Please read this and know that it is honest and heartfelt, I am NOT being sarcastic. I want to appologize for offending you, I read your email several times, and actually have found great respect for you. I don't necessarily agree with you on every point (ESPECIALLY mentioning PETA as I personally think that they are a joke), but I do see that you are passionate about the horse's welfare and I feel badly for being so ugly. I am SOOO tired of hearing excuses for abuse, and most people are NOT as educated and informed as you are, again I appologize.

Please let me explain. I do NOT live in "perfect auction land", although I will say we have accomplished many good things in Virginia.I USED to see the horrors you talk about at our auctions, although they do not exist to that extent any more. Now, to be honest, our horse protection laws still suck, but a horse in Virginia is NOT allowed to go through an auction unless it is in fair condition and able to carry itself. You will not see chains in our auctions, nor the types of injuries that you talked about. I think that if I had to see that on a regular basis I might just rethink bringing a shotgun for the owners! We have a good vet on the premesis, and a humane investigator available. Owners who try to sell seriously injured or neglected animals are prosecuted on the grounds. I have been to the auctions that you talk about, and have actually bought horses just to bring them home and euthanize them humanely. To be honest, we have been so backwards in our animal laws that I never would have believed that those things still happened in other states. THAT is an obvious example of MY uneducated state, and I promise to learn not to spout my mouth off until I educate myself.

I hope that the benefit to our unfortunate introduction is that maybe you will see that I really do appologize, and would like to learn how to help to change things in your state. I don't have access to a lot of money, but I do have a network of really caring people and every horse we can help is one more blessing in this life. I understand if you don't want to correspond with me, but if what you say is happening in your auctions, I certainly would like to be involved in changing it. By the way, crow tastes AWFULL! Barbara