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
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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
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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
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