On ‘To Forever Home Only’

Let’s get real for a minute, people.

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Lately, browsing horse for sale ads, I come across phrases like “must go to a forever home.”

Of course, me being me, I think to myself: why must the new home provide a forever home for your horse that you’re too lazy, broke, not-caring enough, or grown out of said horse to give it a forever home? Why would you want someone that bought your precious horse to give it a forever home if that said person fell on hard times and could no longer feed the horse? What if that person lost interest and your beloved Buttercup sat in a 12 by 12 stall full of manure for the rest of her life? Is that what you really want?

Or are you afraid of some horse trader buying your horse and then reselling it for more money? Does that tick you off that someone could get more money out of your horse than you could?

Or maybe you’re afraid that your lame old broken-down pet might end up shipping over the border because you know you should put your horse down, but instead you’d rather ask for $200 for him on Craigslist than pay the $600 to put him down, and you don’t want a kill buyer to buy him so you ask that it go to a forever home that you can go visit whenever him you want.

If you’re afraid of your horse going to the wrong home and this causes you sleepless nights… don’t sell the horse. But if you do sell the horse, try to find the right fit for him — keep it at a price that is above meat-market numbers, then stop worrying and be done with it. The facts are that SOME people do get out of the “owning horses” phase and if that person did buy your horse, let him or her find a home for it instead of it wasting away in the backyard.

Do ask for the first option to buy back if the buyer decides to sell the horse down the line — just don’t ask for the potential buyer to sign a contract bound with promises, sugar cubes and death-do-you-part ownership. Life happens. Life happened to you, or you wouldn’t be selling that “to forever home only” horse in the first place.

Many people (including those that would be a perfect match for your horse) see “must to go forever home” and don’t read any further. Horse shopping is hard enough as it is.