Horse slaughter(Read please)?

Question

Okay I don't understand this. We are all entitled for our own opinions then we get bashed for them......Like this girl here:http://www.youtube.com/user/kelliefan1017 She supports it because it is a necessary evil whether people like it or not. Then she gets bashed for it. The there's this girl here:http://www.youtube.com/user/HeroForHorses Who's trying to stop horse slaughter. I understand why she's wanting to stop it. But if it's stopped, more horses will starve to death, or be beaten to death. I have heard in Texas that pregnant mares that come to the sale barn who give birth there. The baby's are whisked away and killed right there. They aren't even given a chance for a full life. I support horses slaughter I hate myself for saying it but I do. If it wasn't done the country would be more over ran with horses then it is now. DON'T get me wrong. I love horses there my life. But horses to us are like cows to other people in different country's. Praised and prized, well taken care of treated like a pet. And they frown upon us for the slaughter of cows. I don't understand why someone can't have there own opinion with out getting bashed. I mean the people don't even know anything about the people they are bashing. My question is.....Would you rather see a horse starve or be slaughtered painlessly.......? What are your views on slaughter?

Answer 1

Slaughter isn't nice, we can all agree to that, BUT... just take a look at this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xGBxb3QUFM



These are two examples that have been rescued, there was a third that's feet were in such a state they couldn't do anything for it. Have a think to how many abandoned horses there are out there suffering life, thrown in a pen mixes of mares, stallions, foals, more stallions left to breed and inbreed and inbreed.



There are simply too many horses for ownership and they've become so domesticated they wouldn't stand a chance in the wild if released.

If slaughter was legalised and controlled fully, there wouldn't be half the amount of abandoned horses left suffering.



Making it a requirement for breeders to hold licenses before they're permitted to breed wouldn't prevent those who were willing to do it illegally, but for a lot of people it would be a huge deterrence. Reducing BYB by quite a significant amount.

Or even a license to be held before owning a stallion, and the horse itself must meet requirements and hold an eligibility license for being bred. If it doesn't hold an eligibility license and still gets bred, then those with the ownership of it should get done. (Easily traced unless foals are unregistered) There should at least be a fine if they tried to claim 'it got out and in with the mares' for not having appropriate fencing to keeping them apart.

Answer 2

This is very disturbing! Yes it is your opinion and your entitled to it but let my throw some facts your way. Did you know that Texas slaughter house suppliers are sometimes horse thieves? It's true if they don't have enough " supplies " from the race tracks they'll resort to stealing peoples family pets straight from their farm? They also use the two layer cattle trailers that are over stuffed with way too many horses for even that size trailer to the point where horses are stepping on their foals and dead carcasses of other abused horses. They are underground services and do not care how they treat the animals because either way they get money. And humane euthenasia is not the word to describe their " services " they cannot use chemicals to put down the horse usually they use blunt force to the center mass of the horses head and half the time they seperate the horses legs and head while the horse is still alive to avoid contaminating the meat, even though it's probably already contaminated from the vile and grotesque surroundings. You might want to try looking up where careless idiots beat a horse to death for not wanting to get out of the trailer because they dragged it miles down a paved road and the trailers bottom had rotted through and the horse was walking on bloody stubs. It's easy to tell where I stand on this matter. And your whole idea on them removing the fetus. They use a coat hanger and pull the growing foal out of the mares and throw them into barrels to be thrown away. Please re check these statements you posted and research this so called " humane euthenasia ". I am not bashing you but this is a matter I have done tons of research on.

Answer 3

The answer to this is to not breed so indiscriminately! Too many people breed because they like their mare and expect the foal to be an exact replica of their mare, but fail to appreciate that foals need training and feeding properly from day one and if they are not handled correctly they soon become bigger and unruly! And of course their temperament may be different to their mother!



Some breed because they think that a foal would be cute - but they soon realise that there is a lot more to bringing up a foal and they grow!



There is also the problem of inbreeding and the fact that not all foals are born perfect and can have conformation weaknesses etc.



If there was a law that prevented overbreeding that would solve the problem somewhat.



Another thing is that foals are expensive to care for and I cannot stand it when people say - I cannot afford the vet so want you on YA to diagnose! Or cannot afford lessons!



I agree that it would be better for the horse to be put to sleep quickly and painlessly after all avenues have been exhausted as a starving horse, or one not receiving medical attention when needed is a miserable horse and that would be more cruel.

Answer 4

Yes they are taking foals in texas auction yards and Killing them as they hit the ground, A friends daughter lives in texas and just brought home a 6 mo old foal from a auction yard and she said there was a mountian of foals. Texas Is having BAD BAD drought and feed problems the Auction pens are overflowing with horses.. they can not Even give them away at the auctions. They were just talking about this on the radio and they said a Good bred Mare with a foal at her side went for 25.00 she was the Only horse who sold that day the rest were given away.



This is why we need slaughter reopened, And English cowgirl WE have no Jersdiction In canada or Mexico so we can not tell them what is legal and what isnt, Just as they couldnt come In and tell us what we can do legally and what we cant.

Answer 5

Horse slaughter is one of the slipperier slopes of many in the horse world. It'll always stir up the nuts on both sides of the issue every time it comes up, and each side thinks he who yells loudest gets the most attention. That may well be true, but it's not always good attention. I try not to BASH anyone's opinions unless they're completely out of bounds, which is where lots of folks go when discussing such controversial topics. I think that properly regulated horse slaughter is no different than any other animal being used for meat. Ihaven'tt eaten horse meat, but won't say that in certain circumstances I wouldn't. I'd much rather see a horse slaughtered for meat than starving or dieing of exposure. I live in southwest Va. and just across the mountain in Ky. (the horse capitol of the world) I've seen as many as 35 horses just set off on old strip mine sites to fend for themselves as best they could. Most couldn't, and it was ugly. They'd have been much better off on someone's plate, than dieing in the snow, and eaten by scavengers.

Answer 6

It depends. With some horses, I'm almost glad to hear they are slaughtered. It sounds terrible, I know, but some horses are better off dead than alive. I agree that every horse deserves a chance at life. BUT. Sometimes it is kinder to kill it humanely than making it continue to suffer while you try to save it.

I DONT agree with sending OTT TBs straight to the doggers. But starving 30 year old horses with a thousand and one health problems? Yes. Mad nutter horses that have never felt a human touch in five years and try to kill evryone? Sorry, but yes.

Just sayin'.



EDITED:

Now when I say this, I dont mean the sort of horse slaughter where the horses suffer as they die. I mean where they are killed quickly and painlessly. And only if there is no other way out.

Answer 7

There was a topic like this for a third world country as to why the kill their babies. It's because they didn't have the means to care for them, sometimes in order to keep balance and have unnecessary deaths, you must end a life so it does not suffer. It's a process of evolution, even if given a chance to survive, those horses probably would not. I'm sure the people doing these slaughters must have to change their own morals in order to deal with it. It's hard but if it protects balance and prevents unnecessary dangers then I don't think it's a bad thing.

Answer 8

i agree with megan and lady what do you mean painlessly??? there are videos of horses being slaughtered and its not the regular shoot, then slice them up they will break their backs WHILE THEY ARE ALIVE! it is absolutely DISGUSTING! how would you like it if someone took your mom, broke her spinal cord then ripped her apart and made you eat her huh? i mean they are like humans too! people ALL OVER THE WORLD are staving and dying of it but we dont just go around slaughtering people! horse slaughter is horribly inhumane! i have NO idea what youve been listening to... horses are just like people, they have minds, thoughts, opinions and LIVES!!!! we dont send people into the slaughter house why should we throw horses in there, they slit their throats open! go on youtube and look up horse slaughter, some of the videos we watched were the absolute most hirrifying thing in the world a bunch of people who worked n the slaughter house would actually be CHEERING as the horse got ripped apart while it was still concious, anyone who is gonna destroys gods creatures like that should go and slowly painfully miserably die and rot without anyone missing them!

thats my view on slaughter

if someone wants to kill a horse for food they should euthanize them first and if the stupid government is gonna say they dont have enough money to euthanize them all THEY ARE LYING the dumb people in the government are fat pigs who only want more and more money for themselves!

Answer 9

Using slaughter to "fix" the overpopulation problem is like putting a band aid on a broken leg. It's simply not enough to make a serious difference. People need to be educated and regulations need to placed in the breeding of horses.

That said, I'm also not against horse slaughter. But I am against cruelty. And the way they attempt to kill the horses before butchering them is extremely ineffective. Often the horses are simply paralysed, hung upside-down, and bled out, alive.

The process needs to be revised and designed to be more effective and less painful.

Answer 10

Slaughter is not painless. At all. You need to watch some youtube videos - the horses are terrified and either hacked in the spine while still conscious or shot with a bolt gun, which can often be ineffective as it was designed for use on cows - there is one video of a horse going through a mincing machine alive. That doesn't even begin to touch on the transportation methods currently used - some horses die before they get there. As for the foals being killed immediately, when Cavill was in business two employees stated on record that they would throw live foals in the trash - I somehow doubt that mexico or canada are treating them any differently.



Personally, I think slaughter is a way to make money. There are plenty of ways to have your horse killed humanely, some of the time it does not incur any cost at all - the owners just don't MAKE any money from it.



You can have your horse euthed which can be costly and then you need a burial - responsible owners usually have a nest egg saved so that if a horse needs to be put to sleep they can be.



You can have your horse shot by a renderer or butcher - it costs nothing. The meat can still be taken away and used. The difference between this and slaughter are the conditions - it's much more humane and it still ends the animal's suffering.



Few people are against killing horses altogether. Most people are against the inhumane conditions and the way horses are killed - bolt guns are meant for cows, hacking the spine is cruel and when horses are being killed in front of other horses it's a terrible experience. I don't think there is any need for a horse to be sent to a slaughter house. I know many people do, but personally I think it's an easy way to get money for your horse and get out of paying to have your horse disposed of. There are many alternatives and I know a lot of people think horse slaughter is a "needed evil", but I call bullshit. When you can have a meat renderer come out to your property and dispose of the meat for free, there is no need for it.



To add to those issues - horse meat kills humans. There is no filtering process and horses are almost always given wormer and a decent amount are given bute - both of which are harmful and in some cases lethal. Horses aren't raised to be meat animals - they are raised as pets and given medicines that are NOT meant for human consumption.



Would starvation increase if slaughter was illegal? Possibly. However, there are PLENTY of starving horses around right now and slaughter is still legal. As stated above, there are other inexpensive alternatives.



ADD - Lol 5 td's - you lot are ridiculous. I would have thought that TD's were reserved for people who provided false information, spilt lyk thiis, or had nothing constructive to say. Really, I think they are dished out for anyone that has a different opinion from the majority.

Answer 11

Well im against slaughter, but what you said is right... no slaughter = more horses being starved. Its so sad but so true. Its people who need to STOP breed horses who have no plan on doing anything with. I no a lot of people who just KEEP breeding over & over & do NOTHING with the foal. Its so annoying. If people would stop that & control the over breeding then there would be no point in the slaughter house. I love horses so much I hate that this has to happen.



Also the slaughter wouldn't be so bad if people used it, for what it was meant for, horses that have no more use or injury. I hate to say that but that's what it was meant for but sadly majority of horses that go to the slaughter are 100% perfect! Race horses who didn't win a race, mares who cant breed anymore, foals/horses who are "crazy", but are just misunderstood & horses that "omg he kicked me" so they just send him to slaughter.



In my opinion the slaughter would be okay (sill VERY sad) but better if it was for "useless" horses.



please don't get me wrong I hate saying "useless" horse but im just trying to explain.





Also I live in Texas & I have never heard of them taking the foal away like that? I may be wrong, ive just never heard of that before?





another thing its is NOT just the backyard breeders! a lot of high dollar horses are over breeding! Yes they "control" who they are being breed to but what ever happens to ALL of those foals? Not everyone goes to do something, majority of them breed, & breed & sit in the pasture.

Answer 12

I'm with you. I support the reopening of the slaughterhouses too, especially in places like Texas, which is suffering through the worst drought in recorded history right now. There's no hay available there and very little water- and horses aren't the only animals being sold off to slaughter. Ranchers (especially beef ranchers) are selling their stock in record amounts right now, because they have no way of being able to feed the animals and keep them alive. This will mean a temporary drop in the cost of prime steak- but there will be a sharp spike in the price of ALL meats, starting next year, as the drive to kill off herds starts to produce a shortage. Yes, the farmers will make a lot of money this year, but what will happen in the future, when they can't produce any more meat because their herds are so decimated? We will all pay for that- everyone who eats any kind of meat or a product made with it- and Americans love their beef, that's for sure.Sadly, horse slaughter is ILLEGAL in the United States, and has been so ever since late 2007, when "dubya" ( as he was nicknamed) signed the anti-slaughter bill into law. I remember watching the signing ceremony on CNN with a sinking heart, because I understood even then just how short sighted and STUPID such an act was. Stopping horse slaughter hasn't helped anyone- and it's been DEVASTATING to the horse industry as a whole. Right after that legislation was signed, the bottom promptly dropped out of the domestic horse market- and less than a year later, America and the world were rocked by the worst financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930's. To make matters even worse ( if such a thing were possible) 2007 through 2009 were years of drought in prime hay producing states. That meant crop failures and a nationwide HAY SHORTAGE- and some areas are still feeling the effects of that this year. Add in the cost of oil (which skyrocketed to over $100 a barrel in 2008) and the disaster in the housing market, and you have the makings of a calamity such as the horse industry has never seen. Even now, people are STILL losing their homes right and left, or they are "underwater" on their mortgages. The market watch firm Realtytrak has estimated that at there will be at least one MILLION more foreclosures just in 2011 alone. Unemployment continues to hover at nearly 10 percent, and we have about 15 million people out of work or underemployed right now. 50 million Americans have no health insurance, and 22 percent of all children under 18 live in poverty right now.



What does all this mean for the horse business and for horse slaughter? It means that people are sending their horses to slaughter because they can't afford to feed them and there's no market in which to sell them. It means people are being forced to choose between feeding their kids, paying the mortgage so they can stay in their homes ( even if they owe more on the loan then their home is worth) and feeding horses- and in a situation like that, the horses will ALWAYS LOSE OUT. Horses are considered luxury items and playthings in America, but they are actually classified as LIVESTOCK in ALL 50 states. As such, they are just as subject to slaughter as any other farm animal would be. The only reason groups like PETA and HSUS have been so successful in getting slaughter banned has been because they prey on the ignorance and fears of people who don't ride and haven't grown up around horses, and thus are totally ignorant about the plight which many horse owners face. What the idiots who run these groups don't realize is that as bad as slaughter is, the ALTERNATIVES to it are a THOUSAND times worse. Horses are being abandoned in record numbers since the ban took effect- and the situation has become so bad that the rescues and other non-profits can't keep up with it or find homes for all these unwanted animals. Euthanasia is impractical on a large scale, not to mention expensive, so the unwanted horses are often left to starve or die of disease in tiny feedlots. The ban on slaughter has also led to the development of a huge black market in American horse meat- there are several well known, notorious auction houses in various parts of the country which are hangouts for killer buyers from Canada and Mexico which will unload horses for minimal cost to these people. The buyers then cram their purchases onto large cattle trucks which are bound for the borders and the slaughter plants which lie directly beyond them. The Canadians and Mexicans don't eat most of what they process- the export it, because there's a HUGE MARKET for horse meat in the rest of the world outside the US. It's a very lucrative commodity, one that brings in millions of dollars' worth of profits every year. This is sad, it's sick, but it still happens. Bringing back the plants would help alleviate a lot of this.

Answer 13

Ok for the facts

1. Horse slaughter in Texas was against the law based back in 1949 but was ignored. This foreign business started out with cattle for one year then secretly switched over to hide from the public.



2.These were foreigners that did NOT pay gross income tax or tariffs tax on exports which All Americans are subject too.



3.These foreigners had many illegals working there that did NOT pay tax if they were Non Residents.



4.Horse slaughter before 2007 did NOT even make up 1% of the 9 million horses in the US.



5.Horse slaughter is merely a reward for irresponsible people. (AQHA) American Quarter Horse Association, other Associations that promote for papers.



6. Since stopping horse slaughter in the US has saved the American tax payer $5 Million dollars a year totaling over $25 Million to date. This money went to USDA inspectors.



7. Horse Auctioneers, Killers, Over Breeders, Breeder Association all need each other to make money.



8. Do your research on a guy name Leroy Baker an Ohio Auctioneer who owns and operates sugar creek auction. Leroy has been fined over $162,000 and to date has NOT paid one dime. He is protected by AG and other pro slaughter goons.



9. Research the (FOIA) Freedom of information's Acts on horse slaughter which you will see how irresponsible people were paid for bringing abused and neglect horses to slaughter and then some that were stolen.



10. Pro slaughter folks say stopping horse slaughter has caused the horse market to drop. NOT we might as well say stopping horse slaughter has caused the economy and home sales and car sales to drop also. Lets not forget traveling and vacations are down too.



11. Pro slaughter associations have NO HISTORY of promoting or donating to ANY horse rescues in the US. Their only wording is their over loaded and underfunded.



12. Slaughter is NOT Humane do NOT believe Pro slaughter lies.. Its all about the Money.



13. Stopping US horse slaughter did NOT moved to Mexico and Canada they were slaughtering horses long before the US took their funding away.



14. Allowing horse slaughter in the US will NOT make people responsible. Its time to punish these criminals NOT reward them.



15. If a horse must be put down euthanize it NOT slaughter it.



16. Pro slaughter do NOT care about the drugs in horses such as Brute , Steriods, Wormers etc.



17. The pro slaughter say we need horse slaughter in the US. Yet the same amount of horses are going to mexico and canada. WHY because they want the market. Canada now sets the pay rate and with fuel cost killers are hauling more horses than ever. They are advertizing like crazy for unwanted horses or cheap horses and lying saying they will have a nice family home. LIES...



18. The Majority of Americans OPPOSES horse slaughter.



19 Pro slaughter are using AG, Farm Bureau, Cargil , Poultry, Beef industrys saying if we stop horse slaughter they will be next.



20 Call your elected officials tell them to pass S1176 and a recent bill Hr 2966 ASAP.

Answer 14

i totally agree! when horse slaughter was illegal for a little while the noticed an increase of horses that were just being left with no food or love and then there was a huge decrease in the value of horses even the good ones. its a natural thing that is just being sped up by the slaughter its so sad but i think its a necessity

Answer 15

I heard someone suggest that people who oppose slaughter (or who express anger at those who support slaughter) should adopt ten to a hundred horses a week. "Here are today's horses. I'll be back tomorrow with more. Y'all better get some more hay in real soon."

Answer 16

I'd personally like to see sterilization and registration being made mandatory.



That way it would stop all the back yard breeders and put an end to all the unwanted horses that eventually do get sent to slaughter.

Answer 17

Taking a living being, any other living being, that can feel fear and pain and slaughtering it, only to repackage it as a caricature of itself to be thrown on a shelf is an abomination when viewed objectively. And it is second nature to you all.



We need to review the things we have been taught to view as normal, healthy, necessary or right.













*hunkers for thumbs down*

Answer 18

Me for one am not for horse slaughter it's cruel but i don't want to see them starve to death. my opinion is if you don't have the money or resources to feed and shelter a horse you shouldn't have one.

Answer 19

I don't think people get opinions when they are disturbing and down right wrong and cruel. I DO NOT support horse slaughter and NOTHING will ever change that. I don't care if you say that horses will be beaten if they aren't killed...because that's not true. That's what rescue groups are for.

And the thing about pregnant mares is just stupid! THAT IS SLAUGHTER so WHAT are you talking about?! Also I have never heard about that at all.

And do you think that when a horse is taken to the slaughter house it's killed nicely? They're not, its painful and terrible and gruesome.

So yea people are titled to their opinion but not always. Not when they're misinformed and a waste of air.

Answer 20

Those horses are being slaughtered for food.

I know nothing of the murder of the foals.

Answer 21

I am totally against slaughter and I believe it should be illegal EVERYWHERE. It is illegal in America, now we got to work on Canada.. and then Mexico.

Horse slaughter is awful, they treat the horses with no respect.. think about it, your horse might be your best friend now but one day you might sell her and then the next thing you know she's in the can of dog food you just opened for your dog.. It's sad but true. I am 100% against it and think it needs to stop NOW. Let's put an end to horse slaughter one horse at a time.

Answer 22

At first I thought it said "Horses Laughter" and was all like yayyy. Then I read it again, and im like.. :'(

Answer 23

Neither !!! Horse have hearts too...Poor animals :/

Answer 24

wow, thats distrubing