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Categories: Horse News

Summit of the Horse Addresses Wild Horses and the Unwanted Horse Issue

A group of horsemen and -women and agriculture industry activists are meeting at Southpoint Casino in Las Vegas this week to discuss wild horse management and domestic horse slaughter in the inaugural Summit of the Horse, organized by United Organizations of the Horse.



According to the Summit’s website, the aim of the event is to work towards controlling wild and feral horse populations and to bring back legal horse slaughter in the United States.



The opening keynote, “The Politics of Land and Horses,” will be given by retired U.S. Congressman and horse meat industry lobbyist Charlie Stenholm (D-TX) on Tuesday morning. This will be followed by a forum discussion of horse industry professionals on restoring the horse industry in the United States.

The Wednesday afternoon session opens with a speech by Dr. Temple Grandin, an animal scientist who has advanced the welfare of cattle and other meat animals. Grandin’s session will be followed by a panel discussion on reviving American horse slaughter. Speakers in this panel include former Senator Ed Butcher of Montana and Representative Sue Wallis of Wyoming. Both legislators have worked to bring horse slaughter to their home states, and Wallis is one of the organizers of the Summit.

On the topic of wild horse management, Bob Abbey, BLM Director, will discuss sustainable solutions for the wild horse and burro program. Forums on how wild horses and current mustang programs affect western ranchers and the horse industry as a whole will follow. Currently, the BLM does not slaughter or sell for slaughter any of the mustangs gathered in its roundups, but opening that option is one of the goals of the United Organizations of the Horse.

Other topics scheduled for the Summit include the perceived threat of animal rights organizations and the affect of the American horse slaughter ban on the Canadian and Mexican horse industries.

View the full schedule of events and biographies of featured speakers at www.united-horsemen.org/summit-of-the-horse

View Comments

  • Congratulations. By mentioning only their own publicity you have beautifully demonstrated that they are not horse people but a motley collection of lobbyists, meat packing insiders, and other anti-horse groups. This is not a "Summit of the Horse", but a summit of their tormentors.
    The few horse organizations that they list as "sponsors" tell me they are not and never were sponsors.

  • A group of horse butchers and profiteers . . . Next they will want to sell dog & cat meat to the population for human consumption.
    Wild Horses need to be protected. The horse originated in North America~on our land.
    Free roaming mustangs represent the spirit of the West and American freedom. Is that going to be sold next?

  • This is actually what we need, some people may not realize it and think its wrong, but there are too many horses. The horse industry is not what it used to be. People are just letting horses go everywhere and there are too many in resuces, alot of these horses cant even be touched. The prices of horses dropped because of this and almost anyone can buy one, which is not good because once they realize they cant afford to actually keep the horse they just let them go. None of this would have happend if they didn't ban slaughter in the first place.

  • It is true the horse industry is in sad shape, but it has always been in sad shape, but now they are paying instead of the horses that they over breed every year . Most of the horses that go to slaughter were young horses that were over runs from ranchers breeding for number and keeping the cream of the crop. You open the slaughter plants and they will just breed more for the big bucks and dump the others for trash like they did for years. Mark my words when the first wild horse dies to slaughter, people will not stand for it or stand it line at the beef counter, Eastern and southern beef producers you better take note, because you will be paying

  • HORSE SLAUGHTER NEEDS TO END COMPLETELY EVERYWHERE. IMMEDIATELY. horses should not be a food animal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • This is a summit of cattle ranchers. Their intent is to get the last pound of flesh from the horses they overbreed. All of this talk of horses running loose is mere fiction. Any increase in animal abuse and neglect is because of the economy just as it is with dogs and cats. Too many horses then quit breeding them. It is time to end this barbaric practice once and for all and for people to set up to the plate and demand that the US passes the federal ban on horse slaughter.

  • I am totally embarassed the Mr Butcher hails from Mt. I have been fighting him for a long time. Horse slaughter is an unnecesary evil that should stay banned from the USA. Foreigners have their own hands full with too many horses, let them get their own meat, they don't seem to mind slaughter. USA doesn't need a foreign slaughter house, doesn't pay taxes, ignores the millions in penalties assessed and destroys the land and water. Why would a cattle person be giving an opinion on horse slaughter? Horses contain harmful drugs that are leathal to humans. It should never be reinstitued. Horses were not bred for human consumption. More care should be given by those who breed.
    The BLM should be putting their efforts in cost effective energy solutions, sun/wind and taking care of the lands that the Mustangs range on, instead of cowtowing to the cattle groups. That land wasn't purchased with tax payer dollars to maintain their cattle herds. If the ranchers want the land, why didn't they purchase it with their own money, not mine?

  • I completely agree. Horse slaughter is not needed in the USA. I understsnd that some people cannot keep their horses,but they should have been prepared for that in the first place. My uncle was offered 2 horses for doing some work for a friend, He almost took them but relized how much it costs to keep 1 let alone 2 horses. He asked me how much it costs and nearly fell over when I told him. I also think that if they're going to continue sending the horses out of the country they shouldn't be allowed to ship to Mexico, where they're stabbed to death, at least in Canada they're shot it's quicker. As for the mustangs the Cloud Foundation is stepping up and so should the rest of us. Cattle does not belong on public land. If the rancher's don't have enough of their own land for them they should down size and stay off the public land. I know I don't want to see cattle grazing when I go to see mustangs.

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