Please explain how over breeding and having an excess supply of horses is the cause of slaughter.  Horses go to slaughter for the same reasons that cattle, pigs, sheep, and chickens go to slaughter, there is a demand for their meat and byproducts, nothing more, nothing less.  You reduce the supply of horses in this country by banning most breedings, do you really expect that horses will no longer go to slaughter?  As long as there is a demand for horse meat, they will continue to go to slaughter.  The killer buyers will have to pay higher prices, but they will pay them as long they have customers willing to pay the increased prices.  Increased prices will make it harder for individules and rescues to buy horses to save them from slaughter.  And if the killers pay enough, then there will be those looking for a fast buck who will be willing to steal someone's horses to sell to the killers.  Is that what you are wanting to have happen?  It's economics, supply and demand.  Get rid of the demand for horse meat and then the slaughter houses will have to close because there will be little or no money in it. 

Spotted Pony

CC, I think we all are aware of the realities of life.  You can't avoid it if you watch the news or read the newspaper. There are people who don't "give a hoot" about their own children.  So should we all just stand by while children are abused, neglected?  We have cultures that think it's right to mutilate the genitals of their female children, to murder their women for being raped.  Just how "culturally sensitive" are we willing to be?  There are always gray areas in any argument, but there is also black and white.  There is right, and there is wrong.  Humans do terrible things to each other, to other living creatures, and to the world around us.  Because so many people are afraid to take a stand and speak out against it is the reason such things continue.  I would like to think that slowly - so painfully slowly - over the next few millenia, we are going to develop as a species into something much, much better than we are now.  Because otherwise we are just sitting here wasting space.  What's the point?  Change doesn't just happen one day... what each one of us leaves behind makes a difference to what comes after, for good or bad.  I want to see the time (but know I won't) when we will no longer have a dichotomy of thinking that only our own little part of the universe matters and that what other people do, no matter how abhorrent, is OK just because it doesn't affect our immediate plans.  I do believe that I am my brother's keeper to the extent I am able. That extends to all the world around me.  Just a very small piece of my dream for us is to reach a time and place where there is no NEED to slaughter horses.  By continuing this we are diminished just that little bit more.

I have been doing what I can to see the end of horse slaughter, I call and write my legislators, I don't breed my mares, I have only gelings, I support deserving rescues, and I have rescued enough horses that there were times when they were eating MUCH better than me.  I stand behind what I believe in.  It's very hard to understand how those who profess to love horses can accept their slaughter with such callous disregard as I've been reading. 

What exactly is there to stand for?

By allowing slaughter to continue, we are just masking the problem. This way we do not see the amount of unwanted “useless” horses. They are destroyed and gone, no one sees and knows - therefore it does not exist – and everyone lives happily ever after. The ban of slaughter brought to light a problem that was already there (a problem caused by humans I might add) - it made it more painfully obvious and instead of addressing the real problem we still talk about allowing slaughter. It honestly makes me wonder as to how “civilized” we are by making an innocent animal pay for our own mistakes.

Regulations exist in all industries to protect the well-being of stakeholders and establish ethical conduct. Why should the horse industry be any different? Why shouldn’t there be a standard as to how a horse is treated and its standard of life? Yes, there are some regulations (in the TB racing industry etc..) but it is not enough to ensure the well-being of these animals. A lot of $$ is going around there, why can’t there be some sort of tax that collects in a fund that can be used to take care of retired or “useless” horses?  

Education is an important factor also. By this I mean educating professionals and those that own a horse for pleasure alike. Anyone can claim that they’re professionals no matter how questionable or downright inhumane his/her methods are. I’m sure that nearly all of you have heard of or know someone like this; I know it has been discussed many times on this board. There should be a way of distinguishing (preferably eliminating) these people from those who actually know what they’re doing. It is because of these so-called trainers that many horses end up “psycho” and eventually gotten rid of.

Well thought out response, Akhal-teke!  In the end it all boils down to taking the easy way out, which humans do soooo well!

thatwindow,

povertybyhorse:

Well thought out response, Akhal-teke!  In the end it all boils down to taking the easy way out, which humans do soooo well!

Thanks.. and yeah they do. Especially when it is at the expense of those that cannot defend themselves. Makes me mad..

 there are companies who make food for large animals in zoos and wildlife rescues they feed cow and horse meat to thier animals 

I have not read each and every post as there just too many and I might repeat something so forgive me.  Have any of you heard how they are slaughtering horses in Mexico?  It is ugly.  I won't go into details.  Do you realize that our horses are being sent down there because we chose to not slaughter in the US.

I don't like the idea of killing a horse either but what do you do when you have one that something goes wrong and you need to.  Would you want to shoot it and bury it or would you rather it taken away and remember the horse as it was in its day!  Do you want to take care of horse with a broken leg or something that is going to costs you thousands and thousands of dollars.

There are too many people breeding and making the horse industry in a slump but what your gonna find is people are just turning their horses loose in the desert or mtns and that is going to make ferel horses.  They are not truly wild so now what are you going to do with all the grass they are eating and taking from the wild animals and horses. 

Lets use our heads people and bring back the slaughter.  It is for the best!   

 instead of bring back horse slaughter horses and boarding should be more affordable. my horse in june was diagnosed with epm i bought him the january before. it wasnt his fault so he had 2 months of treatment 2000.00 blood work 260.00 bute and banimin. he is on supplements and meds depending on how he feels. in 4 months he will have more tests 260.00 and if he needs more meds 1000.00 a month. i am not rich and i have one other horse. i board them both self care. should i murder my horse just because. and maybe i should murder my dog because she is animal aggressive. do you know how many people who would love to have an anwanted horse but greedy out there make impossible

Maybe we could throw the freeloading cattle ranchers off the public lands and put the animals that belong there back into managed herds, packs, etc, and eat a little less beef.  Am I the only one who knows the reality of what the BLM actually does with our tax $$$s?

THEY ARE NOT FREELOADERS!  Do you know what ranchers pay?  NO probably not.  They pay yearly to have this valuable land.  Do you eat meat?  If so don't you want it all natural?  I worked as a ranch hand for years and I guess you don't understand what it takes to raise meat and what a rancher does for the land its self.  I have built many miles of fence to protect riparian areas and springs. 

We were always moving the cattle around the forest to take care of the land, we never let them over graze.  The rancher is one of the best assests against forest fires.  Since we can't log anymore we have to do something.

I am not greedy, just realistic.   You didn't get what I meant.  There are definate exceptions!