Animals’ Angels investigators visited the monthly horse sale in Canton, TX. The sale, operated by long time kill buyers I.W. and Trent Ward from Kaufman (TX), started at 11:30 am with an extensive tack sale.
Trent Ward, d/b/a/ T & M horse company who has been selling slaughter horses for most of his adult life, used to ship horses to Dallas Crown plant. He has a long list of violations of the Commercial Transport of Equines to Slaughter Regulations due to shipping non-segregated stallions, injured horses unable to bear weight on all four legs, as well as countless paperwork violations. USDA fined him $21,450.00. To date, Ward is still providing horses to his long-time colleague and friend Mike McBarron.
This small auction consists of a building housing the auction ring, a café, and the office as well as a covered outdoor pen area. A veterinarian is routinely on site to draw blood for Coggins testing for a $25.00 fee. There are no loading ramps in place; all horses are walked into the pen area individually.
There were approximately 50 horses present at the sale this day, the majority of which were riding horses. Only one large pen held loose horses/slaughter prospects. Several of the slaughter prospects appeared to have a strangles infection with snotty noses and were standing in the pens constantly holding their heads low. Investigators found a gorgeous Paint horse that had a swollen fetlock on his hind leg.
Investigators noted that no food or water was available in most of the pens. A horse trader by the name of Bradshaw who had been observed just a few days earlier at the Stephenville Auction buying countless slaughter horses in a bidding war against Terry Saulters, arrived at the Canton Sale at 12:30 pm with his truck and trailer and parked directly next to the pen area.
The horse sale started with the registered riding horses and later shifted to the grade horses. The few slaughter prospects sold last and were quickly snapped up by the kill buyers present.
Animals’ Angels will continue to monitor this monthly sale and report all violations found to the appropriate authorities.