In today's economy many horse owners are having to sell their horse because they can no longer afford to feed and care for the horse. Many owners are abondonding the horses on the range or leaving them in someone else fields or just not feeding the animal and the humane societies are having to take over the care of the animal. Making the horse someone else's problem is not the answer in my opinion. What is the answer? I am not sure, but I think the the people who are in charge are "killing the horse with kindness". A horse has no bottom market as before when the canner buyers set the bottom by the pound. If the market was fifty cents a pound then a eleven hundred pound horse would start at five hundred and fifty dollars and then went up from there depending other attrubutes of the horse. The canner buyer was out of the bidding and would not purchase the horse for canner. Now, the sky is the limit for the canner buyers. They now are purchasing the same horse for as little as fifty dollars. And in some cases the seller is having to leave a check to cover the auction barns commissions and expense of selling the horse. Horses that are purchased by the canner buyers are being shipped further now then ever before. Horses are going to Mexico and Canada for slaugher. I do not know what you think, but I would be willing to bet that Mexico and Canada are not having to follow as many rules and regulations that our country has put upon packing house for the slaughter of horses. Good saddle horses are on these trucks more then ever along with horses who are not broke to ride, horses with problems and older horses with no use left in them by their owners. The canner buyer are having a field day with the low prices and the prices of your pet food is going up as well as other by products of the horse. I do not know the answer to this problem, but clearing the people who are trying to help these animals are making it harder. With a realistic view, let us know what you feel can be a middle ground for a not liked, but neccessary business of managing the horses that are not of any value to the present owner but are making packing companies across the borders a mint. I own horses and I have my personal saddle horse, but before I would sell him for little or no money, or make him someone else problem I would rather have him sold, haul a shorter distance and killed humanely and use in some producted way. Not to starved or hauled for hours to a foriegn country for to end up them same way and then sold back to the USA as pet food for more money