USA | New Holland - Pennsylvania | Horse auction | Horsemeat import
The horse sale starts shortly after 10:00. The auction is extremely busy this day with over 120 horses offered for sale, including many Thoroughbreds, some of which are pregnant mares. About half of the horses are sold to the kill buyers present. Bruce Rotz ends up with 13 horses, one of whom is “Open Zipper”, a pregnant Thoroughbred mare with crippled and deformed legs. She is purchased by Rotz for $325 and immediately bought back by a rescue for $700.
It should be noted that bidding on the Thoroughbreds, including the pregnant mares, is fierce among all of the auction attendees with most of the horses going to rescues or private homes. The kill buyers are successful in outbidding the rescues and individuals on just three of the Thoroughbreds, all of whom are quickly bought back by a rescue. More than one kill buyer was able to make a significant profit by exploiting the horses through an immediate resale.
It is excellent news that so many Thoroughbreds went to private homes or rescues. However, our hearts go out to the others who went through New Holland this same day and were quietly loaded onto the kill buyers’ trucks headed to slaughter.