Sparks Trading Post Inc

Sparks Trading Post is Jam packed with amazing people and horses. i have worked and leased there for over 2 years now and not once, NOT EVER did i see anyone abusing or neglecting a single animal. Every person there has a love for animals unlike anyother place on earth. my horse was recently takin away from me for no reason at all. may i remind you i have leased her for 2 years and know her better then anyone else. she is not ill nor starved, shes well fed, gets breakfast lunch and dinner every single day. Many of you are saying that it is not hard to keep an old horse fattend up. thats where you are wrong. if you think it is easy to keep heavy weight on horses that are over 20 you must not have a Passion or much experience with old horses. my horse is loved, by everyone at the barn and i would go to the end of the world to get her back to the only place that she is loved and well cared for. if you loved your pet, if you bought food for them, if your shoed them, brushed them, and gave them exercise, give me one reason that anyone in the world would neglect a loved pet. i hung pictures of her in my room and bought her treats and multiple halters, why would i neglect her. people neglect their animals because they are not wanted, and clearly Peter Sparks cares for everyone of his horses. Taking the animals away is not only hurting Peter Sparks, but by doing so you are hurting many people of all ages along with many familys. Sparks Trading Post may not be signed as a rescue center but it takes many actions of being such. Peter takes horses that no one other than a slaughter house would want to buy. What sounds better to you? Being taken to a slaughter house to be tased untill falling to the ground, or being bought by a kind hard working man to make familes happy and get good care along with it. Everyone envolved with STP loves and cares for the horses and the business. If you dont like the way we run things fine, then dont get envolved and stay out of it.\r \r <3Thank You Pros: good people good horses good everything more

Kim, I cannot believe you are so selfish and ignorant. You like Peter because he gave your poor clueless kid a job and because it's his ""job to put a smile on children's faces""? Are you frigging KIDDING me? Are you blind? Mentally impaired? Have you not seen the photos of the horses? And you're telling me me ought to feel bad because Peter is so nice and good? If that were even true, how on EARTH could that be relevant to the fact that several horses on his property were starving to death in the back barn?\r \r Let me tell you something, Kim. I worked there, too, and what you see on the news is what has ALWAYS been in the back barn, hidden away from the public. I saw it back then and I have seen it now. Those horse's didn't just arrive from the slaughter pen last week. PETER SPARKS DOES NOT ""SAVE"" HORSES. Does he look like he has the time and money to go around ""saving"" horses in his spare time? \r \r And as for ""daring"" me to say bad things about Sparks, well, here I am. Boo. I took your dare. I really hope you grow up and educate yourself sometime soon, for the sake of your poor misguided daughter. Pros: Just wait til the court date... more

My daughter has worked for Sparks for over a year, my name is Kim. I'll tell you it has been and still will be the best experience one could give to a child. Spark's rescues horses from being put down. It is his goal to put a smile on the face of each and every child that walks through the gate of the stables. You people that are saying negative remarks about Spark's Trading Post have no idea of what a good man Peter is. Shame on you all for not knowing the facts before shooting your mouths off. I dare you. more

ok for the one person who posted this, I am sickened:\r \r i have worked at sparks for a year now its not the best place for the horses but they do get a second chance on life. the summer at sparks hasent been the best so there hasent been a lot of money. so if there isint a lot of money then its harder to feed the horses. but they still get fed there is always hay in there maingers and they get grained 2 times a day even three if they have been working. I do admit the horses there are old and some are thin but it is VERY hard to get weight on them esspecially when most are older like in their 30`s. they do live in good conditions when their in the stalls they are always clean at least once a week if not more. the horses are well behaved and they always do their job when asked.then everyday when we close they get tended to. ointment gets put on sores and other cuts, they all get grained hosed off ,walked, absorbing(like icy hot) gets put on their joints if they seem to be hurting or swollen then they all get to go outside to run around and eat grass and hay. when their outside there is always food for them to eat and water for the horses to drink.so all in all sparks is a nice place for the horses to be \r \r for one thing sweetheart, if a horse is in its stall it needs to be cleaned at least once a DAY not a week. Also if a horse is as skinny as those guys, you should not ride them. If you do not ride them in that condition you will save buckets on your so called ointment. I have ridden with top people in the industry and know my stuff. This place sickens me. Those horses are yalls bread and butter, treat them as such, not as junk. Glad they were taken away. Yall deserved it. And by the way, the only true way to help an older horse out with joint soreness is supplements like Glucosomine or MSM. Not just ABSORBINE! That stuff can tear a horses skin up if used to much. Yall are just unknowing people, go to some sort of school to learn more about horses then talk to me. more

In the case of ""Sparks Trading Post Inc"" there are too many animals obviously starving to use the old horse excuse. The owners are either mentally ill (horders) or greedy. Either way all charges should be pursued against the company and they should never be allowed to opperate an equestrian business again. Do not patronize this corperartion, and check the health of any animal on properties you consider doing business with whether it is riding, lessons or boarding. Cons: Animal Cruelty more

I love the old excuse ""the horse is skinny because it's old."" Oh please, I'll send you plenty of pictures of old horses that are in good weight. Sure, you have to do some special things for some of them, feed them Senior feed, make sure their teeth are floated, add weight builder supplements, soak their food, etc. If you can't fatten an older horse out, do fecal/blood samples, etc. WITH YOUR VET to find out what is wrong. If you have older skinny horses you rescued, what kind of careless idiot puts them to work in that condition? Apparently, someone at Sparks does. I take care of a 20 year old horse and he isn't thin, furthermore he is still doing Prix St. George dressage which is incredibly hard work.\r \r Finally, if you ""can't afford"" to properly care for all of the horses in your care, YOU HAVE TOO MANY HORSES. Be humane, and take care of the ones you can afford. more

OMFG! Are you people seriously convinced that this person has any business keeping these animals? Animals who look like that are NOT being cared for properly. If you cannot afford to upkeep them PROPERLY, you should not have them- period. Sufficient feed (which can vary in type and amount based on the needs of the individual horse), clean water, medical care (INCLUDING dental care), vaccinations, regular farrier care, adequate shelter- all these things are REQUIRED. If you cannot afford to provide these thing for ALL of your animals, you have have too many animals. This man is not doing these animals any favors by starving them and neglecting their needs. I saw the pictures- I am not blind and I am not stupid. Old horses do not have to have ribs, hipbones, and tailheads protruding under their skin. If they are in such poor health that no amount of care will put weight on them then they have NO BUSINESS BEING RIDDEN AT ALL. In fact, they may be better off being euthanized if they have a medical condition that causes them to starve to death- and make no mistake, those horses WERE being starved to death. more

Is it hard to keep weight on old horses? Yes, sometimes. Is that an excuse for the condition that the seized horses are in? Absolutely not. Old horses often require extra care, and any responsible horse owner should know that before they buy an older horse AND be willing to meet those needs. Old horses need their teeth floated (filed down to remove edges that have worn sharp) more frequently than a younger horse would. Older horses need to be monitored for parasite load, meaning they must be given dewormer on a rotational basis. They must receive high quality hay and grain, and they will often require special supplements and probiotics. You cannot simply put the horse into a stall, throw it some hay and a handful of grain, and say that you ""tried"" to put weight on it.\r \r If Peter Sparks is short on cash, then he needs to disperse his herd of 50+ horses. ""I don't have enough money to properly feed, give medical attention to, and maintain ALL of my horses"" is an extremely irresponsible ""excuse"". If he doesn't have the time or the funds to care of ""special case"" horses, then he ought not own any in the first place.\r \r If these were ""rescued"" horses, they would not be carrying riders on trail rides. (And some of them have, as recently as last week - I have seen it myself). They have to have access to fresh water and hay 24/7, and they need thick bedding in their stalls. They need vigilant vet and farrier (person who puts horseshoes on) care, and they need special feed and supplements. NONE of the horses seized had any of that. As I said before...I was there and I saw it. There is a good deal of photo/video documentation that haven't even been publicized yet. \r \r There is no excuse for being able to see all of the bones in an animal's body. If Peter Sparks really does believe he is ""saving"" these horses, then he needs psychiatric care because he fits the criteria for an animal hoarder. Shame on anyone who continues to defend this man's actions. Cons: Let the evidence speak for itself! more

i have worked at sparks for a year now its not the best place for the horses but they do get a second chance on life. the summer at sparks hasent been the best so there hasent been a lot of money. so if there isint a lot of money then its harder to feed the horses. but they still get fed there is always hay in there maingers and they get grained 2 times a day even three if they have been working. I do admit the horses there are old and some are thin but it is VERY hard to get weight on them esspecially when most are older like in their 30`s. they do live in good conditions when their in the stalls they are always clean at least once a week if not more. the horses are well behaved and they always do their job when asked.then everyday when we close they get tended to. ointment gets put on sores and other cuts, they all get grained hosed off ,walked, absorbing(like icy hot) gets put on their joints if they seem to be hurting or swollen then they all get to go outside to run around and eat grass and hay. when their outside there is always food for them to eat and water for the horses to drink.so all in all sparks is a nice place for the horses to be more

The pictures and news speak for themselves. The SPCA would not have taken his animals if he had proper bedding and proof that he was medicating his horses. He must have had neither. I know Sparks ways of ""medicating horses"" I know that one time a horse had a deep wound and Sparks way of ""tending to it"" was to take a soiled wet rag, push it into the wound, put a saddle pad and saddle over it and send the horse out onto the trail! If he was ""saving"" these poor animals, he would have bedding in those stalls. They would have had to have FREE ACCESS to hay, which THEY DID NOT. The emaciated palomino, chestnut and grey had NOTHING in their stalls, so they would be prone to joint sores as well as being hurt if they were to lay down and stand up. Again, old horses DO NOT HAVE TO BE SKINNY. They are not that difficult to put weight on. The previous poster must have something wrong with her horse, I have put weight on several older horses and does it take some time? Yes, sometimes... but it is not impossible. I wish I could post links, because I have so many examples of elderly horses I could post. If a horse can't gain weight, it either needs its teeth done or has a medical condition and needs special feed. But here is another side note... if Sparks has experience with horse and is wanting to ""save them"" he should know that HALF of his horses are NOT fit to carry human weight. I have seen several horses he has sent out that completely should NOT be carrying humans, let alone go out and GALLOP on the trails with unstable riders on their backs! Any person with the proper background in horses, KNOWS these animals are not getting the proper care they deserve and I do not understand how people coming in for trail rides can see these horses in this condition and be OK with their child or themselves riding it. Any person with eyes can see an emaciated animal, I guess just many choose to ignore it... more

People that are slandering Mr. Sparks are obviously ignorant to what the real story is. There is really no excuse for anyone to say anything about him or any of his animals. The truth will be told and an honest hard working man that has nothing to hide will prevail. Stop hiding behind your computers and come out and do something about it if you think there is such a problem. Pros: good people giving less fortunate animals a chance Cons: this has gotten blown way out of preportion more

Ohkay, I boarded at sparks for about 7 years. Yes, some of the horses are in bad shape, but really ive MYSELF put creams on them and cleaned out there stalls, walked ect. And who ever said that its not hard to put weight on an old horse is completely out of there mind, i have an old man right now that ive had for two years that gets 6 scoops a day + 3 flakes of alfalfa and hes put on hardly any weight. and the vets even say that he probably wont, cuz again it IS HARD TO PUT WEIGHT ON OLD HORSES. No they dont do everything right, and no im sure they dont have enough money to do there feet all the time, and they shouldnt ride lame horses,. But its not like they dont TRY, if you go there and see some of the ribby horses, yes its MAINLY cuz there OLD, old horses are mostly safe, and well broken. We did a trade years back and i get updated pictures and she has not lost any weight and is prefectly good health. So for all you people that go there and just see the looks realize that mabye they do try and you just wanna see other wize. Pros: They try hard and do what they can. Good amount of horses are in good weight. Cons: They shouldnt be riding lame horses. more

I am saddened and frightened by the amount of ignorance being shown about Sparks Trading Post. ANY horse person (or animal lover, for that matter) with a working pair of eyes and a functional brain can discern that the horses' care at Sparks is sub-standard. Don't let the staff's friendly smiling faces and lenient policies fool you. Half the staff there doesn't know any better, anyway - and maybe Peter Sparks doesn't either. All the more reason why he needs to go into a business venture that does NOT involve living, breathing creatures.\r \r If you want to see what trail riding horses are supposed to look like (i.e. healthy weight, parasite-free, not lame, injury-free, and happy) then go to Double DAB in Ripley, NY. (And no, I don't work there nor am I being endorsed for my mention of that barn). \r \r People who refuse to acknowledge the blatant problems with the care of the horses at Sparks are as bad as the person(s) responsible for not taking proper care of the horses themselves. If you choose to support this business, you choose to support the atitude that it's OK to provide sub-par care to animals, so long as it's not so bad that animal control closes you down. It's not right, plain and simple. No person can say or do anything to justify the willful neglect of animals who have no choice but to languish in the hands of their ""care""takers. I sincerely hope that some people (even just one!) will change their minds about Sparks and choose NOT to support them.\r \r Pros: 0 Cons: Ignorance is NOT bliss... more

A rebuttal to the well-meaning yet clearly ignorant person below me: sure it costs a lot to feed older horses Senior feed and to get their teeth done routinely. Here's an idea, though: if you can't afford to keep care of an animal properly, then don't have the animal at all. Would you adopt a baby if you knew you couldn't afford baby food and pediatrician visits? I sure hope not. As for feet getting worn down quickly because the horses are out on the trail, it is quite the contrary. I have never, EVER seen a horse there (not even Peter's own ""personal"" horses) with properly trimmed feet. The horses' feet are VERY overgrown and long. They are flaking and splitting because they are too long, not because the hooves are getting ""worn"". You don't have to tell me how things are done there - I know, I used to work there. I spent countless hours there attempting to take decent care of the horses (without success, since they lack the proper equipment to do that. You know, quality hay, wormer, grooming boxes that contain more than just shedding blades, etc.) I would NOT talk about Sparks in this way if I hadn't been there myself, seeing all there is to see ""behind the scenes"".\r \r Sparks stays in business for one reason only: because people are too ignorant to know that the appearances of the horses ARE NOT NORMAL. Is it hard to keep some horses at a good weight? Sure. Does that mean you should throw your hands up and say ""Oh well, I guess he's just destined to have poking-out hips and a visible spine""? ABSOLUTELY NOT. If Peter Sparks can't afford to take good care of his animals, then he ought not to have so many. That's pretty basic common sense, unless of course you are greedy and want to make sure you have as many horses as possible in order to make the most money possible.\r Pros: The lame horses can still put a little weight on their bad leg... Cons: Everything more

To abcquertyxyz and Dressage, you are clearly wrong about sparks trading post inc. Yes, the horses are skinny. and yes, they are from auctions. They ARE old, and it IS hard to keep weight on them. I agree that better feed could be provided, and floating of their teeth as well. But do you have any idea of how much that stuff costs? Especially while trying to keep a bussiness running, with 60+ horses, and other farm animals. It costs alot of money. Their feet do get done, but the horses are trail horses, so their feet get warn down quick. I know for a fact that the stalls get done more than once a week, as i am very good friends with most of the staff there. I ride there all the time, and have helped out as well. Ive seen first hand how they do things, and those horses are happy. At the end of the day, the horses are unsaddled, grained, hosed off, walked around and turned out to the pasture. there is plenty of grass, and hay for them to eat, as well as a full water tub for them to drink out of. Peter Sparks does not think that the horses are money making machines. He loves them. Also there is always water in front of the horse to drink, it is filled 2-3 times a day. I love STP and im a proud customer. The trails are beautiful and the horses are great. Pros: Beautiful trails, well- broke horses, nice staff Cons: . more

Sparks provides substandard care where horses are suffering. It exists because beginner riders go into their experiences without the basic knowledge needed to make good choices. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHOOSING A TRAIL RIDING BARN:\r ______ Trail horses work hard for a living. Like anyone doing hard physical work, they need to get adequate nutrition in order to do their job. Seeing all of the ribs clearly outlined, hip bones sticking out of either side of the horse's butt, or a spine sticking up from the back IS NOT NORMAL for any horse. DON'T let any staff members tell you a horse is skinny ""because it's old"" or ""because it was just rescued from the auction, and it's in the process of being fattened up"". If that were true and the establishment was responsible, they wouldn't be using the horse at all til it was in better shape.\r ____\r Feet should look neatly trimmed. The edges should not be broken off and ragged looking. If not, tell the barn that the horse's hooves aren't in good enough condition to be ridden and you will not give them your business. When you do ride, if the horse is stumbling frequently or taking short little steps and seeming to have trouble, he is hurting. Get off. Please refuse to ride a horse in this condition. It is up to you to take a stand. And better yet, take pictures with a camera phone and report the barn.\r ___\r Yellow discharge from the eyes or nose is a sign of a problem. Coughing or heaving when trying to breathe is hard to miss and something that even a novice should pick up on. When you see these things, do not ride. Look around the premises. Horses that are not being ridden should have free access to drinking water at all times, particularly in the heat. If you know how to check for dehydration in your small pet animal, the same goes with a horse - pinch the neck skin. It should snap back in no more than 1 second or so. More than that, and the horse probably is in desperate need of a drink. Pros: A couple of the horses appear to be at an OK weight, though they show other signs of neglect and/or injury. Cons: Pretty much everything. more

5) Even someone who knows NOTHING about horses can see that the horses here are in terrible shape. News flash, people - regardless of a horse's age, you should NEVER be able to see hipbones or spines sticking out. (Go ahead, look under those big Western saddle pads they use.) Hooves should NEVER be flaking or chipping off. Horses soaked in sweat should NEVER be given to riders just arriving for the next hour's trail ride.\r \r 6) I will swear to all of the things I have personally witnessed there on a Bible, in a court of law. Go ahead and subpoena me, I would LOVE to testify. I have no reason to lie or exaggerate - the truth is right there for all to see, if they choose to see it. \r \r 7) The sad reason Sparks has never been shut down is because Grand Island values it as a tourist attraction. The next closest trail riding stables are in Double DAB in Ripley, NY (highly recommended) and Wolcott Farms (never been there, have heard good things) in Letchworth State Park. Those are both 45 mins - 1 hour away. So Sparks fills the need of non-riders in the WNY area who want to ride a horse for fun. It is a moneymaker and a tourist attraction, and that is why Grand Island values it. When Mr. Gail Lazenby was on the town council, he tried to convince his fellow members to look into shutting it down. He was vetoed. Thanks for trying, Mr. Lazenby.\r \r SPREAD THE WORD, and if you do go there, bring your camera and document all you see. I would do it myself, but I don't want my cover blown (yet) since they know my face. I am not on a mission to tick people off - I simply want those horses out of a neglectful situation and into decent care where they can have enough feed, hay, and proper veterinary and farrier care.\r \r - A horseperson, horse owner and rider (trained in hunter/jumper and dressage) for over 22 years and former employee of Sparks Trading Post Pros: absolutely nothing Cons: Where do I even start? more

Let's get a few things straight:\r \r 1) Peter Sparks buys horses from auctions because they are cheap, old and therefore too calm to flip out when a novice gets on their back. His perception of horses as disposable money-making machines is evident in the lack of care he gives them. Any person with eyeballs, ""horse person"" or not, can see that the horses' hooves are overgrown and chipped and that the majority are grossly underweight. Incidentally, when the horses at Sparks become too broken-down and lame for even Peter Sparks to use, where do you think he takes them? Right back to auction for a profit, so he can buy a replacement. I assure you that his trail horses are not ""retired"" when they become unsound.\r \r 2) HORSE SLAUGHTER IS ILLEGAL IN THE US NOW and while some horses go to auction to be purchased by meat buyers and eventually be shipped to Canada or Mexico for meat, I swear to you that a death in a slaughterhouse is better than a life at Sparks Trading Post.\r \r 3) IT IS NOT ""NORMAL"" FOR OLD HORSES TO BE THIN. EVER. Old horses sometimes have issues keeping weight on. If and when that happens, YOU NEED TO FIX IT. It's not that hard. Soak their hay, feed them Senior feed, give them a weight building supplement, have the vet out to float their teeth more often. Do you think Peter Sparks even knows what ""floating teeth"" means? \r \r 4) I worked at Sparks as a child - yes, I was hired as a 12 year old. I was appalled at what I saw there - immunizing several horses with the same needle, Peter Sparks threatening a horse with a pitchfork, horses kept tacked up all day long in their stalls, 6 days a week. None of the horses have any bedding in their stalls, and many don't have stalls big enough to lie down in. Out of the 4 months I worked there, I saw stalls cleaned ONCE. Manure was 3 feet deep in some stalls and a tractor was needed to scape it out.\r \r to be continued... Pros: Absolutely nothing. more

To the poster below me, lets get some facts straight.\r \r 1) It is not difficult to put weight on old horses. Yes, some have issues that can make it difficult, but 95% can easily gain weight. Do not tell me that all of the 5% end up at Sparks.\r \r 2) All those horses coming in from auction that he is ""saving"" should NOT be ridden on trails until they are fit enough to do so. The horses where you see the ribs and hip bones should NOT be ridden. It puts a lot of stress on the animal. The horse is also not ready or conditioned to carry people, let alone half the people who come to Sparks, not knowing how to ride..\r \r 3) Sparks should NOT HAVE 60+ HORSES IF HE CANNOT AFFORD TO PROVIDE PROPER CARE. There is absolutely NO REASON for him to have 60+ horses AT ALL. \r \r 4) Just because they are trail horses does not mean their feet should wear down quickly. I have seen the trails at Sparks, a horse with properly taken care of feet do not wear down easily. Those that do, NEED SHOES.\r \r 5) If Sparks is indeed a ""rescue"" as people claim, then why is he not allowing animals to be publicly adopted out? Why has he not asked for funding? \r \r I also like how those ""defending"" Sparks keep avoiding the Coggins issue...\r \r For those that need an ""eye opener"" of trail riding facilities, PLEASE look at this site so you know what to look for when going to one of these places:\r Go to ""Fugly Horse of the Day"" and look in the Blog archive in June for ""Trail Riding for Dummies""\r \r Fugly has all the answers you need more

Do you know why do horses go to auction? Because they're old. Because they can't work in the fields as well as they once could. Because someone tires of them or moves away and has to sell their horse. \r \r Sparks rescues the best of these horses from auctions (auctions where lots of horses are sold to become MEAT) and brings them to Grand Island to give them a new life. The best thing about older horses is they are usually well trained and they are calm. They aren't likely to run away with you or give you a hard ride. Do they look thin? Sometimes. But a lot of the horses there are 20+ years old. A few are in their 30s. In the wild, horses don't live to be that old so people unfamiliar with horses don't understand why an old horse is often thin and bony. \r \r Like humans, horses lose their teeth. When they can't eat hay/grass, they're in trouble. In the wild, that's when they would fall to predators. Now we put them in barns and we give them pelletized food and sweet feed and other things to help them stay alive. Like an old human, however, few of them will ever look as fat as they were in their younger days. Does that mean they are abused? Of course not. Abuse is intentional starvation, neglect, beatings. At Sparks Trading Post the older horses who can't chew hay so well are grained twice a day - three times a day in the working months. They are brushed and fed and watered and attended to by the owners and a variety of people who volunteer their time to come be with these horses. I go there because I love the horses and I'm satisfied with their care. Without finding a home at Sparks Trading Post, most of these horses would have been dog food years ago. Now they have a place to keep warm, food they can eat, people who love them and a purpose in life. For an older horse who once came close to being butchered, this is a pretty nice place to be. When you're there, ask about your horse. You might hear an interesting story about how it got there. Pros: Working rescue horses Cons: People who don't understand horses and the problems they face in old age more