# Horse donation/placement



## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

Nearly 4 years ago I sold a couple of young colts to a lady who loves the bloodlines that I have, Crabbet/Kellogg Arabians, and does endurance. She indicated at the time that she would be very interested in anything we had in the future that was similar in breeding. The following June 1st I put our stallion out with the girls and shortly there after I witnessed all 4 mares getting bred. Two came in again the following month and were bred again and after that we saw no more interest, but we left the stallion out with the girls as he is very much a gentleman and enjoys the company.

We 11 months later, chubby mares but no foals. I waited/watched into the fall-no foals. Then on the third Thursday in Jan our 1/2 Arab 1/2 QH mare had a colt. This was followed by one of the purebred Arab mares 3 weeks later having a filly. A month after that our maiden QH mare had a filly. The irony of all of this is that IF I had wanted to have foals born in Jan/Feb/March I would have had to put the mares under lights and fussed around. In this case they managed to do this being pasture bred in the Willamette Valley in Oregon-insert here NOT bright and sunny during the fall and winter.

So I contact the lady who purchased the previous boys and got some rather bad news. She had knee issues and has had both operated on and is not in a position to have youngsters. Not good, couple this with the horrible fall in the economy and this spells bad news in terms of trying to sell a horse at any price. 

Just to keep life interesting the last of the 4 mares just foaled in Feb of this year. Had a lovely filly that we named Ellie (as in elephant since it took her so long to arrive), but who knew. I tend to think that our boy was having a fertility issue and it just sorted it's self out after about 6 months with the girls

The babies are now getting close to two years of age and needless to say still standing in my pasture and eating my hay. I have MS and really don't ride anymore, certainly not in the position to start young horses. I would have never bred the mares had I known that whole situation was going to fall through so badly, it was all kind of the perfect storm in terms of bad luck for horse placement. If it had just been her knee sugery she most likely would have known someone who would have jumped on them. She is involved in endurance and our stallion is closely related to two different recent Tevis Cup winners. However with the economy as it is, as we all know, no one is adding extra horses to their group. 

My goal is to _place them, not sell them_. I would rather give them to a worth 4H kid or a youth ranch that helps troubled kids or ? then to sell them. My biggest fear is that I sell them to someone who is ok financially at the moment, but ends up without a job and takes them to the local auction and the having them sold to killer buyers and end up in a Mexican slaughter house.

The problem is that I am not having much luck in this department. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions on placement? They were well halter broke as foals, the colt (who is still a colt, not a gelding yet) has had more work recently but the fillies will need a reminder of good halter manners when they get into a new home but the foundation is there. All have been hauled multiple times (we moved twice during their first year). Anyway I am open to suggestions and if there are any of my fellow homesteaders that live a reasonable distance from south central Washington that are interested they should PM me. Like I said, a good home is the important part. I get sick thinking about the poor horses who get shipped to slaughter:-(


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

I wish you lived closer, darnit. I would for SURE take one of them off your hands.


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## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

beccachow said:


> I wish you lived closer, darnit. I would for SURE take one of them off your hands.


Yeah that would be a heck of a hauling fee


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

Oregon Julie said:


> Yeah that would be a heck of a hauling fee


Actually, you'd be surprise at how reasonable some the of the good shipping carriers can be. Especially if they are making a trip in your general direction already.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

I DO love me some arabs, now....


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## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

The QH side on the colt is very well bred too. His dam is sired by a son of Colonel Freckles and out of an own daughter of Doc Bar...........


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Becky puts her hands over her ears..."LALALALA I can't HEAR you! LALALALA!" lol.


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## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

beccachow said:


> Becky puts her hands over her ears..."LALALALA I can't HEAR you! LALALALA!" lol.


I said......"THE QH SIDE ON THE COLT IS VERY WELL BRED TOO. HIS DAM IS SIRED BY A SON OF"


I know, that is just cruel but it sure was fun to shout it out


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

...


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## bluebird2o2 (Feb 14, 2007)

I would contact some 4H leaders,the extension office will have numbers.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

My mom donated a VERY well-bred Hanoverian to Virginia Tech Equine program. I forget the details, but they DO NOT do "experiments" on them!! The students train them up and then they sell them for very good money to be put back into the program.... let me see if I can't find out more info.....


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

OK, here is a link to the overview of the program: VERY cool!! http://www.equine.vt.edu/sporthorse.html


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## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

bluebird2o2 said:


> I would contact some 4H leaders,the extension office will have numbers.


I have tried that in both the county I live in and one across the river from us, no luck. The person in my county actually thought, in spite of what I thought was a VERY clear email stating that I would be giving them away, that I wanted to sell them. When she responded with "sorry, don't have any buyers at this time" and I emailed back and told her that I wasn't trying to sell but to give I never heard back from her:-(

Heck I can't even get the 4H leaders to contact me back. I realize they are not in a paid position but still......


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## mayfair (May 7, 2006)

Do you have a county or statewide listserv/yahoo group for 4-Hers? If you could post there then 4-Hers/parents and leaders would see the listing directly. Pictures help. Have you tried posting flyers at local feed and tack stores? Good luck.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

My DD is a 4-H leader in the rural area near La Grande, OR. I know some of the kids do not have their own horses and most can have them at home. She also was an endurance rider and has several friends who are still competing. 
Are the fillies pure bred Arabs or crosses? I'll let her know about them-- we're in the Spokane area if that is closer? PM me if that is more comfortable for you.


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## DaniR1968 (May 24, 2008)

Post them on Arabian Breeders Network and screen any potential adopters.


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## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

Molly we are outside of Goldendale, WA. There is a 3/4 Arab & 1/4 QH colt, a half Arab/half QH filly both will be 2 early next year. There is a purebred Arab filly who will be a yearling in Feb. None of the above are registered. Kind of hard to put the $ into that when you are going to be giving them away. There is also an almost 2 year old purebred filly, but I am not willing to give her or the yearling away. I would sell them for a reasonable amount of money and I would LOVE it if they went to endurance homes. Would work towards getting them registered for that kind of a home.

I have not put them on flyers in the local feed stores because to be honest I don't want to have a bunch of collectors or people out to make a quick buck dumping them at the auction to come here and tell me lies about their intentions. I hate sifting people. I have bred and shown dogs for 21 years now and that is the part of breeding that I hate. I can't stand placing pups. If I could breed a litter and just get from that breeding what I or my friends needed to continue the lines I would be happy.

Molly if you daughter wants more info she can email me at [email protected]


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

I'll let her know tonight. One of her good friend's family's ranches in the Goldendale area, so she will know just how far she (or a parent is looking at).


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## GoldenJoe (Jan 15, 2006)

Oregon State University has an Equine Team/Club....they may take them on.

Also, I was just talking to a lady yesterday whose mare passed away a few weeks ago and the grandkids were attached and now they are looking for another, but a beginner...I think ready to ride....these are just halter broke, right?


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## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

GoldenJoe said:


> Oregon State University has an Equine Team/Club....they may take them on.
> 
> Also, I was just talking to a lady yesterday whose mare passed away a few weeks ago and the grandkids were attached and now they are looking for another, but a beginner...I think ready to ride....these are just halter broke, right?


Yes they are just halter broke, a bit too young to start anything riding wise yet. The colt will be 2 in Jan, the filly in March. 

WSU-Pullman will accept your donation of a horse for a fee (something like $265) and make no promises that they just won't euthanize them if they decide they aren't usefull to them anymore:-(


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## GoldenJoe (Jan 15, 2006)

Oregon Julie said:


> Yes they are just halter broke, a bit too young to start anything riding wise yet. The colt will be 2 in Jan, the filly in March.
> 
> WSU-Pullman will accept your donation of a horse for a fee (something like $265) and make no promises that they just won't euthanize them if they decide they aren't usefull to them anymore:-(



Oh....so sad.

You know, there is an organization in Oregon (I think in Eagle Creek) that is a horse camp--Rice's horse camp.....I wonder if they would take one on to train for their camp or if they only want trained. Might be worth looking into. I had a friend donate her horse to them when she couldn't sell it.


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