Where do you stand on horse slaughter?

Question

88,000 horses in the US alone were slaughtered for their meat to be shipped overseas!! I'm one of many who are against this, I was just wondering on where all of you stand on this issue. If you are against it please help take a stand to shut these slaughter houses down!!

Answer 1

I am very much against it and am part of a political action group working on ending it.

We do breed too many horses in our country, but the reason that slaughter exists is because the foreign owned slaughter houses can buy horses on the cheap here and turn a huge profit overseas. There is no other reason. And the number of horses slaughtered has nothing to do with population. We have as many horses in the US now as we did fifty years ago, yet slaughter has decreased to the point that there are only 3 plants in operation here.

Some people may think that it's hypocritical to oppose slaughering horses when other animals are killed for food, but there is a definate difference between the two. Horses are not bred for food in the US. We raised them to be sport and companion animals. The horses we've seen killed are former race horses, carriage horses, horses from riding stables and summer camps and people's pets that just were unlucky enough to be sold at a cheap price. More than 90% of them are young and in good health, so it's not the old and broken down being killed.

And the process is cruel. First horses are loaded up into cattle trucks that have roofs too low for them to stand properly. Stallions are packed in with ponies, pregnant mares with geldings. They are tranported for days at a stretch, without food, water or rest. Often horses that fall are trampled by the others because they have no room to move. Horses are severely injured because they will kick at one another with no room for the other to get away. Mare that are pregnant will spontaniously abort their foals. And there have been cases where the upper level of the double-decker trailer will collapse from the weight of the horses loaded up top, crushing the ones beneath.

At the slaughterhouse, the process is no less inhumane. Unlike cattle and sheep, which we don't exactly breed to be alert and frisky, horses are very attuned to their surroundings. We breed them to know what is happening around them and to respond to it. What they see and smell are the horses going before them being killed.

In the kill box, the slaughterhouse tries to stun the horse first, but this is easier said than done. Unlike cattle with short necks, horses can whip their heads around very quickly (anyone who's tried to put a halter on a horse than wasn't in the mood can certainly understand this). Multiple blows are sometimes needed and even then, horses are often not stunned effectively. They are hoisted up by one back hoof and then have their throats cut to bleed them out.

The slaughter industry spent decades trying to hide the practice from the American public. They told the lie that the only horses killed were the old and broken down. They told the lie that slaughter was a humane alternative to veterinary euthenasia. They lied when they insisted that slaughter saves horses from abuse and abandonment. That lie falls flat when you consider that when California banned slaughter and the transport of horses for slaughter, their documented abuse cases decreased by 30%. Texas, which has 2 of the 3 remaining horse slaughterhouses in the US has one of the highest rates of equine abuse cases.

We do not kill our cats and dogs for human consumption even though we breed far too many of them because these are animals we regard as pets. It doesn't matter that other nations view them as a food animal. We don't eat horses in this country.

http://www.fund4horses.org/

Answer 2

People also forget sometimes it's a have-to-sell situation. Things happen. Pastures for rent become unavailable - and when there's a short period of time to find a new place or sell them sometimes the one way trip to the auction is the only choice. :-( Rescues can not and will not absorb the numbers of horses that now are not going to slaughter. Many of the horses - from a kill buyer's view - ideally are the unbroke 4-8 year old horses that have been in a pasture. The typical "Molly's so pretty let's breed her" offspring that become not cute when they're a year old and turning nasty because they've never been disciplined a day in their life. That is not the fault of breeders/trainers. A couple months ago horses here were $15-20. There is precious little hay and less pasture to be had. Between the drought in some places and the floods in others hay is going to be very scarce this year. Each person who campaigned for it surely can take 10-15 of these horses - That'd solve the 'overpopulation' in no time - work the magic and make them all into good using horses. Of course many aren't suited to that - I know of a mare once that, sadly, the best place for her was slaughter. She was dangerous for experienced handlers and would hurt inexperienced ones. And for those saying how we don't do it here...it wasn't that many years ago horse meat WAS eaten here in the US; it was on the meat counter. There's a USDA nutrition site that still has current nutrition content for horse meat. If we weren't so spoiled with plenty here - or if beef prices continue to rise - it wouldn't surprise me the tide would turn again. There was even an episode of All In The Family in the '70s that was about buying horse meat and serving it - and Archie thought it was wonderful beef. It's a distasteful subject, no pun intended. But there's too many unknowns for euthanasia - no one has answered what will happen when those 50,000+ (depending on what statistic you read up to double that) horses loaded with deadly chemicals reach the ground water supply. Indeed it seems those screaming for euthanasia never think about it nor want to discuss that. And for what it's worth - if people get hungry enough they'd eat a dog or cat too. :-/

Answer 3

I am for it as well. At the my local animal shelter there are currently 6 horses being nursed back to health looking for homes. These horses have a hard time finding homes and when one or two of them do leave they are usually replaced within a few days. If those 88,000 horses a year were kept alive who would take care of them? With many shelters already full, where would they go?

Consider if the three American plants were shut down, these horses would then be shipped to either Mexico or Canada. A majority of these horses would still be going to slaughter, but one or two more days were just added to that long trailer ride. Making it a little harder on those horses that people were trying to 'save'. Not to mention the more southern country may not have such strict humane slaughter laws such as those set in America and those horses may be facing a more painful death.

Yes I admit that it is sad that these horses, some of which are perfectly fit animals, have to face an end to life soo early on, but sometimes a quick ending is better than a long life of crampped conditions or being locked away in a lonely corral.

But yes, try to save as many as you can. We have a horse rescue in my town that saves Prematin foals and reitred/aged racing Thoroughbreds. There are people out there doing the best they can to help these unwanted horses. If these groups/shelters had more volunteers/donations they may be able to save one or two more and that one or two really means alot to those horses that get saved. So if you're really interested in saving as many horses you can then I suggest you give a helping hand, either physically or monitarily.

Just my two cents.

I applaud you for getting this question out. Hopefully this will help people become more aware of this issue and educate themselves about what is going on.

Answer 4

I am against it.I am a horse lover.Horses are no different then dogs or cats.They were not put here for us to eat.Sorry if any of you disagree,but you have the right to your opinion,and I have mine.
Horse Slaughter Banned

September 7, 2006

Amid calls of animal cruelty and abhorring a cultural symbol, the U.S. House of Representatives voted this afternoon to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

The vote was far from unanimous, as the vote was 263-146 in favour.

"The way a society treats its animals, particularly horses, speaks to the core values and morals of its citizens," said Christopher Shays, a Republican representative from Connecticut.

"It is one of the most inhumane, brutal, shady practices going on in the U.S. today," said Rep. John Sweeney, R-New York., a sponsor of the ban.

Sweeney further argued that horses are a part of American culture, setting them apart from the slaughter of other livestock for human consumption.

Defenders of horse slaughter say it offers an inexpensive and humane way to end a horse's life when the animal no longer is useful. They say many owners cannot afford to care for an unproductive horse.

"We have serious concerns that the welfare of these horses would be negatively impacted by a ban on slaughter," Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said in a release.

Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minnesota said many that are slaughtered are sick or already living in pain, and that by banning the practice, it is possible that more horses would simply be starved or abandoned.

They further contend that by banning the practice, slaughter houses will simply move to Canada our Mexico, where the practice is permitted.

The ban now will go to the Senate for approval

Answer 5

I'm for it. Horses are a prey species. While they can be companions, friends, ect., they have always been hunted and their meat has substained many humans throughout the ages. While people in the US may have a social stigma attached with eating horse meat, due to the 'closeness' we share with the horse (ie: the west was founded on the back of a horse and all), other countries continue to view horses as what they are---an herbivore creature whose meat can be consumed for nourishment.

My view is simply...if we eliminate slaughtering horses what will we do with the 88,000 horses per year then? Most of the horses that are slaughtered weren't -bred- to be slaughtered, but are the by-products of other industries (premarin, for the most part). So they'll continue to be produced, but without the horse meat industry, where will they all go? Who will care for 88,000 horses when we continue to put down record numbers of cats and dogs (which are far easier to care for)? The horses would simply be put to sleep--but rather than nourishing someone (including predators in zoos such as lions/tigers) with their meat, they'll rot and waste away like so many dogs and cats do.

Answer 6

we need the slaughter houses dont get me wrong i love horses and dont like them just being thrown away either but think about it where would all the horses go i know a few people who have turned there horses loose because they could not afford to take care of them anymore (crippled and old ) and didnt want them to end up being baught by a meat buyer and i have saved horses from being bought by them also but i dont see why its so wrong when a horse is crippled and cant be fixed we eat cows somepeople eat horse

Answer 7

I think it's pretty hypocritical of people to go on save the horses crusades when they eat chickens, pigs, cows, and fish, quite frankly. I have had pet chickens and cows, and they are every bit as "feeling" and alive as horses are.

I'm a little sickened at the "save the fluffy animals" mentality, since so many people will protest and complain if anybody hurts a cute widdle kitty, but will say nothing against factory farming conditions for cattle, chickens, or pigs while they are scarfing down their meat.

Answer 8

im against it they just as much right to live as a dog or cat. they shouldnt be slaughtered just because they arent wanted. there are enough people out there that would want them if the owner would TRY to sell them rather not even try.

Answer 9

I am against it. They're living creatures! They don't deserve to die simply because one wants them!

Answer 10

im so against it