Mel Hoover’s Pennsylvania Horse Sale
Animals’ Angels conducted our first in-depth, undercover investigation of Mel Hoover’s horse sale in New Holland, Pennsylvania several years ago, exposing appalling conditions and inhumane treatment of the horses auctioned off at his monthly sale.
We have continued to investigate Hoover and advocate for the horses ever since, determined to put an end to the suffering by persistently reporting our observations to humane officers and law enforcement.
However, during our most recent investigation of the auction, it was heartbreakingly clear that Hoover so far has refused to change his inhumane practices, and that the exploitation of the animals in his care continues unabated.
Hoover Sells Sick and Suffering Animals
The majority of horses offered at Hoover’s auction are Standardbred or draft horses used mainly to pull buggies and perform farm work for the large Amish and Mennonite communities in the area. Our documentation shows that the horses up for sale are sometimes in deplorable physical condition, exhibiting illnesses or injuries that would prevent most auctions from offering them for purchase.
But Mel Hoover has a reputation of accepting horses that even the notoriously inhumane New Holland Auction has rejected. He accepts tired, lethargic, and emaciated horses, some too weak to stand as they’re loaded into crowded pens.
Limping horses with cuts on their legs, harness sores, and overgrown hooves are also commonly accepted for sale.
On one occasion, our investigators were shocked to find a horse suffering with an abscessed tooth that had progressed far enough to have eaten through the horse’s jaw. Pus had drained from the hole and frozen to the horse’s face after being subjected to the subzero temperatures in the outdoor stall where he’d been penned without food, water, or treatment.
Sick horses with obvious signs of a severe strangles infection are also a common sight at the sale, since Hoover appears to have no problem accepting and selling animals exhibiting signs of this highly contagious bacterial infection.
Hoover’s Stables Are Overcrowded, Unsafe, and Inhumane
The animals arriving at Hoover’s auction are subjected to appalling conditions in the stable, pens, and fields where they’re kept as they wait for their turn on the auction block.
The overall facility is much too small to accommodate the growing volume of horses sold during the monthly sale.
Over 500 animals are crammed into the unsafe premises, prompting kicking, biting, and fighting between the frightened animals, who have usually traveled long distances in horse trailers to get to the sale.
Those that are moved into the outside pens often find themselves sinking into deep mud and are left with no dry place to stand or rest.
Depending on the season, the horses may find themselves sweltering as temperatures soar to over 100° F or freezing as temperatures plummet below zero.
And while most pens have plastic water buckets tied to the railing, those buckets are often empty.
Our investigators have seen some poor horses tethered with their heads tied to empty water troughs while other highly prized Standardbred horses (used to pull buggies) are tied to the rafters by their heads, making it impossible to drink any water unless a worker unleashes them.
Needless to say, it is a stressful, traumatizing experience for the thirsty, dehydrated horses subjected to the elements at the day-long sale.
However, the auction visitors are also subjected to unsafe conditions as they maneuver their way through tight aisles between hundreds of scared, agitated horses.
Mel Hoover’s reputation as a hot-tempered bully is well known in the industry. The visits to his stable by humane officers and law enforcement have been met with attempts at intimidation and irate outbursts, and he aggressively confronts anyone who attempts to take photos during the monthly horse sale.
Hoover’s hostile attitude seems to have discouraged most rescue groups from attending his auction. Instead, the groups tend to frequent the nearby New Holland Auction, where they sometimes even battle over the horses offered for sale. But while the rescue groups are staying away, Hoover’s sale appears to be attracting more customers and selling more horses every time we visit.
Now selling over 500 horses a month, the auction attracts a large crowd of Amish and Mennonite customers. Apparently, Hoover has developed strong connections to these communities over the years and is allowing their members to test-drive the horses before purchase.
Our investigators have watched potential buyers run the horses on a small race track next to the barn, driving the poor animals until they are covered in sweat and exhausted and delivering cruel punishment to those who don’t perform up to their standards.
We’ve witnessed some of them mercilessly whip a horse, hitting the animal with full force in the face with a whip, as well as with a closed fist.
In addition to the local customers, Hoover’s sale also attracts horse traders from all over the country, some of whom bring in horses from as far away as Montana and Iowa.
Former racehorses are also frequently spotted at Hoover’s Stables, where they won’t attract the attention they might get at other sales.
During a past investigation, we found a racehorse named Pop’s Shadow (a 2008 Chestnut Gelding) who had been owned by the Anatolia Racing Stable. When we contacted both the previous owner and the trainer, neither was concerned for the sad fate of the poor animal they’d once hoped to exploit for profit.
Over the years, we have observed Hoover continuously doing business with Bruce Rotz, Pennsylvania’s most notorious kill buyers. Our investigators even managed to document a conversation between the men on an occasion when Hoover sold Rotz a pair of 23-year-old sorrel mules.
We were outraged to overhear a heartless comment by Hoover as Rotz led the poor animals away to slaughter.
“They’ve been together all their lives,” Hoover said with a callous laugh. “I’m glad to see they’re going out together as well.”
Hoover continues to do business with Rotz to this day. He also routinely welcomes other kill buyers, such as Jessie Austin from Cedar Ridge Farm, who frequently attends the sale looking for cheap horses to sell to slaughter.
Join Our Mission to End Animal Abuse and Slaughter
This newsletter recounts the Hoover auction’s long history of horse abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and bears witness to the suffering of the animals in its care.
Rest assured that Animals’ Angels will continue to investigate, expose and report all incidents of cruelty and neglect at this sale until we see that the treatment of the animals significantly improves. We ask that you please share this newsletter with as many people as possible, as knowledge is key, and awareness is the first step in creating change. The more people know about this the harder it will be for Hoover to keep up the poor conditions at his sale.