“The greatest deterrent
to freedom are men and women of zeal, well-meaning, but
without knowledge or understanding.”
~Justice Louis Brandeis~

"People are so quick to defend their own agendas, but they so often fail to realize we must protect the rights of all if we are to continue to have any rights of our own."
~Jenqu~


Ranch meaning, in general, any real world dwelling probably not involving full care board. Kind of a rural voice of real horse owners, trainers, traders, auction owners, rodeo contractors, etc.. all of us who have taken a verbal beating and called greedy ass hats. Back at the Ranch contributors, moderators, subjects, and so on, are pro-horse, pro-owner, and pro-slaughter.
Back at the Ranch was formed by a group of like minded horse / livestock owners. It is a place for us to try to educate, a place to vent our frustrations with the current equine industry, a place to share humor and snark, and in general try to open the eyes of the public who seem to be anti-agriculture.We do have a section for comments of course, and if you would like to email us you can do so directly or through the contact us form. We like to hear from our readers. I hope you enjoy reading our blog as much as I enjoy managing it.
Sincerely,
Ranch Manager
manager_back_at_the_ranch@yahoo.com

Thursday, December 10, 2009

For Those Who Just Don’t Get It……..

Sales are the same as always?……..

Was there a grain of truth in the market opinion piece that drew so much fire?
Sale report for Corsica, South Dakota’s November 16, 2009 sale.
This is available on their website
http://sdhorsesales.com/ for each month of the year.
This was written by the sale staff.


SOLD 320 HEAD – Buyers & Sellers registered in from Illinois, Colorado, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wyoming, North Dakota and all across South Dakota. Lots of Buyer interest in the award or money winning proven saddle horse, (supply & demand is the name of the game) but with the economy and recession going on right now, a lower cattle market, plus going into winter feed costs, Buyers were pretty conservative with the amount they want to spend on that easier to find or a average looking & broke saddle horse. We are thinking after the 1st of the year, Buyers will feel a little more confidence in the economy coming back and let loose on bidding prices. Now would be a good time to take advantage of the lower horse market and get into the buying end. The market could bounce back fast, and right now, one has a opportunity to make some good money. I would think, we are now bottomed out on horse prices. The horse industry seems to follow the stock market and cattle market and once those bounce back more, look for the horse market to come around just as fast. I expect we will be seeing a
big shortage in the finished saddle horse before long. Check out our top sale horse pictures to see the conformation and proven record that brings in the top prices. Note, that one of the top sale horses was a non catalogued horse that sold at almost very end of the sale - proof, that a good broke horse with the correct conformation, good bone & muscle, will sell well anytime, early or late in the sale. Also note, that our 3rd top sale horse was a grade pony that sold for $2600. The pony had a proven horse show record and came with a lot of shape, disposition and conformation & that is what makes the difference.

The high selling horses were FINISHED barrel horses bringing $2,750.00 each for an 11 year old gelded son of Easily Smashed and a 9 year old daughter of Runnerelse. Not much money for the caliber of horse they were. The sale staff is well aware of the role the economy plays in the pricing of the upper end horses. We in the horse business do GET IT……It’s the economy stupid…..Ummm Duh, I think we may have mentioned that a time or ten…..

The comments about things improving after the first of the year are speculation. First, prices are better after the first of the year and continue to rise as spring approaches no matter how bad it is the fall before. Second, auctions operate on commission so it is in their best interest to bring in GOOD HORSES in larger numbers. It’s a circular thing……..Good horses in the catalog bring buyers with money to spend. Buyers with money to spend entice sellers to bring good horses to the sale. Good sales bring both at least that’s the plan.

NOBODY wants to see the owner who got in because horses were a dime a dozen show up with 15 generations of “I am a pretty color but nobody studied nutrition or conformation”. NOBODY wants to watch crippled starved out, run down racehorses or any other kind of used up horse sell.

And on that note here is the loose horse report of the same sale.

Loose Horses – sold 128 Head. The big cleanup of over production from when the horse market was at its high peak 10-12 years ago is about over. We have been selling lots of stallions & broodmares these past several years as people got out of the business when the price of weanlings dropped drastically due to the over production that had been going on. Again, foreign slaughter horse plants taking big advantage of the fact all horse processing plants closed in the U.S., no alternative but to use them & show it by prices paid. PETA & HSUS has hurt the economy a bunch. NOTE – our loose horse sale will now be starting later - at 11 AM instead of 9 AM . 7 % commission, $30 minimum. Sorry, we can not accept crippled, blind and very thin horses, per USDA rules & regulations.
Loose Sale Averages:
700 lb to 900 lb sold $20 to $100
900 to 1000 lb sold $100 to $150
1000 – 1100 lb sold $160 to $200
1200 lb & over sold $200 to $325


Please take note of the statement about foreign buyers “taking advantage” of the lack of plants in this country. I think it might contradict the b.s. comment “the foreign markets are tired of the U.S. shoving its contaminated horsemeat down their throats”. Hmmm……
We have mentioned “loose” horses often do go for other purposes the same as any other horse in the auction. The top loose horse prices below represent horses bought out of the loose horse pen for other purposes. These geldings will likely be tried as saddle horses in another sale.
Heck, one of them may be on the internet next week as a “kid broke” pasture buddy to someone with no more sense than to spend $3,500 on a horse they have never seen from a person they have never met. Anyone following the infamous Patricia Wilson scandal on several forums can see the absurd concept of reality that abounds on both sides of that aisle. Really that has nothing to do with the subject at hand it just strikes me as funny people tend to blame sales or anyone other than themselves when things go to crap. It’s getting to be a disturbing trend.


Top 10 Loose Horses:
9-yr grade black gelding...........1305 lb...........$735
Grade bay gelding.....................1225 lb.......... $725
Reg. sorrel gelding.....................1130 lb..........$685
Reg. 10-yr roan gelding.............1280 lb..........$685
Reg. 9-yr chestnut gelding........1085 lb..........$685
Grade 10-yr black gelding........1140 lb............$500
Reg. sorrel gelding....................1115 lb.......... $425
Reg. sorrel gelding....................1205 lb..........$400
12 yr grade sorrel gelding.........1160 lb.......... $375
Reg. buckskin mare...................1245 lb........ $360


The New Age Horse Saviors would like to do away with horse auctions entirely. Alex Brown wants to use “grants” to add “euthanasia stations” to the auction’s list of duties. Let’s do some math on the “grant” theory.
128 head is about an average loose horse sale for Corsica. If we estimate one third go from the loose horse run to other purposes that’s around 40 head. 128 head – 40 head = 88 head of straight “killer” horses. Of the 190 or so cataloged horses a conservative estimate of one fourth will go to slaughter in spite of being represented, add back in another 45 head. Total number to be loaded on the big trucks roughly 130.
130 head not bought to rescue, to ride, or for ANY other purpose. Alex Brown’s grant based system would necessitate 130 horses destroyed by the auction facility at taxpayer/grant expense. This particular sale at present charges a $ 125 disposal fee for “unmarketable” horses left at the auction. If we use the present cost of disposal as the base cost of Alex’s Grant System, $125 per head x 130 head= $16,250 each month or $195,000 annually at this one sale alone.
Alex wrote a few months ago the cost of the loose horses would adjust downward to allow more horses to be purchased by rescues and private buyers. I don’t see much room for “downward adjustment” do you???? What is the future of a $20, $100, or $200 horse even in a no-slaughter world????


BY RH1

3 comments:

  1. "What is the future of a $20, $100, or $200 horse even in a no-slaughter world??? ""
    My guess is some become the prize of hoarders er I mean sanctuaries, where they get to live out their lives in mud and manure, barely getting enough to eat IF they get enough to keep them alive. The lucky ones get put down and go to waste.....

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  2. As always, good information for those interested in learning something. Euthanasia stations? Isn't that local Slaughter, which I support, by the way. I'd just like it to be an option before going to a sale, and something each owner can decide for themselves. I've often wondered why Alex doesn't expend more energy working in the Industry that churns out such a massive number number of horses practically destined to end up on the trucks. When you're breaking down two and three year olds, what is their future? Alex could do a much greater service to the horses he claims to love by working on that end of the problem. If we decrease the number of Slaughter destined horses, we're already ahead of the game. Alex feels a waiting "euthanasia station" is a better option. Sure, Alex, that way, you can continue on as you have without really doing anything that would endanger your career. Sorry, I don't have much patience for hypocrites. And anyone reading on Alex's board knows he doesn't really have a problem with the hoarder as Rescue business. In fact, it appears in some cases, he supports it, and threatens banning of those who question it. Nice job, Alex.
    But back to the subject at hand. You're right. IF the market can come back, there will be a demand for the well broke, well bred horse with good conformation and a good temperament. I hope we'll have some left.

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  3. Dear RH1,

    Well done. I appreciate the time and effort that went into writing this hard-hitting essay peeling away the fluff stuff and exposing the real nuts and bolts of the horsey marketplace. Life is tough.

    As for "what is the future of a $20, $100, or $200 horse in this no-slaughter world???".-- While I hope that Ranch Manager's dismal prediction is wrong, I can't fault his/her reasons for saying what he/she said. It's doggone hard to ignore reality.

    Just me

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