Warning rogue traders

astewart13

astewart13

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16 November 2010
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Co Armagh
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I just want to share this with you all so that this doesn't happen to anyone else.

I gave my horse who I was told by the vet could never be ridden again to our local knacker man (in Northern Ireland) to take to the factory!

Sadly as my horse looked very fit and well he saw the opportunity to make a quick buck and sold him on to a dealer without my knowledge.

So imagine my shock when last night I got a phonecall from the new owner who had bought him from a dealer in England.

The poor horse was to be destroyed for his own good because he was in pain and was unsafe to be ridden (extreme bucking and rearing). Unfortunately I dont have the land or finances to keep a horse that can't be ridden and he was in pain even in the field so after the summer out I made the hard decision.

I am devastated now that the horse will be subjected to more upheavel and will probably be taken back to the dealer and sold on again!

Please be aware of this if you are ever in a situation like this yourselves!
 
I think that's awful :( poor horse. IMO, if the horse needed to be destroyed you should have arranged it and paid for it yourself. That is the only way to avoid this sort of thing happening. I would never, ever allow my horse to be taken away to be slaughtered, the right thing to do is to have it done at their home humanly.
 
I too would never let my horse be taken away for slaughter. At home, so I can see it and be sure the life ends gracefully is the only way for me.

I shudder to think what that poor horse has gone through.
 
springtime1331 said:
I think that's awful :( poor horse. IMO, if the horse needed to be destroyed you should have arranged it and paid for it yourself. That is the only way to avoid this sort of thing happening. I would never, ever allow my horse to be taken away to be slaughtered, the right thing to do is to have it done at their home humanly.
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Bit harsh- she was trying to do the right thing.....

Horrid horrid thing to have done-have you reported them? What is happening with the horse now (if you don't mind me asking)? what did the new owners say?

Poor you :(
 
How very sad for you :( I have to say I agree with springtime1331 though, I would have had the knackerman out to me. I don't like the idea of sticking them in a trailer and unloading them at the other end to meet their end. Both mine ended their days at home. Please don't think I'm having a go at you, I can't imagine how devastated you must be. But since people do send things to the knackers that look (and are) perfectly healthy, they will sometimes be sold on. My dad is a vet and he worked at Potters for a while. They had a horse come in who had thrown the rider off once. The owners thus decided it was too dangerous to be ridden and sent it in. My farrier even suggested going to look at knacker yards for neddy no 2 for similar reasons.

Have you tried tracing him? You could stick an advert up in the "tracing" section of this forum, and in horsey FB groups.
 
Yes slightly harsh guys - the factories in which horses go to here are slaughtered humanly - lets face it no one is concerned about how their beef is slaughtered???

The man who I gave him to was recommended to me as trustworthy and honest and is also a neighbour so I never in a million years thought this would happen.

The lady who has the horse now is a very nice woman and is looking after him for the moment at least. I don't know what will happen to him now, I only hope that the right thing will be done.

And yes I have learnt my lesson and certainly will never be sending a horse away again.
 
That is appalling, your poor horse and poor you. It would never occur to me that I could send my horse off to a slaughterhouse and it would be sold on, these are licensed premises. I really feel for everyone connected with this.
 
Clodagh said:
That is appalling, your poor horse and poor you. It would never occur to me that I could send my horse off to a slaughterhouse and it would be sold on, these are licensed premises. I really feel for everyone connected with this.
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Thanks Clodagh, this was my thought that they were licensed! just shows you how corrupt the horsey world can be.
 
Hmm, don't know if "corrupt" is the right word exactly. I used to occasionally get a call from a slaughterhouse owner who had horses in "too good to kill"; some nice horses which were simply excess to requirements - one went on to become a heavyweight champion show horse. Your horse, however, does not fit this criterion. Was the knackerman aware of his problems?
 
Dreadful for you & your horse. I know of horses who have been sent to the knacker man for the pettiest of reasons, & they have been quietly rehomed by knackerman (not for money) & gone on & had a good life. Given that you made your horses problems clear to him, very bad that he didn't do his job. Hope your horse is out of his suffering & being moved about soon. I'd also tell your vet so he doesn't recommend this guy to other people.
 
Did you pay the knackerman for disposal or did he pay you ?
Unless you paid for the service, once he bought or was gifted the horse, he became his property.

If you paid the disposal fee, then you should contact trading standards.

In hindsight, it would have been better to have had the horse euthanized on your property rather than sending him for slaughter. In your position I'd find the dealer and buy the horse back.
 
Agree with horserider, once the animal is sold, you have no control over what happens next, obviously if you paid for dispolsal then it is a different matter.
 
I'm shocked this happened. I've sold horses to the knackerman in the past and would be furious if they were then sold on instead of going to the fate I intended for them. I didn't even consider that this could happen.
 
I can confirm it does happen. I bought a weanling bred from a leicestershire tb mare who had been sent to the knackers and sold on, 400 hundred odd miles away, so not possible to find out where she'd been.
Mine are put down at home. I need to know it is final, when their time comes.
So sorry for your situation ,op, but it is worth warning other's who don't have the benefit of experience. I hope he doesn't have to move on again.
 
It's a terrible thing to happen - destroys your trust in people. I have taken a pony to the slaughterhouse, but I insisted he was put down while I was there (which he was), as I was worried about this sort of thing happening. He was a very pretty pony but he had health problems and severe temperament problems and would have been dangerous for a child to handle. The reason I was so cautious was I had bought a 'meat' pony from this particular knackers before to bring on (who turned out fine)!
 
vickyb said:
It's a terrible thing to happen - destroys your trust in people. I have taken a pony to the slaughterhouse, but I insisted he was put down while I was there (which he was), as I was worried about this sort of thing happening. He was a very pretty pony but he had health problems and severe temperament problems and would have been dangerous for a child to handle. The reason I was so cautious was I had bought a 'meat' pony from this particular knackers before to bring on (who turned out fine)!
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i'm glad OP and others have discussed this as it would never have crossed my mind before that this would/could happen.
 
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