the Ranch Blog

20 responses so far ↓

• 1 bob langford // Apr 8, 2008 at 7:14 pm

  i agree, i don’t think the legislation was
  thought out. or was thought out by
  people who had no idea what the unintended consequences would be.

• 2 Brown, B // Apr 21, 2008 at 11:49 am

  I do agree that the legislation was not thought out completely. However, I do not agree with selling horses for slaughter. I have a 23 yr. old paint mare that everyone told me she should be sold to slaughter. Why? She’s healthy, has been a lucky horse to sirvive both West Nile Virus and Pidgeon Breast Fever. She has a gorgeous and flashy sorrel and white filly April 3, 2008. If I had followed advice, this beautiful filly would never have been born. Plus she’s the only get that our deceased stud colt will ever sire.

• 3 admin // Apr 21, 2008 at 9:15 pm

  I guess I just think people should have a choice. It sounds like you’ve really taken good care of your horse, and I think that’s wonderful. However, there are a lot of people out there who won’t take very good care of these older horses — especially with the rising costs of feed. Also, you were lucky in that your mare was still able to conceive. A lot of horses don’t breed back in their upper teens and early twenties. Not having a strong slaughter market makes it harder for people to take a chance on an older mare or gelding. If the mare won’t breed or the gelding comes up lame, they’re basically a loss. What is a person really supposed to do with these horses at this point, if they can’t be weighed up? Luckily, there is at least a bit of a market for weigh up horses now, but it’s definitely not as strong as it was even 5 years ago.

• 4 Brown, B // Apr 22, 2008 at 6:51 pm

  You did stress a good point, alot of older mares do not conceive, and alot of geldings do come up lame. We don’t over due our finances in purchasing too many horses, thus the ones we have are assured a long and healthy life with us, as long as they live. I do realize that alot of people claim they “love” horses, but they don’t take care of them, but those people don’t take care of their dogs or cats, or even their own children. As far are crippled horses, or those really dangerous ones, I don’t know what one should do with them.

• 5 bill muller // Sep 23, 2008 at 11:21 am

  As a horse person for many years, I believe that this “new” thinking is reaching an unacceptable level and if people do not react vigorously this pro animal movement will cause many serious problems in the ag community. Horses are animals and if they are dangerous or unprofitable then there needs to be an outlet for them. I take good care of my animals and as they make me a living I think I am the best judge of what they need. We eat cows, some people eat dogs, others eat horses, all are god’s creatures and should be thought of in the same way but we should not impose are societal beliefs on others as we are not all the same. Take care of what is your responsibility whether it be family, environment, or animals but do not take away my rights to ownership and do not think you are entitled to tell me how to handle what is mine by law. If you want a cause look to the problems in Africa and other places where there is a real need for action and leave me and mine alone. I will castrate, brand, vaccinate, and dispose of my property as I see fit and that is my right as a free person in a free country. Lets keep it free! God Bless America

• 6 Lynne Wise // Oct 10, 2008 at 1:38 pm

  Have any of you ever heard of euthanizing an animal that can no longer function? What is this? As long as they’re healthy and you can USE them, great. If not, why, then send ‘em to slaughter! God forbid your right to be free to have your horse/s slaughtered should be taken away from you! Sickening

• 7 D.M. // Oct 10, 2008 at 4:12 pm

  Then..quite breeding horses with this economy as it is now.
  So, it wouldn’t bother you to have a whole lot of your fillies that you bred and raised at an auction..knowing it is only the Killbuyers that are bidding for them? DO you realize what the horses do endure during those rides to Mexico? Pro slaughter people are usually the large breeders that want to dispose of their herd if times get bad.
  I bet your horses thank you!

• 8 admin // Oct 10, 2008 at 4:33 pm

  It looks like we’ve got a good debate going here. I respect your right to voice your opinion and your willingness to do so. However, Lynne, I think you’re splitting hairs a bit here. You’ve came right out and said that you have no problem with me killing my horse — you just don’t want me to eat if afterwards. This seems pretty wasteful to me. Not only would it cost me $200-$300 to euthanize my horse, but I would also have to pay to dispose of the remains. This is insane. Older horses would be worth next to nothing in this scenario. No one would take a chance on buying an older broodmare hoping that she’d breed or an older horse that might be nice for their children to ride for a few years. In essence you’d be condemming any horse over about 15 to death. There are people in this world who are starving and quite frankly there’s a lot of meat on a horse. We in the U.S. can afford to be a bit squeamish about what we eat, but that’s certainly not the case in other places. I raise horses and cattle for a living and to be honest I don’t see a lot of difference between a horse and a cow in terms of what to do with them when they’ve outlived their usefulness. No one has a problem with me slaughtering my cow. Why are horses so different? As for you D.M. I actually agree with some of what you said. I do believe that people who can’t sell their horses to anyone except the killer should quit breeding horses and get out of the business. To me one of the major problems with the horse industry is that too many people are keeping horses as stallions and broodmares with no concern as to quality or saleability. As for a horse suffering on the trip to Mexico, well that’s the fault of ridiculous legislation. We’ve made it difficult if not impossible for horse slaughter operations to operate in the U.S. so now of course breeders who want to get something out of their aged horses have to ship them to Mexico. There used to be a slaughter plant fairly close to me and the horse didn’t suffer at all. In fact their death was pretty quick and painless. Just curious, have you guys ever seen a horse euthanized? It’s not always real quick or painless. I’ve seen horses live for quite a while after the injection — especially if they’ve recently been injured. A horse can generate a lot of adrenaline when they’re hurting and this can keep them alive for a while in spite of the meds.

• 9 audrey kirby // Oct 10, 2008 at 7:09 pm

  It is far more of a burden on a horse to ship to slaughter then it is to euthanize them.Not only do they get packed into trucks like sardines they do not get no water or feed or rest stops along the way.100 degree weather they overheat–minus 0 degree they freeze with some having icicles hanging off them.By the time they reach the plant some are too weak to unload by themselves and some have fallen down and been trampled to death..Once unloaded they wait out in the elements still with no water/food until they are herded inside to be slaughtered..Many DO NOT DIE before being hoisted up by a hind leg and their throats slashed..
  You say euthanizing is hard–well how does that become harder then going through the slaughter pipe-line? Stop the darn breeding–geld many of those not so great stallions and put money up to euth when necessary…Use the horses you already have and keep them healthy instead of breeding fuglys over and over trying to get a better horse then your neighbor has at that moment……..

• 10 admin // Oct 11, 2008 at 11:55 am

  You guys keep talking about the horrible conditions that horses have to endure to be taken to slaughter. This is the fault of bad legislation. We need to change the laws in the U.S. to make it simple and easy to slaughter horses for human consumption here and then the horses won’t have to suffer through these horrendously long trips into Canada and Mexico. Also I don’t think the conditions are as bad as you guys are saying. Have you actually seen this yourselves or are you simply quoting something that someone else has told you? It wouldn’t make sense from a business aspect to allow many slaughter horses to die. People who are taking horses to slaughter need to make money — that’s the whole point. If the majority of the horses die before they get to the slaughter plant then there’s not a lot of money made — the wonder of capitalism at work. Plus, you’re ignoring the conditions that these horses are going to be kept in if they’re not taken to slaughter. What are you expecting people to do with unwanted horses? I’ll just tell you that very few people will pay the money to have a horse euthanized. Old horses are just going to be left to run until they die and dangerous horses are going to be passed around from person to person because again no one is going to pay the money to put them down.
  Lastly, you guys keep talking about not breeding poor horses — I’m just curious, have you actually looked at the horses on our site? I think you can clearly see that we’re responsible breeders breeding a high quality product that many people are interested in buying. We just want the right to take our horses to slaughter in order to preserve the value of nice older horses. Before all of this legislation was passed to prevent horse slaughter, a nice older riding horse or broodmare might bring $1000 or more. People would be willing to take the chance on an older horse knowing that they could always weigh the horse up and get a decent portion of their money back. Now the only people interested in these horses are slaughter buyers — a great example of the effect of poorly thought out legislation.

• 11 Jenna // Oct 12, 2008 at 11:13 pm

  I think it’s pretty sick that in the end, all a person cares about is recouping their money. What happened to having the responsibility of having an animal and seeing to it that they are cared for until they die? Yes, I don’t have a problem euthanizing a horse that is no longer wanted….it’s called death with dignity. horses no not die quickly in slaughter plants…they die a horrible painful long death. It all comes down to money and it is shameful that I belong to the human race. If people were responsible and caring, there wouldn’t be a need for slaughter. These poor creatures give their life for you and put their trust in you, only to be discarded like a sweatshirt that has too many holes in it….It’s absolutely sickening….money..money…money…People should be ashamed of themselves.

• 12 admin // Oct 14, 2008 at 1:13 pm

  I respect your right to your opinion Jenna, but I don’t think you’re looking at this issue from the same perspective that I am. There is currently a decent market out there for high-quality colts and nice riding young horses. As a responsible horse breeder, I endeavor to do everything I can to make sure my horses are trained appropriately for their age level and are sold to good homes. I also do everything I can to keep my breeding stock healthy, but these horses aren’t horses we really play with or ride. They spend their time in the pasture pretty much running free. For a horse I think they have a good life. Once they reach a point where they’re too old to breed consistently, they need to be sold. I used to be able to sell these horses to small acreages and ranches where individuals would take special care of them and sometimes get an extra colt or two. People would take the chance on these horses knowing that if things didn’t work out they could always weigh the horse up. Now, however, due to some insane legislation, no one is willing to take a chance on these older horses. In essence, I’m actually having to sell more horses to weigh up now than I did before this restrictive legislation was passed. Also, now instead of these horses having a quick trip to a local plant they’re hauled for hours and end up in Canada and Mexico where the U.S. has no control over proper treatment of animals at the slaughter plant. This is very frustrating to me as a breeder.
  Also, not taking horses to slaughter really leaves no recourse for people with dangerous horses. Some horses are very difficult to handle and therefore dangerous. I can’t tell you how many horror stories I’ve heard about people being seriously injured by horses they’ve attempted to rescue. These horses need to be destroyed but not very many people will pay the $300 to do it. People will, however, haul them to slaughter and take the money offered. These horses aren’t anyone’s friends. Many of these will actually try to intentionally hurt people. Now I’ve heard the argument that these horses are this way because of abuse that they’ve suffered. For some of these horses it’s probably true, but it doesn’t really change the situation in relation to what needs to happen to these horses when they reach this point.
  Unsafe animals need to be destroyed and being a practical person I don’t see why someone shouldn’t be able to eat the meat that they provide.

• 13 B.Brown // Dec 9, 2008 at 2:55 pm

  There is a good debate going on now about whether or not to slaughter a horse. I have studied the horses on this website, and on the sale site also, and I find them to be good quality horses. And I would not hesitate to contact either site about purchases of them. My question is: how many are against the slaughter of horses that actually own one or two, or more, themselves?

• 14 B.Brown // Dec 9, 2008 at 2:56 pm

  How many are against the slaughter of horses that actually own one, two or more themselves?

• 15 B Brown // Dec 16, 2008 at 12:24 pm

  I read an interesting article this weekend. The people of Iceland do eat horsemeat, and its a staple item for them. It is less than half the cost of beef, and the lower income can afford to eat. It would seem that if slaughter houses humanly killed the horses, then the mean should be consumed. I think most are against the needless slaughter, or are not now, or ever been a horse owner.

• 16 ED WILLIAMS // May 7, 2009 at 12:28 pm

  I own 6 horses. I would hate to sell them for slaughter but I would hate even more to see them starve to death. If someone deciedes that cows are not to be sold for human compsumption, what do we eat? Then someone else deciedes chickens are not to be slaughtered for human food. I hate it, but let the consumer deciede what he wants to eat.

• 17 Bret Wade // May 11, 2009 at 12:43 pm

  Here is my humble opinion… I think that the people who let the current laws pass on this issue are just lazy. They used the determining factor that horses are pets and not livestock. Look on the web and look for the definition of ‘livestock’. That’ll show you that someone out there can’t even define the word. I think to really help out the horses we all need to sit down and decide on the specific terms that will allow the animal to go to slaughter. It’s like stopping all the dear hunters one day and then expecting all the dear to find food by them selves. I know I see more and more skinny horses every day.

• 18 hannah // May 16, 2009 at 7:57 am

  i believe that you should not have a ranch if you do not love horses

• 19 admin // May 21, 2009 at 9:53 am

  Bret I’m in complete agreement with you and I also agree with you Hannah. I raise cattle and horses and work very hard to take the best care that I can of all my animals. Once an animal has outlived it’s usefulness though, I do believe that it’s perfectly acceptable to sell them to slaughter. I also don’t believe that the state should be able to legislate what I am and am not allowed to do with my livestock.

• 20 Shane // Aug 8, 2009 at 1:40 am

  We need them to open there eye’s and see what is happen around them. So many back yard breeds that breeding horse’s that should not be breed. I want to the sell the other day there was so my grade horse’s it was unreal! This has to be stopped but that is unlikly, so we have to have some where for them to go. I saw a lot of good breed horse’s sale for 200.00 or less and the grade horse’s that could walk in the ring has bring the same. That is killing the market for all the nice horse’s grade or not, I have had some real good grade horse’s but ever one thanks they are breed’s. They like that cute little colt or filly in the pasture is so nice until it growns up. Bye then they have 2,3,4 or more and alot of people just don’t understand that til it has got out of control like now. I love horse’s raise and breed them and have for quit awhile know. I have had to some down as well, even some of my best broodmares but that is life,but they are animals that GOD gave us. We should manage this in the right way and the way we are going with this is not right so many are left to die a trouble death . They shouldn’t be straved like so many of them are give them a outlet. Don’t let them suffer a slow painfully death by people hand. YES there is a lot of good people out there for horse’s, but right know there is just to many horse’s. They have to do something this is bad deal now so do something about it make the call!!!!! Call your congress or state rep. We have to open it back up in the US !!!!! It would be alot better then want is going on know, so we can control want happens to the animals a lot better. I would not eat horse!!!! But alot of people oversea do , plus it might help the U.S so with job and money as well. That is the way I see it .

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