May 1, 2001 - Myself (Nina) and two other agents drove to Cookeville to check on the "Arabian case". As we drove by the local cattle auction we noticed plenty of activity there. We decided to stop and ask if there would be any horses at this auction. We were told the horse auction was at another location and was held on Tuesday evening. Being only 1:00 in the afternoon we thought we'd stop by and check it out before heading back to Knoxville. This was the start of a very long.............. day. What we found was more then we were ready for.

The coughing of horses was throughout the barn area. We found an old horse that was saddled up to cover up his body of skin and bones. The area above his eyes were so sunk in I could stick my whole thumb into it. His right eye was half closed and infected. You could smell the infection as we got closer to him. His seller stated that it would take $375 to buy him. Stated he rode really well and just needed a little weight after the winter. We wrote down his number. We found a small male horse who looked like someone had taken a razor blade and gelded him. It was swollen and full of infection that ran down his legs. So..... many horses sick and scared. Two mares with nursing foals by their side, one foal covered in manure. While taking pictures we were approached and asked to put the camera away. We did not wish to start any trouble so we put it away. Then the shock of the day came. A horse we had adopted out last fall was standing there among sick and coughing horses. Two weeks earlier when we had gone to do a check up we were informed this horse had been sold because it had injured their daughter when it reared up. The only contact we had ever had was full of good reports since they had adopted him. We had taken the adopters word that it was in fine hands and that they would get with the buyer and try to work with us on getting the paperwork transferred. After finding this horse at the auction we had to wait around 3 hours until an agent from Knoxville could drive to Cookeville with the horses file and pictures showing proof of ownership for HHT. The sheriff's department sent out an officer but was unable to do anything because the seller had not stolen the horse. After our paperwork and proof of ownership arrived we contacted the seller. It cost us $550 to get this horse back. We do plan to start legal action against the adopter for breaking the contract with HHT. Within 24 hours we have tracked the trail of this horse, and we are still not done. This is what we have found out so far:

~On Tuesday, April 24th. he was sold to a man at the Cookeville auction.
~This man took him to Mississippi.
~He then took the horse to Trenton, TN on Friday, April 27th and sold him.
~This man took him to Scott Hill, TN the next day, Saturday April 28th and sold him.
~This man took him back to Cookeville on May 1st where we found him.
~We hope to track back to the actual time the adopter sold him. Stay tuned.....

From the time we found him at 1:30 pm till we arrived with him at a Knoxville refuge site at 10:00 pm this horse never pooped. Who knows how long it has been since he ate. He is in good body condition but very hungry. As you all know once a horse is loaded into a trailer the first thing they do is poop. Because of the amount we had to pay for Freckles we were not able to save any others at auction. We pray for all those we had to leave behind. Donnie Felty (our board member who passed away last fall) was guiding us this day. To go there on a day we had planned to be home by supper was intervention. You see, Freckles was Donnie's horse that we placed into our program after he died. This horse has a guardian angel watching over him.

Thank you Donnie, for being our guardian agent.

UPDATE: Adopter has been served with papers asking for restitutions to be paid by June 1st. If no reply we will start legal proceedings.

UPDATE: June 1st - Adopter called and stated they were filing for bankruptcy and we could more or less take a fly.

UPDATE: Their lawyer has not been told to continue, so we will start legal action.