halter and 1st in equitation over fences. Another month later she took him to our eastern state regional 4-H show and took a 1st in hunter halter and 3rd in equitation over fences. 3 weeks later she went to the TN State Championship 4-H show and took a 5th in hunter halter out of a class of 24 and 3rd in hunter pleasure. I am telling you this because it is a testament to the fact that many of these horses headed to feed lots, have a lot of worth, but just need a chance and a good home. I attached a few pics of "Amir" from the state show, these were take only 3 months after purchasing him out of the kill pen. He went from a shaggy haired, wormy, and thin slaughter bound pony, to my
daughters pride and joy. All he needed was some wormer, quality feed, teeth floating, and the tlc of a girl that loves him.
At the same auction in March my friend also purchased a large paint pony from the same kill buyer for her son. He didn't end up clicking with the pony, but she was able to place him in a really good home with a little girl that adores him.
At the May auction a registerd appaloosa mare was run through the sale with a 2 week old foal at her side. The person who bid and won the mare yelled out to the auctioneer to get rid of the foal, he didn't have a need for it. The foal was pulled from his mother and put in a pen across from his frantic momma. After the momma was loaded up by her buyer, there stood the desperate little foal by himself. My friends and I inquired about what was going to happen to the baby. We found out that someone volunteered to take it but they wouldn't be able to pick it up till sometime the next day. At 2 weeks old this baby was too young to be without milk for that long let alone have nothing else to eat or drink till then. We thought he would surely die. My friend said she could take him home now and the auctioneer said that would be fine if she wanted him. We took "romeo" back to the barn, put a late night call into the vet so we could
pick up milk replacer and get instructions on caring for him. My friend is raising him and he is growing like a weed.
We also bought a 27" mini stud out of a pen where he was being malled by several other larger stud ponies. We only paid $50 dollars for him, but I wouldn't take a million for him. He has become our little barn mascot and everyone that meets him falls in love with him.
I realize that by spending money at the auction we are supporting what they are doing, but these are still lives that deserve saving. If we didn't purchase the ones we did their fate would not have been a good one.
Here is a link to the website for the Knoxville Livestock Center: http://knoxvillelivestock.com
Information on the horse sales are listed on the website.
Sincerely,
Jeannie B
Kodak, Tn
|
