Slaughter Foes Triumph...Now What?
Last week, legal wrangling put an end to the practice of slaughtering horses in the United States. The two plants in Texas will remain closed after their attempts to reopen were denied by the Texas legislature and the U.S. Supreme Court. The plant in Dekalb, Illinois, stopped operations after the state's governor signed a law Friday, making horse slaughter illegal there.
Proponents of banning slaughter in this country are celebrating, claiming they've helped horses with their efforts. But have they? Or have they just found a way to push slaughter over the borders and off of Americans' collective conscience?
Slaughter's foes don't seem to be talking about how the number of horses going over our border into Mexico for slaughter has increased over 250 percent so far this year, compared to last. (That stat comes from the USDA.) Nor do the crusaders seem to be mentioning that a new equine slaughter plant is under construction in Saskatchewan, not far from the U.S. border--where foreign interests maintain an equine feedlot on the Montana side.
Maybe they'll get around to talking about those inconvenient realities once the "we won!" partying lands them back on Planet Earth.
Meanwhile, feel free to share your thoughts.
posted by Juli Thorson @ 7:16 PM
22 comments
22 Comments:
This truly is a dilema. There's been much discussion on this matter on my blog as well. I think a whole new can of worms has been opened and if they thought it was cruel before, those horses are stuffed in those trucks and the receiver's don't care whether they are injured or old or already dead and piled up on each other. I think this was all passed without
future consideration to what happens now, not to mention consequences to the horse industry itself. There's so much I could go on about....Prices, cost, abandonment, poor quality care, over abundance, etc....
I don't support the end to slaughter at all not only are we sending our countries income across the borders, but what are we going to do about the horses that will end up in dry lots or pastures STARVING to death for months before they die. We can't help all these horses, which is becoming more aparent to the government with the BLM program and all the rescues in the country don't have room for all these horses. This country isn't capable of paying to feed all of these unwanted horses. No matter their age there are unwanted horses and instead of enduring a terrifying ride to the slaughter house and a quick death these horses are going to starve to death which could take months of suffering instead of hours in a trailer and minuets at the plant. This is just another branch of agriculture and closing these houses kills this branch of income. So if anyone has a solution to keep all these horses that would've been bound for slaughter let me know because I have no idea how to keep all those horses from STARVING to death.
I fear another depression in the horse market like the one in the early to mid eighties.
Supply and demand - like any market you just can't shut off one channel and not expect it to affect the others. Who's going to want to buy a horse when you can get one for free? What safety issues does that bring up? Is it any better for the horse to fall into an abuse situation?
Horses are livestock, not pets - I think all horse owners need to brush up on the definition. You may choose to treat them as pets - but they are not pets. I could treat a cow like a pet or a mountian loin for that matter as a pet, but that does not make them pets!
It is a slippery slope we're now on. What's next? When will the government tell us we can't show our horses anymore because its not humane? Or dictate exactly what training methods I can or can't use at my own barn?
I will watch AQHA regroup and follow thier lead - for the most part I they speak for my interests and I will continue to support them for as long as they do. I can make a bigger impact through a larger organization like AQHA than I can on my own.
The June edition of America's Horse--AQHA's member magazine--has a really good commentary about this situation, written by Tom Persechino of the AQHA staff. He writes about the calls AQHA is already starting to get about abandoned horses. His key point: "We need to move on and come up with a solution for unwanted horses." Another point that hit home: "(funding rescues) is just putting a Band-Aid on a problem that won't heal." Or, as Tom put it, "While business owners and animal lovers have a soft spot for these abandoned horses now, at some point, the gravy train is going to run dry."
--Juli
Please ask your readers to support a time-out on breeding horses, some of your readers see an economic picture as livestock breeders others as a "pet" owner. Anyone can see that feed/hay prices are at a crisis. Neglect and abandonment were already on the rise. The horse industry has a crisis in too many unwanted animals. This is similar to the decades of many unwanted cats and dogs in the world. A reputable breeder should be licensed AND have a lifetime care agreement in their sales contract or they should not be breeding. JUST say NO and SPAY /Neuter. I have bred but I also take responsibility for those lives. My older mare is now 24. She had 2 foals. I have her for life. My 3 younger horses I also bred, but none in the last 14 years as I saw this mess coming a long time ago.
So many times we do things not thinking about the consequences. It'll be interesting to see how this all comes out.
I agree wiht dr, we must drasticly cut back the breeding process. There are way too many back yard breeders. Reputable breeders need to be gelding their colts before selling them so we don't have everyone with a stud, some with good breeding, but many not even worth breeding exposing the mares just because they wnt a couple hundred dollars for the offspring!
Well instead of complaining that the horses with go elsewhere and make money for some other slaughter house, ban transport to outside slaughter houses as well. Breeders need to be held more responsible for the outcome of every horse they produce and be monitored for over breeding this includes backyard and so called reputable breeders that flood the market with horses and drive prices down. Breed few and charge more. Instead of killing them, stop breeding them. I believe that a breeder should be required as part of the sale set up a euthanasia fund planning for the future.
Well instead of complaining that the horses will go elsewhere and make money for some other slaughter house, ban transport to outside slaughter houses as well. Breeders need to be held more responsible for the outcome of every horse they produce and be monitored for over breeding this includes backyard and so called reputable breeders that flood the market with horses and drive prices down. Breed few and charge more. Instead of killing them, stop breeding them. I believe that a breeder should be required as part of the sale set up a euthanasia fund planning for the future.
Here's a thought, let's petition the AQHA to stop actively promoting and encouraging the overbreeding of its horses! The AQHA registered 140,000 foals last year alone with no concern for quality, breeding, or health (HYPP, HERDA, anyone?).
Anyone want to take a guess at the breed with the highest slaughter numbers? You guessed it! Quarter horses!
Like it or not, we HAVE to be responsible to our horses. I don't want to see horses slaughtered in Canada and Mexico -- which is why I support the FEDERAL legislation to close the borders.
If you have an "unwanted" horse why not do right by it and euthanize it? Oh, right, some of you will say that to do that costs too much, but, you know what? If the cost of euthanizing a horse is too much for you, then you probably shouldn't be a horse owner. Don't know what to do with the horses you have bred that no one wants to buy? Perhaps you should rethink breeding your horses.
The effort to reform/end horse slaughter in the U.S. has gone on for a long time. Those in the slaughter industry don't want to hear about humane treatment (this was particularly obvious last week when the workers at Cavel killed almost 150 horses in less than 90 minutes so that they could eek out the last few pieces of silver from those unfortunate animals -- how "humane" could that have been?). Pregnant mares? Who cares? Throw the foal on the offal pile and don't worry about it. Injured horses? What the heck, the horse will be dead soon anyway. THIS attitude is what paved the way for the closing of the slaughterhouses. Soon the borders will be closed too. And then horse owners are going to have to step up and become responsible to the animals in their care.
Livestock: Domestic animals, such as cattle or horses, raised for home use or for profit, especially on a farm. Any animals kept for use or profit.
Pet: An animal kept for amusement or companionship. An object of the affections.
Hence my point. According to the government and most horse owners, horses are in fact livestock. If a ranch owner sends a group of old horses to slaughter, as drastic as that may seem, it off-sets your costs it leads directly back to making a profit. Why should that ranch owner (who is in the business to make money) have spend the money to euthanize and bury that group of LIVESTOCK? That's why horses are in that group along with sheep and cattle. They are a little different than cats and dogs.
Look no one wants to think about it and no one really likes it, I just don't think the government needs to tell us how we can or can't run our business based on people feeling sorry for the horses. I feel sorry for chickens, cattle, and sheep too but I still eat them and I am not on the war path to stop the inhumane killing of chickens.
Regulate don't ban.
I think that our focus should first be on controlling the population and secondly on establishing humane practices at the slaughter house. This same thing happens with other lifestock, cattle arrive at the slaughterhouse trampled, broken and bleeding. I know they tried to pass a law that stated if the cattle arrived in these conditions (battered from traveling, loading, unloading) then they would have to be euthanized and not consumed. This was suppose to encourage the persons involved in the process to be more humane. (I don't know if this ever passed, I certainly hope so.) It is sad but I believe that a slaughterhouse is necessary, but it MUST be regulated to be a humane process.
KrazyKim, have you done ANY research? What income? The kill houses are foreign owned and send their profits overseas to France and Belgium. They don't pay federal tax - oh, excuse me, Dallas Crown paid $5.00. They employ mostly illegals so there is no loss of US jobs. For sympathy, Cavel has been throwing out the 55 employees that lost their jobs but yet, in the suit filed, they only name 10. The other 45 are illegals. As far as the pro propaganda on the abuse/neglect and wandering horses, that has been proven wrong over and over again. Here is an excellent paper on the relationship between slaughter and the unwanted/abuse/neglect theory. The numbers actually decreased when Cavel was shut down after the fire. http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/features/horseslaughter-123.shtml There are also statistics on the decrease in horse thefts when slaughter is banned that you can research with a quick google search – if you're interested in facts.
I encourage you to watch but one of the videos on the transport to slaughter and actual slaughter. There is nothing quick or humane about it. The miserable regulations that were in place, were not enforced. Did you read about the mare that gave birth on kill floor at Cavel shortly after they reopened with the previous stay they received? If it was a few minutes later, she would have been slaughtered and the foal cut from her and tossed aside or slaughtered. Slaughter was merely an out for irresponsible owners and a quick buck for horse thieves. They complain they can't care for their horses and yet, they continue breeding. If a horse is old or ill, you have them euthanized, not slaughtered. If you can't afford to care for a horse in life and death, you shouldn't own one. The kill houses shutting down is not the cause of their woes. There was abuse and neglect when slaughter was an option. There is no correlation between the two.
Horses are NOT livestock. They are not raised as food animals, like cows. They are raised as sport, companion and work animals. If they are the same, when was the last time you saw a cow run in the Kentucky Derby? Where do you see cows used for therapy? Do mounted police ride cows? Have you seen cow dressage? What is the cow equivalent for equestrians? We do not eat horsemeat in the US – it's illegal. There is a huge market overseas for dogs and cats. Should we start slaughtering them and sending their meat and fur overseas?
Get with it, pro folks. You are repeating scare tactics that have all been proven wrong. The new scare tactic is throwing PETA into the mix. Nothing else has worked so that's the latest dribble. Unfortunately, once again, another baseless claim. PETA is not involved in the anti slaughter efforts so we are now anxiously awaiting the next scare tactic.
Very well said, Tessa! You know the AQHA motto, Keep the best and slaughter the rest.
Re: 2 comments above me... Actually, PETA is involved in the anti-slaughter efforts: PETA Drops a Load When London Restaurant Adds Horse Meat to the Menu.
I totally agree with dr! I am part of that coalition that is trying to ban the slaughter of Americas horses.
Let's go over the facts of horse slaughter instead of believing whatever breed association propaganda you happen to read or is slanted down your alley.
1. Facts about slaughter are extremely cruel both before transport, during, and in the kill box. Some horses aren't even dead before they hang them upside down and slit their throats to bleed!
(Journalist John Holland has a video of one horse from the unload of the truck to the kill box and beyond if you have the guts to watch it. This way for those of you who really want to know you can get a look of what the horse goes through. This is by no means humane. Personally I can't watch this, I throw up, and normally I can handle some of the worst situations. You can find the link by looking up horse slaughter video under Hollands name on a google search)
2. The BLM, department of Fish and Game and Ag seem to think all they have to do is cry wolf about over population of wild horses and they wind up with funding from your tax dollars to remove wild horses, of which they shouldn't, but they are giving way to special interests and zeroing out former wild horse herd areas that are intact by an act of congress.
Despite what you hear, wild horse numbers for the entire US including those in holding facilites and on "santuaries" are only 32-36,000, lower than when the wild horse and burro act was passed! In NV where I live, the entire state has 87% of the entire wild horse populations for the USA and there are only 11,000. Any other animal would be put on the endangered speciest list. It is a fact that wild horses have a valid DNA just like an Arab, Appy or Quarter horse, they are different. These agencies seem to be what we call 'mananging for extintiction"
3. The breeds that contribute most to the slaughter industry by sheer numbers of so called unwanted animals in this order ... the AQHA, then the jockey club, followed by grade horses (backyard breeders) now defuct PMU farm horses, then we suspect wild horses, but it's hard to trace and prove . The AQHA has too many that over breed their stock. The racing industry is the culprit for the jockey club, consisting of horses that don't make the grade at the track and did not sell at auction. They keep churing them out to get that perfect winner without regard of life to the horse! It's a shame that KY derby winner Ferdinan wound up at a Japanese owned slaughter plant. It wasn't enough he spent his whole life making money for humans, they didn't even give him the dignity of being buried.
4. It's a HUGE mistake to slaughter our horses for human consumption. Sans wild horses, all others have been fed de-wormers, bute, banamine, etc...all that clearly state on the label, NOT INTENDED TO BE USED ON ANIMALS FOR SLAUGHTER...the drugs we feed our horse and sometimes routinely are carcenogentic and potentially cancer causing to humans and this meat is in fact tainted.
5. All horse plants in the USA are foreigned owned. They do not pay taxes to our country, and they violated time after time, environmental health standards, water waste treatments, have been fined thousands of dollars and have not even once paid them. They hold in contempt and deface the environment and neighborhoods and cities for which they operate out of.
6. Statistics show that it is NOT the old, sick and lame horses that are sent to slaughter. It is illegal to slaughter an animal for human consumption and that includes horses.
82% of these horses are in good health and below the ages of 7. Several mares come in pregnant,"left overs" from a quick easy sale from now abandoned PMU farms. One mare last month gave birth waiting in line to kill box. Fortunately the worker had a heart and told the plant manager at Cavel, he called a local horse rescue and mare and foal were spared and now living at the rescue.
7. There is no need to neglect, every state has a horse rescue center, sometimes several...call them first before you neglect or do something stupid.
In closing
Yes, the coalition is trying to STOP horse slaughter all together in the USA and make it illegal to ship across borders. the bills have passed the house and senate now it just needs a vote. Congress needs to get off it's duff and sign this bill into action!
With the economy in a very bad place, drought, and soaring gasoline prices that effect hay costs, horse owners better wake up and quick! Anyone that breeds horses other than the upper tier is going to be hit hard...not due to the fact their is no slaughter, but because the economy is bad. No one is or can afford to buy a house or car and a horse is just out of the question. The beginning owners are at a low, and those that already own know what a pain finding and paying for hay in a drought situation can be like.
Please read Drs. post. Be responsible horse owners and breeders. Do your part and have compassion for those that were stuck with a worthless owner, don't just look the other way. Be part of the solution by prevention, not endorsing slaughter houses that contribute nothing to our economy,tax structure, that create biohazard and envioronmentally unsafe places where they dump.
Ask yourself this question...what if you sold your beloved horse to what you thought was a good home, then saw him 5 years later skinny neglected, slippered hooves and being loaded into a slaugher truck? would you still feel the same way about horse slaughter or would you try and rescue your once beloved friend?
I have a horse that needs a home. He would have gone to the kill market but now that's no longer a possibility. Don't get me wrong, I've been hanging on to him hoping to find someone who would give him a good home. He's only 6,lots of training, fantastic bloodlines, the nicest disposition, but he's an epm survivor and did not recover enough to be safe to use or ride. I have gotten another horse to replace him and now I don't really have room for him nor can I afford to care for him in this condition. I heard a story about a local trucker setting 40 head of horses loose because he could not take them to the kill market. I take good care of my animals, but what of the irresponsible, uneducated, cruel horse owners, not to mention those with limited resources. What is to become of their unwanted horses? I'm heartbroken about any horse that would have to be sent to kill but isn't that better than suffering?
Julie,
With the abundance of blogs out there about cats and dogs, it’s good to see one about horses! You seem like you’re really into horses and I’m sure you’ve been paying attention to the news out there lately about anti-slaughter legislation. It’s a big deal —horses are important, domestic animals that should be treated humanely like the cats and dogs that many of us love, too.
I thought you might be interested in learning about The National Horse Protection League. It’s a new online community dedicated to horses and the people who love them — people just like you. We want to make sure that horses are kept out of slaughterhouses, and that they’re taken care of on the track, in the fields and in barns. But NHPL is about more than just horse safety; it’s a community of horse-lovers. Our members can post pictures and stories about their favorite horses, comment on our blog, and check out features like horse art, equine care updates, and the latest news about the horse world.
We’d love for you to take a look at our site, www.horse-protection.org, and let your readers know about it. The only way to get horses they attention they deserve is by spreading the word.
Best,
Jenna
Cindy A.
If any horse is suffering, it's the RESPONSIBLITY of the owner to euthanize, not to try to get an extra buck or two out of them!
This story you heard of the trucker letting the horses go was a 'fish story'! Truckers are generally hired to ship horses to slaughter, they don't own them, and they have a manifest they have to abide by or loose their license!
Anyone that doesn't want their horse anymore or can't afford to take care of them can donate them to a rescue center, and they are available in every state! There is no need for neglect or abuse. Educate people, find out where the local center is and refer people when necessary.
In KY and CA there are what is called kill shelters, for those owners that can no longer afford to take care of a horse like yours, or for those that cannot bear to put the horse down themselves, they will do it for you without cost.
An option for someone in your situation, would be to donate your horse to a vet school. They take horses for study and to try new techniques and medications. They will try to make them comfortable and or recover. If they cannot they will put him down. Note that once you donate the horse you cannot ever reclaim him. Since your horse has EPM it is something they would be interested in. Nearly every vet conference in the country has a few seminars on EPM. I'm sure they would welcome the chance to work on your guy.
We've done what we can here in terms of banning slaughter. Now what we need to work on is educating not only the public but the other horse "industries" about the excessive over-breeding that goes on. I don't care if it's backyard breeders, racehorse industry - we have excessive horses because we have excessive breeding. Not a popular thought but someone has to say it...
Well there are some good points made on this issue here. If we end the slaughter we must end the overbreeding of "junk" horses. How do we do that? How many small(4 this year) breeders of good quality horses(sell for 7-12,000), like my wife and myself, will be bankrupt in the process?
The trickle up process is already happening. ie. Owner of slaughter horse want to buy say a $5000 horse but can not afford to keep both. The owner of the $5000 horse want to buy a better quality $10-20,000 horse but can not until they sell the $5000 horse.
The american started and based breed registries need to follow the lead of most of the European and warmblood breed registries who require a horse to be inspected before they are registered. This might end or slow down the "junk' breeding. IF we are going to have regulations then we need to regulate the breeding. Here in Kentucky, the gaited horse folks have started some new registy every few years! How do you stop someone from forming new registries and claiming those horses are "Quality"?
So many aspects to this and that is the problem. It was to easy to say "Let's Save the Horses" and get a large part of the population and politicians on board without looking at all the issues! For now, I am unsure of my feelings about the slaughter plant in Illinios being back up and running. But, I would like to see things done that would put it out of business the right way, no horses being sent to them.
If slaughter was the panacea for unwanted horses and preventing negelct and abuse, then there shouldn't have been any cases of neglect/abuse prior to the shutdown of slaughterhouses right? Because everrryone had an alternative. Hmmm, I'm sensing some humane officers would disagree that that was the case.
Also, the common perception is that vets are for slaughter, but not necessarily. See www.vetsforequinewelfare.org
I don't care if you're a poor recreational rider or a professional rancher, euthanasia costs can easily be recovered in the following month or two of not having to pay for board/upkeep on that horse. It's the cost of doing business. Do you let a severly injured horse suffer in your backyard because it "cuts into your profit" or you don't have the money? Not if you are a normal human being and humane euthanasia is the same way.
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