Horse Slaughter Bill

[luckymeacres]

I thought you might be interested in this HSUS campaign to

protect horses from slaughter. We don't eat horsemeat but tens

of thousands of American horses are shipped under inhumane

conditions and suffer a terrible fate at one of three

foreign-owned slaughterhouses in the United States. Former show

horses, thoroughbreds, ponies, foals, wild horses, pregnant

mares from the Premarin industry and any other kind of horse you

can imagine are put through this brutal process all so that

their meat can be shipped overseas to foreign markets for diners

in Europe and Asia.

After thousands of Americans spoke out last year, Congress

passed a law with overwhelming majorities in the House and the

Senate prohibiting horse slaughter to continue in 2006. Now, the

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is saying it might find a

way to continue horse slaughter despite Congress's clear

mandate. This is an outrageous act on the part of an agency

whose purpose is to implement laws, not sidestep them. For the

sake of our horses and our democracy, please take a moment to

act to stop the USDA's illegal action. This will all be decided

quickly so please don't delay. Go to this link and take action

now.

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_200...k=A1AiSA71qXUkW

 

[Shari]

OK,, no matter what we need horse slaughter in this country. Most places do it humanely.

I love my horses,, but they are and always have been meat.

Are you willing, able, have the funds, the man power, the amount of land needed to properly take care of all the horses normaly sent to slaughter?

Are you willing to see the horse that normally would go to slaughter and have its life ended...now because of this bill starve slowly to death in someones back pasture?

At least with slaughter it did not have to endure all the extra years of neglect.

How about the truly rank horses,, the ones very dangerous to people and other horses? Yes there are those kind out there.

Just like people that are born mean... same thing can happen to horses. Do you have the facilities to handle such horses? Insurance? Will you make sure that horse can't hurt people?

It is a nice thought to save the world but this bill will not help the horses.

 

[stormy]

The bill cut funding for USDA inspection of horse slaughter facilities meaning horsemeat would no longer be inspected for human consumption, can still be processed for animal products or rendered. As others have mentioned before the slaughter of horses is a result of overproduction and irresponsible breeding, cutting off slaughter, as much as we all hate it, condemns thousands of horses to a slow death by starvation and abuse. What will become of the 40,000 unwanted animals that normally go to slaughter every year? We need to address that issue before banning slaughter altogether.

 

[luckymeacres]

We don't eat horsemeat but tensof thousands of American horses are shipped under inhumane

conditions and suffer a terrible fate at one of three

foreign-owned slaughterhouses in the United States.

 

[Shari]

I am sorry,, but there has been in place a law that there must be humane transport of horses.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahps/equine/horse_transport/

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahps/equine/...s-brochure.html

 

[Pepipony]

Laws are guidelines, just by having them doesnt make everything hunkydory. However, I DO know what you are saying. I think that slaughter is a neccessary evil. One that I HATE and one that I would never EVER use. But, as long as us humans breed everything in sight, overbreed, get in over our heads and just act plain dumb ignorant, I can see no end in sight.

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

Laws are guidelines, just by having them doesnt make everything hunkydory. However, I DO know what you are saying. I think that slaughter is a neccessary evil. One that I HATE and one that I would never EVER use. But, as long as us humans breed everything in sight, overbreed, get in over our heads and just act plain dumb ignorant, I can see no end in sight.

What I'd love to see is legislation to prosecute and severly punish those who abuse and neglect. If our current laws had real teeth we might see a declining need for the "necessary evil" of slaughter.

 

[Jenn]

Slaughter is definitely necessary. I'm not going to call it evil, because it's not.

I despise legislation that deals with the result, but not the source, of the problem. If the government put in place legislation that required the licensing of people who wanted to breed animals - ANY animals - and punished those who breed irresponsibly, I would support that legislation. Reducing the number of animals bred initially to create a true supply-and-demand market would ensure fewer animals would go to slaughter because every animal produced would already be WANTED by someone.

I'm always impressed with farms and breeders who have a waiting list for their foals or whatever animal they are producing. They are obviously breeding an animal that is in demand, recognized for its quality, and will be valued by its new owners.

 

[Pepipony]

What I'd love to see is legislation to prosecute and severly punish those who abuse and neglect. If our current laws had real teeth we might see a declining need for the "necessary evil" of slaughter

I couldnt agree more! Most times people get little more than a slap on the wrist. i think that if they find a hauler not following the law, then give them a fine of $10k per horse and the company a fine of $25k per horse. Not to mention the regular abuse that happens everyday to critters.

 

[Leeana]

Im going to get my two cents in here.

I hate horse slaughter, I hate Sugarcreek Horse Auction Barn and i hate the people who abuse and neglect there horses. BUT, as much as i hate it and feel for these horses, i would rather them go to slaughter then live for 2 month's without feed.

Have you ever been to Amish Country and seen buggy horses 200 pounds under weight?

Have you ever been to sugarcreek horse auction (one of the biggest meat horse auction barns) and seem horses with broken necks, legs, missing hooves be pushed through an auction by men waving sticks? Truth is, these horses are FAR BEYOND help and i think they truly understand what is going on. Unless you have been to one of these horriable auctions and sat there and watched with tear's in your eyes. Now i for one, hated horse slaughter up untill month's ago after finding out what went on at auctions like these.

NOW,

what does get my ticked off are these MORONS who has a perfectly healthy happy horse, it goes and looses a show ...they ship it off to slaughter! Now if i ever see anyone do this, i will be giving them one peice of my mind. This is the biggest thing that can get me going in a matter of seconds. I read on the internet about a hackney pony that was BEAUTIFUL and then he lost a couple shows, people chopped his tail off, got rid of the main and through him in the kill pen .... :no:. That is a new Low!

As long as we have horse slaughter (which we will for a long long time) ...we will have those people who just are heartless and dont have a brain in there head.

I cant beleive i am saying this, but i hope that horse slaughter is around for a while.

:

Leeana

Just wanted to add ...

We wouldnt have slaughter in the first place if people took care of there horses. It doesnt cost to much to keep a horse fed, watered and happy! Good lord!

Leeana

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Killing an animal humanely NEVER hurt it, banning, or wishing to ban Horse Slaughter is a nonsense.

You need to ban the EXPORT of horses for slaughter, otherwise they will be shipped, ALIVE, to Mexico or Canada.

If they go to Canada, at least there are laws in place.

If they go to Mexico there is NOTHING to stop them going all the way down to Argentina, ALIVE, and then by boat to Italy. I have seen footage of the South American slaughter horses being hauled off the boats in Italy- I was physically sick, and I could not smell what the people filming could smell.

You have your priorities all in the wrong order.

By closing slaughterhouses and ignoring the abuse issues all you are doing is sweeping the whole issue under the carpet.

"I don't want to see it"

is NOT the answer.

We, everyone, needs to address the way that any animal bound for slaughter, for whatever purpose, is raised, kept, housed and killed.

Across the board.

At the end of the day I have no problem if someone wants to eat one of my horses, I have only a problem with how thay die.

Since they will only ever do that with my hand on the rope, they will always die with dignity.

Now, what about chickens, pigs, cattle????????

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

What will become of the 40,000 unwanted animals that normally go to slaughter every year? We need to address that issue before banning slaughter altogether.

Well for one thing it will finally be noticed by the general population instead of being swept under the rug through "humane" (BS) slaughter. The only thing humane about it is that they are finally rid of the terror and their tormentors and it's highly doubtful anyone is lovingly holding the rope for them when the bolt hits. As witnessed by this legislation even being passed in this country is evidence that enough people hate it enough to want it stopped at any cost. Banning export and punishing those who neglect and abuse is the next step. If Canada and Mexico want to send their own animals to Europe and elsewhere, so be it.

Heck makes me wonder why those who are so proslaughter don't undertake this as a business venture for themselves and start raising and selling their own stock as table fare since they think it's such a fitting end for one of God's most noble creatures.

Luckyme, don't every stop caring and trying to do the right thing.

 

[Leeana]

Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too Posted Today, 06:19 PM QUOTE(stormy @ Jan 6 2006, 06:42 AM)

What will become of the 40,000 unwanted animals that normally go to slaughter every year? We need to address that issue before banning slaughter altogether.

Well for one thing it will finally be noticed by the general population instead of being swept under the rug through "humane" (BS) slaughter. The only thing humane about it is that they are finally rid of the terror and their tormentors and it's highly doubtful anyone is lovingly holding the rope for them when the bolt hits. As witnessed by this legislation even being passed in this country is evidence that enough people hate it enough to want it stopped at any cost. Banning export and punishing those who neglect and abuse is the next step. If Canada and Mexico want to send their own animals to Europe and elsewhere, so be it.

Heck makes me wonder why those who are so proslaughter don't undertake this as a business venture for themselves and start raising and selling their own stock as table fare since they think it's such a fitting end for one of God's most noble creatures.

Luckyme, don't every stop caring and trying to do the right thing.

I agree ...i beleive that killing something so precious is just horriable to think of. Then i saw these two pinto's who were so thin ..you could look in there eye's and practically see them wishing to die. It broke my heart, that was the first time i atually hoped they went to slaughter. I bought them a bag of carrots and fed to them ..they were both only 4yrs old to.

Maybe WE should do something about it, stop breeding so many horses, sell only to good people ..work on keeping horses out of the wrong peoples hands.

Maybe im just not over seeing them two horses yet ...but since then my mind had been changed.

Horse Slaughter is why i dont sell my horses normally .....god knows where they will end up.

Leeana

 

[Pepipony]

Some people know about horse slaughter, most do not, or are blindly ignorant to it. Including horse people. Dont they wonder where that tail extension comes from so Prissy can look beautifull in the show ring? What then happens when Prissy stops winning? Do they actually hold on to her untill the right home comes along or do they just ship her off for the fast buck?

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Part of my whole point is...

What right do you think you have to say that a horse is a noble creature and should be treated with care and consideration, but a Pig or a Cow is rubbish and can be treated as such, kept in inhumane conditions, poked with electric prods etc??

This is beyond silliness, this is arrogance.

Meat is meat and, if you eat it, to ban horse slaughter is hypocritical.

It's OK to kill a Cow but not a Horse??

It's OK to eat a Cow but not a Horse??

To Hindus Cows are sacred!!!

So, I say again, it is not the fact that the animals is eaten that is the problem, it is the way it is TREATED that is the problem.

NO animal should be treated the way slaughter animals are, for the most part, treated.

We have no God given right to decide which animal is "noble" and which one it is OK to abuse.

Animal Abuse is WRONG and we should be addressing the whole problem.

I say again, close the slaughterhouses and you force the animals to be trucked, alive, for maybe thousands of miles before they finally get the end to their lives they, by that time , will be yearning for.

Keep the slaughterhouses open and legislate to make sure they are humane.

Make sure the laws are enforced.

Banning slaughterhouses will do nothing to end horse abuse, in fact, it will make it far far worse.

Of course you will not have to watch it. :no:

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

Part of my whole point is...

What right do you think you have to say that a horse is a noble creature and should be treated with care and consideration, but a Pig or a Cow is rubbish and can be treated as such, kept in inhumane conditions, poked with electric prods etc??

And just what right do YOU think you have to say a horse is not? We are talking about horse slaughter in this instance and no, cattle slaughter is in no way more humane. Thinking it is just eases the consciences of those who are involved with it in some way or another either through production or consumption.

What some tend to forget is that horse slaughter is not only about disposing of old Dobbin when he's too ill, lame, or old to be of use. It's also about all of us some day maybe coming home to find one or more of the horses we love missing and them ending up in a stockyard for slaughter. I'd be hard pressed to believe anyone is naive enough to believe that stolen horses are probably living in the lap of luxury somewhere. Let's not forget about the horses that are perfectly fine and healthy in all ways other than someone has lost interest in them and last but not least, plain old greed.

This is beyond silliness, this is arrogance.

Meat is meat and, if you eat it, to ban horse slaughter is hypocritical.

It's OK to kill a Cow but not a Horse??

It's OK to eat a Cow but not a Horse??

To Hindus Cows are sacred!!!

Meat is not just meat. Rat, insects, cat and dog are common table fare in other part of the world but NOT here. So no, horses are not considered a meat source here any more than our cats or dogs and thereby HAVE acheived a higher status than the animals we raise specifically for food.

Ah well duh, but we're not addressing a predominantly Hindu audience are we?

: You wouldn't think of calling them arrogant for considering cows sacred yet you feel free to put others down for their beliefs, as usual. Now that's what I call hypocritical.

So, I say again, it is not the fact that the animals is eaten that is the problem, it is the way it is TREATED that is the problem.NO animal should be treated the way slaughter animals are, for the most part, treated.

I could agree with half that statement. I'm not anti-meat and if people want to eat it that is between them and their conscience whether I or anyone else agrees with it or not. However, if more people thought about what they are eating, I mean really thought about it, and all that creature endured to end up on their plate it might become very unappealing after awhile. But the majority don't or won't. It's not a predominating thought for most people at dinner time, they just eat the steak or whatever and never think of it as ever having been a conscious, living creature.

For the record, while I'm not vegetarian I rarely consume beef, pork and chicken not only for health reasons but because I don't enjoy the taste of flesh foods, not solely for anti-slaughter reasons which for some is plenty reason enough.

We have no God given right to decide which animal is "noble" and which one it is OK to abuse.Animal Abuse is WRONG and we should be addressing the whole problem.

Well that is exactly what slaughter is about now isn't it, people who think they have that God given right to make that decision. However no one ever said it's OK to abuse ANY animal. Where did you come up with that?

:

I say again, close the slaughterhouses and you force the animals to be trucked, alive, for maybe thousands of miles before they finally get the end to their lives they, by that time , will be yearning for.

Keep the slaughterhouses open and legislate to make sure they are humane.

Make sure the laws are enforced.

The abuse laws SHOULD be enforced and with a vengence. Anyone caught starving or abusing any animal should be severly punished and to the fullest extent of the law. And it's not news that they've already suffered that fate for many years and not many have bothered to try and stop it until the ugliness was brought to light in an in-your-face kind of way. It has to be a highly charged emotional issue for people to get mad and disgusted enough to affect real change. Humanity cannot be legislated.

Banning slaughterhouses will do nothing to end horse abuse, in fact, it will make it far far worse.

Of course you have proof of this and have real life examples you could share rather than only conjecture? A link to such info would be very enlightening to help us dense anti-slaughter people come around.

Of course you will not have to watch it. :no:

And does that imply you will? Why not try cleaning up your own backyard before you worry about anyone else's? At least I'm from the US and have vested interest in the outcome. Believe me, it would be easy to cast stones and find MANY things to critisize and condemn about the UK, and other countries represented on this forum, and their people but most of us have better manners.

 

[Leeana]

Okay im going to try to give my opinion agian ....(heaven forbid)

:

Do the Hindus eat cows? Do they ship them out to other countries?

...i dont think so.

Now horses are so loyal, they diserve better then to have someone say 'oh i dont have a problem with someone eating my horses meat after it dies' ..dieing loyal or not, i think that is just a horriable comment! To have a horse carry you on its back for 25+ years, Pull your around in a Cart for 25+ years and do all the other loyal duties that they do ....i dont think its fare to just cutt him up and put him on some guys plate.

We have no God given right to decide which animal is "noble" and which one it is OK to abuse

....okay you being a horse owner and a 'horse lover' ...how can you say that? I know over here in th United States ..horses are everyone dreams practically. Now over there, it might be different. But over here the horse is practically 'worshipped'. But i do agree that no animal is OK to be abused, but coming from a long line of beef/dairy farmers ...cows are not beaten to death. They have a nice life on pasture, nice facilities and more food them you would beleive. And when that time comes for them to go to be slaughtered, it is not done anywhere nearly as bad as horses have it. Most are transported there by the owner/farmer with food right infront of them and not longer then a couple hours drive.

But i still think slaughter is needed, at least for now.

Leeana

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Shirley I am not even going to try to answer you, You turn everything into a personal vendetta, quite honestly I have not the time, nor had I would I waste it thus.

Leeanna, you are young enough to still be naive about this. What do you think will happen to the horses if you close the slaughterhouses??

Do you think they will live out their lives on rolling prairies??

We have been through all this before.

And, No, horses are NOT everybody's dream, a lot of people actually do not care for them at all, and some do not care for them any more than they do, say cattle. ]

A lot of people who do not care for cats, dogs, horses etc would still be completely against them being harmed or abused in any way- these are the people who need to be mobilised, with facts not emotion.

Would you honestly rather close a slaughter house that kills, in the US animals for human consumption , and then exports the carcasses, and condemn the animals, as I said, to being carted alive, down through Mexico maybe even as far as Argentina and taken, still alive, across by boat to Italy??

PLEASE Read my post again.

Go to the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH)

http://www.ilph.org/sitemakeupimages/ilph_hattie.jpg

you will notice it is International

- they have (or had until recently) footage of horses being brought off these boats.

Hindus hold the cow sacred and will not eat it or kill it. I do know oxen (castrated bulls) are still used in Indian countries- I am not sure if Hindus allow this or not.

Again I say it is NOT the killing of animals that upsets me, it is the way they are treated. And THIS is what we should be addressing.

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

Shirley I am not even going to try to answer you, You turn everything into a personal vendetta, quite honestly I have not the time, nor had I would I waste it thus.

Good answer when you have nothing valid to say on the subject when questioned so I'll leave it at that.

And vendetta ah that would definately be you. One has only to read back over the reams of negative posts you proliferate. At least I can give someone credit and be kind once in a while, not so with you.

:

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Since you are determined to bring this to a personal level- when were YOU ever kind??

You are nasty and vindictive on a personal level to anyone who does not agree with you.

Really I do not know why I bother.

If you cannot see answers when they are given I have not the time nor the inclination to teach you to read properly, sorry.