Brisk business and activism collide at this Texas horse auction

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For most in attendance, the Bowie Texas Livestock sale is a vibrant, family-friendly ritual at the nexus of cowboy culture and capitalism. To animal rights activists, it’s a backdoor to the cruel underbelly of the international horse trade

A black bull charges out the chute, and two riders give chase. The cowboy in front lassos the neck at a full gallop, slowing the bull just enough for rodeo heeler Whitney Monroe to maneuver her buckskin gelding into position and snare one of the bull’s hind legs with her rope, then release it with a snap of her wrist.

“It’s a pit of despair,” says Tahlia Fischer, 38, director of All Seated In a Barn, a nonprofit in Bakersfield, California, who travels to Bowie each month to rescue horses and donkeys. “These animals are just objects in a system that only cares about profit.” Saturdays are for higher-dollar performance animals: ranch horses with a nose for herding cattle, barrel racers raring to set new records, trusty mares for long trail rides or training children. Sundays feature the open sale, where hundreds of horses and donkeys, often in poorer condition, are sold “as-is” in a rapid-fire parade. Many of these animals are picked up for cents on the pound by kill buyers who ship them to Mexico for slaughter.

“The real pleasure,” White says, “comes when I have a satisfied seller who gets more than they expected to get and is happy with the job I do.”Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.: Tahlia Fischer and Hillary Novak bid on horses they’ve identified for rescue at the auction on July 3.Lot number 30, a nine-year-old black mare named Moonshine, sells for $8,500, a thousand dollars above the minimum asking price.

With hundreds of animals to sell, the auction runs at breathless speed. Horses and donkeys of all ages, sizes, and conditions are sent onto the floor, snapped up in a flash, and whisked out the door. Fischer goes on a bidding streak, buying three horses in quick succession while Novak livestreams on Instagram and tracks the multiplying donations.

 

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The greatness of a nation and its morale progress can be judged by the way its animal are treated. - Gandhi-

The worst insult to Equine Rescues is they have to pay for the abused & damaged horses when the horrible owners know they should just hand them over...

Truth About Horse Auctions: Outdated, Terrifying and Cruel

An lot of the army units used Up to the middle ages are still relevant today Such as the cavalry unit which holds an lot of ground in Korea with horseback riding. The sticking point being the ever vigilant spearman which are near extinct today from the rampant abuse of steroids.

I luv u, sweet 🐴. I know your pain.

Horses r so often harmed & abused, & under the radar too. They r frequently sent overseas & sold as meat 😭. Sometimes supposed 'rescuers' r just fronts to get 🐴s for horsemeat. This is illegal here in the US! To save & protect all 🐴s, that SAFE Act must get passed!

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