What is the difference between eating a horse and eating a cow!?

Question

The US House of Representatives just approved a bill to ban the slaughter of horses in the United States for human consumption.

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, which still awaits approval by the Senate, passed on a 263-146 vote, setting the stage for the possible elimination of an industry that Rep. Edward Whitfield (R-Ky.) called "a grossly inhumane business."

If your going to ban killing one mammal, why not protect all of them?? Doesn't a cow or pig feel as much pain as a horse?

Answer 1

Yep, your right.

I think if you showed commercials of the goings-on in a slaughterhouse, people would eat a lot less cow.

Answer 2

Ohhhh, hot topic here....

First of all let me say, I do not use my chicken in the Olympics as a sport jumper bearing a proud name, I do not take my pig on a 10 mile trail ride, and I do not use my cow to help mentally and physically challenged children gain confidence and build muscle. Horses in America are so used for our conv. that it is sickening...Polo, Olympics, Rodeos, hauling, trailriding, heavy competitions, Kentucky Derby (which I am against also) and much more. These animals are not on the food chain and are far from being "livestock". We do not even benefit from their loss here . We do not eat horse meat here due to the levels of chemicals in their bodys, we kill here and that is it, then they get shipped to the other countries who profit.
This is not just about pain......it is about we, the american people do not benefit from them dying so why kill them? We can eat cow meat and chickens and such.
True, pain is pain, but it has also been proven that the brain of a horse is much more in tune with the" fight or flight" mode than the other animals causeing much more fear and fighting before the death, not to mention that the horse skull is actually almost 2 times thicker than a cow causing more bolts to be placed before the death. Please take focus and watch "www.bloodcountry.com" video for more. You might find it very enlightning. These animals are as much a part of the family as your dog.
Fact be told, my brother used to work at a cattle slaughterhouse and then watched this video and said, it was much worse for the horse.

Answer 3

true. i presonally am a vegetarian. our society has looked at cows as food and horses as animals for work for a long time. People using cows for field work is long gone. We views cows as having only a few purposes- girls give milk and babies, males for breeding, and the rest of them for slaughter. A heifer will bring a higher sale price than a male because of her reproductive capabilities, where as most males are banded and become steers for slaughter. I personally support the ban on horse slaughter. there are only so many things that we can do at one time.

Answer 4

although I am a horse lover (and owner) I agree with you...
all animals value their live to the same extent.. none want to be food...

personally while I dont think I would want to eat a horse I do feel that eating a cow is better than eating a chicken - since one dead cow feeds more people than one dead chicken
I feel people should eat less meat (not neccessarily become vegetarians but eat less meat and smaller portions)

horses - if people want to stop horses being slaughtered they need to stop things like PMU Barns (pregnant mares kept for making PREMARIN a hormone replacement pill for older women - the foals are considered a waste by-product and are slaughtered while the mares live terrible lives) and other reckless people who send horses to slaughter for no good reasons

Answer 5

Cows are bred for no purpose other than for human consumption. They are emmotionless and placid. Horses on the other hand are bred for human needs specifically not consumption not only is it unseemly to discard an animal to slaughter just because you decided it can not run quick enough, it is indicitive of the American sensitivity that is slipping away. Just as aaron struck the river instead of moses, to show gratitude to the sea so should we show sensitivity and gratitude to a animal that serves our lives.

Answer 6

This is why you should only buy kosher meats and free range chickens.

Answer 7

If God didnt intend us to eat cows they would be smarter & easier to ride.

Answer 8

Horses are treated inhumanely when shipped in double-decker cattle trucks, for hours, without food, water or rest. Upon arrival at the slaughter house, many too weak to stand, they are cattle prodded, dragged and whipped into the "kill box", only to wait for their inevitable fate. Although Federal law requires that horses must be rendered unconscious prior to having their throats slit, many horses endure repeated blows by the bolt pistols which drives a spike into their skulls. Many times the equipment is faulty, and the horses are conscious when having their throats slit.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, "terrified horses and ponies are crammed together and transported to slaughter in double-deck trucks designed for cattle and pigs. The truck ceilings are so low that the horses are not able to hold their heads in a normal, balanced position. Inappropriate floor surfaces lead to slips and falls, and sometimes even trampling. Some horses arrive at the slaughterhouse seriously injured or dead."

"I am an American. An American Quarter Horse, they say. I've carried soldiers into battle, and I've pulled a plow all day. I pulled your wagons over mountains, carried your children in parades. I never asked for much - Just a little water, grass and hay. I carried the rambling cowboy through the wind and rain and snow. And I was right there with Sam Houston when we remembered the Alamo. My hooves were fast as lightning when I'd hear that bugle blow. And I've been there to entertain you in a million rodeos. Remember back when Paul Revere rode me through the streets? From Maine to California I helped make this land complete. And I'll carry you upon my back just as long as my heart beats. But just remember that I'm an American as you kill me for my meat."

Over the centuries, horses have helped mankind to survive, to prosper, and to advance. They have galloped fearlessly into battle to fight mens wars. They have pursued buffalo across the plains to bring food to the tables of Native Americans. They have carried full-grown men and heavy loads of peat on the Shetland Islands and worked long hours in the darkness of coal mines. They have pulled covered wagons westward towards new opportunities. They have helped cowboys herd cattle for days under the merciless sun. They have pulled plows, straining against the load as they brought the crops their farmers depended on out of the ground. They have won fame and glory for their owners, riders and trainers all over the world. Since ancient times, horses have been essential to mans success. Whole civilizations were conquered thanks to horses. Cortes said that he valued one horse to twenty men, and indeed he reigned over the mighty Aztecs even though he and his men were outnumbered by thousands of Aztecs. For the Aztecs had never seen horses before, and ran away from what they thought was one creature: the horse and his rider. Today Thoroughbreds gallop down racetracks, muscles rippling under their satiny coats as they pound towards the finish, winning fortunes for their owners, trainers and jockeys. Some horses are the sole possessions of middle-eastern families who depend on them to survive and carry them out of their war-torn countries. Horses dont need to be expensive champions to be important; many wonderful horses work in riding schools, teaching children, teenagers and adults the fun of riding and being around horses. Horses also teach responsibility and patience, and riding is good exercise and improves timing, strategy and clear thinking. Handicapped children find happiness and freedom in riding, and their bodies often become stronger than before because of their time in the saddle. Horse owners can turn to their equine friends in times of stress or grief, finding comfort in horses simple wants and their joy in living. In some western prisons, criminals are taught how to train wild mustangs, and often their lives are turned around from the lessons and useful skills they learn as they win the horses trust.

Not only are Premarin mares, foals and stallions bound for slaughter, but it's estimated that one third of slaughter bound horses are bred for racing. Horses removed from the wild through the BLM program, rodeo horses, camp horses, show horses, "backyard" horses, rental horses and stolen horses are all targets fort he "killer buyers" who act as middlemen for the slaughter houses. Making cat or dog food is not the reason for killing horses, the European and Japanese palate is.

If people want to eat horses, let them raise their own stock. Horses are the American Icon.

As long as horse slaughter plants are operating, and horse slaughter is legal in certain states, it is easy for people to discard their healthy, young, old, injured and unwanted horses, and for a profit, since they are sold by the pound. It is also just as easy for "killer buyers" to obtain these horses and sell them to the slaughter house.

Myth - If horse slaughter becomes illegal, there would be too many horses in our country and not enough homes for them.

Truth - Of the 6,900,000 estimated horse population in the U.S. less than 1f horses are slaughtered or processed. In addition, if horse slaughter is banned, horse theft will be almost eliminated, breeders will be more selective in how many horses are bred each year, PMU farms will reduce the number of mares bred, or individuals who have horses that can no longer be used for rodeos, horse racing, etc. would have to take responsibility in either finding another home, retire them to a sanctuary or responsibly euthanize them.

Myth - Their concerns are humanitarian, not financially driven.

Truth - Abuse happens every day, and more so in the horse industry. From the time the horse is in the feed lot, taken to auction, put on the double decker trucks (for 36 hours without food or water), to the time they are unloaded at the slaughterhouse, these horses endure a tremendous amount of suffering. Once in the slaughterhouse they see other horses being slaughtered, they smell the blood, they hear the screams and they see their friends being hoisted up by one leg, usually still conscious and alive and bled to death. Most horses are the by-product of the for profit horse industry, and slaughter is a quick and profitable way of discarding all unwanted horses.

Myth - The AVMA and USDA ensures the horses destined for slaughter are treated humanely and have experts who make professional recommendations enforcing the regulations.

Truth - The footage taken over the years proves this is not the case. Statements taken from slaughterhouse workers, police officers and many others comment that horses are severely dismembered, abused and tortured while still alive. There are not enough experts that can monitor the atrocities that happen in the slaughterhouse plants.

Myth - Many people cant afford to humanely euthanize their horse.

Truth - The truth is that the average American horse owner would prefer to euthanize his/her horse rather than sending them to the slaughter. However, many individuals think their horse is going to a good home (through an auction or to an individual in the business to sell horses to slaughter) and without their knowledge are being sold to the slaughterhouses. It is documented that 78f horses being slaughtered are healthy companion animals. Furthermore, most people who have horses have the financial means to pay a veterinarian to humanely euthanize their horse. Having horses is not a hobby for the poor.

Myth - If we dont have horse slaughter plants in the U.S. old, sick and dying horses would have no where to go.

Truth - The truth is, that over 78f horses slaughtered each year, are our healthy companion animals, foals and wild horses and burros removed from public lands by the BLM (estimated 90f the wild horses and burros are sent to slaughter concedes Tom Pogacnick, Director of BLMs Wild Horse and Burro Program).

This bill protects horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules from being cruelly slaughtered by Bel-Tex, Dallas Crown (both plants are in Texas) and Cavel (in Illinois). The plants are owned by foreign entities who sell the meat for human consumption. Goodlatte receives campaign contributions from the foreign companies, hence his unwillingness to release this bill for a vote.

Once this bill is released, it will pass and slaughter will become illegal in the United States. Rep. Goodlatte is 'thumbing his nose' at the legislative process. He is refusing to carry out his duties regarding this bill - this petition will go directly to Representative Goodlatte when the required signatures have been collected.

- - I agree with you that all animals should be protected. I'm an animal rights activist and I think that all animals should be treated with respect, no matter what their fate may be.

- - Cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and other animals deal with a great amount of suffering. We are trying to put an end to animal cruelty one step at a time, and if you feel the same way you'd agree.

- - It all depends on if the public is educated. If they all saw how a cow was brutally mutilated and dismembered before it reached their table, many people wouldn't eat meat any longer. Most people just don't want to know about it.

- - But for the sake of some little mouthful of meat, we deprive a soul of the sun and light, and of that proportion of life and time it had been born into the world to enjoy."
- Plutarch, Greek Writer (c. 46-120) - -