Slaughter of Horses Goes on, Just Not in U.S.

[Patuxet]

A new government study raises questions about whether horses have been helped by a federal policy that led to the closure of slaughterhouses for horses.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/us/Ho ... &emc=tha23

[Georgerz]

The Government did no good deed by closing the slaughterhouses. They are an important part of the horse trade, and no matter what PETA says, horses are going to find their way into the meat processing business, be here or abroad.
The government can't prohibit the export of horses, that would be unconstitutional.
And as long as horses can be exported, they will be plenty going to Mexico or Canada.
Why not keep the business (and profits) here in the States? specially now, with the high unemployment, quite a few people could be back to work.

[wilf]

Also saving the poor beasts the long journey involved to get to their final destination.The business of horse slaughter in the USA may have survived the disdain of animal rights folks, and I for one believe all animals have certain rights,but the treatment of these poor creatures was horrific at the sales and in transport to the plants. There should have been some simple oversight at the sales to ensure proper ,dignified and responsible treatment of these animals during their final days. It's not rocket science and I found it deplorable how old buggy horses, sore or lame beat-up ex racehorses and unwanted ponies were all herded into the same crowded corrals at the sales most of them terrified and with no refuge from the savages in the bunch ,biting and kicking the sh*t out of the weaker beasts. Now the situation is a joke that's not funny and the horses once again are the losers.

[freshman]

The ban on horse slaughter hasn't saved or improved the life of a single horse. It has contributed to the general misery of a lot of horses and horsemen. But it sure has made a lot of misguided and ignorant "horse lovers" feel good about themselves.!

[griff]

I've sold a lot of cows and both feeders and fed cattle were usually hauled with a lot of care.. Both feed lots and slaughter houses want their stock delivered in good shape.

Why then that people that haul horses to market and to slaughter do everything possible to harm their cargo??

griff

[Shammy Davis]

Some of the U. S. transporters were using dual level trailers designed for swine. I've seen them on the road and agree with Wilf that horses should not be treated in such a manner. Transport should be consistent with the humane treatment and safety for the size and number of animals to be handled. There were lots of horses in those swine trailers that were crushed to death and injured during the hundreds of miles that they were transported to the slaughter houses. There is no reason this should have occurred and the DOT, federal and state, should have taken action and pulled the offending drivers and their trucks off the road.

I also agree that the ban on horse slaughter in the U. S. has done no one any favors. If anything, it has made the unwanted horse problem worse.

I raised hogs for market and there is nothing about the process that is clean and neat, but to say that animal slaughter for food is inhumane is a real stretch. Putting food animals down by captive bolt is quick and humane. There are other methods used around the world like stunning with electricity and high compression gas followed by exsanguination, but the systems are efficient and well managed.

[casallc]

Just to clarify: There is NO federal ban on horse slaughter. Some states, such as Illinois passed such a ban but the bill to ban horse slaughter in the US, died in the senate and is doubtful it will ever come up again in the near future. As time goes on and the effects of unwanted horses become clearer the prospect of bringing up this hideous bill again will diminish.

Horse slaughter plants closed down rather than endure the smear campaign by PETA and other nuts that had no idea about the horse business. The consequence is, horses now endure a worse fate than before the meddling by idiots.

[Crystal]

how often do we trade in a car? How often are the amish taking the used up buggy horses to auction and getting a new one? They LOVE OT standardbreds. Well, they trade in. One mans trash is another treasure but there needs to be a bottom market in every industry to help set prices. Would I waste my time haunting around an auction house looking for a grand prix horse? No. But if I was in the market for a pony or hack horse, sure why not. But of the selection I had to choose from I wouldn't take my anger out of the person who brought the horse there, or bred the horse, or trained the horse. Which is where a lot of people get fustrated and point fingers.

There is a portion of the market that needs to be disposed of. 99% of horse owners out there do not have the resources to let a pasture pet plod along until they fall over dead. Some are injured beyond repair and are not comfortable nor will they ever be. Which is cruel way to live as well. Ignored or on 365 stall confinement. When money is an issue, then chemical disposal is not an option.

It is not doing any harm to feed other captive animals or if some dope wants to pay big bucks to have horse at a high end eatery.. Have at it, fine-whatever. But the end all-be all problem is in the feedlot care and the transportation. Standardized inspections is the solution, but good luck getting the government to fund training and salaries.

[casallc]

There are laws in effect now that address the transportation issues. Like congress always does, the implementation date of the transportation remedies was years after the bill passage. The law forbidding double-decker horse transport took effect only a couple of years ago, AFTER all horse processing plants had closed. Those laws are written to address horses being transported to USDA plants - since there are no active USDA plants, there is no applicable law. Thanks bleeding hearts for your efforts. You make Wylie Coyote look like a genius.

[Shammy Davis]

Casallc wrote:

Just to clarify: There is NO federal ban on horse slaughter.

There have been efforts to create a Federal law, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, designed to stop the slaughter of American horses for human consumption.[24] On September 8, 2006, the House of Representatives passed a bill which, had it also passed the Senate and been signed by the President, would have made killing or selling American horses for human consumption an illegal practice in the United States.[25]

Two bills, H.R.503 in the House and S.1915 in the Senate, were introduced in the 109th Congress to prevent the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the United States. H.R. 503 was passed in the House on September 7, 2006, by a recorded vote of 263–146.[26] S.1915 was read twice, and referred committee, and not reported out for a vote.[27] Both bills died at the end of the 109th Congress. The bills were reintroduced in the 110th Congress on January 17, 2007 as H.R.503 and S.311.[28] S.311 was reported out but not taken up for a vote.[29] The bills were not reintroduced in the 111th or, {as of|2011|3|lc=on}}, in the 112th Congresses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_slaughter

[griff]

Crystal

agree with you even the "would I waste my ime haunting around an auction house looking for a grand prix horse"

my friend Lucy Webb bought a horse named Totally Selfish from a meat buyer that had purchased her at the New Holland auction.. She was already on his truck and Lucy talked him into dropping the mare off at her farm for about three times what he paid for the mare.

Long story made short but Totally Selfish was delivered with a case of Stranges in February and by the next fall had won over $70k. Lucy sold the mare to a syndicate who, like her previous NY owners could not get Totally Selfish to run and Lucy claimed her back in a CTown C5000.

Lucy ran her some more and eventually sold Totally Selfish to a QH ranch in AL as a brood mare.

This story was published by Thoroughbred Times but before Lucy claimed her back.

there are good stories out there about good people.

griff

[Crystal]

Griff,
I would not argue there areuseful horses out there. Again -another mans trash yadda yadda. I'm glad Totally Selfish worked out so well for Lucy. It sounds like she made a once in lifetime purchase.

[griff]

actually, she has done a lot of stuff like this.. look up Warrior belle, a 4 YO maiden Lucy bought out of Canada in a "lot" deal.

pulled the shoes off her, and all other in that lot and waited until she could get rid of the long toes they like up there,, her 1st race was in a MSW for colts and geldings @ Charles town which she won but lengths.. A month later Warrior Belle set a track record @ Penn national.

Wish I could get her to train for me but she does not like running young horses. Says her talent is fixing throw aways.

Lucy is the best horse "person" I have ever know and i'm proud to call her my friend.

griff

[ratherrapid]

There are laws in effect now that address the transportation issues. Like congress always does, the implementation date of the transportation remedies was years after the bill passage. The law forbidding double-decker horse transport took effect only a couple of years ago, AFTER all horse processing plants had closed. Those laws are written to address horses being transported to USDA plants - since there are no active USDA plants, there is no applicable law. Thanks bleeding hearts for your efforts. You make Wylie Coyote look like a genius.

i pretty much second that, supposing most on the this site do also. my Q is and has been why are the legit anti-slaughterites, as opposed to those promoting a web site or running non(for)-profit rescues, wasting time and energy on slaughter houses instead of concentrating their efforts on humane transport and humane slaughter methods at the plants. If the anti-slaughter movement made logical sense horse people would support it

[Terrapin Flyer]

Maybe the anti-slaughter people just chose not to get in the same argument you and 1 or 2 others try to bring up here every 6 months. And thats all I have to say about that