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\n\t\t<\/div>\nThe November day radiated the late warmth of Indian summer. Anne Shaffer and I chatted over a cup of coffee. Several years ago, she attempted to find information on Shadow’s pedigree and former owner. When she bought the young horse the dealer said Shadow was a Thoroughbred, but Anne never received papers.<\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s amazing how you tracked down Pepper’s history”<\/a>. Do you think you could find out something about Shadow\u2019s former owner?\u201d asked Anne. \u201cI called the auction house after I purchased Shadow, but they wouldn\u2019t give me any information.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll try,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n
The Jockey Club<\/a> controls registry for Thoroughbreds, so I called their number for help. I reached an answering machine and left my number. A short time later, Andrew from the Jockey Club returned my call.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying to help a friend find information about her horse which she bought at an auction several years ago. Are there DNA tests which can determine breed?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe DNA information we have is given to us by the owners for registration. The breeder sends in a few strains of mane hair taken from the foal. We compare the DNA taken from the mane hair with the DNA information we have on file for the sire and dam,\u201d replied Andrew.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen there isn\u2019t a test to determine pedigree?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no way to determine the horse\u2019s breed without knowing the horse’s sire or dam. If you get that information, then we can compare the horse\u2019s DNA with our DNA databank. Usually at Thoroughbred auctions the sellers are required to convey papers,\u201d Andrew said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe horse was sold at a livestock auction in a rural village in New York State,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour best bet would be to contact the auction house and see if you can get information from the former owner. If you can find out the dam or sire then we would have something to work with,\u201d Andrew replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, thanks,\u201d I replied hanging up the phone.<\/p>\n
James Cain purchased Shadow in Unadilla, NY at the D.R. Chambers & Sons Cattle & Horse Auction<\/a>. I looked up their number and called. The phone rang a few times and a young woman answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying to get information on a horse that was sold at your auction house. Is it possible to get the name of the former owner,\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not our policy to release the names of sellers. They might not like having a buyer hassle them with questions,\u201d the woman replied quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe horse was sold as a Thoroughbred but doesn\u2019t have papers,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll registration papers would have been given to the buyer at the sale with the vet record of shots. How long ago did she buy the horse?\u201d the woman asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout ten years ago,\u201d I answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe sure waited a long time to try and find out,\u201d the woman said harshly.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe called after the horse was purchased but basically was told what you just told me,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurprise, surprise \u2013 the answer is still the same,\u201d said the woman in a snide voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you never know..things do change,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot here,\u201d said the woman.<\/p>\n
Basically, I came up with nothing; a total dead-end. Without the names of Shadow\u2019s sire or dam or a tattoo there was no way to trace the ancestry of the horse. I researched the D.R. Chambers & Sons Cattle & Horse Auction and found that a horse and tack auction was scheduled in a few days. On the day of the auction, Emma and I drove up to Unadilla, NY and pulled into the auction’s parking lot. <\/p>\n
We sat through the tack auction and then walked through the barn to have a look at some of the horses which had arrived for the sale. Several horses were saddled and stood tied to a railing. A large man rode one of the horses back and forth inside the barn, bending over his saddle to avoid hitting the low beams. We walked on to a long open pen filled with horses, stopping to pet a cute roan Shetland\/mix pony. As we left, a group of Amish boys following a beautiful black, bald faced gelding hurried by us, turned a corner and disappeared into the huge barn.<\/p>\n
The horse auction wouldn’t start for several hours, so we left and looked for a restaurant to get a bite to eat. When we returned the parking lot was packed with long 24 foot livestock trailers, horse trailers, pick-up trucks and cars. Finding a place to park was difficult; I navigated through ruts and pot holes and found a spot near a line of trailers at the back gate. A group of people stood in a field adjacent the auction house watching a rider try out a chestnut colored Quarter horse. Florescent light shone from inside the auction house, flooding the dark outside with a soft glow. People lingered just outside the entrance, talking, smoking and blocking the doorway. The auctioneer\u2019s voice drifted on the night air creating a carnival ambiance to the place.<\/p>\n
Inside the building a crowd filled bleachers made of wide, wooden planks. We climbed to the top bench and sat down; definitely not a good view. Two doors, an entrance and exit, were situated on opposite sides of the auctioneer\u2019s window. The auctioneer leaned over his microphone trying to sell a horse walking back and forth in a long, narrow corral. Sellers and buyers stood inside the pen watching the horse walk, trot and canter. Quickly, the auctioneer called out numbers, lowering his price until the horse sold. The rider left by the exit door bending over the horse\u2019s neck to avoid hitting his head on the door frame as the next horse came in quickly. The door swung open, and we had a brief glimpse of a long line of horses inside the barn waiting their turn to enter the corral.<\/p>\n
A Quarter horse, branded with the letters OK in the middle of a circle, walked into the pen ridden by one of the auction workers. \u201cThis is a fine western horse. He neck reins, drives cattle, you name it he does it,\u201d said the auctioneer, his voice filling the room. \u201cHe\u2019s 15 years old and has papers.\u201d <\/p>\n
The bidding ended. \u201c$375, do I hear $400? No, okay sold, next horse,\u201d said the auctioneer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t believe you people!\u201d shouted a man inside the corral leaning up against the railing. \u201cI just came from an auction out west and a horse like that would easily go for $2000. And I\u2019m not the seller here.\u201d<\/p>\n
A large, dapple grey horse entered with a young woman riding him. \u201cThis is a German horse and trained, trained, trained,\u201d said the woman on the horse. She stopped and quickly stood up on the horses back. The animal remained motionless. \u201cSee this horse is great!\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow old,\u201d asked the auctioneer pointing to a worker in the small ring.<\/p>\n
The worker opened the horse\u2019s mouth, looked in and said, \u201c17 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finally, the bidding began; ending at $75 dollars and the huge German horse exited the corral. New horses came through quickly, the bidding started and within a few minutes ended. The Amish bald-faced gelding we had seen earlier came in with the farmer riding the horse bareback. A parade of horses came through the swinging door; Standardbreds off the track, ponies, half starved horses, Quarter horses from ranches out west, horses dislocated because of the flood, even a donkey. They all came in and out; none selling for more than $375 most selling for $50 to $75, some sold for $5.00 and a few never sold. The auction house filled with chatter and the occasional comment from a horse dealer as people enjoyed food from the snack bar.<\/p>\n
A couple walked in with a pair of mini-horses in harness. They drove the horses up and down the corral.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you selling them individually or as a pair?\u201d asked the auctioneer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want them to stay together not be sold individually. They are yearlings and have been trained to drive but haven\u2019t been hitched to a cart yet, \u201c replied the woman.<\/p>\n
The bidding started and the minis sold. The next horse came in starved, the rib-cage jutted out exposing the clear outline of bones, the backbone protruded, covered only by skin and hair. The bidding never started; no one wanted the horse.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow about $5.00? Anyone want a project?\u201d asked the auctioneer. \u201cNo? Okay get that horse out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The small roan pony we petted earlier in the day walked into the pen led by a young woman who worked for the auction house. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you try riding that pony,\u201d taunted another worker standing next to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay,\u201d she said letting the man give her a leg up on the pony.<\/p>\n
As soon as she sat down, the pony began to buck and spin. The young woman was tossed off, landing on her feet at a run, dodging the flying hooves. The bidding went down from there, but someone bought the pony and the young woman led him out of the ring.<\/p>\n
We left the auction before it ended; there were miles to drive home and the hour was late. I came away understanding why Shadow\u2019s former owners would probably never be located. Dealers bring horses to the auction house from all over the country, few records are kept if any and horses may pass through several dealers. Where a horse ends up after the auction is unclear. Some horses are sold directly to people who will give them a home. Many dealers sell the horses they buy to private individuals. The horses a dealer can\u2019t sell are trucked back to the auction house and new horses bought. A few people speculate that some of the horses will end up at slaughter houses in Canada. Where did Shadow come from and who are his sire and dam? He may have come from just about anywhere in the country. Somehow, Shadow ended up at the auction house in Unadilla, NY, a horse dealer named James Cain bought him and sold the horse to Anne. Unless Shadow learns to speak English that is probably all we will ever know.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The November day radiated the late warmth of Indian summer. Anne Shaffer and I chatted over a cup of coffee. Several years ago, she attempted to find information on Shadow’s pedigree and former owner. When she bought the young horse … Continue reading
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