Warning on slaughter

[sonrisa98]

The other day, it occurred to me that if Congress manages to block all routes to slaughter for horses intended as food, the U.S. horse economy would become the first in history to operate without food-salvage value as its floor. Basically, this also would make horses the only form of livestock WITHOUT per-pound salvage value, having the effect of turning horses from assets into liabilities. In turn, this would alter the horse economy's infrastructure so profoundly as to force a new one into being, to replace the one society now finds repugnant.

So, for what it's worth, here are some of the things I can see coming as a result:

* An annual tax per head on every horse we own. This is how the government will seek to fund the equine holding facilities, "re-homing" operations, and disposal stations it will see a need to build as the unwanted-horse crisis continues to build. The Seattle Post Intelligencer just ran an editorial calling for this very sort of tax:

seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/347789_erbe18.html

* Mandatory microchipping of every horse. These ID chips will be used for multiple purposes, including ability to track down and fine/prosecute any owner who abandons a horse. As the rate of abandonment accelerates, this will come to pass sooner rather than later.

* Mandatory facilities registration, accompanied by inspections. Horse owners will pay fees toward these measures, too. This already has a name: NAIS, for National Animal Identification System. The general public will buy into this as a way to protect itself against a form of bioterrorism, among other justifications:

animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml

* Mandatory application for and payment of a "transport voucher," any time you wish to move a horse to or from your property. This will be used as a way of funding reinforcement of a federal ban against transporting a horse for the purpose of slaughter, once that's been made illegal.

* Federally built, regulated, and funded equine euthanasia/disposal stations (see my first point). Whether people care to acknowledge this or not, every horse eventually ends up as a half-ton carcass that needs to be disposed of somehow. If not turned into usable meat/hoof/hide byproducts, it comes garbage--buried or composted on private property, rendered, dumped in a landfill, or dragged off for wild animals to feast on. I just read a statistic, published in the New York Times, stating that 138,000 fewer horses were processed in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in 2007 compared to 2006:

www.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/us/11horse.html

If all 138,000 head were "humanely put down" instead, that'd add up to around 75,000 TONS of horse carcasses to be dealt with in some manner. A year. With somewhere around 100K of those in the U.S. How long do you suppose our "not in MY neighborhood!" society will put up with that before getting the government involved? Especially when you consider that the carcass of a horse killed with barbituates is increasingly considered to be a threat to the environment?

* As an answer to the toxic-carcass problem, a new service provider will appear: The person willing and able to euthanize your horse by gunshot. In my area, such a service is already available, if you know the numbers to call. However, those who provide the service will be forced underground, once those in the general public get wind of it. "My God--people are allowed to SHOOT horses?! This must be stopped!"

* Federal taxation on every breeding. I don't think I need to explain this one. Just see all the above.

* A resulting horse economy--for good or for bad--that will be unrecognizable to us within 10 years.


I found this on another forum and thought it would be of interest to all on here. I have another one I'll add after I post this one.

[sonrisa98]

103021.1

In light of the recent discussions here on the effects of banning slaughter and transport of slaughter horses, please note this excerpt from an editorial in last week's Western Livestock Journal:

Another current threat to the ability of horse owners to transport, sell and humanely dispose of their animals is Senate Bill 311 sponsored by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-LA, and co-sponsored by 38 other senators. Landrieu introduced the bill at the beginning of 2007 and in December of 2007, was successful in getting the bill in line for a floor vote.

Though no vote has taken place as of yet, the bill threatens to “...amend the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption, and for other purposes.”

The American Quarter Horse Association issued an alert in response to the progression of the bill saying, “This bill may have far-reaching effects on our members and their ability to buy and sell horses. Members may sell horses unaware of the buyer’s intent with the animal and to where it may be transported, possibly resulting in legal ramifications for the seller. This legislation is vague and ambiguous and its passage could have far-reaching consequences.”

[DianneC]

I feel that the conditions that the horses go through on way to slaughter is a big with most people. If it was humane they might not be so vehemently against it. But how do you transport an intelligent animal to place that smells of blood and fear in a humane way?

[nrly]

man, if what you are saying is even close to being correc, it is a sad state, can't micro chipping cause problems in the horse, i don't want that, how else can we handle this crisis. taxed for coming and going no way. disposal cost is that anything like what we pay right now to have a dead horse or cow picked up and disposed of, here where I live it is 150.00 per animal. this is such a sad state of affiars. Growing up we hauled our dead animals to the hills and let the animals have at it. i know we can't do that now, but it was so much easier on all involved. Shooting to kill is a humane way if you know what you are doing, if they complain about that then they need to stop it from happening at the pig farms, they kill the pigs with a bolt gun. when a chief died they killed his horse with him so he had something to ride on into the next world,it was thought to be cruel, and I felt it was, but I did understand it. But this slaughter issue I don't get, if we don't slaughter, to many horse's are neglected and die cruelly, but they say they do die cruelly by going to other countries, the shipment of them their is inhumane, how do we change this, and for those who had the slaughter house's here shut down, what are they doing about the problems that have arise from it. Our horse's and we tax payers pay for it in the end. I do not want any more tax's, i can't afford them. i do not want horses to suffer, did anyone take all this into account when they got on the ban wagon to stop the slaughter. more tree hugging idiots out there.

[desperatehorsewife]

That's why we needed more slaughter houses, not less. Heck, we have someone come do it on the farm for the sheep, or we haul up to them. It can be handled the same way with a horse...or at least it should have, rather than having to deal with the mess of unwanted horses that are now coming down the pike.

[JoanMRK]

I agree Tracey, and thank you Sonrisa for posting that info. Although I was originally very against the slaughtering of horses, (I still hate the idea), I have learned more and am seeing the ramifications of no slaughtering. I am saddened to see where our lovely equines are ending up, unwanted, uncared for, and left to themselves even though they don't have enough wild instinct to truly survive (speaking of the domestics, of which are most). I do believe that we need some way of disposing properly of unwanted and uncared for horses, otherwise we are going to be in a huge world of hurt... one reason I've decided not to breed. It's too sad of a horse world today. I just want to love and care for the ones I have.

In my inlaw's neighborhood, for example, there is a lady who is mainly spending her money on drugs but owns a really nice quarter horse gelding. She doesn't take care of him and turns him loose to roam the neighborhood. The main road coming in to town is about an eighth of a mile away from her house and he could easily be hit by a car going 50 mph, especially at night when it is so hard to see. All my inlaws neighbors have called on the horse, my inlaws have, and the sheriff's dept. is refusing to do anything. Finally a deputy came out today because the horse was almost hit and the deputy was in shock that his dept. wouldn't do anything about the horse. He is going to look in to what he can do and advised everyone to bother the highway patrol so that they would get fed up and force the animal control to do something... the owner of the horse is claiming "open range," which I think only applies to cattle here. So... just another owner not able to feed or take care of her horse and putting him in harms way.

On a different note, I am fortunate enough to have enough land to bury my own animals, I'd hate to be in the position of someone having to deal with it when they board or do not have enough to have a burial ground.

[desperatehorsewife]

We need to send in paperwork to bury stock here as of last year. Meaning, have the vet come out and fill out the necessary paperwork deeming the animal disease free before you can bury it. I suppose in highly populated areas that's not a bad idea (and I do live on the creek which runs into the lake, from which the city gets their drinking water), but seriously...east of the mountains? Give me a break. Just another example of the huge mental gap between farm and city.

[fantasykiger]

I am all for humane methods of transportation and care for animals awaiting their final end. Is it sad that horses end up on slaughter row that are young and could have made fine mounts? but for what ever reason found themselves unwanted..Yes. To think those are the only horses bound for slaughter and we need to save them all from such fate is not so. There are as well the old, lame and mentally ill horses as well.
I know I may be of minority in my opinion but once the horses spirit leaves is body what happens to it's flesh is no big whoop-tee-do' to me whether my dog eats it or my neighbor. I don't eat baby animals veal or lamb, but I hardly fault someone else supporting calves in crates.
I have done both in my life time buried a horse on the property and sent a suffering old horse in pain to slaughter. Each a differant story and differant circumstances.

[lindaf]

I am an adamate anti-slaughter activist.

The pro-slaughter arguments can be countered by facts which I can provide if anyone emails me privately. While I agree that individual choice is a valued right, I have to say, respectfully, the logic behind sending a suffering old horse in pain through more pain and terror in the slaughter process completely escapes me. I will be happy to discuss this privately.

Linda

[lwood92]

I think having a horse slaughtered here in the states is far better than the alternative. At an auction I recently attended there were two horses there (nice, easy going horses) that no one knew anything about because they had been left in a local National park. Someone, didn't want to or couldn't care for them so they just dropped them off in this park and left them there. This stuff is going to happen more and more with the slaughter houses shut down.

Do you all know what happens to the ones that get shipped to Mexico? Not to mention the horrible trailering conditions, then the poor things get to pull wagons full of trash (they don't have garbage trucks in Mexico!) until they basically keel over dead. I would much rather have them go to a slaughter house here where there is some kind of regulations (could be better) then end up in Mexico stuffering, Lord only knows how long. JMHO

[desperatehorsewife]

The Mexican alternative is a horrifying end.

I think people get wrapped up in the emotional aspect of it all. Slaughter has been a poor end due to our limited facilities. Death doesn't have to be that way, but we've turned it into this money making, commercial business that can be merciless no matter what species of animal we're talking. Of course, the horse is highly sensitive compared to most livestock which makes it even worse.

Having held the head of my horse as he was put down, knowing all the different methods that are considered humane by rescue organizations that are anti-slaughter, I can tell you there are better ways to go about it than has been done in the past or banishing it altogether.

Tiffany, I'm curious as to your statement about not eating baby animals...are you vegetarian or is it a perceived method of raising the animal that prompts this?

[nrly]

I was raised it is better to end the life of your animal (horse, dog, what ever) yourself. and we have had to put down several dogs and it was hard, but at least I knew they did not suffer.