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| Prior to the 2007 ban, 100,000 horses representing the surplus population were processed in the U.S. each year. |
Animal-rights activists wish to exacerbate the situation by banning the export of up to 60,000 horses annually. Prior to the 2007 ban, 100,000 horses representing the surplus population were processed in the U.S. each year. The American Humane Association, noted for its pragmatism and even-handed approach to welfare of all animals including livestock and pets, has agreed to develop science-based guidelines for handling and processing horses. The National Conference of State Legislatures has adopted a resolution requesting Congress to support horse processing and to rescind the 2007 ban.
An additional problem relating to horses is the accumulation of thousands of feral mustangs which are culled each year to reduce herds to manageable levels.
Costs for management and subsistence have risen to over $37 million annually to temporary hold 40,000 horses in corrals and pasture. According to the Bureau of Land Management, slaughter is not an acceptable option.
Many people consider horse slaughter a perilous predatory industry, after they do the research to find the truth about it. From the standpoint of "welfare" for horses... it is clear that slaughter has and never represents any humanity or welfare to the animals, but the agenda behind it, initiated by profit-driven individuals.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the economy, overload status of rescues, cost of horse ownership are all good incentives, but not to promote slaughter. There are alternatives, solutions other than bringing back the very inhumane practices of horse slaughter. It is important to educate on the truth. Responsibility must be weighed in. Addressing over breeding. Considering all the industries and jobs that benefit from horses and horse ownership such as feed stores, riding clubs, boarding facilities, trainers etc.
Two years ago I started to do research on this topic and what I found was shocking. The main stream is cleverly pacified into believing slaughter is necessary to help the "poor starving or abandoned horses"... used as a propaganda gig without disclosing the truth on this. When one finds out, it is obvious that no one in his right mind for the welfare of the horses, could endorse this.
The public health hazard of adulterated meat is another aspect that is of great concern, for consumers abroad and here, and deliberately dismissed by those who choose to deceive the consumers and the public. Horses are not raised for human consumption, even banned from being processed into dog food. It takes efforts to create a different approach than to foster the dumping grounds and promote the continuation of irresponsible breeding, yet it is the only feasible solution.
Solutions
ReplyDeleteThis country is out of control with breeding. Not just horses, but dogs/cats who pay the ultimate price for an ignorant society at best. Regulate this excess breeding, increase registration fees and rethink the throw-away approach. The public health threat of adulterated meat is another significant component that is dismissed. Educate we must. Horse slaughter can't be implemented humane. Solutions were presented to Dr. Grandin before the summit, she put then on the table there. Yet in those is no profit –driving the pro-slaughter minds to exploit and continue the irresponsible, cheap dumping grounds of slaughter and looking the other way, an American trademark. SOLUTIONS
Stop over-breeding, irresponsible breeding, (introduce incentives for quality over quantity breeding); License stallion owners; even a “nominal” fee might help deter irresponsible breeding practices; Increase brand inspection fees and use funds for low cost gelding and end of life (humane euthanasia via a licensed vet) programs; Strengthen cruelty statutes and ensure enforcement; Connect animal control officers with qualified rescues for impound/seizure assistance so there is no excuse to not remove abused horses;
Develop horse related businesses to take in former slaughter bound horses (therapeutic riding centers, riding academies, guest ranches, trail riding organizations, equine assisted therapy programs, wounded warrior military programs, youth camps, etc.);
Develop quality intern/apprenticeship programs; Support/develop more programs like CO. Front Range Equine Rescue’s “Stop the Backyard Breeder” and “Trails End” programs;
Improve tracking of stolen horses and prosecute offenders;
Educate on responsible horse care; Provide hay banks, Educate on re-homing of horses (safe advertising, networking); Develop businesses which offer burial/cremation services;
Educate on injury prevention and rehab services to improve a horse’s chance to return to work, even modified; Develop prison/community service programs to help with re-training of horses.
Know that humans are the problem, not the horses!
Why not endorse the defense of personal property rights that would include a truthful attempt of a different approach than the discard mentality that has doomed over this country for so long ?It is disturbing that in this time of age the standards of the ag industry have sunken to all time lows,when it was exposed how quality assurance were grossly ignored,including the treatment of animals or the Indians who operated a processing plant. Why does modern America not consider these points ? I have never lived in a more restricted place than here. Yet,so many people have no common sense and keep causing the problems for which animals pay the ultimate price in a system that lacks oversight, sufficient funding for quality control,inadequate procedures which have proven to be evident in the past... so I wonder, if society is so ignorant and keeps making the same mistakes over and over, why not grab that problem by the root and change the course ?
ReplyDeleteI am not an animal terrorist or tree hugger. But I am witnessing the opinions of people with the curiosity why they would not take a hard look on how to prevent the very situation which we find ourselves in, which would be restricting irresponsible over breeding. The only reason we have excess numbers of horses in the US is because NO ONE seems to want to regulate the out-of-control mass production "foal mill" breeders, who individually produce hundreds of foals every year, to hopefully get that small handful of "shining stars" who can go on to win in reining, cutting, reined cow horse, hunter, etc, futurities, and also racing, etc. The rest are discarded at the kill sales, where they are bought by the pound and shipped to slaughter. Then there is also the area of the horse industry who start long yearlings-early- 2-year-olds in heavy, hard training in order to get them ready for the 2 and 3 year old big $$$ futurities and for racing. Many of these horses get crippled up during training and maybe are too broken down by 3, 4 or 5 years old to be good for anything except for breeding (perpetuating the problem) if they are well bred enough, (and it is a death sentence for a gelding who is crippled because they can't even be bred) and the rest go to kill sales.
The bottom line is, these breeders, trainers and owners do NOT want to pay to humanely euthanize and dispose of the horses body (which is expensive), so horse slaughter allows them to keep operating irresponsibly and not have to pay for their excesses and bad training practices that cripple horses at a young age. It's a racket, and we as taxpayers are forced to pay for these callous, irresponsible people to operate their businesses at the expense of the horses paying with their lives with a horrible death.In an intelligent society, the truth must be the building foundation for change - you want that to be the defense for property rights. Could you still follow that course but propose fair solutions, such as society having to be more responsible ? Such as considering the real picture, honestly taking a hard look at what most pro-slaughter profit driven folks so easily ignore ? People surely could teach better ideas than offering the perilous slaughter of horses, and embellish it with the illogic brand mark of "property rights".
Every day, thousands of dogs and cats die, because main stream America does not spay, neuter. This ignorance is greatly appalling and reflects a throw away society at best. We must find the courage to apply solutions that might take some more work than the exploitative and lucrative approach to line the pockets of ignorant people.
BRAVO!!!!!You hit everything perfectly, and even gave them solutions. But will those who make money from suffering of horses really understand or even care.
ReplyDeleteThe polls show that 9 out of 10 Americans are against horse slaughter and find it disgusting. Just let them try and bring it back. They will wake the sleeping lions!!!
Breeders try to justify slaughtering horses by calling them 'livestock', but they sell most of their horses to people who want them for companion animals. If horses are no longer to be considered companion animals, breeders will soon run out of people to sell their horses to. Who- besides slaughter houses, will buy horses if they're 'just livestock'?
ReplyDeleteHorse breeders can't have it both ways. Horses are either livestock or they're companion animals. If they want to maintain a market for their horses, they'd darn sure better classify them as companion animals or they'll soon be out of business. Horses are no more livestock than chickens are companion animals.
This is atrocious! No horse should be put through this barbaric practice. Horses are companion animals, pets and working professionals. Breeders are where the problem lies, there are no unwanted horses, maybe homeless horses, but there are horse lovers that would take them and give them a loving home. Maybe breeders should have limits on how many horses they can breed a year. The horses that aren't up to the breeders standards should be put up for adoption not sent to slaughter. Horses are not Food items they are Companion animals and friends.
ReplyDeleteEquation to omitting horse over-population is simple, but not easy. Read more and the petition online at https://sites.google.com/site/horsesasnationaltreasure/
ReplyDeleteUntil all horse owners are made responsible with fair taxing and the Kings of horse breeding are thus un-enabled by our government, horses will be daunted by slaughter. Stephanie M. Sellers, Horse Advocate