Well...since I am on a roll with yesterday's post...I figured I would go ahead and lay it all out there LOL!! Most of our emails are pleasant...but we get several a week that make me crazy!
This will be the first in several examples of emails I receive - tomorrow - the full list of what we pay to get a horse from kill pen to adoptive home! Same time, same channel!
Occasionally I get emails like this:
Prospective Adopter: "Hi, I would like to adopt horse, and I'd like it (ooohhhh LOVE that reference - actually it makes me cringe as they are not "its" to us...we refer to them as boys and girls, mares, geldings, him and her etc)...to walk, trot, canter and I do like to trail ride. What does it cost to adopt a horse?"
My reply: Hi...etc...we have so and so available, he's a very nice guy, sound, no bad habits (and I give a brief description)...adoption fee is $2400. Thank you for writing...etc"
Prospective Adopter: "WHAT?!?!" (all indigent like) I thought you were a rescue!!! Why would I have to pay for it? I am doing you a favor by taking it (notice in my initial response email how I referred to our available horses and this one in particular as "he") off your hands. I'd give it (cringe) a good home, but I ain't paying nothing for it." (yes, really those exact words)
My reply: "Really? I pulled him out of the kill pen, paid quarantine board (didn't just say I did and charged for it) for 2 months (yep two months we take no chances), paid the kill buyer for him, paid for transport, fed him, hayed him, gave him his shots, did his feet, dewormed him several times, did his teeth, paid for transport from quarantine to our training farm, had him trained for (at least) 60 days on the flat, etc., started him over fences AND I will guarantee him....and anytime after 30 days if you would like another horse, you are free to adopt almost anyone for $1, all with the same stuff as your first horse. Please tell me how "taking him off of my hands" is doing us a favor?"
Prospective Adopters...sometimes they understand, sometimes we never hear back, sometimes they like our program and decide to adopt and then...there are other times they will say they are going to get a horse from the auction...GOOD LUCK!! I have been doing this a long time and STILL am not sure of what I am doing 100% of the time. Also, do they have a quarantine farm? As lord only knows whats (illness such as strangles, or how about the lovely EHV-1 neurological form, etc) going through the auction on any given week!
How about a friend to bail them out (hugs to you Bev) when they have done an "oooppsss a daisy - too much horse for our adopters" rescue horse...
Tomorrow's blog...the ENTIRE LIST of costs to pull a horse and get him to, say the point of Tango or Preston...yikes!!!
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