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Barnyard Buddies:  Horse Slaughter Houses  |
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Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 02 2013 : 3:50:39 PM
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Anyone else out there enraged that Congress has approved horse slaughter houses? New Mexico will be the first state to be allowed to have this operation. I think Iowa and Missouri are next in line. I am totally against this and can't imagine eating horse meat.
http://www.karencecilsmith.com/
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2013 : 4:13:23 PM
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I am totally for horse slaughterhouses because in America they are regulated and if we don't do it here where it is regulated then unwanted horses get sent to Mexico where they are used for bloodsport and then killed without any regulations. You really don't want me to go into detail about what they do to them down there. The slaughterhouse are not trying to sell horse meat for human consumption they are trying to have it used for dog food and other by products etc like they used to. If there are no slaughterhouses then horses will starve to death. Horses are starving now because of this drought. There are horses being brought from the reservations becuase the BIA has demanded that the reservation dwellers have to get them out, and people are scrambling to find homes for them. Many are little foals because the mothers died from starvation. The fact remains that they have to go somewhere. Besides horses are livestock, no different from cows, pigs, goats, and sheep which also have feelings. If someone has the facts and loves horses then they will support horse slaughterhouses. Because it gives people a place to take unwanted horses and they will be put down humanely. The animal rights leaders and horse rescue people here in NM support them. They see the suffering that is caused from there not being any slaughterhouses. I constantly see big trailer loads of horses being taken to Mexico to be tortured and then killed in the MOST atrocious ways. People tend to get New Mexico and Mexico mixed up. There was some article on facebook a while back talking about how we knife horses to death for sport. Not us, that's Mexico, and thats only the beginning of what they do to them down there. New Mexico is trying to prevent it by taking care of the unwanted horse problem here, humanely so Mexico doesn't get their grubby little hands on our horses.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrittergrannysLair
www.creamofthecroptrailrides.webs.com |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2013 : 4:55:00 PM
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I too am pro slaughter, at any given time there are 150,000-200,00 unwanted horses in this country, rescues are full, people can't afford to donate, drought has risen the cost of hay to an all time high out of many people budget, the western US does not generaly have lush pasture, so we have no choice but buy hay, horses are being dumped faster than dogs and cats, they are starving to death in back pastures and barns with the doors closed, most of these horses are crippled, sick and diseased and along with dangerous/rouges...it is a horrible problem, but until crap breeders are stoped, and good breeders slow down, there is no other option...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2013 : 6:58:02 PM
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Whoa! The article I read is talking specifically about horse slaughterhouses that would produce meat for human consumption. It would be labeled "natural meat." I've heard of the so-called "glue factories" and such where old and sick horses are sent. And, yes, I know about horse meat for dog food, but, as I understand it, this is something totally different. So different, that Congress got involved in it. Horses may be considered to some as "just livestock," but mine have always been pets. Then again, maybe I don't have all the facts. Oh, and the article did say New Mexico, not Mexico. I am against torturing animals, but I know there our times when a horse must be put down and that should be done in a humane way. I would like to know if all horse slaughter houses will be producing meat for human consumption, along with dog food. I've evidently hit a nerve here and that was not my intention. It's just that I'm a horse lover and I'm against eating horse meat.
http://www.karencecilsmith.com/
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2013 : 7:49:53 PM
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I thought I would ad just a thought. we had the place here burned down by protesters. now we have skinny horses and old ones and no where to take them. it has become a real problem here. so I think well regulated slaughter houses need to exist. my friends horse was old and needed to be put down. there was no where to take the body. a real problem I have no horses but do love them. just a thought also.
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2013 : 11:23:13 PM
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Horse slaughterhouses already existed in Missouri, and the meat supposedly was for European consumption. That said, after it became legal in Missouri, horse theft increased, and a lot of those horses ended up in slaughterhouses, including horses that were pets. There have been in the news here instances of people starving their horses or turning their horses loose (yes, there are feral horses in the Midwest). I've seen starving, sick horses and I'd rather see them end up in a slaughterhouse than suffer like that. I rarely eat any kind of meat because of the conditions the animals are raised under, but at least horses aren't treated as badly as cattle or pigs. Slaughtering any animal for meat isn't pretty, whether it's a chicken or a deer that you hunt. It's just a fact of life.
Cindy
"Vast floods can't quench love, no matter what love did/ Rivers can't drown love, no matter where love's hid"--Sinead O'Connor
"In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - prariehawk on Jul 02 2013 11:40:36 PM |
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StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2013 : 05:39:14 AM
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There are so many things wrong with horse slaughterhouses. "Horses meant for human consumption?" Most horses are immunized, and administered with wormers, fly spray, topical ointments, etc. which are clearly labeled, "Not to be used on animals meant for human consumption." Would you want to eat meat that has been tainted with all of the products we feed, spread and spray on our horses throughout their lifetime? Would you want to feed your dogs with food made from tainted meat?
Horses have become companion animals in our society. Just because they are kept in pastures and barns, doesn't mean they are any less of a pet than our own dogs.
In today's world, there are about as many working horses as there are working dogs. In fact, there might be more working dogs out there than truly working horses, including therapy dogs, police dogs, SAR dogs, etc.
So, what's next on the docket?...dog slaughterhouses to solve the problem for the overpopulation of all of those discarded dogs that have been left starving and unwanted or can no longer perform their duties as working dogs? Or have we already given that an approving nod where so many animal shelters put hundreds of dogs and cats down on a regular basis? Why don't we address the overpopulation of horses like we've done for dogs? Why not try to educate backyard breeders for horses like we do for dogs?
Horse slaughterhouses are a convenient way to shove our problems under the carpet and pretend like there isn't really an underlying problem in our society where a disposable mentality affects living creatures without a second thought.
Can you tell I'm a little passionate about this subject? 
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
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Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2013 : 06:37:06 AM
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Thank you, Paula, for your heartfelt words. I totally agree with you.
Karen
quote:
Originally posted by StrawHouseRanch
There are so many things wrong with horse slaughterhouses. "Horses meant for human consumption?" Most horses are immunized, and administered with wormers, fly spray, topical ointments, etc. which are clearly labeled, "Not to be used on animals meant for human consumption." Would you want to eat meat that has been tainted with all of the products we feed, spread and spray on our horses throughout their lifetime? Would you want to feed your dogs with food made from tainted meat?
Horses have become companion animals in our society. Just because they are kept in pastures and barns, doesn't mean they are any less of a pet than our own dogs.
In today's world, there are about as many working horses as there are working dogs. In fact, there might be more working dogs out there than truly working horses, including therapy dogs, police dogs, SAR dogs, etc.
So, what's next on the docket?...dog slaughterhouses to solve the problem for the overpopulation of all of those discarded dogs that have been left starving and unwanted or can no longer perform their duties as working dogs? Or have we already given that an approving nod where so many animal shelters put hundreds of dogs and cats down on a regular basis? Why don't we address the overpopulation of horses like we've done for dogs? Why not try to educate backyard breeders for horses like we do for dogs?
Horse slaughterhouses are a convenient way to shove our problems under the carpet and pretend like there isn't really an underlying problem in our society where a disposable mentality affects living creatures without a second thought.
Can you tell I'm a little passionate about this subject?
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
http://www.karencecilsmith.com/
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
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SandraM
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
Sandra
Coldwater
Michigan
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2013 : 12:06:40 PM
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Horses are considered livestock as well.
My daughter took a ag class at a school career center. They debated this issue years ago, both sides doing research and presenting the case with facts from both sides. After the debate it was decided that slaughterhouses serve a purpose from the kids in the class.
Would I send my horse to a slaughter house? no. But I am not going to judge the issue based on that.
Sandra
www.mittenstatesheepandwool.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2013 : 12:34:35 PM
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I think people need to be educated about horses before they actually get one. Or breed thme for that matter. Yes, there are too many horses being thrown out just like dogs and cats. And yes, there are starving horses all over the place. Horses are expensive to keep!! I had a horse years ago and had to board it while we were moving. It cost thousands of dollars. Then to buy fencing and shelters, not to mention the hay a horse can go through. So I sold her. I would love to have an actual working horse now, that will plow and pull a wagon and mower. But I have to be realistic too. I have sheep and goats. I think a steer would be a better option for us. I myself can't see eating a horse, but if I had to I would. I guess it's like any other meat. And I would much rather see someone who needs food eat a horse than for either the horse or human to starve or be treated inhumanely. There are way too many horses roght now. People need to stop breeding them. That might help some. And I would much rather have a good humane place to take a horse where it would be used in a good way than for it to be so sick and not be able to use it to feed a poor hungry family. And I think when a person is hungry, with no hope of eating anything, a horse is as good as anything.
Kris
The good beekeeper is generally more or less cranky. C.P. Dadant
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Jul 03 2013 : 12:47:41 PM
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The slaughterhouse in NM is not wanting to slaughter horses for human consumption. I guess yes it does hit a nerve because I love horses and I hate to see them suffer. I don't think slaughterhouses are an attempt to sweep a problem under the rug. It's just a necessity. There are places one can take their dog or cat to have them put down, it's called the vet's office. Then the person can take the dog or cat home and bury them in the back yard. If one put's a horse down at the vet's office then they will have to pay to have it taken to the dump. About $500. I don't want my horse stinking up the world and being ogled at in a dump. Also the chemicals used to put a horse down are harmful to other animals that may feed on it. I am not saying that horses are ONLY livestock I am saying that they are not the only animals with feelings. Cows, pigs, sheep, and goats have feelings too. Why is it ok to kill a cow to devour it but not ok to kill a horse to use it as by products. I don't think that the answer because humans have decided that they are companions and love them that it is not ok, but because humans have decided they like to eat other animals that it is ok to kill them is acceptable. I am saying it is a double standard. The fact is horses are livestock. I am a breeder and I breed horses for a purpose. I only bred a few, but don't have a problem with responsible breeders who breed more. Responsible breeders are not the problem any more than responsible farmers who breed cows are. Breeding any animal of any species indiscriminately and without a purpose is a problem. When we breed a mare it is with the understanding that it will be sold to serve a purpose. My opinion is that only registered high quality horses should be bred and then sold to responsible people. Also they should be bred with good temperaments so that when someone buys them they can do something with them. Unregistered horses are ok to breed if the owner is breeding to keep the horse for themselves. All horses should be broke and trained to their potential. So when I breed a mare it is with the understanding that if it doesn't sell to a good home then I will have to break it and keep it. Education is the key. Not government regulation. Responsible breeders should not be punished for breeding but should be encouraged. If there are regulations and fees to breed people will not register their horses which only means there will be more unregistered horses, and more suffering, and more unsound and low quality horses. Also sending old, lame, or horses with bad temperaments to slaughter makes room for people to give that home to another horse which they are able to use and have fun with thus giving a better horse a chance at having a good life. It also means that a breeder, trainer, or even a rescuer stands a better chance of receiving more money for their efforts or at least maybe break even. I keep all my horses till they die of old age. I don't do like many people and pawn them off on somebody else when they get older. Basically my horses work for a living and I provide retirement for them. I also have the land and the means to bury them when they die. However not all people are able to do that and need to take them to slaughter. I feel the best way to fight horse suffering is to help each horse I can by educating their owners on reaching their potential as partners, that way they can have fun together and bond, thus insuring a higher chance at brighter future for the horse. Life isn't perfect and death is not pretty but it is a fact. In my opinion if there are culprits they would be people who just turn horses loose and let them breed which is what goes on with wild horses and horses on reservations here in NM. And people who would rather just get rid of a 2 yr old that they are afraid to break themselves and don't want to spend the money to take it and have it broke and then keep it and ride it or sell it broke and well mannered to a good home, that is the #1 way to insure a happy life for a horse. And then there are rank horses that need to be put down or they will hurt somebody. Dummies too often think "oh this mare bucks so since I cant ride it I will keep her as a broodie" thus they produce a bunch more nasty buckers that end up being sold from one person to another and injuring people till someone finally sells it to a bad home where it starves or they have it put down. Don't breed junk. Do the work it takes to properly train them. Unbroke 4 yr old horses are a dime a dozen, some well bred horses but too late to do much with. If you don't want to get on it, most nobody else will either. Also the straight racing industry is very ruthless. For every horse raced 700 are trashed or put down. And the match racers from Mexico are spreading their evil claws into our country too. They race them without decent regulations and when they get injured they send them to Mexico. I have creeps like that call about buying my horses sometimes. I can spot them a mile away, creeps. They are also spreading the evil of wild horse races at rodeos. Where young horses are put in the chutes and then roped and mounted and raced by teams. The horses are terrified. That is not training and as a trainer it makes me very angry. We have Mexican national influence to thank for these things. I don't eat horse meat because the Bible says not to, but I also don't eat pork for the same reason. I really believe that we are created to be vegetarian and I hope to get back to being a vegetarian someday. I support well regulated, American horse slaughterhouses to lessen horse suffering. What they do with the by products is not my concern any more than it is my concern whether people choose to eat pork or not. And if cows could speak I doubt they would want to go to the slaughterhouse either.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrittergrannysLair
www.creamofthecroptrailrides.webs.com |
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StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2013 : 10:40:49 AM
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Unfortunately many animals are abused from the day they are born until the day they die, including in the slaughterhouses, where someone's ex-favorite horse, Wildfire, would not be treated with any love or respect during his last days, but instead be stuck with cattle prods, crowded in holding areas with hundreds of other nervous and confused horses and then bashed in the head by someone they don't know with a hammer gun, frightened and far away from their home pasture. The most respect one could pay to their horse at the end is to have it put down on site where it has lived its life under its owner's trust either by vet or by bullet, and either hauled away or buried. It is the owner's responsibility to maintain the funds necessary to perform that duty. I don't understand how people who are negligent enough to not provide for their animals' needs either in life or death are not held responsible by the law, but instead are encouraged by a free invitation to ship them off to a living he ll. I don't know how I could live with myself knowing what I just put my horse through. But I'm a softie, and I love my critters.
The World Horse Welfare organization has a nice educational video on the subject of "Do you need to breed?" Well done! 
http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Needtobreed
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
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Edited by - StrawHouseRanch on Jul 05 2013 10:55:05 AM |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2013 : 5:03:12 PM
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My friends daughter had to have her 30 yo horse euthanized. She couldn't afford to have him cremated. Where is he? In a landfill in Florida. So do you want landfills with dead horses or have them humanely slaughtered?
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
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StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2013 : 08:10:04 AM
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Good for her to have him euthanized. Once their life and spirit are gone the body can go back to the soil either in a landfill or as ashes. Unfortunately slaughterhouses are not humane. They are cruel, especially to the aged and lame. Imagine a 30 year old horse getting run through chutes at the pace the workers at the slaughterhouse want him to run, not at the pace his body can run anymore. If he doesn't run fast enough, he gets an electric shock from a cattle prod poked to his rump. If the horse is lame, then too bad, he has to be hauled in noisy, bumpy trailers that fatigue his body and then be forced to stumble along in pain for long distances through chutes, and then get jostled around by the other scared horses in holding pens. That is the way it is.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
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Edited by - StrawHouseRanch on Jul 08 2013 08:11:48 AM |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Jul 09 2013 : 3:46:53 PM
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This is a very emotional issue that's for sure and I hope everyone can still be friends after talking about it.
I've been training and shoeing horses for most of my life and I've met a lot of people,both for and against horse slaughter and I tend to understand why both sides feel the way that they do,it's a very complicated issue because with horses,the line between livestock animal and companion animal has definitely been blurred.
I believe that horses should always be classified as livestock and that horse slaughter should be legal,that doesn't mean that I don't love my horses but currently,there just isn't a good plan in place to deal with the issue of unwanted horses and in these tough economic times there are just not the resources and rescues available to absorb them all.
The cost of euthanizing and disposing of such a large animal is sometimes out of reach for some.
I am lucky to be a landowner and have the ability and equipment to bury my horses when they come to the end of their lives but not everyone does and this is a big problem for those who find themselves financially strapped and faced with a critically ill or geriatric horse and slaughter was at one time a viable option for those in that situation.
There are now very strict regulations on the transport of horses destined for slaughter so hauling conditions for slaughter horses are not as bad as they once were.
In any case,no matter how you feel about horse slaughter,as horse owners and trainers there are things we can do to help improve things for horses and minimize the demand for horse slaughter.
We can leave breeding efforts to professionals who utilize the best bloodlines and breeding programs and produce quality animals.
I can't tell you how many times I've been shoeing a horse and had it's owner say "I'm going to breed her,she's a real beauty" and be holding the foot on a cow-hocked,parrot mouthed dink of a horse that was the product of some idiot who said the same thing about that horse's dam or sire.
We should be breeding the best and sterilizing the rest and encouraging our neighbors to do the same.
We need to invest our time and or money into training these things so that they get along with people,that means getting a halter on them when they're young and getting them gentle from the tip of their nose to the tip of their tail and that way if you have to part with him you know he can get along well and you're not sending an unruly colt out into the world who might really hurt someone and end up on one of those trailers headed to slaughter!
I know a couple who runs a holding pen for horses destined for slaughter in Canada and while there are some horses there that are obviously old and infirm or of bad conformation,etc..I also saw a lot of young horses who apparently had nothing wrong with them than bad or no kind of training whatsoever and so eventually someone either got hurt or gave up on them somewhere along the way and their fate might have been better if their owner/s had invested the time and money it takes to get them trained properly from the beginning.
We need to select good minded stock with good conformation and take care of their feet and digestive system so that they have the best chances of remaining sound and healthy for years to come and we need to have a plan in place for the end of his life when that day comes.
Anyways,like I said,this is an emotional issue and I prefer to focus on what people can do to ensure their horse has the chance for the best life possible rather than debate the right or wrong of horse slaughter.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut"
Nostalgic Needleworks http://www.etsy.com/shop/NostalgicNeedleworks https://www.facebook.com/NostalgicNeedleworks |
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wincrestnubians
True Blue Farmgirl
76 Posts
Jennifer
Ohio
USA
76 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2013 : 07:31:49 AM
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I have no issues with slaughter houses for horses. I would rather they go for something then left to starve to death and die horribly at the hands of those who think they are doing them good by leaving them to starve. With all those out there that want to save every equine, who is left to pay for them, their up keep, their vet bills, their feed, their housing? Not me I tell you. I do good keeping mine fed. And with all the huge farms breeding left and right, just to get that one that will or will not win, is the ones to blame for pumping all the excess horses out there. Its not the slaughter houses that makes it a bad thing, its the way they are transported and handles getting there. So before condemning them, think about the number of horses that are ding in the fields from lack of food and care.
And you cant really compare dogs and cats to horses. Years ago horses were eaten quit often. Heck the Indians ate them long before they figured out to ride them. And you have those breeders who over breed horses like the puppy mills. I know a few like that, horse and dog.
Only those with an open mind can learn from ones own mistakes. |
Edited by - wincrestnubians on Jul 11 2013 07:38:53 AM |
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wincrestnubians
True Blue Farmgirl
76 Posts
Jennifer
Ohio
USA
76 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2013 : 07:35:53 AM
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And horse meat is healthier and leaner then beef. There is nothing wrong with eating horse, only in America has the horse been romanticized and put on a pedestle. Plus, the beef industry is not going to let any competition come along to hurt their pockets... The same goes for cow dairies, they make it nearly impossible for goat dairies to open. It it money lost from their pockets.. All government related and run.
Only those with an open mind can learn from ones own mistakes. |
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Barnyard Buddies: Horse Slaughter Houses |
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Horse Slaughter Houses
