About Us...
Colorado Feed Lot Horses has founded in 2014 by a group of volunteers who wanted to help give a voice to the voiceless and see if anyone would want to take a chance on a horse with no or little known history who have a one way ticket to the slaughter house.
These horses are posted as we get information about them and are posted at https://www.facebook.com/groups/887931121259260/
These horses are posted as we get information about them and are posted at https://www.facebook.com/groups/887931121259260/
About Slaughter Lots...
In the State of Colorado, there are two slaughter feedlot owners. They purchase horses from auctions here and in surrounding states to fulfill contracts for companies who require horses to be processed for consumption. These horses are not processed in the United States, instead they are transported to either Mexico or Canada. Currently, there are no state or federal laws prohibiting the transport of horses to these facilities. We are very fortunate to have the ability to go to one of this lots and try to save or "pull" as many as we can from the time they arrive there to the time they are shipped. They come in every shape, color, size and condition when they arrive and our goal is to provide the public with information as to what horses are there at any given time. Contrary to popular belief, not every horse that ends up on a slaughter lot is emaciated, dangerous or abused. In fact, that is more the minority than the majority. Many of these horses are solid, sound, very well trained horses that were dumped at an auction for some reason or another.
Sharing Posts...
Sharing posts among other Facebook pages is more then acceptable HOWEVER, please DO NOT post horses on CRAIGSLIST OR ANY OTHER WEBSITE without direct consent from a group administrator. Postings and images cannot be downloaded, altered or distributed outside of Facebook without permission.
Ship Dates ie "DEADLINE"...
The feedlot owner provides us a date and time when unsold horses will be shipped. This is NOT NEGOTIABLE. If your are interested in a horse you FULL PAYMENT must be received by the DEADLINE posted. PERIOD END OF STORY.
Deadlines may change due to some unforeseen circumstance but this is not a regular occurrence and should NEVER BE DEPENDED ON.
Deadlines may change due to some unforeseen circumstance but this is not a regular occurrence and should NEVER BE DEPENDED ON.
I want to purchase a feedlot horse....Now What?
CAN I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE A HORSE?
...Possibly. The feedlot owner is a private person and he will allow us to show horses on a limited basis. You need to contact Mary Kissam via Facebook private message to see if you can make an appointment. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO RIDE A HORSE ON THE LOT. If the feedlot owner is available at that time, her MAY be able to ride a horse for you. You need to assume that this will most likely not be an option though.
CAN A VET COME SEE THE HORSE BEFORE I PICK IT UP FROM THE FEEDLOT?
...Possibly. The feedlot is located on a private residence and as such the feed lot owner owner has only authorized us to use one vet who can only come when he is home. We cannot administer medication to a horse before the brand inspection. Until the brand inspection is completed, the horse still belongs to the feed lot owner. If there is a medical emergency between the time of payment and pickup, WE WILL NOTIFY YOU IMMEDIATELY.
WHAT IF I WANT TO PURCHASE AND I AM OUT OF STATE?
You definitely can!!! You will want to go ahead and do the 30 day quarantine. You will have to get a coggins and health certificate from a veterinarian before a horse can be transported across state lines. Coggins take a minimum of 3-5 business days to come back and are INCLUDED in the purchase price of the horse... and no there are no instant coggins tests available in the area, so you will have to wait... Coggins certificates will be mailed to your home. You are responsible for providing your own transportation to their new home. You can check our services directory page for good companies to contact regarding a quote.
HOW DO I PAY?
Once you are interested in purchasing a horse...you will either need to come out to the lot and pay in cash or if you want to pay via CCD, you can log click the DONATE NOW link and add the denominations to the cart to equal the total bail fee + a 3% Credit Card Fee. We will never see or store any of your credit card information. By using the invoices, we are able to protect your privacy and make sure that no private information is ever leaked. Paying for anything through the internet can be scary so we found this is be the best possible way to protect everyone.
WHERE/WHEN DO I PICKUP?
....Set brand inspection days are setup by the feedlot owner. You must provide your brand information or be present for the brand inspection to have your horse released. The horse MUST BE PICKED UP THE SAME DAY. YOU WILL BE CHARGED A $10 PER DAY BOARDING FEE THAT YOU MUST PAY TO THE LOT OWNER FOR EVERYDAY THEY REMAIN ON THE LOT. If your horse is papered, they MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRANSFERABLE we will let you know any oddities with this before the time of purchase. You will received the papers upon pickup. PLEASE PLAN ON USING A STOCK TRAILER or SLANT LOAD TRAILER FOR PICKUP!!! We do not know if they are trailer trained or not and cannot guarantee there will be someone there to help you load. There is a chute on the property that makes it much easier to load a horse that may not be trained but no horse is going to just run into a straight load trailer. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOADING YOUR NEW HORSE AND PICKING UP YOUR BRAND INSPECTION AT THE TIME OF PICKUP.
WHAT IF I AM USING ONE OF YOUR QUARANTINE FACILITIES?
...You must provide your brand inspection information to us so that we can get the horse branded into your name before the horse is transported to our facilities. You will be required to sign a hauling agreement along with a boarding contract that authorizes us to legally transport your horse to the QT facility. Per Colorado State Law we must have a copy of the hauling agreement and brand inspection before we can transport the horse for you. If your horse is papered, they MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRANSFERABLE we will let you know any oddities with this before the time of purchase. You will received the papers upon pickup from quarantine. ANY AND ALL DEALINGS WITH THE QUARANTINE FACILITIES IS BETWEEN YOU ARE THEM. THEY ARE NOT PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, JUST A GREAT GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN.
PLEASE REMEMBER THESE ARE CONSIDERED A PRIVATE SELL or DIRECT-RESCUE SITUATION. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE FACEBOOK PAGE, WE ARE NOT A RESCUE. HORSES REHOMED THROUGH AN ADOPTION CONTACT ARE DONE SO THROUGH A SEPARATE RESCUE ENTITY. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY RIGHTS OR CONTROL OVER THE HORSES OR SALES FROM THE FEEDLOT.
...Possibly. The feedlot owner is a private person and he will allow us to show horses on a limited basis. You need to contact Mary Kissam via Facebook private message to see if you can make an appointment. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO RIDE A HORSE ON THE LOT. If the feedlot owner is available at that time, her MAY be able to ride a horse for you. You need to assume that this will most likely not be an option though.
CAN A VET COME SEE THE HORSE BEFORE I PICK IT UP FROM THE FEEDLOT?
...Possibly. The feedlot is located on a private residence and as such the feed lot owner owner has only authorized us to use one vet who can only come when he is home. We cannot administer medication to a horse before the brand inspection. Until the brand inspection is completed, the horse still belongs to the feed lot owner. If there is a medical emergency between the time of payment and pickup, WE WILL NOTIFY YOU IMMEDIATELY.
WHAT IF I WANT TO PURCHASE AND I AM OUT OF STATE?
You definitely can!!! You will want to go ahead and do the 30 day quarantine. You will have to get a coggins and health certificate from a veterinarian before a horse can be transported across state lines. Coggins take a minimum of 3-5 business days to come back and are INCLUDED in the purchase price of the horse... and no there are no instant coggins tests available in the area, so you will have to wait... Coggins certificates will be mailed to your home. You are responsible for providing your own transportation to their new home. You can check our services directory page for good companies to contact regarding a quote.
HOW DO I PAY?
Once you are interested in purchasing a horse...you will either need to come out to the lot and pay in cash or if you want to pay via CCD, you can log click the DONATE NOW link and add the denominations to the cart to equal the total bail fee + a 3% Credit Card Fee. We will never see or store any of your credit card information. By using the invoices, we are able to protect your privacy and make sure that no private information is ever leaked. Paying for anything through the internet can be scary so we found this is be the best possible way to protect everyone.
WHERE/WHEN DO I PICKUP?
....Set brand inspection days are setup by the feedlot owner. You must provide your brand information or be present for the brand inspection to have your horse released. The horse MUST BE PICKED UP THE SAME DAY. YOU WILL BE CHARGED A $10 PER DAY BOARDING FEE THAT YOU MUST PAY TO THE LOT OWNER FOR EVERYDAY THEY REMAIN ON THE LOT. If your horse is papered, they MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRANSFERABLE we will let you know any oddities with this before the time of purchase. You will received the papers upon pickup. PLEASE PLAN ON USING A STOCK TRAILER or SLANT LOAD TRAILER FOR PICKUP!!! We do not know if they are trailer trained or not and cannot guarantee there will be someone there to help you load. There is a chute on the property that makes it much easier to load a horse that may not be trained but no horse is going to just run into a straight load trailer. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOADING YOUR NEW HORSE AND PICKING UP YOUR BRAND INSPECTION AT THE TIME OF PICKUP.
WHAT IF I AM USING ONE OF YOUR QUARANTINE FACILITIES?
...You must provide your brand inspection information to us so that we can get the horse branded into your name before the horse is transported to our facilities. You will be required to sign a hauling agreement along with a boarding contract that authorizes us to legally transport your horse to the QT facility. Per Colorado State Law we must have a copy of the hauling agreement and brand inspection before we can transport the horse for you. If your horse is papered, they MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRANSFERABLE we will let you know any oddities with this before the time of purchase. You will received the papers upon pickup from quarantine. ANY AND ALL DEALINGS WITH THE QUARANTINE FACILITIES IS BETWEEN YOU ARE THEM. THEY ARE NOT PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, JUST A GREAT GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN.
PLEASE REMEMBER THESE ARE CONSIDERED A PRIVATE SELL or DIRECT-RESCUE SITUATION. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE FACEBOOK PAGE, WE ARE NOT A RESCUE. HORSES REHOMED THROUGH AN ADOPTION CONTACT ARE DONE SO THROUGH A SEPARATE RESCUE ENTITY. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY RIGHTS OR CONTROL OVER THE HORSES OR SALES FROM THE FEEDLOT.
What We do...
As stated above, we are allowed to go onto the lot owner's property to take pictures and record general observations about the horses. In some instances there may be additional information provided to us, most likely from what was said during the auction, about a particular horse. In some cases, we are able to jump on and ride a few of these horses, however this is not very often. This all being said, we are not professional horse evaluators, veterinarians or horse aficionados. We are donating our time, energy and tears into this and can only give the information that we see, but we neither can nor will EVER GUARANTEE any provided information. These horses are basically as mysterious to us as they are to you and care and consideration should be taken when choosing to take one in.
Pricing...
The prices are set by the feedlot owner. We cannot negotiate, make payments, etc. They are what they are. We can take a credit card payment for your horse. There is a 3% fee added on to the transaction to be able to do that. Otherwise, you can come pick and pay for your horse in cash.
Illness and Quarantine...
EVERY HORSE on a feedlot or auction situation has a HIGH probability of being exposed to numerous diseases including, but not limited to, STRANGLES. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND that a horse be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days. The incubation period for strangles is up to 14 days, the proper time needed without symptoms or fever is 21 days before you can say a horse is "clear." For more information on creating a good quarantine space please click here. These horses come from all over, there is a HIGH possibility that a horse may be PREGNANT or possibly a STUD. We try to provide ALL the information we have but we only get to spend about 10 mins with each horse and there are things that we just can't tell from giving them a visual look over. So again, we neither can nor will EVER GUARANTEE any provided information.
We do have a few quarantine facilities available depending on availability. You will be required to sign a boarding contract for use of one of these. The charge is $300 per month (this includes transportation from the lot to our facility, pasture grass or hay, water and a place to land), this must be paid before the horse is picked up from the feedlot. Any additional requirements above this (grain, farrier, vet care, etc.) are still your sole responsibility. For our main pasture facility we do have a primary vet (Colorado State University and Emma Timmerman) and a resident farrier (Just Horse Shoeing) for services. All of our private quarantine facilities charge the same amount, your horse will be placed in the one that has availability. We are currently limited to 12 total horses at any given time so SPACE IS LIMITED.
We do have a few quarantine facilities available depending on availability. You will be required to sign a boarding contract for use of one of these. The charge is $300 per month (this includes transportation from the lot to our facility, pasture grass or hay, water and a place to land), this must be paid before the horse is picked up from the feedlot. Any additional requirements above this (grain, farrier, vet care, etc.) are still your sole responsibility. For our main pasture facility we do have a primary vet (Colorado State University and Emma Timmerman) and a resident farrier (Just Horse Shoeing) for services. All of our private quarantine facilities charge the same amount, your horse will be placed in the one that has availability. We are currently limited to 12 total horses at any given time so SPACE IS LIMITED.
Transportation...
If you choose to use one of our quarantine facilities, transportation to the facility will be provided, you will be required to provide transportation from the facility to your horses new home.
Otherwise, you are fully and solely responsible for arranging your own transportation.
OUT OF STATE ADOPTERS: Colorado State law requires a health certificate and a coggins test to be pulled before any animal can leave the state, because of this we require that any out of state adopter must use our quarantine facilities for a full 30 days to have time to get the necessary paperwork complete. On average the cost of both of these tests run about $110. It is your responsibility to pay for and arrange for these tests to be done.
Otherwise, you are fully and solely responsible for arranging your own transportation.
OUT OF STATE ADOPTERS: Colorado State law requires a health certificate and a coggins test to be pulled before any animal can leave the state, because of this we require that any out of state adopter must use our quarantine facilities for a full 30 days to have time to get the necessary paperwork complete. On average the cost of both of these tests run about $110. It is your responsibility to pay for and arrange for these tests to be done.
For COLORADO STATE LAWS on quarantine and transportation please click here.
Donations/Rehoming Program...
Donations help keep our rehoming program going. We are an approved 5013(c). Any donation made will go towards the general fund which exists to pull horses into safety that may not have a home offer before their "ship date" or to care for the ones in the rehoming program.
When we are fundraising for a specific horse we will post that up on Facebook. We can only accept donations towards the ones that we have listed. This horse will either be placed in our rehoming program our with a pre-approved foster family. We will keep everyone updated on the status of our "donation" horses but please beware that making a donation towards a horse does not entitle you to dictate it's future. A donation is strictly that, a donation.
You are welcome to privately fund raise for any horses you are wanting to take on personally through your own pages. Please beware that a horse that you pay for (no matter by what means) is your full responsibility and the upfront cost of owning a horse is only the beginning. You will want to take into consideration possible shoeing, vet/dental care, etc before deciding to take on that responsibility. If you are looking for a fully evaluated horse, there are many amazing rescue groups that are able to provide you with a full evaluation and medical history on a horse.
When we are fundraising for a specific horse we will post that up on Facebook. We can only accept donations towards the ones that we have listed. This horse will either be placed in our rehoming program our with a pre-approved foster family. We will keep everyone updated on the status of our "donation" horses but please beware that making a donation towards a horse does not entitle you to dictate it's future. A donation is strictly that, a donation.
You are welcome to privately fund raise for any horses you are wanting to take on personally through your own pages. Please beware that a horse that you pay for (no matter by what means) is your full responsibility and the upfront cost of owning a horse is only the beginning. You will want to take into consideration possible shoeing, vet/dental care, etc before deciding to take on that responsibility. If you are looking for a fully evaluated horse, there are many amazing rescue groups that are able to provide you with a full evaluation and medical history on a horse.
Photographs...
Photographs are the property of Colorado Feed Lot Horses. The purpose of these photographs is to network available horses and may be shared on Facebook and other websites for this purpose. Photographs may NOT be reproduced, distributed, publicly displayed, or used as the basis for ANY derivative works without the prior express written authorization from the copyright owner. Individuals and rescue organizations must contact the copyright owner for permission to use the photos for any purpose other than networking available horses at the feedlot.
Additional Facebook Page Rules...
Do NOT attempt to identify a horse on the page. If you think you know a horse please private message us. We understand that many horses may look like one someone is looking for. We can help you with the quest but we must have some type of proof of ownership before we can research that any further. Photographs will also be required to identify marking.
Papers will NEVER be posted on Facebook. We will post the names on the lineage of a horse but will never post actual photos of the papers. It is NEVER OK to contact the previous horse owner until you purchase said horse.
Do NOT attempt to diagnose problems with a horse. While we appreciate that many of you are experienced horse people who are just trying to assist in getting these horses into the best and most appropriate homes possible we simply can not allow anyone to post a diagnosis they’ve made on a horse based on a couple of pictures. Regardless of how experienced a person may be, there are far too many factors such as camera angle, shadows, uneven footing, background objects, etc for anyone to make an accurate diagnosis. Any such comments will be deleted.
Papers will NEVER be posted on Facebook. We will post the names on the lineage of a horse but will never post actual photos of the papers. It is NEVER OK to contact the previous horse owner until you purchase said horse.
Do NOT attempt to diagnose problems with a horse. While we appreciate that many of you are experienced horse people who are just trying to assist in getting these horses into the best and most appropriate homes possible we simply can not allow anyone to post a diagnosis they’ve made on a horse based on a couple of pictures. Regardless of how experienced a person may be, there are far too many factors such as camera angle, shadows, uneven footing, background objects, etc for anyone to make an accurate diagnosis. Any such comments will be deleted.
Updated 01/14/2015