Confiscated Horses to Be Auctioned Off

Imagine buying a used car at an auction when you know virtually nothing about the previous owner except that he neglected the vehicle; you’ve only got two hours to inspect it and you purchase it “as is,” with no guarantees that it will handle the way you hope.

An auction of that sort will be conducted Saturday--in this case, not for cars but for thoroughbred horses.

Don’t expect to find Gene Klein in line--but rather, horse owners of a different breed who for whatever personal or altruistic motives will show up with money and high hopes, said Lani Kian, spokeswoman for the San Diego Humane Society.

The Humane Society auction will feature 20 thoroughbred horses that were slowly starving because their absentee owner, who had become seriously ill, allowed his ranch to fall into neglect, Kian said. The Humane Society declined to press charges because of the owner’s deteriorating health.

61 Brought Back to Health

Altogether, 61 horses were confiscated by the Humane Society when, acting on a tip about animal abuse, officers raided the Pacific Thoroughbred Farm in San Ysidro on Sept. 24, she said.

The horses have since been brought back to normal weight, been groomed and checked over by a veterinarian. At a previous auction, 41 horses were sold, at an average price of about $400, she said.

Saturday’s auction will be at 11 a.m. at Dehesa Farms, 5425 Riggs Road, El Cajon. The horses can be viewed from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and buyers must take the horses away by the following Monday or pay an $8 daily boarding fee.

“We make no guarantees in terms of the horses’ breeding, disposition, gentleness, tameness or usability,” Kian said.

Who, then, would buy the animals?

Not a first-time horse buyer, she is sure.

“These particular horses didn’t have the attention at an early age that would lend themselves to first-time horse owners,” Kian said. “It would be like a person buying a 5-year-old German shepherd as a first dog, not even knowing if he was housebroken or anything about his background, as his first pet. But there are horse people out there who will show up for this, because they just love horses and will know how to handle these. It will take some time to work with them--and someone who can provide a loving environment, time and patience.”

Kian said it is believed some of the horses were used for breeding, and papers from the ranch indicated that some had been of racing quality.

Purchases can be made with cash, personal check or through Visa or MasterCard.

But no horse trading.