By Ley Bouchard and Dawn Bolstad

There were days when a visit to the livestock auction meant a sloppy joe, a hot chocolate, and a whole day of sitting with grandpas, uncles, and dads.   The auctioneer kept us all engrossed in the ring as we watched a parade that never seemed to stop.  “Yip, yip, yip” and a crack of the whip moved the animals along.  I watched for a Shetland or Welsh pony that my grandpa would buy for me.  The men would laugh and tell jokes, stopping only when the best they could afford hoofed its way forward.  Good times.

Now, times are so good, and these times have changed us into a different breed.  Before a horse with nice confirmation (body style), good foundation breeding, and a popular coloring would have brought $1500.  Note: “would have.”  With inflation rising and recession refusing to recess, the family finances are busier keeping the home fires burning.  The expense of feeding and keeping stock just doesn’t stock up anymore.

A recent trip to Central Livestock Auction in West Fargo  showed me just how much had changes when a once $1500 steed was now a $150 horse.   Same animal, different times.  Sure there were elbows that poked a friend or two into a little snicker of competition, but by and large, the pickings were good, but the pickers were poor.

A couple of bitty burros walked for 10 bucks.  The auctioneer said, “Great for a nativity scene.”  He’s right.  Unfortunately, a pretty pair doesn’t go for a pretty penny anymore.  A magnificent Clydesdale hobbled in with foundered foot only to founder again with a “no sale.”  Common knowledge told the bidders that a 19-hands-high horse with an obvious soundness issue wasn’t going to stay cheap.  Farriers and veterinarians have families too.  The costs far outweigh the dollar value of a Budweiser wagon beauty.

Fortunately, for our Clyde, a friendly face stepped up with a determined checkbook.  Medication replaced a ride to a Canadian slaughterhouse. This a rare case.

When the horse industry eliminated inspectors for slaughterhouses, it eliminated the horse slaughter as well.  One cannot exist in the United States without the other.  Base prices for horses also lost their place.  Like it or not, horses are livestock.  We needed the base prices to keep the bottom line from hitting bottom.

There are many issues when it comes to horses. Responsibility lies with those creators and caretakers of the current population.  Rescues are overburdened and under-supported. 

There are more than a few reasons I’d like to go back to days of the livestock auctions, and sloppy joes, and horses. The “Yip” of the auctioneer, and the crack of the whip means more than a dollar.  It means that the respect of a noble animal is back where it belongs, and we are back to a time when life isn’t so hard.  It’s time for the ring to come full circle.