Inform me: Horse Slaughter

[bevann]

I just recently returned from a vacation in ID,MT and Canada.Saw my first slaughterhouse with lots of horses&cattle waiting.I was lucky it was just from the road as we drove past.It was outside a town in Alberta province called Ft.McLeoud. Sp? Woman in feed store said there were 2 near there.I guess that is where lots of our US horses go.As long as there is a demand for horsemeat elsewhere I guess there will always be these places.IMO it is just a cultural thing.Some societies eat dog and cats. We U.S. humans will make pets out of anything.I do not favor eating horses, but in some cases it is difficult to get rid of a BAAAD animal.If there were not so many animals bred, there would not be such a surplus.Look at all the animals in shelters both large&small.Unfortunately we have become a disposable society.If it no longer suits us, we get rid of it anyway we can.Maybe we need to be more concerned with buyers&try to insure a Forever home.My horses are almost always sold with a Buy Back Clause in the contract.This year I have bought back or found new homes for over 20 Minis.Hope next year is not so bad.Some was due to illness-some people just got tired of them.

 

[shminifancier]

You have not closed the border to the export of horses, and have not stopped slaugther in other countries.. The anti side did exactly what we've been saying they are doing all along. Not thinking ahead, and not looking to see what effect their useless legislation will have on horses.

While the anti side was loudly claiming we stopped horse slaughter in the US. They should have been saying, we outsourced slaughter to another country, and took off the regulations for humane transportation to these countries while we were at it. Hate to see how bad they will screw it up if they get their way with HR 503

 

[tagalong]

The only way to stop the suffering of horses is do take the stigma out of it. Over seas it is very aceptable to haul your horse to a PLANT. The horses do NOT suffer in anyway. It is done pretty much the same why as cattle. hogs and chickens. PETA and other animal rights orgs only put photos and fliers out of the one in a million kill that goes bad. A quick clean kill and staughter do not make good press for them so they go about making it look like evey horse that goes in the plant suffers endlessly..

*zips up flame suit*

In the part of Canada where I lived... taking a horse to the plant WAS acceptable. You did not get tarred and feathered and shrieked at. I took my old TB gelding when he was fading - and there was no way to bury him in the dead of winter.

Unfortunately - the slaughterhouses ARE a necessary evil... and as I have actually TOURED one that specifically dealt with horses I can put my "money" where my mouth is... the horses were better cared for in the holding pens there than they probably were whereever they came from... those who stressed easily were not held long. People who wanted to cruise the paddocks for a potential purchase were encouraged to. Stallions were NOT housed in crowded conditions with young stock. Everyone was sorted out appropriately. Weanlings were NOT slaughtered but turned out in a herd to grow - and maybe be bought by someone. The "kill" was INSTANT. QUICK. CLEAN. Dead before he hit the floor. No doubt about it. Any even slight doubt and he would be hit again. NO HORSE was ever rendered live, hanging upside down and writhing and screaming as PETA and many others will constantly tell you. That is simply NOT true. Yes -

If everyone wants to make the suffering end. Make it so a horse can be saughtered in any plant in the US.

YES. The transport is the problem... NOT the "kill".

He even said a bullet is better then any shot he can give. One clean bullet if done right, the horse does not know it coming it's done and over. POP. DEAD.

As I said above. I have seen lethal injections go wrong - and the horse fight it and crash and flip....

When you sell any horse to any body they could end being sold for saughter later on. If your so sure you will never sell to a killer as so many people say they will not then they better never bred another mare. Or sell her either.Now I know my veiw is not most.

As I was driving back from the store this AM .... I passed - count 'em - one... two... three.... NINE foals in assorted backyards... full-size ones at that. I know four of those QH mares personally - and not one of them is pleasant in temperament... or terribly sound... so HEY let's breed her. Uh huh. Good thing mares can't have litters....

We are so quick to point and howl and get indignant about slaughter - and talk about spaying and neutering cats and dogs... and yet continue to pump out foals endlessly and contribute to the problem. PMU farmers (and yes I used to inspect those with a vet and they were CLEAN and BRIGHT and the horses were fat and happy... unlike what "experts" say who rely on the same tired 20+ year old pics from a farm that would have never passed inspection or had its licence renewed...) are part of the NAERIC futurities/incentive fund - where performance horses are acknowledged and rewarded. PMU babies are not just any old breeding cast-offs. And as the synthetic replacements become better... the PMU ranches will slowly fade away... (and WHO is going to adopt all those mares???).

If you truly want to end horse slaughter... then we need to diminish the supply...

I see people getting indignant here about nurse mares etc.... and yet conveniently ignoring the dairy industry and the discarded calves... ???

Many nurse mares are posted as they have LOST their foals... and are thus listed as potential moms. To assume that everything is run the same as a dairy barn... well - you know what they say about assuming... and some mares love having babies around (we have a mini mare here who would love to be a mom All. The. Time

) - and once their own is weaned will happily adopt another. To smear all Nurse Mare programs with the same brush is unfair - and judgmental IMHO.

Meh - I have probably said enough here to get flamed up the wazooo multiple times.... *sigh*

 

[capall beag]

The slaughter houses in the US are foreign owned.

There is a big one in Texas.

I do not believe any of the 2 or 3 remaining ones are American owned, I think that is no longer allowed, or that is what I concluded from what I read.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

No flames BUT go and do a search for Nurse Mares- there are FARMS that specialise- these are NOT mares that have "lost" their foals. We have nothing like that over here, only a volunteer run set up that puts mare owners in touch with foal owners and vice versa, I could not believe what I was reading when I first saw it!! I have sent a mare to raise a foal for someone when her own died, I know what that is!! And I do not drink milk, for exactly the reasons you have stated- I was already making up my mind to this end, any way when I suddenly realised that Yes, milk has calcium in it, but there is NO way we can digest it. One, it is from another specie and Two, you cannot digest milk once your digestive juices have changed- So- what is all this hype about???

Once again, SLAUGHTER is NOT the problem. Slaughterers will always be needed. The transport and kill conditions of a lot of places IS the problem. Once it's dead, it's dead. Let's look after it before it dies!!!!!

 

[tagalong]

No flames BUT go and do  a search for Nurse Mares- there are FARMS that specialise- these are NOT mares that have "lost" their foals.  We have nothing like that over here, only a volunteer run set up that puts mare owners in touch with foal owners and vice versa, I could not believe what I was reading when I first saw it!!

Bolding mine. More assumptions. That happens a lot on this board.

Unlike many here - and some rescue groups who post incredibly inaccurate and at time hysterical information on their websites... I DO check things out. And I am well aware of all aspects of the horse industry - having worked in it for many years. Please go back and read my post again.... and note where I said that painting ALL Nurse Mare programs with the same brush is unfair. ALL. I know there are nurse mare "farms". But also note the lists of mares who have lost their foals, the colostrum banks etc. There are far too many people here who over-react to things in their concern... who would simply assume that ANY "nurse mare" mention was somehow bad... based on what they may have read here. NOT TRUE. As in ( I removed the contact info even though it is out on the net elsewhere)...

If you have a mare that is available as a nurse mare or if you are in need of a nurse mare, please email us.
Nurse Mare Available in Canada

CHILLIWACK, Canada (July 28, 2005) – A nurse mare and colostrum are available in this British Columbian city. For information, XXXXXXXXXX

Colostrom, Nurse Mare Available

SUTTON, Ontario (June 26, 2005) – Colostrom and a nurse mare are available from a mare that had a stillborn foal Friday. Please contact XXXXXXXXXXX

Nurse Mare Available

ANTHONY, N.M. (June 20, 2005) – A nurse mare is available in Anthony, N.M. For further information, contact Shelly at XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nurse Mare Needed

OCALA, Fla. (May 17, 2005) – A nurse mare is needed in the Ocala area. Please contact Mary Lou at XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nurse Mare Available

GOLDEN, Tex. (May 11, 2005) – A nurse mare is available in Golden, Texas, after losing her twins. Contact Linda at XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nurse Mare Available in Washington

KENNEWICK, Wash. (May. 5, 2005) – A nurse mare is available in the state of Washington. Contact XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nurse Mare Available

HOUSE SPRINGS, Mo. (Apr. 25, 2005) – A nurse mare is available in the St. Louis area. Please contact Lisa at XXXXXXXXXXX

Nurse Mare Available

RALEIGH, N.C. (Mar. 23, 2005) – A nurse mare is available in the North Carolina area. For more information, call XXXXXX or email at XXXXXXXXXXXX

Nurse Mare Needed

ARCADIA, Calif. (Mar. 14, 2005) – A nurse mare is needed in the southern California area for a March 5 foal. Please contact XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nurse Mare in Virginia

KINGWOOD, W. Va. (Mar. 13, 2005) – A mare that lost her foal Sunday is available to nurse a foal. For further information, call XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

[Leeana]

When i seen this thread had something to do w/ horse slaughter i knew i should not have came to it. Sorry if this is a bit off subject of Marty's topic, but i must speak on this.

~*HEATED DISCUSSION TIME NOW*~

Rabitfizz:

I personally do have a problem w/ horse slaughter. I can not disagree w/ you more on this one!. Killing a horse ..to make dogfood is the most wrong thing ever. Do you understand that a single horse can change some girls life out there? I mean i cannot begin to tell you how many Good horses which i would have died to have when i was younger that i seen to go a horse slaughter at a auction. There is this one that goes to Mt. Hope horse auction every Saturday. He is there every time. He bids on them all, race horses, paces and ponys. He even Bid on coco the first time we were there, that was before i knew he was. So coco almost died and he is the best horse i have ever owned, he changed my life. Up untill i got him i only had 1 horse and i had not bonded w/ it. I wasnt into horses that much and was starting to. The one horse i had was Frosty (R.I.P). Everyone around me had horses, i just had that one. I loved him, but he and i had not completely bonded and i had him my whole life. Well then coco changed me. I wasnt the greatest person before i got coco, i was a depressed, angry regular 16 yr old girl. Coco changed me so much. I honestly can not put it into words what has happened in my life, i have a reason to live and get up every day now. and Yes i do have plenty of horses now, but w/out coco i honestly dont think i could take care of them bc it would be to hard w/out him. He's like no other friends i never had.

You may lauph at that if you want ..but you have no idea.

Horse slaughter is in no way a good thing. It is evil and i beleive anyone who has anything to do w/ gets what they have coming. Is that seriously a job ..killing horses? Freshman year we had a guy who slaughtered horses come into class to speak w/ us ..i told the teacher i could not be in that room and he told me to just stit through it and it might open my mind a bit. Well when he asked for questions, i sure put in my 2 cents!. I would be homeless walking the side of the road w/ coco beside me and a bag of horse feed and bottle of water in my hand before i woke up to go to my 'job' of slaughtering horses every day!.

I mean you honestly have to be hardup for cash to do that. Horses are a precious meriacle that we should admire and love, not kill to make glue or dogfood.

I never heard of using dead horses. That i can understand, if there dead and the owner does not wish to give the horse a 'propper' barrial, then fine. That i can understand.

I am so agianst horse slaughter that you just have no clue. Its sad that people beleive that its perfectly fine. I guess there is a difference between having a passion for horses and a love for them ..VR.. beleiving they are only good for work and show. How could humans be so cruel?

Im done though, Marty i dont think they passed that law. I only wish they would.

Im done!

"that horse could be some girls miracle"

 

[shminifancier]

No comment,, That is your right to disagree

 

[justaboutgeese]

While this member is certainly right to voice her opinion in open forum it does not entitle her to put down the opinion of another forum member. There are points on both sides so it should not be divided by the innocence of youth or wisdom of "age". But rather by right or wrong. Here there is neither, the only wrong is in a persons personal feelings or belief versus another persons or belief. Putting a horse down by veternary syringe or stun gun makes little difference in the final outcome for the horse. I would suggest that the junior member read exactly what was said regarding the reasoning the statements made and she might then realize that both people are on the same side of the fence in this "debate" Geese

 

[New_Image]

Rabbitsfizz are you saying your ok with slaughter houses to slaughter the dead horses, and thats fine with you? Or are you saying as long as the horse has a comfy ride over, its ok if they kill it for what they want? Im a bit confused.

 

[shminifancier]

Dead is dead One way or the other...Whether by Injection whether by slaughter Whether by the end of my 22 Rifle Dead is dead and that is that way life ends...Whether that animal is put into a grave feeding the worms and yes even worms have to eat Or into a incinerator or mounted by a taxidermy..Or in a can of dog food or fed to mink Or on somebodies plate for supper.... Dead is dead...

Just like my pet steer I raised up his name was Hamburger...And Now he IS hamburger in my Freezer... Dead is dead...Food is food Some places the Cow is sacred Does that now mean we can't eat anymore hamburger...Of course not..dead is dead and gone..

 

[littlearab]

I understand that the young members of the fourm have strong feelings about this subject.

I have 5 dauthers ages 27-12 so I really do know how you feel.

Yes a horse can safe a girls life, one saved my now 27 year old life many times. They are soal mates this I do believe. I beieve my best freinds have laways been my horses.

But with age comes wisdom and knowing that the world is not black or white and so is this subject.

And yes killing horses is a real job as is killing a cow or pig or chicken. Some one must kill them and pack them neatly so people can go to the store and buy them and yes eat them. Fact of life. We take our own to the plant and have them packed just for us. Now that cradle to the freezer.

Animals ,, all animal were put on earth so man could use them... how we use them is up to us.

Everyone has to eat..your dog, your cat , you all need meat. Weather it comes for a cow, pig, goat , sheep, horse or deer what ever it matters not in the long run.

I do not eat horses, but know people who do they do NOT have horns nor does the guy whos job it is to shot the gun.Nor does the person who packs them up nice and neat for you to buy.

 

[New_Image]

I know dead is dead is dead. I just dont see it right to buy a perfectly healthy horse full of good years and kill it for food, there are enough good cows to go around why eat horse? It doesnt even sound good ( and if any one here tells me "horse is not that bad" I will dis own you right here and now

)

If any of my horses ever were killed before there time for the likes of any one wanteing them as food Id hunt that person down and end there sick life right then and there.

It just doesnt even seem right to kill a horse, a healthy beautiful broke sane horse, and eat it. I would eat pine needles before the thought of flipping Molly burgers even crossed my mind. I dont care how it was put down, and I know the horse doesnt know one way or another when the lights go out, it just doesnt seem like the thing to do.

For the record, after my horses served there purpose and lived with me and did a job well done they get burried not shipped off for $100 to the meat factory where they can be torn from limb to limb. Yes I know... dead is dead and they dont know but I DO I have enought respect for the animal who gave me great joy over they years to be decent.

Eidt to add: If others want to send there dead horses off to be turned into meat, that is ok, I would never do it but if it doesnt bug them, doesnt bug me, its there horse. I just dont like seeing healthy other wise wonderful horses turned into a horse burger.

 

[runamuk]

Why is it so wrong to eat a horse?

The Hindu's hold the cow sacred and would never eat one yet many here probably love a good steak........

How many think hunting is wrong? do you eat duck, goose, elk, deer, veal, bison, chicken, rabbit, pig, bear, lamb....how many here buy fancy dog food containing any of the above ingredients?

Anyone here play baseball? go read what they are made from.....horse hide folks........

I do not condone poor treatment of ANY animal destined for slaughter be it in the feed lot or on the transport, or at the holding pens........I have respect for the lives that are taken to feed me and mine........

personally the focus should be on humane treatment of ALL animals prior to them being slaughtered......

for the record I have eaten every animal mentioned above including horse ....I was a child and I ate what was served......I would not by choice eat horse for that matter I am not a big fan of eating pig either

 

[shminifancier]

the focus should be on humane treatment of ALL animals prior to them being slaughtered......

Truer words were never spoken

 

[Leeana]

I didnt by any means mean to single out rabbitfizz at all, I dont remember who brought that up but i didnt mean to single her out. She has her view ..i have mine.

Before i get the 'you will understand when you are older'. Okay well all you older people out there ..please take a look at these before you dare tell me that a horse is treated well before they are murded.

Got this from here ...Horse Slaughter Info

"Currently, three foreign-owned slaughterhouses in the United States are killing horses for human consumption. They are Beltex Corporation in Ft. Worth, Texas; Dallas Crown in Kaufman, Texas and Cavel International in DeKalb, Illinois. According to the US Department of Agriculture, 65,976 horses were slaughtered in 2004, up from 50,564 killed the previous year. In addition to the horses killed in the three US-based plants, thousands more are transported under deplorable conditions across our borders into Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered.

Conditions of transport are appalling. Horses are typically hauled for more than 24 hours without rest, water or food in trailers that provide little protection from weather extremes. They are often forced onto double-decked cattle trailers with ceilings so low they injure their heads. Many horses—sick, lame, pregnant or blind—are in distress even before being loaded.

Once at the slaughterhouse, the suffering continues unabated. Horses are left for long periods in tightly packed trailers, subjected to further extremes of heat and cold. In hot weather, thirst is acute. Downed animals are unable to rise. All the horses are moved off forcibly when it’s time to unload. Callous workers, using fiberglass rods or electric prods, poke and beat the horses’ faces, necks, backs and legs as they are shoved through the facility and into the kill box.

Subject to extreme overcrowding, abuse, deafening sounds and the smell of blood, the horses become more and more desperate, exhibiting fear typical of “flight†behavior—pacing in prance-like movements with their ears pinned back against their heads and eyes wide open.

Despite the federal mandate that horses be rendered unconscious before having their throats slit, repeated blows with captive bolt pistols are often necessary to stun the animals. Terrified horses writhe in the holding stalls (known as the “kill boxâ€), legs buckling under their weight after each traumatic, misguided and ineffective blow to their heads. Death, the final betrayal of these noble animals, is protracted and excruciating."

...now read that over agian thinking about your horses in that position and see if tears do not come to your eye's. Do check out that sight to, especially

a pig is a pig ..i dont know to many people who bonded w/ there pig

a cow is a cow ..not to many ppl go outand hug and kiss there cow.

a chicken/duck is a chicken/duck ..dont see to many people falling in love w/ a chicken.

a horse is a horse ..more human then most humans walking this earth! Thats the way i see it, killing a horse is murder and it deserves the ultimate punishment. I swear that i will dedicate my life to ending horse slaughter. At least im going to do my best and get my voice out there!

agian, if you are all out for horse slaughter ...if you truly beleive that its okay. Well thats your opinion and you ahve all as much right to it as i have to mine. If you have the facts to back it up, please share. I'm happy you have an opinion even if it doesnt clash w/ mine.

 

[runamuk]

a pig is a pig ..i dont know to many people who bonded w/ there pig

Them be fighting words little lady.......I happen to have a house pig his name is choppers (pork chop) he is the most loved PET of a 9 year old boy he is loved as much or more than many peoples dogs he is also smarter than most dogs......so before you make blanket statements you need to learn to study both sides of an issue.....for the record there at least 2 other pet pig owners who are long time members of this forum.....so loving a pig like a horse is not that far fetched.......

I am so glad to see you believing everything written by anti slaughter groups with other agenda's......did you find out where they got their facts? Have you checked their sources? Do you even know if these people are legitamit ? Where was the photo taken? often those photo's are not even from within the US ........

do you know the definition of PROPAGANDA?

 

[shminifancier]

I think it's a bad piece of legislation. While the intent may be there, it is sooooo filled w/loopholes wherein those who wish to transport for slaughter will, and those of us who may want to haul our horses to the vet may not be able to if someone challenges the definition "or for other purposes."

You are right, it is a transport bill. Transport BY definition means movement, and that movement can mean ALL of us, no matter what, "or for other purposes."

And the PETA comes and films the one slaughter that goes wrong and that is the video that is played over and over again..When that is rarely the case as those slaughter houses are Oops WERE inspected by USDA inspecters..And now that inspectors are not going to be there Oh Lord help the horses now and the cruelty that will take place not only in transit but now Thanks to that Bill nobody will be there to over see the slaughter places either..My Oh My what were those people thinking when this piece of work (Legislation) was written...And BTW this bill Still has not been signed yet by the Prez...He has to put his John Hancock on it for it to go into law..

 

[Leeana]

im sorry ...i can admit my faults here i didnt think to many people had pigs as pets. It's kind of rare and i didnt think about that one. But do you plan on sending that pet pig which you love so dearly to a slaughterhouse ..? I dought that you would ..but that pig could have been slaughtered if you had not got it. When you bought it the owner very easly could have had it killed. So you pobaly saved it.

Also there are so many sights that i have seen that has the good/bad. I read both. I do beleive in some things in the 'for it' side. I mean what holds me agianst it so much is that your ending a horses suffering by what ..making it suffer more then it has in its whole life. I wrote a 'lovely' email to a couple of those slaughterhouses in the USA a couple minutes ago. I just basically put my feelings out and asked for some inside info. So i will be getting the inside scoop for the murder's inside.

I highly dought my opinion will change, i beleive its wrong, and thats how i will always beleive. I'm not really wanting to discuss this anymore here. This always gets some very heated discussions no matter where. Also this is Marty's thread and we completely took the focus off her question. This is getting me way to upset so im sorry but i must leave this one.

 

[runamuk]

I highly dought my opinion will change, i beleive its wrong, and thats how i will always beleive. I'm not really wanting to discuss this anymore here.

Here is where we are or were the same.......I was against slaughter of horses as a teen we had a slaughterhouse that did horses in my town back then...I joined PETA I went vegetarian...then I grew up got a job and learned about real life....it isn't all nice neat and pretty ...life is messy full of decisions most of them hard....full of people who want you to support their cause......often with very hidden agenda's.......now I help all animals where I can..yes I take spiders outside rather than sqwish them.....but even I know I cannot save them all and not all are meant to be saved......and sadly some will die I just hope that they die in a humane and quick fashion......once they are dead as said before they are dead.......

my son doesn't eat pork and that is one of the few lies I tell him is the occasional time I make a pork roast he won't eat if he knows what it is so I tell him it is meat .....at which point he asks if it is Barney

the lamb in the freezer......