In regards to horse slaughter?

Question

http://www.horsemenscouncil.org/docs/NR-HCI%20slaughter%20pos.doc

That opens a word Doc from the IL horsemens Council. Another question has got me thinking there are some seriously mislead people out there when it comes to horse slaughter and where this feel good ban is leading.
One Idea in IL is to just start releasing un wanted horses into shawnee natl forest or dumping them in rural areas, you know kind of like all the dumped dogs.

The people so opposed to sluaghter do a real good job of crying about it. But what exactly are they doing with the fall out from the ban? After all I would say the horses are in far worse shape now than they were pre ban, What the feel gooders can sleep better at night thinking they made a world changing difference? While ignoring the reallity of their irresponsible beliefs?
And yes they did re open Dekalb for 30 days

Please step into reallity, There are no where near enough homes for the estimated 120,000 un wanted horses produced annually.
Did you even read the link? Sure doesnt sound like it (this is to the first two replies)

The link opens a pop up that gives you the option to open or save it. It definatly is worth a read though.

Paint Pony LMAO that is one of the best ideas ive heard and it even sounds like a fair compromise. I mean it isnt anymore radical than the PETA millitants

Just to Clarify I am not in favor of dumping horses. The reallity is it is already happening. Just as the dept of AGs horse neglects reports have soared since the ban. Horses that would other wise have been auctioned are now kept in horrendous conditions. Most of the people keeping these horses arent bad people, either finacial problems, Divorce, etc. can lead to someone being unable to support their horse.
And before the feel gooders judge me I take 1 - 2 unwanted horses every year and rehab them. They either become residents on my Ranch or auctioned off for charity. I make my living with horses and yes part of this is my greed, I breed and sell quality paints and the current market is dragging the entire horse industry down. other than rescues (that are almost all at capaccity) and boarding facilities, that are benifieting from all the people buying cheap horses.

Answer 1

100% with you and have repeatedly typed away on this subject. Love paintpony's idea!!!!!!. Also, to anyone that supported the ban, I'm going to say it again. Take a nice percentage out of EACH PAYCHECK and give it to the horses that you "saved". You know those horses who are now without food and shipped into some over filled rescue who's resources can not hold up to the numbers they are faced with trying to save.

MelissaM, right back at you. You may think you are saving the voiceless horses but your response points out how UNEDUCATED you really are. If you are pissed off at breeders, why didn't speak up and vote for that because you certainly DIDN'T SAVE THE HORSES by voting to stop the slaughter.

Parelli Lover. LOL Dogs and Cats are KILLED everyday, thousands of them here in the US. Maybe not in a slaughter barn but at every humane society around the country. They take in animals and give them a few weeks to try to place them into a new home. IF THEY DON'T FIND A NEW OWNER THEY ARE PUT TO SLEEP. That is still killing animals and it is done to keep these animals from running loose on the streets. So I guess the answer is to change the rescue's into large animal humane societies put the horses down and dispose of the bodys in order to bring in more horses to put down at a rate of $400.00 per horse, give or take a few dollars and no one in the world will benefit from the meat or hides that could have supported another country, where people are starving to death.

Oh... wait you want those unwanted horses to starve too so both sides can suffer.

Answer 2

I'm only going to add to Sandra's answer by asking her if she is aware that PETA and HSUS are one and the same organization- and that it's common practice for PETA's "officers" to start their careers working for HSUS and vice versa. Therefore, anything that the HSUS posts on its website should be considered suspect as far as truthfulness goes, because PETA is well known for publishing lies and half truths about subjects relating to what they consider to be animal cruelty. Just look at the way they were forced to apologize to the owner of a sled dog that died in this year's Iditarod, if you want proof of that.They were facing a lawsuit from the musher, so they backed down and recanted at the last moment. If indeed there is a bill included in next year's budget to block horse slaughter and overturn the measure that Obama signed into law in 2011, then I am very pleased. But somehow, given where this information is coming from, I have to express some doubt about it. I don't doubt the Senators' intentions, I'm just not sure they're real yet. As for the devastating effects of slaughter- I don't disagree with them. I know how ugly slaughter is, and I oppose it for a long list of reasons. But more importantly, I also recognize that bringing back slaughter WON"T SOLVE the problems of horse abuse and abandonment, nor will it do anything to address the issue of equine over population in America. And the new law is going to cost every American a LOT OF MONEY once all the plants are up and running. That's what really gets my gorge up about this. The taxpayers are going to be funding federal inspections at the plants to the tune of over 30 million dollars a year, while the companies that own and operate the plants will be making profits of 5 to 10 times that- and worse, sending all those profits home to Europe virtually tax free. It's a rip off for the American taxpayers, it really is. So if this news of yours is true, JSC (and I hope it is) then it's a step in the right direction, for sure.

Answer 3

As the document you linked to pointed out, these kinds of things are pushed by 'animal lovers' who have little to no knowledge of the horse world, or organizations with bigger plans than just stopping slaughter. With the option of slaughter gone things are going to start getting alot worse for horses all over.

We should be worrying about the conditions the horses are transported and kept in before slaughter, not stopping slaughter itself. If slaughter is somehow restarted I hope the dumbass animal rights groups take a stand against those things, instead of fighting to close the slaughterhouses again.

To the first two posters, horse slaughter may seem cruel but it's a better option than starving horses. There ARE NOT enough rescue facilities to deal with all of the unwanted horses in the US every year, there just aren't. And if people really want to get rid of a horse, releasing it is easier than making the effort to find it a good home.

Answer 4

Most people are so far removed from the natural world that they don't understand how life works.
I would love to have no unwanted horses in the world. I'd have 6 less to feed! They were all free horses from people who could no longer afford to feed them and hadn't had them trained enough to make them saleable. I'm a softy and I took them. I could take a bunch more if I had room or time or money.
We do have rescues in the area. A couple are good but there are some I'd never want a horse of mine to be in.
There are lots worse things in this world than being dead. We really really need to lobby for humane transport and slaughter and for the laws that are to be inforced. We need to stop breeding horses that we can't train or have trained. There are fewer trainers around who will take colts and fewer owners who can finish a horse that has only 90 or 120 days on them.
I know a couple of meat buyers and they are still buying horses and taking them to Canada. They are just either buying only market ready horses, that is older bigger and fatter, or they have feedlots. The feedlot near me has more horses in it than ever in the past 3 years.

Answer 5

I am against Slaughter...but I did read an article in Western Horsemen (i think this month's issue) about what is going to happen to the "unwanted" horses. It really "hit home" about what the outcome may be! Yes, I think that we need to come up with a system to help when an owner is not able to care for a horse any longer. I do think that some of the one's who are against slaughter has not thought of the impact that this will have on horses and what will actually happen to them. My main concern with the slaughter issue is how they are transported and maintained until they are actually at the slaughter plants. There should be more restrictions and laws protecting the rights of a horse. When cattle are taken to slaughter, there are more what can and cannot be done and there are inspectors at the plant to be sure that these laws are followed....at horse slaughter plants...there may or may not be an inspector at the plant at varying times. A horse's brand or microchip is not inspected until after the hides are removed...then the Brand Inspector takes a look at the hide...a little too late if it was a stolen horse or someone's pet that they are searching for!
But Yes, I agree that the anti-slaughter groups need to understand the full inpact of what is going to happen if they are successful in shutting down all the plants! (Mexico and Canada have open plants and will continue to operate). Mexico's slaughter plants do not have to run by "certain" laws and such and I believe there will be more abuse and neglect in the way it is done there (slaughter). We as a nation, oppose or for slaughter either way, need to come up with a solution if the slaughter house doors are all closed for good.

Answer 6

I almost don't even want to get involved in this discussion because of the emotions people will have over the issue but I did want to share my thoughts.

I don't like the idea of anything being put down just because nobody wants it, but I can't afford to feed every animal that needs a home - I don't think that the people screaming the loudest can afford to either... If we can't humanely euthanize an animal, what are we supposed to do? What happens when the population gets even more out of control? We can't have these domesticated animals turned lose in the wild, they won't survive and that would be a much worse fate than being put down in a controlled environment. It's sad but it is true...

Answer 7

You make a very good point. Reform and education in the slaughter world is what's needed. Most people only look at horses as pets or companion animals-they are indeed livestock. A lot of the world's population eat horsemeat, it's their primary meat. We are one of the few countries that glamorize horses and feel they shouldn't be slaughtered. If done humanely, and regulated, it's no different than the beef or pork industry. I have horses, and probably always will. I don't eat horsemeat, but is a cultural preference in a lot of places, and I understand and accept this.

Answer 8

I didn't click on your link, but here's my thoughts on horse slaughter:

Sadly, it's a necessary evil. Instead of trying to get it banned, these bleeding heart liberals need to work with vets and horse experts on ways to make it more humane. I also think that people considering getting into horses need to do their research and footwork before buying a horse, let alone breeding one.

Also, what's the difference between slaughtering a horse and slaughtering an animal traditionally raised for human consumption? Just some food for thought.

While you're at opening a can of worms, you should ask what needs to be done about all the feral horses?

I own a Mustang, btw.

Answer 9

I had heard the closing was under appeal by the facility owners. I could not open your document, but have seen what the humane society is putting out about this. And I have been pondering what life will be like with herds of horses running loose, or even singles or pairs.... Having them dart out in front of the car, marauding neighborhoods looking for a place to seek cover, eating whatever they can find, or just starving to death. Think deer only way bigger. This will happen. People are already thinking about just "letting the horse out of its paddock". This is not a good thing. And for those that think there are plenty of rescue operations... there aren't. Funds are tight. Money in general is tight for all horse people with gas the way it is. I have only so much space and it's full, but we get calls constantly. There isn't a rescue facility around here, not throught the humane society or animal control.

Answer 10

Education!!!!!!!!! I think the people who have never owned horses should not have a vote!!!! They DO NOT realize what they have done!!! I see nothing wrong with people eating horse, I would never, but who are we to say what other countries can & cannot eat. It can feed a lot of people. We eat cow & pig, some countries don't eat eaither. The people who voted for the stop of the slaughter just sent our horses to a worse death than here. Canada isn't that bad..... But Mexico is BAD & it makes me sad because those people voted on something that they had NO IDEA what they were doing!!!! I wish they would EDUCATE themselves !!!!!!!!! It is very sad!!! Now, I want to know what they are doing to help these horses, also!!!!! & The person saying that there are enough rescues.... OMFG They are OUT OF THEIR MIND !!!!!!!! & WHAT has that person done to help??? Beside opening their mouth to spue crap that they have NO idea about it!!!!!!