I do eat meat, but I don't eat beef, because of the land intensive needs or raising catlle.  And quite frankly, I don't care if they are paying for the use of the land. They are Federal, "PUBLIC" lands... which means they belong to every citizen of this country.  The BLM works for the cattle people, paying them when a calf is taken by a coyote or wolf, and then the BLM and the ranchers go out and kill the wolves.  They also whine constantly about the competition of the wild horses, where again the BLM bows to their masters and rounds them up to go to uncertain futures.  Their mutual goal is to exterminate them, and any other creature that interferes with their industry - it is only public opinion that has so far kept them from being able to do that.  And the reason so much land is needed is because it is not suited to the amount of grazing needed to maintain the herds.  And if you are asking me if I care how much it costs to fence in land that would be better not fenced - well that is soooo the wrong argument for me! 

Now on to the frightening concept that I don't have enough imagination to know what's happening to my horse when I sell it to slaughter insted of putting it down myself when that time comes.  That I'll always remember it the way it was instead of having nightmares about the long drawn out road it took to the slaughter house, the terror, confusion, pain, and betrayal it felt.  Saying it's better to have slaughter here, than in Mexico, is akin to saying it's better to break your arm than your leg.  Both HURT!

And the word slaughter is used for its shock value when applied to humans.  When people are slaughtered something horrible has happened - in my mind, slaughter of horses holds the very same meaning.

Well all i can say is:  It's your opinion against all ours, which is my opinion against all yours.

I eat beef, support cattle ranchers and fencing to protect the land.  And support slaughter.

 

have a good day.

Sherri:

Well all i can say is:  It's your opinion against all ours, which is my opinion against all yours.

 

 

You claim to be a realist, as one you probably know that no situation is black and white - a lot of gray areas do exist. Since you’re on this forum, you probably care for and love horses too. I think our focus should be trying to find what’s best for them and be able to provide them with a good quality life – not a my-opinion-is-better-than-yours argument. I will not get into much detail as I have already written a long post on this issue, and I don’t want to repeat every single point (you’re more than welcome to read it however, along with all the other posts here as they address many different sides that exist with this issue)

However the main problem boils down to having a surplus of unwanted and/or useless horse. It is not the horse’s fault that they are in this situation. We breed them and raise them to fulfill our wants and  needs. It is about time people took responsibility of their actions, and not let the innocent animal pay for our mistakes.

 

ktlb:

"instead of bring back horse slaughter horses and boarding should be more affordable"

It's great to see people that thinking about alternatives.. But can it be feasible? Maybe, maybe not.. That's a whole other discussion. (though I would love it if it went down ) Many more alternatives exist to adress the unwanted/useless horse problem, but we're just too lazy to seek them out and find them.

 

 

     I am 100% against about horse slaughter. i understand there are alot of unwanted horses here but thats not the horses fault so why should they have to die for our mistakes.  i know a few people who have bought stallions that were not really of great value and then bred the stallion to about every horse they could get their hands on and i feel that is what is making the number of unwanted horses so high. i do understand alot of neglected horses out there are suffering and for some of them would probably be better off to be put down but what about the horses that are good horses but their owners need to get rid of them. ok here comes story time:

a friend and i went to a local horse auction. i had never went to a horse auction because i know i would want to buy another horse but i dont have room for one. my friend warned me not to get attached to any of them because alot of them would be heading to slaughter by the end of the day. well i got attached to one gorgeous appaloosa gelding. Amazing conformation very nicely built and was used for western pleasure. the only problem with the horse was that i wouldnt load into a 2 horse trailer so that was why it was at the auction. they sent the run in horses through the ring first and my friend pointed out the guy in the ring that bought the slaughter horses. i kept alittle eye on that guy and he was a very rude man but i guess youll have that. well anyways about all of the horses that went through that ring were bought by that man. then i seen that beautiful appy come in throught the ring. this horse was well worth about $5,000 sold for 75 dollars to that man and went to slaughter. about 95% of them horses that day went to slaughter. 

i understand the stick horses that are neglected and abused that are suffering horribly should be put down and put out of their suffering but some of these horses going are perfectly fine they just need someone to give them a good life and a second chance. plus i have seen some videos on horse slaughter and they were absolutely horrible. they were dehydrated no food no water nothing and some had been there for days waiting their turn. i know there are some humane slaughters but there are also many very in-humane slaughter houses.

in 1994 i bought an old horse from a hack farm he was all bones and going to slaughter i paid 650 to save his life he put on all his weight on and was awesome my 10 tear son rode him i would do it again. i go to the auction too its sad soon we will have the 7 acres fenced in and i will be able to save some of those poor horses  

    i admit i eat beef i dont have much against cow slaughter. we raise a steer each year and then it goes to slaughter but horses are alot different then cows and steers and pigs. horses are very useful. horses were the way of travel and work in the fields before all of the cars and tractors. to this day they are still used for work and companion. we do alot of stuff with our horses here. but we do nothing with our steer. we walk him but other then that he stays in his pen and his pasture. everyday i am doing something with my horses. same with the pigs what really are pigs used for other then food? i raise mine show it at the fair and then i sell it thats about all i do with it. by slaughtering a horse you are slaughtering an animal that aims everyday to please you. an animal that has been there to carry you on trails, to pull a cart, to jump for you, to show for you. Horse slaughter is why i will no longer sell a horse. i sold a haflinger when i first got into horses because he was alot for a beginner to handle. well i sold it to a lady who promised he wouldnt go anywhere. after a year i called to check up on how he was doing and all she had to say was she had took him to an auction and he sold for slaughter. because of that i will probably never sell another horse. my horses are my life they are the reason i wake up everyday and they have done so much for me i would not be able to live if they were to go to slaughter

Well, I was trying to stay out of this never ending arguement but I got a story for you all. 

YEARS ago, I bought a horse, they seller threw in a "free breeding" to his stud.  I think cool, easy way to get another one.  Raise it myself, train it myself, blah blah blah...  SO, said baby is born, gelded, raised up.  At 2 1/5 he was started. It was after starting him that I realized he wasn't going to be able to do what I wanted at the time.  So after advertizing him for sale for 6 months I took him to the local auction and sold him.  Guess who bought him, A kill buyer.  That was over 10 years and that horse is now in a happy home in Virginia. 

Horse # 2, Bought from a friend for a hubby/kids horse.  Kept said horse for 2 years and decided it wasn't feesable to keep the horse anymore since he wasn't being used.  Very nice horse just standing there going to waste.  So after advertizing and getting several interested parties the right buyer came along.  They clicked with the horse, I went a checked out their facilities.  Everything was great.  A few years later I get a call from my farrier asking be if I'd ever owned this horse.  I tell him yeah and he tells me he just got a new client that has this horse I used to own.  Long story short this paticular owner turns out to be a TOTAL idiot.  Bad enough the farrier quit doing the horse and found out shortly after that, that the stupid owner was not caring for the horse correctly.  I went to see the owner, offered to buy the horse back, he didn't want to sell.  Even after I told him to either sell me the horse or I was calling animal control he wouldn't.  I left (in tears BTW cause the horse looked so bad), called animal control, a few days later they call me to tell me there was nothing they could do at the time cause the owner HAD hay for the horse, and claimed the horse was having health problems.   A few short weeks later my farrier called me to tell me the horse had died.  I called animal control and by then it was to late. 

In other words, had I known how horse #2's life was going to end I would have rathen seen him go to slaughter then suffer like he did.  Yes, I know how they are hauled, ect, ect, ect.  What they go through in the short term to the slaughter plants would have much nicer then the way this horses life ended up. 

So has everyone heard about the Hallmark Slaughter house story in the news? Check it out, watch the video and then try to imagine yours or any horse going through that. They are being investigated for CRUELTY to animals. Imagine that... here in the wonderful, so much more humane USA. They used to treat horses this way too. So much for you "American standards" that keep sick and injured animals from being slaughtered for food and make sure that they aren't mistreated. You can't argue with facts.

thatwindow:

So has everyone heard about the Hallmark Slaughter house story in the news? Check it out, watch the video and then try to imagine yours or any horse going through that. They are being investigated for CRUELTY to animals. Imagine that... here in the wonderful, so much more humane USA. They used to treat horses this way too. So much for you "American standards" that keep sick and injured animals from being slaughtered for food and make sure that they aren't mistreated. You can't argue with facts.

Journeygirl, None of us want to see a horses life end tragically, but most horses in the second situation don't die at the hands of cruel owners. MOST horses in the first situation do. Your story is the exception. Also, did you cry when the killer bought the first horse? Did you try to save him? You had no idea he would not be killed. Nor did you know of the experience you would have later with the second horse. Was it because you believed the first horse was going to die humanely? Again, check out the video...

 

 i heard about but i couldnt watch the video i sent it to my son and he watched it he couldent believe how those poor animals were torchered.when any of my 4 horses have to be put down it will be done humanely then cremated.he has watched videos hf horses being beet in the head string up beet zapped before thier throats were slit.

Ultimately, we humans who are on top of the food chain, can choose to cheer for Wilbur of Charlotte's Web fame while eating bacon for breakfast, links for lunch and chops for dinner.  It's all about what we are willing to pay for.

How much for a dignified equine burial or cremation?  Certainly it wouldn't exceed a half-year of full board or the true cost of amortizing the space assigned for the horse in a family barn and pasture right?

I've watched the Hallmark video.  Because of cruelty, the largest recall in beef history, 143 million pounds has been ordered.  This will probably shutdown Hallmark.  I gather that after an animal has passed inspection, then becomes non-ambulatory, then a vet should have been called.  If the vet clears the animal, then it's pushed, pulled, "water-boarded" or fork-lifted to the hooks on the processing line.  As long as there's a heart beating then it's still good to go. Otherwise, the meat is considered unfit for human consumption.

To quote wikipedia, Article entitled "beef"

"The better cuts are usually obtained from the steer; the heifer tends to be kept for breeding. Older animals are used for beef when they are past their reproductive prime. The meat from older cows and bulls is usually tougher, so it is frequently used for mince (UK)/ground beef (US)."

So, the best way to know you're not buying ground beef from a mistreated cow or bull, is to buy a prime cut, then have it ground.  That cheap ground beef is really what it is, cheap!

I suppose those who eat horses have similar preferences.  For example, my polynesian friends prefer to eat very young horses than very old ones.  Although in a survival situation, anything that moves ... is food.  It is a historcal fact that some members of the pioneer Donner party, after consuming their livestock, had eaten "the ultimate resource" in order to survive.

By the way, in Central America, guinea pigs are a delicacy.  In the Phillipines, "balut", an aborted 14 day old duck egg "pressure cooked" in it's shell is considered an aphrodisiac.  Someone told me that Rocky Mountain oysters from castrated bulls, rams, and specially stallions is organic Viagra.

 

The point behind asking everyone to watch the video was this; many here on this thread have defended slaughter as humane, especially here in the USA and that sick or injured animals were not allowed into the food chain. Now having seen the facts on video, and you can't argue that THOSE cows weren't being treated cruelly, how can you support sending a COMPANION animal, like a horse, to suffer the same way? And I don't want to hear about all the horses that are being starved to death because of the high price of hay. Far more horses die in the slaughter houses each year than starving by the hand of their owners. And hopefully, those that do that to their horses will be held accountable by the law. Lets not go on about that. I want to hear about how you can claim to LOVE horses and also support the mistreatment of them.

 if you want to watch videos if you search slaughter houses you can find many heart breaking videos. to the one who wrote you eat meat but not beef think of how the kill those animals it itis just as bad

I came in here this morning all prepared to re-but what was said but I'm not going to continue to be sucked into this never ending "my way is the only way"  conversation.  I know better then to even join a thread about slaughter but I got sucked in yesterday and I've seen these before and know that they don't go anywhere.   

Have a good day.

Why can't anyone address the question. It's interesting how everyone can argue a point until you give them a question they have no argument for. Either concede that slaughter is cruel or defend it. It's not that hard.