Horse slaughter

Here is a topic that I am currently helping to block legislation on. While on the front you may think that this is something that is wrong let me give you some facts. The US plants are the only ones that are currently regulated to any degree in North America. The plants in Mexico are an atrocity. Canada's are ok but not nearly as good as the ones in the states. Overseas it's a joke.

In the last 10 years animal rights wackos have successfully closed most horse meat packing houses. There are only a couple left in Texas now. In the US we have too many horses. Many horses are not wanted and have no value except as a lawn ornament and even then alot of them should be euthanized. Because of the cost, typically about $600 now by a veterinarian, these animals are left to suffer or are shot by their owners. Usually they don't do a good job of shooting them and the horse suffers. Or they just let the horse stand out in the field and suffer.

Now while I like horses just as much as anyone the meat packers provide a very valuable service. Just like animal shelters take in litters of dogs and cats and usually end up euth. a great deal of them there are horses that are too bad off anymore and like it or not there are horses that are just plain bad animals. Don't believe the "horse whisperers" that tell you that all bad horses are created. It's just not true. I've raised horses my whole life. I've taken wild mustangs and made them tame as your dog. I've also had horses that were hand raised from day one and regardless of the gentle handling, training methods, etc. they would just as soon hurt you as look at you.

Now I'm not asking you to change your mind one way or the other. It's just that I've seen this horse issue get pretty much out of control. We're starting to place animals on a level equal with man and people are taking it way too far. It's already happened with rodeo but that's another topic. We're heading down a slippery slope with horses. If we outlaw their butcher I guarantee you it won't be long before it happens with all animals. The organizations behind this already have plans in place as soon as horse packing is done away with to start with cattle and then pigs and on down the line.

The thing to remember is that good horses don't go to slaughter. Rarely do you see a good bred, useable horse going to the packers. What you see are crippled, blind, mean, etc. horses that nobody wants. Yes occassionally you can get a good one but that is the exception rather than the rule. Just like occassionally you get a good purebred dog at the pound but that's the exception rather than the rule as well.

Just know that there is another side to this story. If you see from the articles I've attached it is an extremely humane procedure, more so that what will happen across the borders. It won't stop the problem it will just make it harder on the horses.

[wingnut]

I understand your frustration, Richard. I love horses (and most other animals too) but have no ethical problem with them being slaughtered. As you pointed out, it's seldom the family pet that gets butchered ... it's more than likely unusable animals.

My stepfather loved horses and had no problem shipping them for slaughter. When he was no longer able to ride ... and the horses and been wild in the pasture for quite a few years ... he thought it better to ship them than to have to worry about the neighborhood kids (or his grandkids) trying to ride them and getting hurt.

The only problem that I have with horses and slaughterhouses ... and this is likely one of the reasons the animal rights nutcases got onto it ... is/was the games that some BLM folks were playing with wild mustangs. There were quite a few documented cases where they bought the horses (by themselves or through friends) for pennies and then made quite a few bucks selling them for slaughter. If they're going to yank them off the range, fine ... but not so some employees can enrich themselves. (I don't like crooks and like government crooks far less).

Anything we TBN/CBN'ers can do to help? (as you can tell, I haven't found time to read the attachment yet)

pete

With regard to the BLM deal that was back in the late 70's Pete. That kind of stuff hasn't gone on for a long time. There is a list of requirements a mile long now and paperwork to go through to adopt one now.

With regard to what you can do I mostly just wanted to know why people were so opposed to it. For the life of me I can't see it. We eat cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, deer, ducks, geese, etc. but the dredge of the horse world can't go to slaughter. I just don't understand why people are so opposed to it. People see horses as some kind of sacred object but I'm here to tell you that a dog or a cat are much easier to make friends and make better friends than a horse. Just take foals or other horses that haven't had human contact and see how friendly they are. Yes with time you can tame them but you can tame anything. One of my good friends has a cougar and a mountain lion for pets. Horses are the #1 cause of animal accidents and are in the top 10 for causing all accidents. They aren't exactly the most people friendly animal that there is.

Anyway was just more looking to see if this is something that all people have an issue with or just the animal rights wackos. As usual we all usual suffer the consequences to make a few people happy.

[wingnut]

news stuff I saw in Canada before I moved to the US (4-1/2 years ago) was "current" .... i.e. late 90's .... but I have no verification. I guess I find it easy to believe just because I have such a low opinion of swivel servants. I did go to the BLM mustang/burro "adoption" auction here a month ago and you're right about the paperwork. (But, of course, paperwork only applies to us non-gov't types)

[blue]As usual we all usual suffer the consequences to make a few people happy. [/blue]
IMHO ... these people can't be happy ... they just want to make other people as miserable as they are.

I have to agree with you ... some of it makes no sense at all .... lambs are cute ... but we eat them ... women seem to love veal ... but horses are sacred.

Now, if the people that feel we should not slaughter horses would all shell out for the loss of income and the cost of euthanizing and disposing .... I'd, at least, listen to them ..... but, as long as they want to use my tax dollars for their pet projects .... I can't hear them at all.

[Hank]

<font color="blue">With regard to what you can do I mostly just wanted to know why people were so opposed to it. For the life of me I can't see it. We eat cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, deer </font color>

I once saw an article (perhaps tongue-in-cheek) that postulated the reason is that we do not have a "nickname" for horsemeat. It is simply horsemeat, which brings to mind the animal it came from. Cows are "beef", deer "venison", pigs "pork", chicken "poultry", etc.

[JoeR]

Why do the few rule the many? In other words, why can a small group of wackos inflict their will upon us?


Joe R.

That's pretty much it Joe. You see it all the time. We can't pray in school, can't have up the ten commandments, have to give special rights to minorities, you can eat every other creature of god's but horses are off limits, and on and on. 99% of these types of things don't apply to 99% of the people but that 1% gets their way.

[GrantMO]

Richard,
I think it's to set a precedent. If you outlaw the humane and appropriate slaughter of horses, the next step can be cows, bison, then hogs, chickens, turkeys etc.....

[poorboy]

I have no problem with horses going to slaughter. I feel the same way about the way people are begining to think. I'm glad to see that I'm not the last one to think that way. Although I still do feel bad when an old cow you have had for 15 years stands and balls at me when they load up for slaughter after going through the ring. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

Like Donner said, meats meat. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]
Patrick

[AndyF]

<font color="blue">We can't pray in school </font color> I'm sorry to switch topics, but this comment drives me nuts. Kids can pray in school. What we aren't supposed to have is a government sanctioned group prayer. I'd really like to know if anyone has ever had direct experience where either they or their child was prevented from praying in school when the prayer would not distract anyone else from doing their schoolwork. Schools all over this country especially in the south have bible study groups and other religious organizations.

Regarding the use of horses for meat, I wasn't aware that it was being restricted. If it really is, that's too bad. People should be able to eat what they want or feed their pets what they like.