Anyone got any nice inexpensive broodmares for sale?

[Shannon]

Okay. I wanted to staly our of this one until the racist comment came out from Joe. Now I am pissed off, and deeply insulted. As Ryeno said, are we Canadians to hate Americans for George Bush's mistakes? Are we to hate Americans because the border closed and our cattle producers have suffered dearly? Should we hat you becaus eyour dollar is worth maor and many of us can't pay to play there? No, because the choices of a few cannot be held over the great many that would like it differently.
Okay, so here is my question( and it is mostly directed to Joe)...is it just because the end result is for human consumption that makes slaughter in Canada so bad? Anyone got numbers for the slaughter plants in the US? Why are you any better than we are? SLaughter is slaughter, they all go the same way, die the same death. How is the horse who suffered to becoue dog food at a US plant going to be any different than one that suffers to become table fare? Dead is dead is it not? ALL horses that are slaughtered, anywhere, be it Canada or the US, go through hell. The end result does not matter. In my mind, that seems a bit hypocritical It is okay to slaughter horses for dog food etc but human consumption makes us Canadains horrible people? I just bought 2 horses off the slaughter truck, as did another friend buy 3. But our efforts don't count because you think Canadians are solely at fault for the human consumption of horse meat. What a world you must live in. I don't care if you live IN the slaughter yard. I have been to Fort MacLeod Alberta and INTO the slaughter plant. It was undescribable. I cried, I still see those horses. But here's reality: YOU WILL NEVER BEAT IT!!!! Call me fatalistic, or pessimistic, or downright negative, but if you'd just open your eyes and see the whole situation, you'd see that slaughter has a place.
Yes, slaughter for human consumption is a gross thought, and one I do not embrace or support willingly, but the fact remains...it will, and ALWAYS will be there. Condemning Canadians on a whole for this is juvenille, petty, and RACIST.
And Joe, please have some tact and respect for the people on this board.

[Stellaspeed]

Shannon, it will end, soon. The new bill has been resubmitted, there is a lot of bipartisan support, and there are a lot of people dedicated to ensuring it's passage here in the U.S.
However, I detest the French, although not for their taste in horsemeat. I can accept being called a bigot in that respect.
My grandfather was a Colonel under Eisenhower at Ft Sam Houston a long time ago, and told the story that after the war, De Gaulle told Eisenhower said that he wanted all American troops off French soil, to which Eisenhower replied, " Does that include our dead?" . Somehow I don't think they've changed much.

[madelyn]

Oh gosh. The US still has three slaughter plants, two of which process horsemeat for human consumption. None make horses into dog food. The components of dog food that start out as horsemeat are from rendering plants, not slaughter plants. The third slaughter plant makes "carnivore diet" for zoos, wildlife centers, etc. I don't see all that much difference between feeding horses to the Germans, Dutch, Belgians and French than the lions, tigers and bears. Besides that, it is sophomoric, at best, to "hate" an entire nation for the actions of a few. Whatever deGaulle said to Eisenhower has not a whole lot to do with Canadians. DeGaulle was not Canadian. I suppose the Mexicans are in the same category? They have slaughter plants also.

But NONE of this has ANYTHING to do with StealingKat, or her request for mares.

[Shannon]

I found this stat interesting. From a US government website...
In 2003, 50,062 horses were processed into the food chain (exported from the US with the intent of human consumption)
In 2004, 66,367 horses were slaughtered for the same reason.
Just thought those that beleived the US did not condone human consumption might find it interesting.

[austique]

Personally I love Canada. Notice they never fight with anybody. They just sit up there enjoying their Maple syrup, hockey, free healthcare, and low crime rate. Canada is a fantastic country! Although it is kind of cold, but think about it aside from this little tussle on the board, you never hear anything in bad on the world news about Canada. So I ask you, is Canada the good global neighbor they appear to be or are they planning to take over the world with Moosehead tainted with mind control serum? Food for thought, heh.

Obviously I'm joking. All food for thought is completely horse meat free

[Ryeno]

Hey Austique,

Watch out for Tim Hortons Coffee shops popping up around the US.It will contain specialized cream to make Americans like Hockey more!LMAO

Ryeno

[Sam]

Watch out for Tim Hortons Coffee shops popping up around the US.It will contain specialized cream to make Americans like Hockey more!LMAO

Might be easier to get behind a sport of they were ACTUALLY PLAYING!!

Actually I've got a AA league team here ... what strike

[BJ]

hmmm... BJ, what have YOU done for the world lately? Do you have barnful of sad rescue horses all clamoring for you? Did you donate a good portion of your income to tsunami relief? Do you help out at soup kitchens or change the depends of elderly bedridden people? Wait -- I bet you cured AIDS..

When a person becomes zealous to the point of sounding like a maniac, most other people will tune out. There has to be a better way of getting your point across -- accusing the Canadian of being "fishy" makes me want to ship her some horses just for the hell of it.

There are too many preachers in the pulpit these days, and not enough parishioners carrying out good works.

I'll give you a list of references of people who have witnessed my contributions first hand. The horses, they can't talk, but there are at least 6 I've personally sponsored or bought myself to keep them out of harms way just in the last 6 months. For Christmas, instead of buying gifts that people would just take back (and who has time to shop anyway?), I gave donations to some of my favorite charities in the name of the person the gift would have been for. I have friends in Canada (who I will be eternally grateful for, for helping me find an "at risk" gelding) and I don't have one thought one way or another about Canadians "in general". I judge people based upon their individual character and conduct, no matter where they live. The only time I lose sleep is when I can't figure out a way to do more. Damn I wish there were more people in the world like me...it would be a whole lot less work!!!

The really ironic thing about all this???? The people who really care the most about what happens to horses are the ones that don't have an ulterior motive not to care. In other words, they don't use horses to make a living off of, so they are capable of respecting them as the magnificent creatures they are. That is not to say there aren't a few really good horse people out there, who take responsibility for the horses they breed and own and train, because there most certainly are...but to the majority of breeders and owners and trainers, horses are disposable commodities they don't give a second thought to if they aren't making them money.

Imagine how much help you could all be if every one of you sponsored just one horse out of the kill pen this year, or joined some charity like The Exceller fund for $25 a month...imagine how many rescued horses that you could help feed. Not one of the ExcellerFund.org people is paid for what they do. They dedicate huge chunks of their lives to make a difference. What a way to give back to the animal that gives so much to YOUR industry and society in general. Give it some thought. Sleep on it.

[Joe]

I stand by my comments. Canada is the #1 exporter of human consumable horsemeat to France.

To call me "racist" is irresponsible and I deeply resent your comments and would expect an apology. Anybody who knows me on this board knows I am in the business and do right by all my horses. I do have my opinions on Canadian laws regarding horses. They are exported as food, plain and simple. In the US they are not, big difference. If you care, stop it, plain and simple. It's not a complex issue. As far as I'm concerned, if it happens, you must want it.

Don't ever call me a racist.

[BJ]

I agree with Briarhalo.I also have a lot of American friends.The mare we saved from the Kill came to us with big orange kill numbers on her hip.She was that close to the end.She is a great broodmare and maybe someday I will write a Black Beauty type book from her mouth after she has her first stakes winner.She was in the eastern USA on the actual kill place.It was a few years ago-------I do not know if that particular place is still in operation-------but it was in the USA and it never occurred to me to dislike or blame Americans on the whole because my mare was at a kill plant.When we got her my husband and I agreed that she would live with us till she died.She had been through enough.When a mare at our place died during foaling,she was near the barn when the dead stock man came to pick up the body.She rounded up her two new friends ,a pair of yearlings ,drove them as far away as possible ,stood in front of them and stood there and shook.She was terrified.Don't know what she saw at the kill place but she was really scared.End of story.

The biggest problem in both countries (U.S. & Canada), I believe, is MOST people DON'T know that horses go to slaughter & certainly they are not aware that racehorses go to slaughter. The ones who DO KNOW, are mostly the ones who should know better and be the ones championing the horse's cause...the racehorse and sport horse industries! I didn't know until about a year ago!

[Joe]

OK, reasonable people. Let's do the math. A 10 horse trailer, say 5 miles to the gallon over 3000 miles picking up these horses, that is beyond reasonable, but that is $1200 in gas. 10 horses at $500 or less (my guess is less) a piece is $5000. Total $6,200. Are you telling me you can't get $620 for a horse on the hoof for a meat sale in Canada, I beg to differ.

I don't know whether anybody on this board knows that over 1000 horses a week are being exported to Europe, France and Germany specifically as food from Canada. And they aren't alive.

So I ask you all to think about this. There are many on this board who care about horses as I do. We care about one individual, yet Canada does 1000 of those individuals a week in frozen shipments.

I've been calling for a stop to this for years, however Canada has a "blind eye" when it comes to their interests. Canada was very quick to criticize the US on almost every account, yet takes no responsibility for the slaughter of over 50,000 horses per year.

Shameful, just shameful.

[StealingKat]

I am not condeming anyone at all by this comment so no one jump on me... Horses in Canada are going for about $70 - 250.00 ( canadian dollars) per horse at the moment it is very sad. Unfortunately I personally don't make the laws and I don't support the industry. I vote against it and I do pick up horses from the auction.. But to say it is a Canadian problem is just not so. It is all of our problem US and Canada. Yes Canada exports horse meat . But most of those horses are PMU foals and TB's. To condemn Canadian TB breeders and blame the problem on us is just plain odd.. I have some great friends in the states and I plan on staying great friends with them. Gosh maybe I should'nt though as many horses are from the US, so all Americans must support slaghter. (that was said very sarcastically if you know what I am getting at...) It was the same thing Joe is saying only the reverse Only I said it as a joke I certainly wouldnt put all americans in one basket. They are all individuals just as we are here in Canada. Can't we all just get along...LOL Yours in hockey and beer,
Judith

[Joe]

Well ok Judith, you've hung in on this thread enough that I respect you very much. This is a problem that maybe, not certainly, we can do something about. I'm going to retract all my criticisms of you and apologize about the previous posts. I see by your continuing posting that you are honest about what you are doing. I am sorry it to me so long to get over my skeptical ways. I truly am sorry. I hope you can accept my apology and realize it was done in good interest, but that is no excuse.

However, I'm still mad about being called a "racist". I'm not that at all.

[Joe]

And after thinking a bit, Judith brings up a dilemma. That industry is only making $26 million per year, thats not real good. True, it's mostly profit and probably for a few insiders, but their costs are probably $20 million in shipping and purchasing.

I agree it should be shut down in Canada as it is in the US. Hopefully the people have a say there and "Do the right thing".

[StealingKat]

Thank you so much for the apology Joe. I have to say it takes a big person to do such a thing! I also am sorry for the way I reacted ( I just really got my feeling hurt is all...) OK so what are we all going to do for the horses!! Everyone go hug your horses!!! Cheers, ( a much happier and less ruffled Judith)