# I want to buy a kill horse



## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

Every freaking time I go to the auction I see them, and everytime I go I say to myself one day I'll save one. Right now the economy is terrible, and I could probably buy one for less than $50. I sold Playboy, so I have some extra cash. If anything I could fix the horse up, possibly break it or train it better and resell it to someone as a 4-h horse or something then buy another one. Idk, I just can't sit here and do nothing. :-(


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## KatieStanley (May 16, 2008)

I think thats a wonderful idea.


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

KatieStanley said:


> I think thats a wonderful idea.


Thanks, I thought so too. lol


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## PG'sGal4ever (Sep 25, 2008)

Ive gone to a couple auctions with my trainer and theres a kill buyer who goes outside and buys them before they take them inside, It really makes me Angry. If I didnt have 3 horses already I would go out and buy some and save them, sadly they are going for around $50-$200 here also =(


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

There are a lot of people here who will give you advice on how to rescue a horse and what type to pick. The most important question, however, probably has to be, "Can you afford to care for the horse indefinitely?" You don't know when you'll be able to sell/give it on, so can you afford to look after it for more than just a few months?


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

I'm not sure if there would be much point in reselling it, there is not alot of money even in the trained horses in most area's. At the local horse sales around here broke horses are going for about $300-500. Those are papered well broke horses. Foals are going for $25 and yearlings are pretty much the same.


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## NicoleS11 (Nov 21, 2008)

i am a volunteer for a horse rescue. we get phone calls from teh SPCA usually or the police and they tell us what auction horses will be going to after a seizure. Kill buyers are terible...but if the hors eyou want has been bought by one...just go ask him to buy it off of him. Most of them could care less what the horse looks like and what not....i know this is what we do alot and we have never been turned down...offer him $10 more than what he got the horse for(jeez that could only $20) and im sur eyou could end up with the horse....rescue horses take alot of work! we have around 30 right now and it gets tough...specially babys...i bought a yearling for myself off of a kill buyer about 4 months ago...he hasnt came around quiet yet...but i love him oooooo so much!!! well thank you for being another kind soul and thinking about rescuing...thats amazign!


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

I've heard that it's a bad idea to rescue a horse from a kill buyer unless there's something particularly special about it - otherwise the kill buyer is just making more profit off the horse ...


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## NicoleS11 (Nov 21, 2008)

why woudl it be a bad idea? You just have to have an open mind about it...and know how to deal with any thing....becuase you really dont know what you are getting...trainer or not trained. Breed can be a big question...age. All that stuff. I wouldnt recomend it to any one who is green thats for sure...


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

It would be a bad idea because the kill buyer actually makes a profit just for visiting the auction - they won't sell you the horse for any less than they paid for it, after all. It's a better option to get to the horse before they do, otherwise you're just paying extra for no reason. Doing deals with kill buyers helps keep them in business.


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## NicoleS11 (Nov 21, 2008)

Kill buyers are never going to go out of buisness becuase people take horses to auctions to sell them.....stupid people just give up on there horses and dont know what is going to happen to there horses. I dont know how kill buyers work there....but what you said...is not the case at auctions i go to...I know when i want to rescue a horse and a kill buyer bought it...i dont give a crap how much its gonna cost me...or how much of an *** the guy could be....all i know is that i always end up with a full trailer of horses after an auction and most of them i got from the kill buyers...how many auctions have you been too????


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

I have never been to one. I'm just reporting the words of others that I have read, when they talk about getting the most out of your money when you buy a horse to rescue. Often when people rescue they have completely different priorities and making their money go further is not one of them, so different rules would apply. I also never said that kill buyers would go out of business without rescuers


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## NicoleS11 (Nov 21, 2008)

o trust me....i want my money to go far! we are all volunteers paying for the 30 horses to live. Most of them end up living at our rescue forever....so we do not have much money coming back from when people adopt our horses. We will only adopt if we know forsure that they are going to there "forever home"...most of the horses we get in do not have training...we even got a wild mustang from nevada that is actually the prettiest mustang i have ever seen. He is very green and doesnt really like people let...right know its a battle to get him haltered and we have had him for almost a year now. i love rescueing! i would encourange any one to do it...


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I think it is great that you want to rescue a horse from the KP (kill pen) However, there is usually a reason *why* they are there. Some are lame and cannot be help, others are sick, some are crazy (mentally) others are older and not broke, some have really bad habits they picked up.
I went to an auction once and saw all the horses that were in the KP. It broke my heart. Even the lames one I wanted to take and just make them comfortable and loved.

If you are going to go and rescue you, if you're not already, take a someone that has a good eye for horses. I'm sure you'd be able to test ride them and get hands on, and really look them over.
Since the market is so low, you probably won't make much of a return, if any, on a horse you rescue, but do feel good about saving it


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

If I did buy one and fixed it up, retrained, and tried to sell it, I wouldn't expect much of a profit anyway. And I would sell it so I could save that horses life, give him/her to someone who'd love him/her, and then go back buy another kill horse and start all over again. 
It wouldn't be for the money.

btw
both Petri (chestnut pony) and Max (paint pony) 
on my avatar came from that sale I'm going to 
<---


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

well it seems like you have the right mind frame to go in and do that.

I know a few people who have gotten horses at auctions and they've turned out to be really great horses.

If you can save some lives, i say go for it!


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## NicoleS11 (Nov 21, 2008)

i agree...good for you for wanting to. I thank you! 60, 000 horses a year get slaughtered just in my province alone. its great to see people want to try to make a difference. where i work one of the ladies husband owns a slaughter house...talk about tension at the work place...but thank you for helping!


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## Kentucky (Aug 2, 2008)

Appy I agree with you, but for that is true about most auctions, they are there for some reason, auctions at major shows, production sales, and similars things don't count.


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## sandystarstud (Nov 26, 2008)

Hey. Our stud does exaclty what your saying. We buy horses they are going to the "Doggers" get them fully vaccinated, hooves done, wormed, and back in good health. We will go further with some and train them others we put up for re adoption straight away. Although buyers must be approved before taking any of our rescued horses.
Please feel free to have a look at our site.
www.sandystarstud.webs.com
Cheers,
Michael


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## wanderlust (Nov 18, 2008)

I think that is such a wonderful idea. I truly wish I had the means to do such a thing!


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

I'm really hoping my boss will let me do it, b/c you have to be 18 to get a bidding card. And I won't be 18 until next month. So that means she'll be doing the bidding. Plus she would be hauling him/her, or at least helping me find someone to haul the horse.


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## Kentucky (Aug 2, 2008)

good luck if you go for it, but be careful.


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

I'm sure Fugly once posted with advice for how to proceed at an auction, and what to look out for, but I've searched the blog and can't find anything :/ You will find several auction reports here, though, which may tell you more about the kind of things you'll see going on.

Advice I do recall seeing posted is to know exactly what you're going for, and know exactly what your financial limits are, and stick to your guns. There will be many horses there you _won't_ be able to save and making the necessary decisions can be tough.


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

Yea, I knew what to look for if they're drugged. I'm not going to get one that has broken bones or any other bad injuries. Maybe when I'm older and can afford something like that. But if it just has a cold, underweight from worms or whatever, then I'll consider them. I keep them in quarantine for 10 days because I have to wait for their coggins test to be mailed. At least, I'm pretty sure the kill horses have to get coggins too. If anything, I'll have the vet come give one just in case.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I do believe they're supposed to be all healthy horses (ie, not sick) though what actually goes on is a whole other story.

Depending if you are going, while the bidding is going on, or if you see a horse in the KP you like, you'll have to bid.

If you see a horse already in the KP, chances are you won't have to bid, you'll just need to pay the guy his money and the horse is yours. I'm not 100% positive, but I think that's how it works.

I know you're a ways a way from me, but the Camelot auction (in Cranberry, NJ) has some pretty good horses go through there. (that's the one I went to) and also the Lebannon Valley Auction (In PA) is a good (well not good, but they have a lot of horses) to go to. Though most of the horses that go through there wind up in the KP. But there is a rescue organization that goes there and gets horses to rehabilitate them and then adopt them out.

I would suggest that you go a few times before hand just to look and get a feel for the horses there and not be pressured into wanting to bid on a horse. Maybe even talk to the owner and tell him what you're looking for. He might be able to get you a good deal or something.


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## NicoleS11 (Nov 21, 2008)

auctions are sooo weird. i have been to some were you some one will run barrels with and you could walk away with an amazing barrels horse for $200. Cutting horse demo's and horses that go for dirt cheap. But there are some auctions(the ones i go to) that are just for suizure's. so you have no idea what you are getting. no one does. cops or SPCA take them then the auction company agrees to hold them there till the next auction then whatever happends happends to the horses. No vet check, no way of telling what the horse has done or is able to do. its a huge risk! but worth it in my books!hehe


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## Flexion (Nov 28, 2008)

Only if you can provide the horse with whatever he needs. Farrier, vet, etc. And vet bills aren't cheap, especially if your horse colicks or something. Colic surgery can be up to $10000 and your horse is bound to colic at least once in his/her life.

Also, don't buy a horse with really awful conformation or bad injuries or broken bones, as you said.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Oh, I'd love to rescue one as well (there are no auctions in my area, however)- I feel very bad for them; it's a shame.  But as Appy said, some can't be helped & a lot of them aren't wanted (sickness or lameness)...but if someone with a kind heart would rescue, that'd be great.


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## county (Nov 29, 2008)

If you want to buy one to stop it from going to slaughter best way is to buy right from the kill buyer. Make sure he bought it for kill though many buyers resell horses for about everything there is. Check what killers are going for then if you see something you like and the meat buyer gets it offer him/her 15% more then they paid. If you get into a bidding war for it chances are your going to pay that much or more anyway.


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

HunterJumper22 said:


> And vet bills aren't cheap, especially if your horse colicks or something. Colic surgery can be up to $10000 and your horse is bound to colic at least once in his/her life.


Oh believe me, I'm pretty quick about it when I know a horse is colicing. There's always Banamine around in the barn. A horse has never died from colic or has even gotten it bad enough for the vet to come out at our stable. It's usually only a 15-20 minutes occurance. I'm not saying it could ever happen, though, just saying.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

It is a good idea to QUARANTINE your potential new arrival. Who knows what he could have or been exposed to at the auction yard, and you DON'T want to endanger the horses you already have. 

Be selective when choosing your new horse. Skinny can be fixed, but not often lameness, or other physical problems. Eyes and attitude can tell you a lot. 

The whole "You are just putting money in the broker's pocket." is the same as saying "Don't buy Bettas from the cups at Wal Mart." Personally, there is something very special about a show quality betta fish. But I just feel so bad for my favorite type of fish in two ounces of water and misrepresented as a fish who requires minimal care. My girl is almost two now, and not by minimal care. Same with goldfish. I have a goldfish that my family won in the ping pong toss at the fair who will be nine years old this coming summer. The prettiest fish in the world he is. 

Just like the fish at Walmart, know the signs of illness. There are some illnesses that are relatively easy to treat, and others that are pretty much fatal. Don't pick the one that is "floating unresponsive" no matter how much your heart yearns for him. 

And unless you want to take on "Rescuer" status, don't exceed your quota of one horse, and only one horse. Being an avid Supporter of the Saddlebred Rescue who often go to auctions to search for Lost Saddlebreds, I am very aware that one can turn to five very quickly. Luckily for Saddlebred Rescue, the Brokers will hold back, and notify SBR if they get any Saddlebreds in their group.


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

LadyDreamer said:


> It is a good idea to QUARANTINE your potential new arrival. Who knows what he could have or been exposed to at the auction yard, and you DON'T want to endanger the horses you already have.


Yup, we do this to every new horse. From the auction or not, for at least 10 days.


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## jazzyrider (Sep 16, 2007)

sadly even if people stopped doing deals with the buyers it would still be happening. at least if someone goes and buys 1, 2 or even 3 back, thats three horses that will have another chance at life. 

i didnt get any from a kill pen but my older tb mare, my warmblood and my standie all came from neglect situations. sure we have had many problems to overcome but would i go back in time and not get them?? never!! if every responsible horse person out there saved just one horse there would be a hell of a lot less going to slaughter.

its a truly wonderful and rewarding thing to give another animal a second chance at a good life


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## InBox (Dec 2, 2008)

That sounds like a great idea and plus you would not just be buying another horse you would be saving its life.


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