At Leominster: The Horse Sales......

Leominster horse sales is an interesting place on many levels. If you want to go for current affairs, this is where some the horse meat trade is bought and sold. Particularly at this time of year. There are other markets, dealing in herds of horses off the welsh mountains. The horses that come from other walks of life are sold here. Perhaps a pony in retirement. A broken down racehorse. A collection of rough ponies from someone who's field was flooded.

The flooding is a major problem now, for everyone with livestock of any type. Its putting strain on the both the livestock and their owners. The sales catalogue was littered with horses going without reserve prices into the sale, because of 'loss of ground due to flooding'. Its hard to find owners too. The grass is not growing back like it should. Its sodden. No one wants to have to pay to feed another animal.

This stallion is a good example of trade at the minute. He is a stunning animal who is for sale 'due to loss of ground'. Its a fine animal like this, short coupled (short in the back) and with plenty of bone and feather (strong thick hairy legs) that would never be considered for the meat trade before. .

Fortunately the owner had a reserve price that kept the animal out of the meat trade. He wasn't sold today. Sadly, this might not be his last sale. x