So happy for you that the sale went well. I did check in and look, no budget for purchase right now though! You definitely have a wonderful breeding program.
As to the person asking about shipping to Korea, we had a gentleman out one year looking to purchase a group of 10 Minis and we had a TV crew out from Korea also filming for a show a couple of years ago for a sort of Good Morning America. Minis are a rarity (what the translators told me), and even seeing horses is as well. Generally only the wealthy have them, the rest are in a (I hate to say this as it can be misconstrued) kind of zoo type situation so people can visit or newly started breeding farms.
The International regulations on shipping are country by country, as is the quarantine requirements. We talked extensively with both or govt., and their representative on what was needed. One of the things I was told (please talk to your vet before making any changes), was to not administer VEE (as part of your vaccination protocol), as the Venezuelan was not in many countries and the tiny percentage chance of a horse being a carrier if it had been vaccinated for it could nix a deal. The gentleman I spoke to here in CA, also told me there was no real need for VEE, in Northern CA anyway. So we've since dropped that. WEE/EEE is fine.
We ended up cancelling the deal as it seemed a bit sketchy, even though they had transport set up, etc. We have sent horses to Japan a few years back, and their housing/environment was really lovely.
They do eat horsemeat in most Asian and European countries, but ones that age or that aren't correct could end up that way in many countries. A former
Kentucky Derby winner in Japan ended up that way. It was quite controversial at the time.
But you need to remember the cost to ship a Mini to most Asian countries is $5,000 each, it would be a very expensive dinner! You could clarify if they're intending to breed, what the foals would be used for, but knowing the American's distaste for eating horses, I don't know if you'd get 100% honest answer.
Personally I'm not against anyone consuming horsemeat, its more how the animal was/is treated leading up to slaughter. If I want to eat a cow, and someone else wants to eat a horse, so be it, but lets be as humane as possible. But if someone came and wanted to buy one for a BBQ, no way!
**Sorry for hijacking your thread John. Just wanted to answer Witts Mini Horse Ranch.
