Slaughter Ban Is Dead--For Now
The proposed American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act is history--at least for now. Although the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the act into law earlier this year, the Senate adjourned without voting on it. That means any slaughter-ban bill would have to be reintroduced in 2007 and again voted on by the House and Senate before becoming law.
Meanwhile, in the Unintended Circumstances Department, anonymous sources within the livestock industry have told me that the three U.S. horse-slaughtering plants have worked at full capacity the last several months, in order to process horses coming in from slaughter buyers anxious to earn as much income as possible before the proposed ban might go into effect. Thus, the "save the horses" rhetoric leading up to Congressional action against slaughter could well boost the 2006 total instead of reducing it. In 2005, over 90,000 horses were slaughtered in the U.S. while another 20,000 reportedly were shipped to Canada and Mexico for slaughter.
Hop back in the archives to read my "Stinkin' Thinkin'" post. Then let me know your thoughts on this latest development in the unwanted-horse conundrum.
posted by Juli Thorson @ 10:28 AM
22 comments
22 Comments:
Unlike you Julie, I have never had a problem finding a renderer when I have had to have a horse euthenized or when one has died. I have even had the renderer drive into the woods to get the truck as close to the corpse as possible.
However, I am not unhappy that this law has died. What is needed is not a ban on slaughter - there will always be horses that for one reason or another need to go to slaughter - but instead we need a law to ensure the humane treatment of such animals.
Having worked with horses for more than 40 years I do not hold a romanticized view of the equine industry but I do believe that every God-given, living, breathing, feeling creature deserves to be treated without pain and suffering.
Slaughter is such an emotionally packed issue.
Personally I don't find it a difficult decision. I think it has it's place and it is necessary.
As urban development continues to grow, the issue of how to dispose of these large recreational animals, when they die needs to be addressed. More and more we are seeing restrictions on our recreations when they enroach on those around us, think about the breed bans we are seeing with dogs. I think you will see more and stricter ordinances for disposal options. If this slaughter bill had passed, and you could no longer euth and bury a horse on your own private proerty (and in many areas this is already a reality), what options will you have?
Thanks for bringing some reality to this discussion, Juli. As a trainer, I sadly note that the quality of US horses no way nears European horses. They slaughter animals which are lame, injured, sick or no longer useful. The French say, "The last service a good horse provides is to feed me." Too often we "retire" horses and pay large sums to put them out of sight - so we aren't bothered with their suffering. Or even worse, we breed horses that are not suitable for riding! That is the ultimate cruelty. Making productive use of horses through slaughter is the only way we will improve the quality of US equines.
I went back and read your original post and appreciate the update. You might be interested in this blog as well, which focuses on the activists that are pushing for a slaughterban without thinking of the consequences...
It's at http://thinkthroughthisfirst.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the update!
It's good to have an open discussion on the subject.
For those that are for a ban on slaughter to force horse prices down, I have a problem with that. It has been my experience that those that are in the market for an inexpensive horse are often those that do not have the knowledge nor the resources to properly take care of a horse. Unfortunatley many horses are sold cheap to who ever would take them, only to go hungry and grow long unhealthy hooves along with a lack of vaccination because the new owners do not have the financial ability and knowledge to properly take care of them. If, by your numbers, it costs a minimum of $1,825 for a horses basic needs and the person looking to buy a horse can only afford to pay a $100 for one, how can they feed it? I have seen this many times. It takes more than just loving horses to take care of one.
I have sold a horse or two cheap. To experience horsepeople that I knew. I will deliberatly overprice my horses to the inexperinced that I do not know unless I know they have the help of knowledgable horsepeople. Chances are better that the horse will be well cared for if a good price is paid for it.
JC Price
re: horse slaughter-I am opposed to it under any circumstances- don't you think the vets of this world could maybe have a little heart and help out the decent horse owner making the difficult decision to put down their horse instead of sending it to slaughter? maybe more people would do that if they could afford it
I love my horses and have shown since I was little, but I've also shown show steers as well and I have to say, the love that both horses and other livestock give is the same. Nobody seems to make a fuss over cattle and other livestock being "inhumanly" slaughtered even though the process is the same. I think that people have gotten to caught up in the word "livestock" and have put it into their minds that horses just simply don't fall into that category because we love them and in the U.S. we don't eat them, but in all reality, horses are just livestock that has a name instead of a number tag. Just like with anything there are always those people who make a huge deal about how bad horse slaughter is and then turn their cheek to livestock slaughter and go buy a triple meat from Burger King not realizing or caring that the beef (possibly a little girls pet show steer that she loved) that made that hamburger went through the same "inhuman" treatment as "Black Beauty" did. Just because we don't eat horse meat here in the U.S. doesn't mean somebody else doesn't want it just the same as we here in America want beef. So why let an otherwise useless horse go to waste when it could be feeding someone else?
I am glad the Senate has adjourned without voting on this act. If this act was to pass, it would not be helping the horses, it would be hurting them. If this act where to be passed, horses would a.) Suffer in their owner’s backyards (if they weren’t taking care of them before, what makes you think they will take care of them now?), or b.) Travel the longer distances to go to different slaughterhouses. This would incur longer drives, often without food, water, rest, or the proper space in hot trailers.
Slaughter does not need to banned, it needs to be reformed. Horses (and all animals for that matter) should have to be killed within so many days of arriving at the slaughter houses. They should only be allowed to be transferred in trailers that fit their needs, with water available to them.
Slaughterhouses should always proceeded ‘in full capacity’, like Juli said in her article they where doing lately.
At least America has the right idea though. Something has to be down about the slaughterhouses. The people who have the power are affected by industry and the ‘black or white’ mentality. Either things are one way (slaughter) or they are they are the other way (no slaughter). Rather than enforcing improved transportation (inhumane transfer will still happen and something that they could help with), they would rather put the problem on the surrounding countries and ‘wash their hands’ of the problem.
Oh, and you want to talk about the 'save the horses' rhetoric, let's talk about the wild horses.
I am glad the Senate has adjourned without voting on this act. If this act was to pass, it would not be helping the horses, it would be hurting them. If this act where to be passed, horses would a.) Suffer in their owner’s backyards (if they weren’t taking care of them before, what makes you think they will take care of them now?), or b.) Travel the longer distances to go to different slaughterhouses. This would incur longer drives, often without food, water, rest, or the proper space in hot trailers.
Slaughter does not need to banned, it needs to be reformed. Horses (and all animals for that matter) should have to be killed within so many days of arriving at the slaughter houses. They should only be allowed to be transferred in trailers that fit their needs, with water available to them.
Slaughterhouses should always proceeded ‘in full capacity’, like Juli said in her article they where doing lately.
At least America has the right idea though. Something has to be down about the slaughterhouses. The people who have the power are affected by industry and the ‘black or white’ mentality. Either things are one way (slaughter) or they are they are the other way (no slaughter). Rather than enforcing improved transportation (inhumane transfer will still happen and something that they could help with), they would rather put the problem on the surrounding countries and ‘wash their hands’ of the problem.
Oh, and you want to talk about the ‘save the horse’ rhetoric, let’s talk about the wild horses.
I have worked in animal rescue for quite a while and I agree with Sue Copeland. We really have no good alternatives. I also strongly believe over breeding is the problem. The other day I was browsing through an old horse reference book my grandfather gave me called "Pratts Pointers on Horses". Pratts was a feed company in Philadelphia and the book is copyrighted 1905. It is so old that they recommend Laudnum in some treatments and in the breeds section they dont mention the Quarter Horse but do the Cleveland Bay! It has a chapter on profit and loss and suggests that most people, even then, who were breeding horses were not profiting. Mostly it indicates that experienced breeders were doing well and back yard breeders could not make a profit and sell their stock. Even then when they were a mode of transportation and used for work! I think anyone who breeds their horses or dogs without a clear idea of what they are doing and the quality of the animals they will produce and who will buy them is completely responsible for this problem! I also think horse competitions could focus more on older horses and their experience instead of only the very young! I have a 16 yr old quarter horse gelding and he is fantastic at Cowboy Mounted Shooting!
I became a horse owner 5 years ago. The first thing I learned about the "horse industry" is that ethics are severely lacking. Making a buck (a fast buck) is what seems to be the most important issue here.
I own 4 horses. Three of them are PMU rescues and my first was a gift. I REFUSE to buy a horse from an irresponsible backyard horse breeder thinking breeding horses is a good way to make some fast cash. There are literally thousands of perfectly good horses out there in rescues.
I understand that there are worse things than death in this world. I understand that there will always be a need for slaughter in this country. I believe that even though horses are classified as "livestock", we DO NOT raise horses in this country as food like we do cattle and pigs. Horse slaughter in this country has become a way to make a fast buck off an unwanted horse by supplying the world with a "delicacy". Let these countries raise and slaughter their own horses for their consumption.
I keep reading over and over how the ONLY alternative to slaughter is suffering and starvation. If there were not so many people looking to make some money off of a horse they no longer want, the slaughter industry in this country would come to a grinding halt!
Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Instead of having a horse humanely euthanized by a veterinarian, people look to make that last buck from their horse. If any of my horses lost their quality of life due to illness or injury, proved to be a "dangerous" horse or whatever, I would have it euthanized by my veterinarian. This is an eventuality I have planned for as a responsible horse owner.
I do agree the first step to controlling the unwanted horse problem is to control breeding. Several posters to this blog have come up with some very creative alternatives. There also needs to be some serious revamping of horse slaughter transportation regulations. If a horse is to be slaughtered, it should at a minimum be done humanely.
We need to stop using slaughter as a "convenient" way to control a huge problem. THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
supporters ( and growing)
http://www.horse-protection.org/info.php?id=37
research
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNfrZcu73xA&eurl=
www.kaufmanzoning.net/horsemeat
www.horse-protection.org
www.hsus.org
www.
It's unfortunate so many people believe the rhetoric of the slaughter industry. However, it's not old sick and unwanted horses that are killed. It's the young and healthy ones. Go to the links "Mary" above has posted and check out some of the video from the slaughter plant. Moreover, preventing slaughter for human consumption (eg for profit slaughter) doesn't stop horse owners from mercifully putting horses down. I have friends here in Oregon, who shoot their horses and send their bodies to the wild animal park to be eaten. Yes, it sucks to shoot your own horse (or watch it happen) but it's better than hypocritically selling it cheap to be shipped a couple thousand miles with no food or water, getting kicked and bit only to wind up waiting in line, smelling blood and hearing the screams of horses dying before them. Yes, horses will need to be put down, but we don't need to torture them.
I used to live in countries where horse meat was considered acceptable food and grew up eating it on occasion - I like it. As I do beef, ostrich, lamb, etc. Now I live in a country where horse eating is considered no-go (UK). Like a previous poster I consider horses as livestock and potential food. Anybody who has kids ever kept a rabbit (or chicken or whatever) that was planed to be food? Every kid will have named that animal and loved it. Does that stop the rabbit going into the pan?
The issue of how pleasant or unpleasant the death or killing of an animal is rather independent. Watching video's of animals treated badly cannot stand for more than the method used. Probably the whole handling of the process needs work to be done!! Anybody that would condemn the killing of horses per-se would apply the same logic to other livestock (beef, chicken) and choose to be vegan.
Making a fast buck with a horse going to slaughter is only likely with a very young untrained horse - the prices for meat are a lot lower than any half decent horse would ever get. For older, trained horses its cutting the losses at best. Apparently from the UK a lot of the 'over breeding' goes to France into the meat market. Legally, but hushed not to insult passionate owners in the UK. And there are different grades of meat. Some for human consumption some for animal feed. A 25 yo sickly horse is more likely to show up in a dogs bowl rather than a dining plate.
Though I do agree there probably a lot of scrupulous breeders, owners/sellers, etc.
Thank's to horse rescues a lot less horses have to suffer - usually their incompetent owners, or those no longer in a position to do so (death in family, etc). But I wonder if a bill that would even prevent euthanasia, while preventing some people making money, would create income for others - ie. retirement homes for horses at discount rates. Not sure of the service level that can be expected....
As a responsible horse owner, I am opposed to slaughter but realize that, for now, it is a necessary evil in our country. Until every horse owner/breeder accepts their share of the responsibility towards their horses there will be a need for slaughter to alleviate the suffering of all the "unwanted" equines out there. I agree with everyone who wrote that there is a need for breeding regulations, new laws governing the treatment of horses bound for slaughter, etc. In reply to nfancy miller's comment, "The French say, "The last service a good horse provides is to feed me."” I say this: I can't begin to imagine how much money I have spent on my horse in the past year alone (neighborhood of $11,000 on emergency vet bills after a feral dog attack), let alone in the 5 years that I have owned him. But yesterday, as I was sitting on the top fence post watching my little herd roam and graze, he left the herd, walked clear across the pasture to where I was, and rested his head on my thigh. He stayed there for about 10 minutes before wandering off to rejoin his pasture mates. What he gave me in that 10 minutes is more than I could ever repay him for in a thousand lifetimes. My point is this: WE owe our horses, not the other way around. Yes, they provide a service to us, but we are responsible for their care, and what they give to us in love, trust, and companionship is worth far more than we could ever give back to them. We owe it to them to make sure their last days are dignified and filled with as much love as they have given us. I have a proposal to all equine veterinarians - donate your services every once in a while to a horse owner whose horse is ailing but who cannot afford the euthanasia bill. As far as disposal of the corpse, cremation is inexpensive and leaves you with a permanent memorial to your best friend. Experienced horse owners could also team up and host education clinics to help prospective new horse owners learn how to better care for their animals. We need to work together to promote education and responsibility. Talking about it isn't going to solve the problem. Each of us needs to find our own way to become an active part of the solution, not just a bunch of mouthpieces.
Hi Juli,
TIme Magazine article on horse meat... food for thought?
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1587279,00.html?xid=site-cnn-partner
Suzi V
If you don't have the money to have a horse euthanized (my vet charged $60 two years ago) and buried ($250 here) or rendered ($25 pickup fee), you have absolutely no business owning a horse. What it boils down to, I think, is this: You don't have the balls to hold the lead shank while a horse you decided to send to its death, be it for reasons of old age, injury, or dangerous temperament, got a humane injection -- instead, you chose to put it on a nightmarish course to the end. How can you people sleep at night?
Being from a farming background and owning horses for near 50 years I guess I have a more practical view on horse slaughter. First off, I am for humane treatment of all animals regardless of what there destiny is. If an animal (regardless of species) is going for slaughter they still should be treated and transported humanely with food and water available up to the end. BUT besides human emotional prejudice what makes a horse different from a cow or pig? I have eaten horse meat (and other meats that most would consider pet varieties)and it is no different than beef, pork, or chicken. The bottom line, if you want to champion a cause, then support humane treatment and slaughter for ALL animals and not let them go to waste.
Since this issue is now heating up...a variety of blogs are showing up too. See http://amandastewart.blogspot.com/
I find it interesting that very, very few blogs against this bill (ie "pro slaughter") show up in search engines.
Many of us disagree with this bill for a VARIETY of reasons, READ THE BILL!
thanks...and keep this blog going!
I have watched a video of horses being slaughtered. It is very hard to watch and if you see it it will change your minds about slaughter houses. They need put out of business until they can figure out a way to kill the horses more humanly. My horse will not have to go thru that inhumane treatment.
For those of you who believe a horse is equally comparable to a cow or a pig, it is obvious you have never had an equine companion. Although I support welfare for ALL animals I truly belive that horses are one of gods greatest gifts to mankind. It is our responsibility to care for them to the end. Hearing people debate about the ban on horse slaughter and speak about horses as if they are equals to the side of bacon we are served with breakfast in morning makes we question wether mankind deserves such a glorious creature.
The debate on the ban of american slaughter plants needs to be focused on the best welfare of the horses. If you own a horse for whatever reason, wether you are a an equestrian, a rancher or a pharmasutical company, It is your responsibility to make sure your horse is properly euthanized. If greedy Americans do sell their horses to the disgusting slaughter plants then the VERY LEAST we can do is improve the welfare during transport and reduce stress and suffering for the horses final hours of life. Horses have provided mankind thousands of years of loyal service throughout the world and OUR America would not be the land of the free without these liberated spirits in our country's history.
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