Bargains for horse lovers available at auction Dec. 16

Nearly 30 horses – nursed back to good health after being taken in for protective custody by the Georgia Department of Agriculture Equine – will be auctioned to the highest bidder as horse aficionados from across the state find hidden treasures that most often can be purchased for less than market value.

The auction, set for 1 p.m. this Saturday, December16, will be held at the Georgia Department of Agriculture Equine Critical Care Facility, 2394 Wildcat Road (off Panthersville Road), in south De- Kalb County. The facility opens at 11 a.m. for pre-auction viewing.

The auction, scheduled several times-a-year, is part of impoundment process that results when horses are neglected or their owners are unable to provide the proper care. Funds generated from the auction are returned to the Equine Critical Care Facility which is operated by staff and volunteers without the aid of state funds.

“We don’t like to sell horses and we never want to impound them, but sometimes we have to,” says Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin. “We are pleased that at the end of the day, this is a winwin situation for everyone involved.

“The impound horses are nursed back to good health, hobbyists are

sometimes able to purchase horses at a fraction of their market value, and the equine critical care facility receives financial support that it needs to sustain its good work. This is a great program.”

In 2005, nearly 300 neglected and sick horses were impounded by the agriculture department when owners were found unable to provide a basic level of care as required by state law. Most often, equine are returned to owners after conditions improve. Those equine unable to be returned are sold at public auction.

“On December 16, we will have an excellent variety of horses available to meet just about any horse owner’s interest,” says Melinda Dennis, manager of the Georgia Department of Agriculture Equine program. “From a one-year-old light bay grade filly to “Gone with the Wind,” a 20-year-plus quarter horse, there will be nearly 30 horses in good health for sale.”

Long-time auction participants predict the highest valued horses will sell for about $1,300 while lower priced equine can be taken home for less than $200. Photographs and vital statistics of some horses in the December 16 auction are listed at www.agri.georgia.gov.

For directions and additional auction information, call 404-656-3713.

Reader Comments

No comments have been posted. Be the first!

Other Stories With Comments:
Article	Comments
The Office Cat	2
Neighborhood vandalism is out of control	1
The Office Cat	1
Drug problem growing; little is being done	1
The Office Cat	1
Family escapes death in semi hit-and-run	1
Feed a family of four for $10 a week	1