Horse Sale Barns

It amazed me tonight the difference between two local Salebarns. Several months ago I took a out of control 16 hand thoroughbred stud to Veedersburg salebarn with a friend of mine. Knowing there are men employed by the salebarn to handle the animals that owners do not want to run thru themselves. Me being 4 months or so pregnant and showing knew I didn't really need to handle this horse. That in itself was a lot as I don't like to say "I can't". He was large and unpredictable at home let alone around numerous unknown horses and in season mares, as well as an unknown and very intimidating, frightening environment. He could have and possibly would hurt most anyone there if reacting in fear to any of the many stimulus's there, let alone a 5 foot 3 pregnant woman. As we backed the trailer to unload him, he was aggitated to say the least and dancing all over the trailer. Seeing one of the men employed we informed him someone would have to handle this horse for us as I was the best bet among us and couldn't take the risk. He said to unload him and they would take him. So I proceeded to try to unload him. In doing so he turned himself completely around in my two horse trailer and walked right out. Understand this is a very large horse, and I still am baffled at how he was able to do that. Taking one look at him the guy, and many other men standing around, said "take him all the way to the back and tie him up, make it tight!" Not even an offer to take very large uncontrollable horse from smalll pregnant woman. So having no other choice I proceeded to walk him through all the other horses, somewhere near a huindred I am sure! Thankful I had thought to put a stud chain on him at least I told myself all I had to do was keep him calm till I could tie him and then he was their baby from there. I got him back there and tied by some miracle without a catastrophe. We then went to watch the sale and hope for the best in a profit on this horse. Sitting there through all the other horses near 11 pm we knew it was getting near the end. They had not brought him through yet and people were thinning out quickly. They said there was a horse left but no one was trying to go get it. Knowing the guy that runs the salebarn, my friend went to him and told him it was her horse and that she had been told they would bring him out. He informed her they didn't even know where he was and we would have to bring him through the sale ourselves. Frustrated and tired the two of us went to go see what was going on and I found him where I had left him other than someone having untied him and him prancing freely dragging his lead through a pen of five or six other horses, some mares. I grabbed the lead prepared for the worst and hoped I could get him to the arena so one of the dozen or so men could take him from there. Of course he didn't want to leave the pen he and his new found girlfriends wer in, so I was in for a fight. I sent Jan to get a man to help. She returned with a "no one will help." Well sh** what do you do, I had to do it myself, so I got mr. unruly out of the pen and led to the arena past 20 or more men just watching and chatting. We get to the ring filled with men, some with 6 foot prods in their hands. As we walk in the ring he begins to become uncontrolable due to the fear created by a sale ring. I wasn't able to lead him, more I was being led. He positioned himself right up against the arena fence and me in the middle and paced the length of it. Meanwhile I was afraid to let go knowing I was fair game to be trampled or kicked if I did, so I did what I could. The men in the arena all climbed on the fences as if a mad bull were loose. Finally he sold, and the buyer came off the fence to lead him out!! Talk about a bunch of Sissy men and me being as dissrespected as I think I have been in my entire life. Oh, did I mention the 10 or so times I asked for help while leading him to the arena as well as in the arean and my friend yelling for a male to take him from me as I was dragged along the fence by this 1200 pound animal! To make the story better, as she went to get her check she caught up with the owner and stated her opinion of how the situation was handled. There was no sympathy nor any apology made, just a "You have to tell us!!!!!" Duh what were all the requests for help? I will never go back to a place the treats people in general so badly.

To see the opposite side of this story I must relay what happened today at the salebarn in Greencastle. I took a filly of mine to sell before winter rather than to feed her all winter. Knowing horses at this sale bring far less than other sales but having watched and also knowing the animals as well as people are treated with respect here. I opted to get less money. While I was filling out the paperwork, the teen boys checking livestock in had her unloaded before I was able to finish. They penned her and left nothing for me to do but watch. I never asked for anything!!! This horse I wouldn't have had any trouble handling, but with my blood pressure as rocky as it has been was content to sit back and watch. When sale time started she was to be first in the arena. I was sitting right next to where they were going to bring her in and watching again a teen worker struggle to get her through the door into the noisy ring I got up to offer encouragement by talking to her and patting her hind end so she would walk forward. I was immediatly approached by a man whom I don't believe works at the auction, as I frequently attend and have never seen him, he took charge telling me to go sit and another teen boy working to help him as they both stood behind her to give her no place to go but forward. Of course she walked right in. As I had known she didn't bring what she was worth or even near it but she and I were both treated with such respect, even without asking anything, that I felt it well worth the trip and lost sale money. I will return as often as possible and gladly give my business to this type of establishment. It is very sad to see that these young men, not more than 16 and some as young as 12 have more respect not only for the animals they run through the sale, but the people as well than the grown men some other places!!!!!!