Across the Fence

Dear Robert,

I think you have left out the real reason that gave the activists the public energy to close the processing plants.

Prior to the enacting of the FY2005 Omnibus spending bill Hollywood, PETA and the Animal Rights advocacy, Fund for Animals, HSUS, any special interest, love of horses, or any combination of events/beliefs were incapable of closing the 3 existing processing plants in the United States. Something happened in November of 2004 that gave the energy to a grassroots campaign to stop USDA inspection of horse meat intended for human consumption on taxpayer time, then costly user-fees were applied, and then states attorney’s general and advocacy had the public energy to close the plants. The operator words are FY2005 and taxpayer (public).  It was not an animal rights issue, rather a different advocacy of mostly animal welfare advocates. The same energy applies today but the unintended consequence is that once a US horse is in Mexico or Canada, US laws do not generally apply. As you know better than I, we have no animal rights laws. We have animal welfare and anti-cruelty laws.

Sincerely,

www.nobodyshorses.com

Owners accepting responsibility for the animal is the key.  This is true of dogs, cats, and equine (as well as others).  This includes care and feeding, breeding and end of life issues.  Owners who assume control of their animals are the answer.

Pingback from  Whose credit, whose blame? | Canadian Horse Defence Coalition's Blog

Thanks to the United Horsemen (United Organizations of the Horse) we will soon have equine re-cycling centers where the last option will be processing.  Horses will first be evaluated and those not needing immediate euthanasia will be reconditioned, retrained, and hopefully sold.  Only after 6 months of continually being unwanted and unusable will the processing option be implemented.  Also, there is an ID system using Iris Scanning for a Do Not Slaughter Registry for those who would like to take advantage of that protection for their horses.

My horses will never go to that "recycling" center. I'll shoot them first. What you really mean Betty is slaughter plant. Wallis and the UOH are not fooling anyone.

I believe the slaughterhouses created their own demise.  They would not allow owners to look in their lots for their stolen horses, they would not allow their employees to assist owners looking for their stolen horses, they would not cooperate with authorities/organizations to develop a system to better identify legal ownership of equines delivered at their facilities, etc..  They created their own poor image and reputation, thereby making their closures seem like a positive result to the general public.  

Well try this one

I have been searching for a decent place to board my gelding and I have visited endless farms and stables.

What I discovered is that people hoard horses and provide poor care for these animals but they are making money under the guise of horse boarding and use beautiful websites and words dripping with care to lure you into signing a contract.

From afar, all looks good until you are a boarder, thats when you learn about the horrors that actually go on after you have left the premises.

Watch a video on you tube of a horse being processed at a slaughter plant and then try to tell me how humane this is. I watched as they used that bolt gun on a gray horse six times before they knocked him out. He was not dead when they moved him on to the next step. This horse died in fear and in a lotta pain. I had night mares for weeks after watching this. I will personally put my own horse down before I will allow anything like this to happen to them. I owe them that much for all the joy they bring to my life.

I think everyone including the author has missed the point.  There is no credit or blame needed but a system of responsible breeding for the available market.  That won't happen either, so until then I prefer to think of a few days of suffering for animals who may otherwise endure years of starvation and neglect even at overwhelmed horse rescues.  I don't breed anymore, have retired my horses responsibly and try only to take on what I can afford.  If the day comes where I must chose to end an animals life I will do it with the least amount of suffering available but I am not naive enough to think that ending slaughter ends suffering.

Jeanne - Not all retirement boarding facilities are bad. I run a small (5-acre) equine retirement facility where I follow the AAEP Rescue and Retirement Guidelines. This is important to ask about when looking for a facility. Also, I allow owners to come anytime to visit with their equine retiree. I provide full-service retirement that gives each horse the personalized care it needs through its final days. I love what I do and so does my boarders! Rebel D Ranch, Ramona, CA

I think this is a good thing but it will cause many years of heartache before the benefit is seen. What benefit? Stopping breeders from breeding worthless horses! the comment above about the QH breeder says it all. When breeders know that they can get meat prices for their unsalable animals there is no incentive not to breed. I know many, many "breeding programs" and this includes several associated with colleges that breed low quality animals because there is always the meat market to set a bottom price. So, will the next 10 years be painful. Absolutely as there are far to many horses, just like dogs, produced. Fortunately, horses cost far more to breed and maintain than dogs and my hope is that the market will contract and force many breeders out of business. Unless you plan to keep every animal you breed for the rest of your life please choose carefully those horses that you breed and think about the horse you produce. What job will it do and can it do it well and in comfort for many, many years!!

My problem with the government closing the slaughter houses was simply, they left the horse owners with little or no options as to their right to dispose of their horse. No slaughter house in the US can be as bad as the trip in crowded trailors across the southwest deserts to Mexico. Plus there is no pretend of humane treatment there. Horse owners should have choices at least, and better control and practices in the slaughter houses could have been implemented. Not everyone who has a backyard horse or pony for their kids can afford the cost of euthanesia and disposal.

Another comment, we have a boarding stable, Little Wing Stable in Dixon Ca and we offer retirement care as well as rehab. Owners are not only welcome but encouraged to participate in their horses care. We welcome visitors as well and will explain our specialized care for the elderly horse and their special needs. They really are not much different than an elderly persons. Our retirees nake up for about half of our horse population here.

In the past two weeks I have received over 2 dozen requests for donations to help mostly the wild and domestice unwanted horses.  I also am now receiving requests for lions and tigers.  Being an equine lover, owning two of my own, I try to contribute when I can, being unemployed now has been challenge for me, my horses will do without though.  My husband says to just throw away the literature I receive.  Doing this does not make it go away.  Horses were not meant for human consuption.  I was for the closure of the meat processing plants in the United States until I too saw the way these poor animals are treated in the hauling, holding, and killing of them, it put me to my knees to see them being stabbed or any other cruel way they can think to kill them.  Until people are held accountable for the uneeded breeding, consignment sales,  unusable thoroughbreds this will continue.  One man I know told me after it leaves his farm he doesn't care what happens to it. I feel that anyone that breeds a horse should be made to watch the way these slaughterhouses put them down  these terrified animals.  Nothing should have to die this way.  I have documented that my horses are to be put down by our veternarian if I should pass.  I have nightmares at the way people treat defenseless animals.  

Sorry, but Sue Wallis' United Horsemen's solution is nothing more than a few dressed up names for horse slaughter. Equine recycling, processing and a myriad of other "special" words, Wallis uses just to misinform. Why is there never mention of the hundreds and hundreds of egregious injuries to horses during the inhumane transport to the US slaughterhouses - horses who lay in trucks with broken legs, ripped off hooves, hanging eyes, and injuries so despicable even Slaughterhouse Sue would have to at least stop drinking her witch's brew for a moment. Horse slaugher is so inherently cruel; horses were never meant to be food animals. And as for the "unwanted" horses that some people insist lanquish in fields across the US, why is it that 100,000 horses annually wind up in Canada and Mexico - numbers equal to the number of horses slaughtered in the US when the slaughterhouses chopped horses into bite sized tidbits for foreign gourmands? Yep, perhaps selected groups of horse owners like AQHA could practice and encourage birth control instead of trying to bring in the most "foal" dollars.

Hats off to the author and others who have spent years and years actually delving into the truth of horse slaughter, and not spinning the ridiculous tales Wallis delights in telling.

I could not have said it better myself Robert.  I have spent years trying to get people to wake up and look at the realities of the industry.  THANK YOU for having the guts to put it down on paper (or electrons).  Euthanasia is always a better option than starving to death.  The beautiful thing about a horse is BEING A HORSE.  Being a cripppled skinny avatar of a horse in a hoarder's backyard is awful.

They didn't close people....They just moved acrosss the state lines !! So we took away the protection ,Good job there !! Geld the wild stallions HELLO - guess its to simple !!!

Dear Bloggers,

Unwanted what? Let's take a step back and consider:

Today, the attitude of “Live and let live,” when applied to the environment, just doesn’t work. Human population growth, urban sprawl, and natural resource development have made it necessary to manage everything – even wild things in our oceans.

From my perspective, in order to comprehend this often emotional "unwanted" horse debate, we must understand that there are two major horse populations in the United States; the domestic, private property horses and the public/tribal/military-owned, free-roaming horses found in the wild in many states or held in federal captivity awaiting fate. Domestic should not be confused with domesticated. Domestication happens to the species, training happens to the individual. Only some of the free-roaming horses in the western states fall under the federal protections of ‘wild’ horse law. The other free-roaming horses, east or west of the Mississippi River, are on sovereign lands, military reservations, park service lands, federal lands not covered by ‘wild’ horse law, or on private property. In these various places the horses are either not protected by any law, as in the feral designation, or they are only partially protected by state and/or local laws.

When commenting about the issue and mixing the pools of horses, we confuse this contentious issue of “Whose Credit/Whose blame”. The question itself is contentious by not allowing for no credit or no blame. On the other hand, from an animal welfare perspective, the changes in the FY2005 Omnibus spending bill allowing for the commercial sale of formerly free-roaming horses may have, and logically did, add the necessary energy to close the horse tissue processing plants. The reason for placing a welfare perspective on the issue is that we have no animal rights laws as a basis for that perspective (CRS – Cohen 2009).

I take issue with the term “unwanted” horse as it is applied to a potentially ownerless, public and/or private property asset in limbo. “Since domestic horse slaughter ceased in 2007,  the slaughter horse market has shifted to Canada and Mexico. As a result, nearly the same number of horses was transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter in 2010 – nearly 138, 000 – as was slaughtered before domestic slaughter was ceased (GAO-11-228).” Perhaps this pool of horses referred to as unwanted should be given the term Maverick or “Animalia mixta”.  

“No accurate figures document how many unwanted horses actually exist, their age and sex, the breeds represented, how many are purebred versus grade, their most recent use, their value or what happens to them in the long run. Tens of thousands of horses that could be classified as unwanted are being sent to processing facilities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico each year.” ((Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC), 2011)).

In 2007 the estimated numbers of unwanted horse in the United States was about 170,000 each year with  ±58,433 processed in the USA, 36,858 exported to Canada,  ±45,609 exported to Mexico, 21,000 un-adopted feral horses in BLM sanctuaries, ±9,000 feral horses in BLM adoption pipeline, and others neglected/abused.” ((Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC), 2011).

What is not in question is that somebody (Mexico and Canada companies) want the horses or (rescue advocates and horse lovers)want the horses protected. Humane treatment from point “A” to Point “B” in the life and times of a horse and end of life decisions are certainly at issue. The question often debated: Is rescue “hoarding” or “enrichment” is a good one?

“By educating existing and potential owners, breeders, sellers and horse organizations about the long-term responsibilities of owning and caring for horses, and focusing on opportunities available for these horses, such as retirement, retraining, new careers or uses, donation and euthanasia, the coalition hopes to help horses before they become unwanted. The UHC hopes to utilize industry resources to put owners of these horses in touch with individuals and facilities that will welcome them (Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) 2011.”

www.nobodyshorses.com.

This is for those of you who seem to believe the domestic horse slaughter plants were better regulated and more humane than those in Canada and Mexico. NO way.

I saw Dallas Crown in Kaufman, TX when I was helping some of my friends search for their stolen horses before it was too late. BTW, that's how many horses end up in the slaughter pipeline. What we saw at that plant defies description.

This was in 1991, and I still find it difficult to think about. It was HELL. Our plants were NO better than those in Canada or the EU regulated ones in Mexico - which is where most of our horses go in Mexico.

There is a bill to end this for good sitting in a Senate Committee right now - S. 1176, The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011. Please ask your Congress people to support it. End the nightmares for horses AND their owners.

As Brenda said, it is not humane the way horses are processed in those plants, and that video you watched is typical of how most of the animals we consume are killed.  It's very sad, but chickens, pigs, cattle are all slaughtered in the same or similar ways.  Many are not dead when they start the butchering.  This is indicative of a larger issue, not just our beloved horses, but how the meat industry treats animals and what we let them get away with.  My horse will never be sold or allowed to enter one of those places, or sent to another country where they still process them.  I will have her euthanized at home and hauled away just as I do my old dogs when they have lived out their lives.  I will have her cremated.  Horse owners need to get a clue!  If you make a committment and buy a horse you have to take responsibility for it until it's lived out it's life.  Otherwise, it's unfair to even get a horse, just like it is with any dog/cat/etc. If you can't save up some money to humanely end the life of a beloved friend in the 26 or so years they live, then you should never have gotten the animal.

Gosh, Betty, is that the bill of goods you sold the Arkansas Legislators a few years back?

You might not be aware that Sue Wallis' claims that if she is able to bring horse slaughter plants back to American soil, that it would create nearly 1,000 jobs.

Since Cavel slaughtered nearly 60,000 horses per year with only 70 employees, then Sue must plan to slaughter nearly 900,000 horses per year. My guess is that line to the right, for layup and rehab, is going to be mighty short. Oddly enough, the USDA says that most of the horses going to slaughter are in good condition, so you're going to be feeding a lot of horses, aren't you?

I guess we could also discuss the fact that, currently, the USDA will not inspect horse slaughter plants and that without that, you can't sell the meat across state lines or overseas. Since there is little to no market for horsemeat here in the USA, just who do you think is going to buy this product?

Are you also aware that the foreign slaughterhouses operated at a loss 1) in order to avoid paying taxes and 2) so that the profit could be made overseas, where there actually is a market, as misguided as those consumer happen to be.

And finally, rehabbing a horse for six months or more can be incredibly expensive and time consuming. You can actually tell me, with a straight face, that by doing this you are actually going to make money, or do you plan on running this business at state expense?

In case you didn't know, Cavel et al only made a profit for their overseas taskmasters by slaughtering the horses as fast as they could get them in the door. Don't fool yourself that this so called business plan will actually work. And don't try to fool others that these are true intentions of the United Horsemen.  Shame on everybody that perpetrates this deception.

And God save those horses since the only way you'll make a dime off them is to slaughter them, which currently you can't make money at because of the the reasons I've just listed.

Fact #1: I truly wish that we could lose the video of the poor gray horse. That video is over 20 years old and was made in a Mexican facility. Horse slaughter can be humane. I have been inside of 2 slaughter plants numerous times, before they were closed, and never witnessed the things shown on most of the videos from anti-slaughter websites.

Fact #2: Two weeks ago I attended a local  monthly auction and watched 580 horses sell. Over 360 went to Mexico. The sellers of these horses were not professional horse people (ranchers, performance breeders, race horse people, etc.). They were primarily recreational horse people who could no longer afford to feed their horses or had spoiled the horse to the point they could no longer control it. Most of the horses were "un-represented", meaning the owner did not stick around to see them sell. That way they can tell themselves that their horse went to a good home. Instead of being transported about 100 miles to one of the closed facilities, the horses spent 12 hours on a trailer to the Mexican border, were unloaded, and then spent another 12 hours on a Mexican double decker to an unregulated facility.

Fact #3: Profit does not drive the horse slaughter market, at least for the auction seller. Prior to the closure of the slaughter plants in Texas, fat #1 slaughter horse brought an average of $0.60/pound live-weight. That's $600 for a 1000# horse. To reach a 1000# that horse must be 2-3 years old. Can you breed a mare, feed and care for her throughout pregnancy and lactation, then feed and care for the colt for 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 years, and sell the colt for $600 and make a profit? I don't think so. Today, the market is $0.25-$0.45/pound. The profit is there for the killer buyer and slaughter plant, but not for the seller.

Fact #4: Controlled breeding will not solve the problem, at least for the next 10 years. Horses live 20+ years. If you stop ALL breeding, numbers won't significantly decline for at least 10 years. According to the AQHA, APHA, and Jockey Club, professional breeders (those breeding more than 10 mares per stallion)have reduced their breeding by 35-50% over the past 3 years. In the mean time, what can be done to deal with horses that no one wants? The reputable rescue operations are full. The number of abused, neglected and/abandoned horses is ever increasing. Talk to any county sheriff. As repugnant as some people find it, horse slaughter, must be a part of the unwanted horse solution.

My reply is to Liz.If you have no financial support to euthanised and disposed your horse you should think twise before buy one, they are not a toys! they are large anymals with tons of entellegance(somitimes even smarter then many humans)and personality.People! Please! look in your pocket and think - can I provide care for this animals?If not - DON'T BUY IT!!! Get a humster instead.

There are three aspects that seem to be missed here and need some thought.

1)  Meat processing in general is viewed as pretty repugnant by the general population, should they think about it much-- even though most of us eat meat and wear leather.  As we now get most of our meat off a styrofoam tray in a supermarket, and never see the hides that go into our shoes,  we are separated from the reality of the circle of life.  When this separation became standard as fewer and fewer people spent their formative years in rural areas,  some of the more humane methods of animal dispatch also disappeared or were relegated to niche markets, such as kosher or organic.  They were replaced by the modern industrial animal-processing slaughterhouses, which have problematic aspects for both the animals we intend to eat and for the human laborers who have to work there.  Horses bring the issue to light, but we may need to rethink industrial meat production in general.

2)  We as a culture are also in denial about death, for ourselves and everything else.   There is a need for EACH OF US to take personal stock of the inevitable death of every living thing; and that includes our own animals.  Every horse I have ever had to have euthanized since I've been an adult has passed on with me holding the halter rope.  It's damn tough, but it's honest.  Maybe not everyone can emotionally do that, but we all must at least not ship off a horse with the lie that it will find a forever home in a pasture like Black Beauty.  I remember a legislative hearing about slaughter plants where a rancher advocated for slaughter over shooting an old horse and burying it in the back 80 "because they're looking at you."  I wanted to say, "Yep, deal with it, cowboy.  Take a little personal responsibility."

3)  Euthanasia is not simple in some places and disposal is a MAJOR problem.  Sure, in the rural west, you can pay the vet $150 bucks and the backhoe guy $75 to dig a hole -- and if you don't have land, the garbage company might haul off the carcass for another hundred bucks, but I've heard tales of folks in urban areas who have to pay much higher vet bills and upward of $1000 to have a horse carcass disposed of.  That's a BIG problem.  And a horse that has been medically euthanized technically contains hazardous waste due to the drugs used, so dumping the body is an environmental concern.  I think that rescue groups need to think seriously about the disposal issue.  Rendering seems to have vanished unless the horse dies at a plant.  

No answers, but more things to think about

Don,

estimates are that nearly 10% of the domestic horse population dies every year. Say there are 9,000,000 horses. That's nearly a million horses per year. Even at a death rate half that, you would lose nearly half a million horses per year from the population. It wouldn't take long at all for the horse population to decrease by several million IF, and of course it won't happen, breeding just ceased.

As to the neglected horses, sorry, I don't buy the excuse that a horse should pay with its life simply because an owner has gone on to different interests.  As for the numbers of abandoned horses increasing, the economy is in a recession. Or haven't you noticed? People have lost jobs, then homes and farms, etc and they will probably never be owners again.

I do have a question for you, if you were in the widget making business and there was an over supply of generic, grade widgets would you: 1) stop making widgets, 2) make a better widget or 3) keep on making widgets when you know you can't make money on them but you can get pennies on the dollar for their parts at a local recycling center?

And btw, the video of the gray mare at a Mexican facility was shot by a Texas TV station just a few years ago. Unless you enact a ban on horses going over the border to die in Mexico, they will continue to go whether or not slaughter returns to the states.

I'm probably going to draw a lot of flack, but there is something to be said about the rigid controls of some European countries on just who can breed a mare, and what constitues a breeding stallion. This would take care of the backyard breedings, the people who think its fun to keep a stallion and alot of the unwanted and neglected horses, simply because there would be fewer and they would be more expensive.Sometimes our endless pursuit of individual liberties has unintended consequences.

The fact is, is that it is expensive to keep horses, even if you do have a good job.  I yearn for the days, before the eighties when there were tax breaks for horse owners.  The tax laws were changed not by the bleeding heart liberals, but a horse loving republican.  That, is what has killed the horse industry!!!!!!!  Horses are now an asset, but for many horse "business" owners, a liability, because the economy has affected ALL levels of the equine industry.  SLaughter of horses is not the answer or the quick fix.  It is simply that there are horses and nobody is buying them.  The horseowners that own horses cant afford them, nobody has disposable income.  The horses going to slaughter are not just the old and infirm, they are across the board, and if horseowners are looking for bargains they should be attending these auctions, dont wait until a rescue group buys them, get out there and buy them yourselves.  A kid with $500 in their bank account can now buy a decent horse.  You couldnt do that even just a few years ago!

The fact is, is that it is expensive to keep horses, even if you do have a good job.  I yearn for the days, before the eighties when there were tax breaks for horse owners.  The tax laws were changed not by the bleeding heart liberals, but a horse loving republican.  That, is what has killed the horse industry!!!!!!!  Horses are now an asset, but for many horse "business" owners, a liability, because the economy has affected ALL levels of the equine industry.  SLaughter of horses is not the answer or the quick fix.  It is simply that there are horses and nobody is buying them.  The horseowners that own horses cant afford them, nobody has disposable income.  The horses going to slaughter are not just the old and infirm, they are across the board, and if horseowners are looking for bargains they should be attending these auctions, dont wait until a rescue group buys them, get out there and buy them yourselves.  A kid with $500 in their bank account can now buy a decent horse.  You couldnt do that even just a few years ago!

Lisa,

My comments above revolved around what is, not what ought to be. My discussion about the term “unwanted” was about the word usage, not the life and times of an animal anywhere at anytime so long as treatment remains humane. If there are inhumane practices, that is a separate argument. Often, the essential difference between want and need is central to any emotional or economic discourse about the treatment of animals. Most veterinary practitioners spend considerable time trying to help clients from themselves and most often emotion and want are at the center of the animal discussion. My comments were factual and I cited the Unwanted Horse Coalition as of 2011. I included the caveat that “unwanted” is a misleading term for the plight of the horse today.

I totally agree with Natalya's response to Liz. Owning ANY animal is expensive and needs to be address BEFORE you decide to get one. Food, shelter, vet care, farrier, time and effort even just for the 'backyard' pony or horse MUST be considered otherwise do not get one.

Everyone needs to be responsible for whatever animal they own right to the end - so yes, that means saving for the 'funeral'.

Another way to stop unwanted breedings is to put all the PMU mares at bay "STOP" PMU Breeding! The mare is kept pregnant so their urine can be used to make hormone replacement drugs for WOMEN during menopaulse!! The mares go through horrible circumstances, they stand in tight stalls like a dairy farm but dont move around at all tied up deprived of water so the urine is more consentrated, they re also hooked up to a pee line attached over their urethra so they cant even lay down, they are forced to stand their entire lives while being preggo. Then the mare will be breed after she foals so they can continue and when the mare will no longer take any more breedings they send them to slaughter as well as the foals, which most foals dont make it because they ned the mare to collect urine samples as soon as shes preggo again. PMU is horrible most women that take any medicatioins related to menoplause are giving this cituation a reason to over breed horses and send them to slaughter!!

Don, all of my comments are based in reality. The horse industry of today has its head firmly planted in the sand if they think their business can be saved by a barbaric, 18th century method.

The fact is the number of horses doubled from around 1995 - 2005, reaching 10 million or so after decades of decline.

Here is another fact - there has been little to no net increase in the numbers of owners to go along with the increase in the numbers of horses. And, by the looks of the economy, the horse industry will continue to contract as the numbers of people able to care for and feed a horse continues to decline.

Breeders in California are shutting their doors and getting out of the business forever and that has nothing to do with a lack of slaughter since many of those horses have ended up in Canada or Mexico .. it is because the thoroughbred industry is dying in many parts of the country due to lack of interest on the part of the public.

Here is another fact - we are in the worst downturn of the century that coincided with the closure of the plants here in the states.

All of the above facts are issues that more pro-slaughter proponents, in general, refuse to acknowledge, instead depending on a "subsidy" in the form of slaughter to prop up an ailing business.

As for auction prices, I was watching them closely around 2006. 2007 and can tell you grade horses got .28 - .33 cents per pound, if that. You can also find prices per pound paid at Cavel when they were still open and only those who had contracts got more than that price per pound. So, buying a grade horse at auction for $600 would have lost the kill buyer money when he went to sell that horse to the slaughterhouse. Auction prices have also varied, depending on the location and Stephensville, Texas has been knows for years as a kill auction where prices paid have always been low for slaughter sale.

The AQHA and other breed registries have done nothing to help horses or stop the breeding, just collecting their fees, sitting on millions of dollars (in the case of the AQHA) and touting a soon to come upswing in the horse market. Which isn't going to happen.

Did you know that around 2005-2005, Cavel was closed and only around 60,000 American horses were slaughtered during those years? Did you also know that from the 1980''s through mid 1990's, the number of horses slaughtered decreased from nearly 300,000 annually to around 100,000 with no one claiming it was the end of the horse industry at either time.

And by the way, horses are still being sent to slaughter by the same number last year as in 2006/2007 when the plants were open in the U.S so when the people claim they can't sell their horses to slaughter anymore, they are simply lying.

The horse industry, like every other industry, has to change with the times. I see little sign they are willing to acknowledge the problem, much less come up with a solution.

Lisa,

The video attributed to the Texas facility was NOT shot there. During the supposed time it was produced, I was intimately familiar with that facility and I can assure you that the video was not shot there. The stun box, etc. was not the same. Don't believe everything you read, especially from people who have an agenda.

Lisa,

Your enthusiasm is delightful even if you don’t seem to know the difference between fact and opinion. For the record, I am not a “pro-slaughter” advocate. I am a private property enthusiast with a need for actual facts and not mere opinion. The facts are that a corridor for horse transport to Mexico and Canada was left open when the horse tissue processing plants were closed. You will not need to bother quoting the laws pending in Congress because I’m familiar with them.

A “head firmly planted in the sand” and the subjective comment “barbaric, 18th century method” are your realities. They are not necessarily my reality.  I wonder if Philip Ashton Rollins would take exception to that “barbaric” comment. Your comment […”the worst downturn of the century…”] is a subjective comment about some unidentified downturn, it is not a fact unless you can site factual support. Your comment [“…“AQHA and other breed registries have done nothing to help horses or stop the breeding…”] tells this reader that you are misinformed about what the AQHA has done to encourage responsible breeding. Nothing is an all inclusive term. Your comment [“…And by the way, horses are still being sent to slaughter by the same number last year as in 2006/2007…”] supports what I wrote in the earlier blog but you didn’t cite my reference. Your comment [“…The horse industry, like every other industry, has to change with the times. I see little sign they are willing to acknowledge the problem, much less come up with a solution.”] begs the question, what solution to what problem? Define the problem and then provide a solution and support it with actual facts that can be supported. What change is needed? I commented earlier that the term “unwanted,” as in horse dilemma, is dubious. Now, I have many horses to condition today. So, enough on this subject.

This is the other Don (comments at 10:01). Much is made about "humane euthanasia". Any form of euthanasia is only as effective as the person applying it. Most people think that chemical euthanasia is the most humane form. Horses are individuals and as such they each react differently to drugs. I have had the misfortune to attend numerous chemical euthanasias conducted by very competent vets. The preferred method is to inject large doses of sedatives to render the horse immobile, but not unconscious. Then the drug is injected to stop the heart. I have witnessed the terror in the eyes of many horses as the struggle to breath and fight against death, but are unable to move. It is not pretty and, in my opinion, not humane. I have also witnessed the use of a captive bolt and gunshot. Either of these, properly used, produces instant unconsciousness, a lack of awareness, and a humane death. Most vets do not own a captive bolt gun and are usually unwilling to use a pistol.

Now we have a dead horse. The question is what do you do with him. Someone mentioned cremation. There are very few public facilities that have the capability to properly cremate a 1000# plus animal and those that do are VERY expensive. OK, let's bury the body. If narcotic drugs were used for euthanasia, the body is a health hazard and in most states must be buried in an "approved site" which is also very expensive. If the ground water table is shallow, the risk of contamination by the massive amount of bacteria created by burying a 1000# animal is extremely high. In those areas, burial is generally forbidden except at licensed facilities (expensive) which may or may not keep the bacteria out of the drinking water source. If you are fortunate enough to have a rendering plant close by, you may be able to pay them to dispose of the body. However, most will not accept a carcass that has been treated with euthanasia drugs. Finally, we could process this carcass into meat and eat it. Research shows that horse meat is higher in protein and lower in cholesterol than beef or pork. It best compares to bison. According to the USDA (2010) there are over 17 million children in the US that are classified as undernourished (meaning that they do not receive the needed nutrients per day). Protein is the main nutrient that they lack. One 1000# horse will provide enough protein to meet the needs of 2.5 children from the age of 4-8, or one child from birth to 9 years old. As a father and grandfather, if my kids were undernourished, I would readily serve them horse meat.

Finally, as mentioned by the other Don, I am also a private property enthusiast. How do the anti-slaughter people, and the government for that matter, have the right to restrict my constitutional right to sell my property to a legal entity. Lisa mentioned the widget scenario. What happens if my company goes under because someone else decides that I cannot sell my widgets to the people who want them and will pay a good price for them? According to them, I must keep and store my widgets under conditions they set, and only sell them to people they approve of or give them away for free. Can you say restraint of trade?

Natalya, in response to your comments:  "3)  Euthanasia is not simple in some places and disposal is a MAJOR problem.  Sure, in the rural west, you can pay the vet $150 bucks and the backhoe guy $75 to dig a hole -- and if you don't have land, the garbage company might haul off the carcass for another hundred bucks, but I've heard tales of folks in urban areas who have to pay much higher vet bills and upward of $1000 to have a horse carcass disposed of.  That's a BIG problem.  And a horse that has been medically euthanized technically contains hazardous waste due to the drugs used, so dumping the body is an environmental concern.  I think that rescue groups need to think seriously about the disposal issue.  Rendering seems to have vanished unless the horse dies at a plant."  

I'm uncertain of what you are referring to when you state "euthanasia is not simple in some places."  However, I do believe humane euthanasia and disposal can be affordable for most with forethought.  In the Chicago metro area, there are tens of thousands of horses and four racetracks within a 50 mile radius.  The average minimum boarding cost if one is within 1 hour driving time of the city is $450 which does not include turnout fees which on the average are $2/day so at a minimum we're talking $510/mo for board not counting other expenses related to the horse:  farrier (approx $200+ every 6-8 weeks), vet: routine worming&vaccination, farrier, training/lessons, fly spray, grooming products,gasoline to drive to the stable, etc.

I do not have a current day rate for trainers at the racetrack, but 5 years ago, the minimum day rate was $45/day=$1,350/mo, plus vet, farrier, vanning etc.  Trainers costs to feed/bed these horses have doubled in this amount of time.

Looking at the costs of those who own property and keep horses at home and whose horses are turned out during the day and stabled at night.  The monthly cost in the Chicago urban area is about $500/mo for self care.  This amount does not include costs for the lights in the barn, maintenance, repair, or improvements.  

In this area, the non emergency fee for euthanization averages $250 and $250 for the renderer.  In the areas you refer to where there may not be a renderer, an option is to transport the horse to an equine vet clinic/hospital for euthanization and disposal.

Almost every adult knows their own financial situation and when they are absolutely no longer going to be able to afford to care for a horse.  There are endless free ways to network for a new home, a lease, share board, etc.  Each  and everyone of them takes time, planning and not every horse is going to find a home.  

We as horse owners need to get our priorities straight and exercise some foresight. The priorities would encompass what hard decisions we are prepared to make to provide for the welfare of the horse if it cannot be rehomed. As an example, if I were to anticipate I could only afford to feed/board my horse for the next month and not the following, I would have a choice of using the funds for the current month (approx $500) to euthanize and dispose of a horse instead of putting that horse at risk for an uncertain future. A huge part of the equation here is asking myself:  "Who am I as a person and do I have the courage to do right by a horse who I have assumed responsiblity for, a horse I initially acquired with much joy and anticipation and willing spent funds on, a horse who cannot fend for itself in today's world?"  "If I cannot rehome this horse into a safe situation, or because medical conditions or advancing age, make a secure future unlikely, am I willing to spare this horse the the horrors of neglect, starvation, abuse, unnecessary sickness&injuries associated with the auction, transport and slaughter?"  "Or, am I going to make a selfish decision by turning a blind eye?"  

Many years ago, I knew an older horseman who had been a dealer and livery stable operator.  One of the things he told me which I have never forgotten is that every individual he was aware of who was involved in sending horses to slaughter died a horrible and painful death.  At the time, I was interested in verifying this and over a period of years when one of these people died looked into the cause. It was true and many were unusual freak accidents.   Why and how I have no idea, but perhaps there is some universal justice handed down for involvement in slaughtering horses.

Well, I'm glad I can still be enthusiastic about anything at my age, but I did quote lots of facts/statistics, many of which are available through the USDA website and have been collected and collated by other groups. The auction data has been collected real-time by me personally, or others who listened or were in attendance.

I do have a comment though ... Not fact, not statistic, not opinion .. just a comment to the following:

The question often debated: Is rescue “hoarding” or “enrichment” is a good one?

If the question about rescue is worthy of debate, then surely "slaughter" as enabling is worthy of debate as well.

The point about the widgets is simply,  why would people continue to make widgets if they can't sell them for profit? It relates to the horse industry as the consensus is that current prices for slaughter horses do not come close to the time and expense of ownership. It only allows the seller to recoup a very small part of the investment.

If you are able to raise a horse and sell it to slaughter for a profit, then you are breeding for slaughter and orgs like the Unwanted Horse Coalition should no longer be able to say slaughtered horses are "unwanted" horses.

The video of the gray horse I was referring to in my post was shot by a Texas new station a few years ago at a Mexican slaughter facility.

If horse owners want to dispose of their animals they should put them down humanely with a vet.  A horse is never humanely slaughtered.  Their back is broken they are hung by rear legs upside down then their throats slit to bleed out which can take a long time and they are aware and conscious for most of it.  If not done like this they are worseless for meat. No creature dies well human or animal but horses die the worst - for $600 on the hoof.

Susan- when you own a horse you assume the responsibility so I don't by into the can't euthanize my horse crap because I can't afford it - easy excuse to put the responsibility on someone else. Vaccinations, farrier, dentist, last peppermint - its a deal and commitment by responsible horseowners.  

This is a very interesting issue. When I bought my horses it was in the same state of mind as when I bought my dog. "You are with me till your last breath." Among my herd I have 4 horses that I do not ride because of their age or physical condition. Most people will say «get ride of them, they are useless». In my opinion they are useless to them but not to me. My oldest mare is 35, I have discussed with my vet what would be the best option if ever I had to end her life prematurely for health reasons. Her best option was posted in Don's 10:40 am comment. Option # 2, done by a professional the horse doesn't have time to suffer. My hope is that my mare dies of natural causes, but I will not allow myself to let her suffer. She gave me so much pleasure I owe her dignity without suffering.  

Many others have also posted interesting comments too.

Now what about slaughter...no animal is put down in a respectable way. Though I know of one slaughterhouse who will put down honorably a privately owned horse brought to them on Tuesdays, where the owner can assist. The horse is not retained and is put down in an outdoor coral. But sadly all the US horses that are transported to Canada sold thru auction for slaughter do not have such an honorable end.

What would it be to be respectful, what will it take to stop over breeding, what will it take to make people understand that a horse is not an object or a machine you get rid of once it's become useless. A horse is a living being, one must think twice before buying a horse and one should know how to choose the right horse. And I'll add this same comment to any animal one buys...dog, cat, hamster, bunny, goat, turtle and so on...they are not things.

Reprehensible article that should never have been published in The Horse.  I nearly vomited while reading it and am thinking of cancelling my subscription.    Treating horses as disposeable shows that many horse breeders and others in the horse industry care about is money. I'm glad I never pursued my childhood dream of owning a Thoroughbred stud farm.  I would've just been promoting cruelty and the notion that all horses or ponies only equal their price tags.

 Which came 1st: the chicken or its' egg?

  i went to a lg. SW auction every sat. for 20 yrs. and watched a parade of sick, Unwanted, crippled, vicious and/or terribly-conformed equines head for slaughter. So it's obvious: people breeding poor-quality horses combined w the 2 Racing INDUSTRIES'rejects, and now a Recession&drought makes for this glut of horses. But what to do about it? Well, 1st contact ALL Breed org. and try and get them to institute a Stallion-Selection process like in Europe! (here, any moron can breed 2 crappy horses and get a 3rd w ALL the Flaws of both!)i think 90% of ALL studs should be gelded-Period! 2ndly: Try and STOP BOTH Racing Ind.! They use up horses like Kleenex and also breed horses w lousy dispositons and conformation IF they run fast. And lastly, since there are NOT ever going to be enough forever-homes for all of them, a well-done bolt-death in the US is far better than a long&crowded trip N or S. i'd like to see 3 equidistant sl.h set up across the country. Then at-least they don't have to travel as far and the meat is not wasted.

PS: in the 20 yr.feedlot trips, i bought 2 decent horses, each w a problem i could live with.

PS: my horses died of old-age (but of course: i could afford to let them do so. Many CAN'T or WON'T, so let's all face Reality, shall we?)

   Interestingly, the slaughter plant closure has made no difference n US horse slaughter.  A recent government report has measured the number currently shipped to Mexico/ Canada as exactly equal to what used to go through the US plants.  There are no humane laws there, and the horses are stabbed repeatedly through the backbone in their neck until they finally die. (not to mention the hellish transport)  Barbaric.   If transport language is changed, it can just be claimed the truck fulls are for auctions or stables.  

   I support reestablishing slaughter here under more humane laws, similar to the Temple Grandon cattle slaughter plants.  Let's keep it here where we can control it.  

    HSUS has done US horses a great disservice and added to their suffering.  I hope they are doing some soul searching.    

Anyone that has not oewned a horse and had to deal with the expense and responsibility should have nothing to say about the matter.

It is $600.00 to put one down by the way- vet plus dead truck fee, and for those that have lost their farms in the economy that is money that does not exist.   Even good young stock is free for the taking nowadays.    

i have been reading and i have 2 things that we need to look at. PMU farms have a bad reputaction but i have visited many pmu farms and have purchased my next show horse from them. the mare is not breed right away and they are kept in better cleaner barns then what our school system teaches our children in. these foal of the farm are reg. breeds of top bloodlines. i bought a filly from a farm last fall with over 11 million in money earned on her pedigree. nice right and i didnt pay 5 grand for her either. they even have an insentive program that encourages owner of these animals too show them. one is the nericks program. owners like myself reseave 25 % of of my total winning from them meaning if i show the filly and she win say 1000 dollars the ass. also send me check for 250 dollars at the end of the year wow. great bloodlines and ahas  bonus check i say they are being more responcible then alot of other owners. second phizer has shut down a third of their PMU farms. meaning less high quility horses on the market. as so the slaughter market. everyone needs to give a little breeders breed less and better quility. not all grade horses are bad. we just need ones with better build or dis. i love my animals and i dont wont to see them abused or neglicted. but i agree that i would rather see horses slaughtered were there is more control. and they need to allow people in to look for there animals. brands and microchip would allow faster adnification in a case of leaft. i have a microchip in my dogs that i chose i took freely and will do with my horses. but i wont have the  goverment demanding that i chip all my animals. everyone needs to take a piece of the blame. but i know what we can do take untrainable injuryed beyond a happy life and allow them too give even in the end of there life. that could feed alot of starving people in our country. you can be upset with me but it would help with two very big problems that i beleive will only get bigger. at this moment there are more grade horses being breed than reg. my mares will die on my place but never again by euthination i will never put an animal through a slow death. i chose to tell them i love them pet them for awhile cry and kiss them. and put hem down with a gun. fast and simply not adding drugs too there body like they are over dosing and have there organ shut down. think your giving them a heart attack. if you have ever had one i wouldnt wont that for my animal

Dear Robert;

Well put.  As a horse owner and breeder for over 40 years I find it tiresome to continually be accused of having a "PETA" or "HSUS" agenda or being an "AR" (Animal Rights) "terrorist" because I am opposed to horse slaughter.

The whole "PETA/HSUS" argument is just more histrionics from those who are (thankfully)fighting a losing battle.

To the person who commented geld the mustangs ,hello are you mental there are no longer enough mustangs on the open range for them to be a part of the problem ,maybe it is people like you who are the problem!For the poor lil person complaining of the euthanasia costs well poor you,maybe you should have thought that there are costs to owning a horse or any other animal for that matter,do you refuse to take your kids to the doctor too,also I am by no means rich but there is no way in hades that any of my horses ,will ever be sent to slaughter and if anyone on here believes any of SLAUGHTERHOUSE SUE'S blatant propaganda then shame on you that woman is so batty that she bans celebrities from her site that are dead,yeah she's a real GEM!Also for the people who just don't know what they will do for their horses poor dead body ,buy a fricken clue as long as there is no underground water source to contaminate,well then get yourself a shovel like I did it's harder then hell but I did it all by my self from morning till nightfall,I had help the last half hour from my mom who did not know where I was and came looking for me if you have no more compassion then some of the responses on here don't buy a horse,I assure you they will be thankfull for your indifference,oh and her's a thought if you don't care about the horses what about giving drug ridden contaminated meat to unsuspecting people,which gee I don't really worry about since they are so willing to eat an animal that would willingly lay it's life down for them but they would rather consume instead.For the other people who have commented I am sure your compassion and love for this noble animal will be rewarded in some way!

Thank you NATIVE 67.  I agree.  And I agree with the blog Author. S1176 must pass this Congress, then all of the animal advocates and rescues, and defenders of the Mustangs MUST do their best to alleviate the problem in the best way possible for the horses.  It will not be immediate, and it will not be easy, but it can be done!  Indiscriminate breeding must stop.  2 and 3 year old "futurities" are horse destroying games for rich people.  the age of horses must change by at least one year.  same with racing.  Too many injuries, and you wonder why no one in the general public wants to watch.  We all know the problems.  Help pass the bill, then help solve the problems. The end.  

The sad reality is that slaughter is a necessary evil for those spoiled, self-entitled Americans that think owning a horse/animal is a constitutional right.  The simple fact is this:  don't own a horse if you can't afford to treat it when it gets hurt.....don't own a horse if you can't afford the feed it the hay it needs to maintain a healthy body condition.....and don't own a horse if you can't afford to humanely end it's life before it has to suffer.  As an equine veterinarian, I am acutely aware of the horrors that horses are enduring at the hands of people who can't afford to have them...suffering that far exceeds what happens in a slaughter plant.  Saying that ending slaughter is going to make people breed more responsibly and force those that can't afford to have horses get rid of them is ridiculous.....people who believe that will happen are extremely naieve and obviously not a part of the horse community (but think they have the right to govern it based on ignorant emotion).  These people are always going exsit and horses are going to suffer WORSE and for longer periods of time people don't have an outlet to get rid of these poor creatures.  We should have made laws governing slaughter houses and the transport of horses to slaughter so that it was more humane for the animals.  All that was accomplished by ending slaugter was making horses suffer for longer periods of time now....either in the pasture or in a semi-trailer destined for slaughter in Canada or Mexico.  

Jessica;

As an equine veterinarian you should know that owner neglect has NOTHING to do with the availability (or not) of horse slaughter.

It is shown time and again that people who starve or neglect their animals do so regardless of their options.  

For every current case of horse neglect or starvation you see, that owner HAD the opportunity to sell the animal to a kill-buyer.

Selling your horse for slaughter is NOT illegal in the US -- it has only 'moved' across the borders.  

Yet they CHOSE to nelgect the animal or let it starve -- The availability of horse slaughter does not prevent irresponsible behavior!

 Well, KMG you missed Vet Jessica's Point. She's saying Yes, abusive people don't care if they hurt&starve animals, but for any equines that ARE slh.bound for whatever reason, they deserve to have it done in a usa outlet!  

  All the well-meaning people opposed to slaughter should  each acquire at least 20 Unadoptable  horses and then just feed, but do nothing else w them. That's what the BLM is doing w how many thousands? Guess how much it costs us to feed&house them for a year? (Before you attack me: in the last 30 yrs. i adopted 2 from the Prison Wild-Horse training program, and each was wonderful in its' own-way) But at least 1/2 of all of them are NOT Quality animals and are Un-Adoptable.

And since no one bothered to put a few really GREAT stallions loose on the range so as to produce some wonderful foals to adopt; well that's 1 reason (of several)why they're doomed to stand around in pens till they die. How is that better than a quick death? (i raised sheep&goats, and a pig every year and did my-own butchering. BUT, ALWAYS w them in a home-made squeeze-cage, BlindFolded and w a 22 bullet to the top of the head, for an instantaneous end; no cruel throat-slitting as required by Kosher Laws.)

   So until the world's Perfect,we need to provide a means to Quickly&Locally dispatch what idiots have created and tossed away.(or maybe you can get Mrs. B.Pickens to Save-them-ALL!)

There are huge tax breaks for those who become horse owners this year. A person buying horses this year gets to deduct 100% bonus depreciation with no limit if he meets certain conditions. One can spend millions and deduct every penny this year. It also applies to certain other purchases. Any equine vet who thinks slaughter is a solution should have chosen a different career. A vet can help horses by making humane euthanisia more affordable. In the interests of the horse the vet can donate his/her time and only charge for the drug. Sodium pentobarbitol used properly causes quick unconciousness and death. I had one horse and a number of dogs and cats euthanized. Done properly it is quick and painless. No tranquilizer is used. A vet should know how to do it right and how much to use and if he/she is using the right stuff there will be no suffering. Even if he used too little the animal would be unconcious right away and a second dose could be given. It is amazing how many incompetent,uncaring and greedy vets there are who would rather let horses suffer than lose a little income or who do not help at all and make things worse or even kill the poor animal. Things like dystocia- vet cannot do c-section in field would be "unethical" cannot do one in hospital has no operating table for a horse. Could not do fetotomy either. Another vet cannot do either one. Vet ignorant of cryotherapy for laminitis euthanizes horse who could have been saved. Owner with horse who suffered a fracture cannot get any vet to come out and after a struggle gets horse on trailer to vet school where horse is euthanized though could probably have been saved with an artificial leg which most vets do not inform people about. Maybe a lot of horse vets would prefer a career causing injures and killing horses at the end of their studies. Some obviously do. Maybe the veterinary profession should be criticized just as much or more than the public. There are fortunately some caring competent vets but in many places owners have to be their own vets. There have always been owners who mistreated their animals. Centuries ago when people depended on horses some people did not properly care for their animals. THe human race as a species has not changed much. People are still killing and abusing other people as well as other species. If man's spritual progress had kept pace with his technological progress there would be no crime of any kind anywhere and kindness would rule. Evil is never necessary. Christ put others ahead of himself. He gave to the poor,fed the multitude,healed the sick,etc. There are many who call themselves Christians but they put themselves first. The Old Testament says a good man takes good care of his animals so they must not be Jewish either. The prophet Muhammad preached kindness to his fellow creatures also. What religion preaches self centered cruelty other than devil worship? All those selfish cruel people are satanists,atheists or hyporcites and liars who call the devil God,Allah,Jehovah,etc. Buddhists believe in karma aka justice which means suffering for evil deeds. I also believe in karma "as ye sow so shall ye reap".

Did all I could to close down the slaughterhouses, and am damn proud of it.

And if commodities, like your friend's quarterhorses are to him, have suffered at market, take a look at the Bush-bred economy.

Siringo .. we would love for the BLM to leave the quality stallions on the range but their policy is to grab as many as they can, as fast as they can, during the roundups and haul them off to short term holding. Very few ever get released. One of the many criticisms leveled at the BLM is their lack of understanding of or interest in the genetic makeup of the herds they "manage."

BTW, short term holding for these horses has always looked depressing. Long term holding is a bit better, and the horses we have been allowed to see, at least, are well fed. Perhaps even overfed.  As for you comment about slaughter, the BLM is currently under investigation, again, regarding some of the LTH horses being found in a kill buyer's truck in Texas and this is probably NOT the first time mustangs have been sent to slaughter as a direct result of the actions of BLM employees and their contractors.

As for Ms. Picken's she already asked for all of them. The BLM hasn't let her have them, preferring to keep the older contract system in place for their friends and cronies. One Oklahoma LTH contract holder admitted to making 100,000 per year profit on his LTH holding pasture. Not bad in this economy. I would imagine many of the LTH contractors simply don't want to give up that kind of money. So yeh, Pickens' would take most of them if she could but the BLM simply won't let her.

There needs to be some clarification between a breeder and producer.  As a ranch owner/operator of both cattle and horses, I can only share from my own experience... A producer is obvious by the use of all females as a production center, indiscriminate to average genetics, and a minimal or non-existent marketing plan usually consisting of a public auction typical of a weekly stockyard or selling directly to a feedlot.  A breeder is obvious by the hand selection of matings (which does not include every production age female), a specific set of genetics which is proven to enhance a specific set of characteristics, a marketing plan which defines and targets a specific market usually of a specific demographic and socio-economic level of buyer, and the resources (both land and cash reserves) to offer sanctuary to their horses whose owner can no longer care for them.  Contrary to a producer, NO BREEDER would ever be pro-slaughter since none of the goals and aspirations of a breeder’s horses would involve a stockyard and/or meat value.   Surely, everyone can now clearly see which category the United Horsemen organization and its members belong, as well as many horse operations that AQHA applauds.

If horses are treated so badly in slaughterhouses, it makes me wonder if the same people against the slaughtering of horses will still eat beef... cattle who are also not treated like royalty.  In any case, I do eat beef and will never eat a horse.

One more time, Grace, the traditional food animals plants that were designed for them and similar others. Horses are completely different from all the others. They are prey animals and have a deep rooted, hair trigger flight response that the others DO NOT have. This is what makes it impossible to humanely slaughter horses in the assembly-line method which is necessary to process animals fast enough to make a profit. Horse slaughter is in total violation of the Humane Slaughter Act.

An affidavit from Dr. Lester Friedlander, DVM & former Chief USDA Inspector, was presented to the Members of Congress on February 29, 2008, urging them to support HR 503 and S311. He stated, "The captive bolt is not a proper instrument for the slaughter of equids, these animals regain consciousness 30 seconds after being struck, they are fully aware they are being vivisected."

Captive bolt study: www.box.net/.../3jbna7fyga

Double Deckers And Horses: www.box.net/.../5dkjmqnddd

Investigation Underscored USDA Documented Cruelty: www.box.net/.../mn0i4jxilbgf479oy74l

A Look At The Horrors of Horse Slaughter: www.box.net/.../p488uvqx7yss5q66zlus

Then there's the problem that pro-slaughter extremists never mention - toxic drug residues in horses. Check it out:

Food And Toxicology Report: www.box.net/.../lqi4hhkg42

Horse Meat Is Deadly To Humans: www.box.net/.../smhn2fmdeb

FVO Inspection of Mexican Plant: www.box.net/.../bgsda62zd15xh4r8bs27

My final comment on this subject:

The Great Disinformation Campaign: www.box.net/.../pavcpk4hms5n08nk7j55

Former Mayor of Kaufman, TX, Home of Dallas Crown: www.box.net/.../7bfkrn9u6s

EU Rules Final: www.box.net/.../nqa43gkco6

The True Unintended Consequences of Horse Slaughter: www.box.net/.../qtk3eyxrqlgoh3gs38fs

If you are STILL pro-slaughter after reading these documents, you're passed helping.

Suzanne .....would love to see your info on the suffering of starving neglected horses which lasts much longer than slaughter.  I am not pro slaughter but pro reducing the # of unwanted neglected animals.  Remember if your not part of the solution you're part of the problem!

Suzanne .....would love to see your info on the suffering of starving neglected horses which lasts much longer than slaughter.  I am not pro slaughter but pro reducing the # of unwanted neglected animals.  Remember if your not part of the solution you're part of the problem!

Suzanne, if you had read my post completely, you would have noticed that I'm not one you needed to educate. I'm against equine slaughter--by any method.

As a ranch operator who does produce beef for the purpose of meat, I am very much aware of the slaughter process. As the owner of a wide variety of animals, I'm also well versed in animal behavior-based on experiece rather than just theory. I know first hand that a bovine has a different level of reasoning than even their bos indicus cousin, as well as equidaa. I also know, as few of the uneducated and inexperienced personnel operating the captive bolt (or law enforcement personnel trying to shoot a down animal from a vehicle accident) that various animals skulls are formed differently and require different placement for the use to be humane.

As a rancher that takes animal stewardship to heart, there have been many an aged horse (30-38 years old) peacefully laid to rest on our ranch long after their usefulness.    

@Julie;

The presence and/or availability of horse slaughter plants DOES NOT PREVENT neglect.   All US horse owners still have the option to sell their animal for slaughter -- yet neglect continues, as it does in Canada where slaughter is legal and convenient.

The option of horse slaughter DOES NOT PREVENT NEGLECT.

Why is this fact so difficult to understand?

kmg....have seen tons of credible news reports to the contrary, neglect and starvation has increased since slaughter options were removed.  Slaughter is not convenient here, I don't like to see slaughter anymore than you do but if you are not finding a solution for the horse population problem you are still part of the problem.  Why do you find that so hard to understand?!?

@Julie;

The closure of the US slaughterhouses coincided with the downturn in the economy -- cases of animal neglect, not just horses, increased across the board. You are attempting to blame the increase of horse neglect on the US slaughterhouse closures: However, one of the basic tenets of critical thinking is understanding that *correlation* does not equal *causation.*

Of course, critical thought from horse slaughter apologists and supporters is clearly in short supply.

I would like to repeat that I am not pro slaughter, this problem has been brewing long before slaughter was banned.  I would like to see the arguing and blame game stopped and some real solutions put forth.  You can bash me all you like......I am still not hearing any practical ideas to sovle this issue.  I have watched the attempt to find every horse a home and seen a lot of abuse over years result.  Forced restrictions on breeding such as there are in Europe are the closest sensible answer in these posts the rest of the posts are know-it-all posturing which doesn't solve any problem.  I don't breed anymore, retire my horses responsibly and when they are no longer able to live comfortable live I put them down, not everyone has this option and there is an overpopulation of horses.....maybe we could let them all run free!  Provide a sensible solution and I will read it with interest, but save me the brilliant critical thinking I don't have tall enough hip waders!

This is obviously a subject which creates a great deal of passion and I suggest that we all seem to be in agreement that horses (and other creatures) deserve better.  We are just having a hard time defining better.  Yes, horses are expensive.  They are also time consuming and a commitment.  In our society where human commitments are taken lightly, it isn't surprising that our four legged friends don't fare much better.  I would like to believe that anyone getting a horse or other animal as a companion would realize they are making a lifetime commitment to the good of the animal.  I myself have bought only older horses (with one exception) and plan on keeping them with me as long as we all are alive.  This has become problematic recently as I lost my job.  I had to get creative.  Luckily I have a friend with sufficient pasture who is keeping my 5 horses for me as I am in the process of moving to another state where I have found a job.  The first thing I did, before even job searching, was to find an affordable place to keep my horses and myself and then to find out how to have them moved.  In the meantime, I am sending money to my friend to care for them.  I am very lucky to have such a friend, and there may be many who don't have this kind of option, but as horse owners, we need to reach out to each other to help so that horses don't become unwanted and we need to get creative when it comes to searching for a solution.

This has been a great thread! So many of you have made so many important and thought-provoking statements. One person so far has mentioned how tax codes affect the overpopulation issue, which leads to the slaughter question.

If someone is a horse hobbyist they may think about how expensive their horses are, and is there some way to claim their expenses as a tax deduction? So they become backyard breeders offering foals for sale and declare themselves a "business." I believe under current tax codes horse breeders are given 7 years to show a profit.  So with a little creative bookkeeping and accounting, the horse hobbyist-turned-breeder now has an incentive to keep breeding as long as they occasionally under-report their expenses to make sure they show a profit from sales. If I am misstating the facts please advise me because I would love to find out that my suspicions are wrong. Otherwise much of the "blame" seems to fall on the shoulders of the people who use legal tax avoidance schemes without regard for the welfare of the horse, leading to the overpopulation problem and aggravating the slaughter debate.

I am aware of the dreadful conditions brought about by the economic downturn and the horrible weather increasing the number of at-risk horses. It's been a perfect storm scenario for horse welfare.

Just an aside - I hate to see vets bashed on this website which is dedicated to horse health. Vets have to keep their mouths shut so many times when they see abuse and neglect, not because they don't care or are profit-driven, but because they know that they are possibly the last chance the horse in question has, and if they are too confrontational with the owner, they will never again be called to help that horse. Vets are in a very tough spot when it comes to horse welfare.

Pingback from  My name is unwanted - Swingers

It's funny how quick we were all jumping on the "lets Feel Good" Horse slaughter plants being closed, we like the US Government did it with no clear cut plan on how to handle the horse's left behind (by the plants closure). We need to blame ourselves take responsibilty for our actions and unfortunately reopen those closed plants (a necessary evil)(and not one that I like either). In this economy money is very tight..most horse rescues suffer from a lack of funds and an overage of horses and horses have a long life span..which translates into large expenditures for just one abandoned horse!!....sorry to point fingers but "we have seen the enemy and he is us". In this case slaughter plant closures = disaster (with no after planning).

Plain and simple ----> OUR FAULT---> Worse yet No plan in sight to correct it.

what a bunch of hooey---horses have been food since time immemorial  and should be classified as livestock and then if you wish to make them into pets you would be free to do so.    People have gained too many opinions and found a way of turning them into the right to destroy other peoples' rights thereafter---Barack Obama  supported the anti-slaughter laws ....do you know if he now contributes to the unwanted horse tragedy???...

too much government will one day result in what has happened in Mexico =  somebody convinced the government to pass laws banning weapons for the general public so now only the bad guys have free access to guns and the horses are stabbed to death --for lack of a gun-----