i am doing a speech on horse slaughter for ag clas and i need to know why it is not okay to slaughter a horse?

Answer 1

Talk about how horses are companion animals, just like dogs and cats. They were an integral part of the history of this country. The ASPCA was founded by a man who witnessed a horse being abused.

Transporting horses to slaughter is a very cruel process. They are crammed into trailers and often get injured or killed on the way to slaugher.

And of course, mention that horse meat is illegal in this country.

There are a lot of websites on horse slaughter. Just google it and you will find tons of info. You could even show some pictures for effect. Good luck!

Answer 2

The only reason people say it is not OK to slaugher horses is basically due to more sentimentality for a horse than say a cow. People don't normally ride cows.

I recommend that you look at the whole picture though. What do you do when you own a horse and it starts getting old and needs a lot of vet attention that you can't afford? Or you lose your job and get one that pays a lot less so you no longer can afford your old horse? Sell it you say? What if the market is already bludgeoned with old horses that nobody can hardly sell? Well, that's the problem that many people face when you can't slaughter an old horse. And it's not like animal shelters can afford to keep them like dogs or cats. There is a lot more expense with a horse.

To be honest, slaughtering a horse may sound cruel or bad, but if you do away with the ability to slaughter horses you are going to have a much larger problem on your hand (old horses being owned by people that can't afford to feed them and with no other place to go, so they starve or get treated improperly).

I'd much rather put an animal out of its misery through slaughtering it than make it die a slow agonizing death from being improperly taken care of.

Answer 3

As others have said, horses are companion animals and are not raised for their meat. Could you imagine sending Rover to the rendering plant so someone could enjoy him with a side salad and baked potato? Yes they are livestock, but horses have had a profound impact on our society throughout history. Some Native American tribes even considered the horse to be sacred, and anyone caught killing a horse faced the same punishment as those who killed their fellow man. Unfortunately, due to over breeding, our country cannot support all the horses bred each year and many end up in the slaughter house. Until we target the irresponsible and "backyard" breeders, this will always be an unfortunate part of the horse world.

Answer 4

In the old days it was okay. They were just more livestock, and a mode of transportation. They worked like an ox, pulled stuff, plowed, and were ridden. Like a dairy cow that got too old to give milk, they would be butchered once they couldn't work anymore, because back then, people couldn't afford to keep horses as pets. They were better off in the freezer to feed the family. These days it is more morally wrong to kill a horse because now they are kept as pets and are a passtime, and a hobby. Not many horses actually work on farms anymore. Now these days, horses are slaughtered because there are just too many. It isn't their fault, it is the quarter horse breeders and thoroughbred breeders mostly. They breed 100's of foals and when those ones don' t sell they send them to slaughter for a good price, to make room for next years foals. A lot of people don't have the money to have a horse properly buried. A backhoe is needed to dig a deep enough grave. So technically it is okay, but in today's society it is morally wrong, and frowned upon in America.

Answer 5

This is a widely personalized question. Everyone may have a different answer. There are people who feel that the horse has been in the US culture since the US became the US. There are others that can't tell you why because they have not done any soul searching. There are others that view these horses as their favorite animal. As for me; I believe we have enough varieties of meat and so it is totally unnecessary. The horse is extremely intelligent and very caring if treated well. They do not do harm intentially like dogs do. They are not a noisy animal. To me, they are a better pet than a dog. They are doing much better than their canine companions in that they can lead the blind and they don't retire as quickly as dogs, They have an INCREDIBLE memory, that is not found in dogs. They can pull a heavy load if necessary during search and rescue and yes, they pick up smells as well as a dog does. The only time a horse becomes dangerous, is when it is scared. And they have a wide range of personalities. Their nurturing ability is equal to that of the dolphin. They are oftentimes used in hospice programs, disabled children's programs, etc. They are a lot of fun. And yes, my horses are house broke. They sleep in my house at night.

Answer 6

Our view of horses is a social stigma, our original use for them was protein.
The cost of keeping unusable horses is extremely prohibitive, many groups try to pass laws telling private individuals how to deal with these problems.
Should a private individual be able to recoup a financial investment?
Shouldn't dangerous animals be removed from human interaction?

Unlike a dog or cat, horse are legal consider a farm animal in most states, and as such fall under a different definition of expectations.

To an already strapped Ag economy, having to take over the financial burden of care for an animal inferior for what ever reason is beyond the scope of reasonable expectations.

If "animal rights" groups could offer a legitimate alternative, then possibly, there could be some changes. Until then slaughter is the only solution.

Answer 7

Look at it this way. What do we do when our cat or dog are old and dying? We put them to sleep, aka euthanasia. But with horses, people can make a buck outta sending them to slaughter. Famous racehorces who have won their owners thousands of dollars have been sent to slaughter when they are no long of use.

You know how they are slaughtered? A metal rod is shot into their brain to render then unconsious then their rear leg is lifted so their throats can be slit. But guess what? That metal rod doesn't always do the trick, meaning their throats are slit with them fully aware. If you can't afford to have your horse anymore, send it to a shelter, or if its dying, have it put down.

Answer 8

Well, these are my feelings.
Horses aren't generally raised in this country for food consumption....they're our pets! Yes I know that elderly and infirm horses are sometimes slaughtered for human and/or pet consumption; but I would no more allow a horse to be slaughtered for this purpose than I would a cat or dog!
Call me emotional, but to me, it's a question of ethics.

Answer 9

Animal meat is animal meat. If it's okay to slaughter cows, pigs, chickens, etc., then it should be the same for any animal.
Personally, I have owned and cared for horses, and like them very much. I would never eat horse meat, but I can not put my likes or dislikes on anyone else.

Answer 10

The general argument is because horses are considered "companion animals" and no longer considered "livestock".

People equate it to sending dogs, cats, parakeets, etc., to slaughter as opposed to a pig, sheep or bovine.