Example Of An 'Iffy' Ad

http://medford.craigslist.org/grd/1215525907.html

Now this ad may be on the up and up but this is a perfect example of the types of ads I've written about in the past about fronts for kill buyers.

I've seen several ads in the past coupla weeks where someone is asking for a horse but doesn't have the money to buy. To me, red flag! Then, my mind wonders, why don't you save a bit of money for a couple of months and buy something cheap. There are plenty of cheap horses out there right now, even some free ones. I know of some free ones right now, as a matter of fact.

Or, if you don't have the money to buy, there have been lease ads up and that way, you aren't stuck with a horse forever and the owner can know his horse isn't going to go violently bye-bye to a Mexican slaughter house. Since I'm on dial-up now, I can't get to the video of the horse being stabbed to death but it's on the Humane Society website somewhere. Be forewarned, it's really graphic and even I have not been able to make it through the whole thing, only peeking through my fingers held up in front of my eyes... Yes, it's that bad...

So, before you commit your horse to ANY home, especially for free, do your due diligence and make sure your horse will be safe. That he can be returned any time, for any reason if the home can't keep him. You can write out a contract and get it notarized and hopefully, both sides will abide by the contract.

Last thing, I want to make really clear, this ad may be for real and be a really good home. But I'm a former buyer/seller (never sold to the killers but rescued out of there quite a bit, did a lot of rehab and rescue) and I have a bullshit radar that's a little rusty but things haven't changed that much, I'm sure. Just do your due diligence first. Never be afraid to back out if you get the jeebies that something isn't right. Ask the neighbors or horse people in the area who the local kill buyer is and where do they live (if known...some kill buyers don't want that info out there).

Due diligence, can't stress it enough.