I just have to relate a story or two.
We have a good friend here locally. [Actually, he is one of husband's coffee shop buddies.] He is a semi-retired small-time trader -- mostly of ponies and small mules but sometime big ones and about any other kind of 'junk' cheap horses, mules, burros and rescues he can find. He gets a lot of really thin ones off of Craigs List, deworms them, fattens them up, rides them if that is possible and takes them to a sale somewhere.
He gets husband to go with him once in a while and DH goes to his place often and tells me about what wretched creatures he has picked up recently.
He went with us to an auction a while back (I was looking for a big, older trail string prospect) and he bought an emaciated pony for $15.00. I was afraid it would die in our trailer on the way home so I made them put it in the front compartment. If it died, it would not block the horse I bought from getting out. That was 3 weeks ago and the poor little thing looks pretty good now.
Well, last year he bought a really nice big draft mule off of Craigs List. [Nicest thing I have seen him get.] He got her from a guy that had let her run for 2 years with a black stud horse wanting a big 1/2 mule colt for a trail horse. He explained that an 'all mule' was too difficult to train so he wanted a 1/2 mule. Obviously he got NO kind of mule. He was willing to sell this nice, big pretty mule for cheap since she obviously was not a good 'breeder'. You can't make stuff like this up. I don't how he kept a straight face.
That just could not happen twice --- could it? Well, last Saturday he bought an un-castrated 8 or 10 year old mule. He was pretty rank and barely halter-broke. The guy threw in several pony mares because he had been breeding them for several years and just has not had any colts born, so, he was getting rid of the whole bunch. He was tired of the feed bill. He said the mule was 'doing his job good' but either he or the mares were not good breeders. I asked him if he told the guy why his ponies did not have babies. He said "No, you can't fix stupid. I just loaded them up and brought them home."
He has dewormed them all, borrowed my emasculators to cut the mule and has them all broke to tie and lead.
It sure makes for good coffee shop conversation. Everyone always asks him what new stock he has in. It is like the best live show in town to go to his place.
We have a good friend here locally. [Actually, he is one of husband's coffee shop buddies.] He is a semi-retired small-time trader -- mostly of ponies and small mules but sometime big ones and about any other kind of 'junk' cheap horses, mules, burros and rescues he can find. He gets a lot of really thin ones off of Craigs List, deworms them, fattens them up, rides them if that is possible and takes them to a sale somewhere.
He gets husband to go with him once in a while and DH goes to his place often and tells me about what wretched creatures he has picked up recently.
He went with us to an auction a while back (I was looking for a big, older trail string prospect) and he bought an emaciated pony for $15.00. I was afraid it would die in our trailer on the way home so I made them put it in the front compartment. If it died, it would not block the horse I bought from getting out. That was 3 weeks ago and the poor little thing looks pretty good now.
Well, last year he bought a really nice big draft mule off of Craigs List. [Nicest thing I have seen him get.] He got her from a guy that had let her run for 2 years with a black stud horse wanting a big 1/2 mule colt for a trail horse. He explained that an 'all mule' was too difficult to train so he wanted a 1/2 mule. Obviously he got NO kind of mule. He was willing to sell this nice, big pretty mule for cheap since she obviously was not a good 'breeder'. You can't make stuff like this up. I don't how he kept a straight face.
That just could not happen twice --- could it? Well, last Saturday he bought an un-castrated 8 or 10 year old mule. He was pretty rank and barely halter-broke. The guy threw in several pony mares because he had been breeding them for several years and just has not had any colts born, so, he was getting rid of the whole bunch. He was tired of the feed bill. He said the mule was 'doing his job good' but either he or the mares were not good breeders. I asked him if he told the guy why his ponies did not have babies. He said "No, you can't fix stupid. I just loaded them up and brought them home."
He has dewormed them all, borrowed my emasculators to cut the mule and has them all broke to tie and lead.
It sure makes for good coffee shop conversation. Everyone always asks him what new stock he has in. It is like the best live show in town to go to his place.