What Horses Will Endure

[guest@endurance.net]

Becky Supinger spiritwood@erols.com
A couple of weeks ago I went to the local sale barn in search of some
stable equipment and miscellaneous tack.  Stayed a bit after the tack
auction ended (big mistake) just to see what horses are selling for these
days.  Of course you can guess what happened next.  Am now the puzzled
owner of an emaciated/neglected registered arabian mare, 9 years old.
Seems to be broken to ride but letting her gain some weight first.  Weight
tape had her at 740 pounds when she came home.  She seems very quiet and
my 11 year old daughter has latched on to her.  I would be interested to
learn her history as I think she was only neglected but has some rather
interesting scars on her.  On receipt of her registration papers (the
markings match exactly) it sadly shows that this horse was signed over by
her original owner on Friday, October 5 in Ohio.  This is sad only because
I bought her on Saturday afternoon October 6 in Virginia! Horse had
apparently been trailered from Ohio Friday night with a group of horses,
then dumped off at the livestock sale barn in Virginia.  I don't think she
had had any water since she left Ohio.  Brought her home and she proceeded
to drink half of a muck bucket of water in the first 3 hours!  What goes
through the minds of dealers who dump dehydrated horses off at a killer
sale when they are sold by the pound?  I like to think that the former
owner was totally in the dark as to the fate this horse could have ended
up with.
Becky and Jennifer
Spiritwood Farm