I’m not sure the powers that be have thought things out very well when it comes to the recent legislation impinging on our rights as horse breeders to sell horses for slaughter when necessary. It seems to me that this legislation will actually lead to more inhumane treatment of horses. There’s no longer anywhere to take a mare who’s too old to breed or a gelding who comes up lame or a maverick horse who’s dangerous to be around. Now, apparently we’re supposed to just feed these horses until they die, but very few people will have the resources to provide for an animal that can no longer function. All this legislation will do is cause breeders and horse owners to turn these animals out and wait for them to die while depressing the horse market as a whole. I wouldn’t exactly call this humane. Luckily some of the slaughter houses are now able to run but as I understand it, they are still not able to process horse meat for human consumption. How is it humane to slaughter horses but not humane to package the meat for people to eat? This doesn’t make much sense to me.
A vote in favor of allowing horses to be slaughtered for human consumption
July 16th, 2007 · 5 Comments
Tags: Horse Slaughter
5 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
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