I can't believe this barbaric practice is being re-introduced onto US soil. We all need to write our elected officials and let them know NOW is the time for the national ban on both transport & butchering of horses.
YOUR RIGHT, PKL. IT IS SAD, AND THE DEBATE WILL GO ON FOREVER; THE GOOD, THE BAD, EVERYTHING. BUT THE WORST THING TO ME, IS KNOWING THAT THERE ARE NEGLECTED, STARVING, AND SUFFERING HORSES OUT THERE WHEN THEY DONT NEED TO BE OR HAVE TO BE. THAT'S WORSE THAN SLAUGHTERING THEM. I JUST THINK THERE SHOULD BE MORE RULES TO AND IN SLAUGHTER HOUSES FOR THE HORSES SENT THERE. I AM A HORSE LOVER DONT GET ME WRONG, BUT WE NEED TO REMEMBER THESE ANIMALS ARE IN THE "LIVESTOCK CATAGORY", NOT THE "PET CATAGORY". IF PEOPLE WOULDNT OVER BREED IS THE TOP REASON FOR TOO MANY HORSES OUT THERE, IF A NEW OWNER KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE GETTING INTO BEFORE BUYING A HORSE, IF GRAIN AND HAY WASNT SO MUCH, I COULD GO ON AND ON. THERE IS JUST SO MANY THINGS THAT HAVE LEAD UP TO ALL THESE "UNWANTED" HORSES I JUST DONT THINK THERE IS ANY "CURE" FOR THEM AND THE INDUSTRY. SO SAD.
Here's the solution-- STOP BREEDING HORSES THAT NO ONE WANTS TO BUY !! Your cremello/paint stallion is NOT that rare and we don't need to have any more of his babies ! When in doubt geld, geld, geld ! Having a horse that has no skills besides eating and sleeping is not valuable. Heck even trail horses are dirt cheap.
This article bothers me because although it leans towards the middle, focus is trumpeted on Sen Baucus' call for the end of prohibition on funding for inspections. Sen Baucus is misled and continues to mislead based on some sort of power he believes he holds. Equines are not to be in the care of people like this or those who would slaughter them. That is not the best interest of the animal and never has been. We as a society have suffered crime, despair, sorrow and horror in witnessing the trade of selling, buying, transporting and slaughter of the equine. Stop riding the fence - jump down on either side. For or against - educate us where you think this issue should go.
Like they said, Animal welfare advocates counter that equine slaughter is inherently cruel as horses are bred as sport and companion animals, not meat animals. It really sad how people abuse horses that they dont want. For crying out loud, someone in the world will buy it. There's no need for cruelty.
I don't think it's so bad to slaughter horses but slaughter houses should be humane and not only for horses but for cattle, pigs, and all animals. We don't need to be cruel to the animals that we keep, whatever the reason we are keeping them.
good article, hope they get the moving quickly & efficiently on this..it can only help the horse market
Horse's conditions didn't get worse after slaughter house's were closed. The old line of take the old/sick/injured/crippled/starved to slaughter is a lie. Over breeding and unresponsable horse owners are and have been the problem all along. Slaughter houses won't take the starving, nor sick. If starving, there's no good meat. If sick, then they've been given some kind of medication and can't be slaughtered for 6 mos (and who's minding that store?). The slaughter houses want your 3-10 yr olds, fat and able to get to the chutes as fast as they can. If you do need to put a horse down and can't afford a Vet to do it or won't put the needle in yourself, a bullet, aimed correctly is just as fast. Don't give me the other line, puts a burden on farmers and ranchers. Please, they aren't under any burden, there isn't a person who doesn't want a proven/solidly trained ranch horse. Ranchers get a whole bunch more money selling them to someone who wants a good horse then to kill buyers. The slaughter house kicked out of Canada in years past might be helping with campaign funds this year. Even Canada didn't want that slaughter house in their COUNTRY, kicked them out, even if the slaughter house still owed Canada millions of dollars in fines/penalties. Slaughter houses won't help the financial economy of this Country. They won't pay taxes, they will pollute the land surounding them, where do you think the sluaghter houses dump the "unusable" parts of a horse. Pollute the rivers/lakes/streams/wells for many miles and not be responsible for any clean up's. Ignore any penalties/fines incurred and just think what the property value of any land surrounding it will be. We don't eat horse meat, we don't need to supply Europe with additional horse meat, they have their own surplus problems. Yes, let your Rep's know how you feel. Your opinion counts, no matter if you are with me or against me on this issue. We still have freedom of speach.
Horses are beatutiful creatures, So why kill them, Guess who were the ones to carried your great great great great ancestors. Horses! Guess what, If Paul Revere didnt have a horse, the half of the americans wouldnt have know that the british were coming. What about the tharaputic horses, what would those people do without horses. Just think, what would this country be if we didnt have horses? NOTHING thats what. If you PUNKS think horse slaughter is okay. I would have a few choice words for you buddy!!! And they arent kind words. No matter if it is humane or not, the bible says you arent suppose eat a animal without a cloven hoof. Guess what a cow has a cloven hoof, so doies a sheep, pig, deer but, A HORSE DOESNT HAVE A CLOVEN HOOF!!!!!!!!!! I tell you, horses our like people, they have feelings,emotions and the ability to love just like a cat or a dog. So would you eat a cat or a dog. Let me answer that. NO!!!!!!! So why eat a horse. huh, so you low lives can be proud to kill and eat one of the most beautiful animals in the world. God created horses to enjoy riding them and their love and how much they can teach us, not to kill and eat. You people who think that is okay are SO ASK YOUR SELVES, IS IT OKAY TO KILL OUR FRIENDS. NO FAMILY? NO, SO WHY HORSES!!!!