The topic of breeding and finding foster/adoptive homes has been a topic of dicussion lately on a list I am part of. After watching for a few days, this is what I posted.
Normally this topic of discussion isn't allowed on the list but since it seems to keep popping up...people are asking how horses end up on the road to a kill pen. In my opinion it's about assuming responsibility for the animals in your life whether it be dogs, cats, horses, etc. If you breed or buy an animal then it is your responsiblity to make sure that it will have a healthy home in some capacity for the rest of it's life. Everyday I hear of or see animals with problems that make them "unusable". Most people are not willing to keep that animal for the rest of it's life so they send the problem down the road to someone else so they don't have to deal with it and the really crappy decisions that should be made. It is much more humane to euthanize an animal than to send it to the hell of a kill pen. If you can't afford the $100 euthanasia and $200-$400 burial then there are other alternatives. Many local fox hunting groups will pick up a horse and process it humanely for their hounds. There are also zoos that will do this. Horrible to think about yes, but much, much better than the kill pen road.
I also disagree that "good" breeders should continue to breed with the economy as unstable as it is. There are thousands of "good" horses out there if they get into the right hands. There are housands of "good" horses that will continue to be produced every year even if a significant number of breeders stop breeding. If you really look at the conformation and breeding on the MAJORITY of the horses standing in America's barns, it really isn't all that great. I flew all over the US looking at horses a couple of years ago and was shocked at the poor quality of horses being advertised. I'm sure the horses I looked at went on to have great lives because they were all very, very sweet but if we are talking conformation quality most of these horses didn't have it.
I've often told my racing friends that I want to chip every horse and have the kill pens record what animals run through their system and then post the info to the Internet. I think there should be a public record of every animal that gets slaughtered so all of these breeders that are in denial about where their animals really end up will know. No I don't want the government tracking me and my animals but I do think owners and breeders need a reality check and this is the only way I know to put it in black and white.
IMHO
Erin Woodcock
https://www.woodsmithfarm.com
Where I have 4 pasture ornaments that make me smile daily and possible soon to be 5...going to look at a 20 year old, intact male, 51" donkey that was left on a farm that is for sale because the owners couldn't/wouldn't take him when they moved. He drives and has plowed their garden every year. I've always wanted a long ear and while this wasn't exactly what I had in mind, the kid needs a home.
Follow up Post:
I thought I should mention that of the soon to be 5 pasture ornaments, 4 of them are the result of me taking in someone else's problem. One I got as a 4 year old with diagnosed navicular...he's now 21. 1 is 19 and was found wandering loose. When his owner was finally tracked down he said, "Oh, I thought that horse was dead.". 1 I got for a list of reasons. And the donkey if I take him.
If I spend $800/year/horse, I'm spending $3200/year on problems someone else created. I will have to spend at least $800 on the donkey getting him gelded, teeth done, vaccinations, deworming, feet, etc. I spent $700 on the 19 year old b/c come to find out he has periodontal disease, navicular, and high and low ring bone...and his medical expenses will only continue.
The percentage of people that can or will take on animals that can't produce or are unusable is very low so think about that when you breed and want to know where your animal will end up in 20 years.
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