States Move to Legalize Slaughter of Horses for Human Consumption
Courtesy: BLM
In Japan and several European countries, horsemeat is a delicacy. Equine entrees include horse tartare in Belgium, horse sashimi in Japan, and pastissada, a traditional horsemeat stew, in Italy. In the U.S., eating horses is no-no. But that doesn't mean America won't once again provide horse meat to other countries. Last year Montana passed a bill that cleared the way for horse slaughterhouses to be built in the state, and bills that would allow such facilities are currently advancing in Missouri and Tennessee.
On April 8, a subcommittee in the Tennessee House approved a horse slaughter bill 7-6. A week earlier, the Missouri House approved 91-61 bill HR1741. The bill hasn’t yet been scheduled for the Senate calendar.
From the AP:
| The measure is intended to get around a federal ban on meat inspectors working in horse slaughtering plants. The House bill would levy fees on slaughterhouses that the state would then transfer to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. |
The country’s last equine slaughterhouse closed its doors in 2007. Cavel International shut down its Dekalb, Illinois, facility after a circuit court upheld a state law prohibiting the slaughter of horses for human consumption. (An Illinois state representative has proposed reopening the plant.) Before that, the few remaining operations closed after Congress barred the USDA from spending federal fund to inspect horse slaughterhouses—no inspection means no meat.
Before Congress pulled funding for meat inspectors, about 100,000 horses were slaughtered each year in the U.S.; in 2001, 11,940 metric tons of processed horse meat was exported from the U.S. valued at more than $41 million, Bloomberg reports.
Supporters say slaughterhouses are necessary to deal with horse cruelty and abandonment, where owners are unable to care for the animals and can’t find new homes for them.
The BLM, which manages wild horses and burros, announced in 2008 that it might slaughter some of the more than 30,000 in federal holding pens to cut down on the expense of holding the animals. The agency later said it would look for other solutions. (The BLM regularly holds horse and burro adoptions, but doesn't sell or send any horses or burros to slaughter.) Currently, the GAO is looking into the impact of the closing of slaughterhouses on horse welfare, as some say the slaughter ban has led to an increase in abandoned equines.
Proposed legislation has drawn vociferous protest from horse advocates, most notably singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. “We ride horses in America, we don't eat them,” he wrote in a letter printed in the Tennessean.
| Rep. Niceley is sponsoring a bill (HB 1428) in the Tennessee General Assembly to allow a horse slaughterhouse in Tennessee. He wants folks to believe it is more humane to allow buyers to travel around our great country purchasing healthy, wanted horses, then haul them to Tennessee to be slaughtered for human consumption. Who benefits: foreign-owned companies and high-end diners overseas. |
Nelson, and other equine activists including Illinois Equine Humane Center, are pushing Congress to pass the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (HR 503/S 727) that will outlaw domestic horse slaughtering for food consumption overseas.
Nowhere in the debate is anyone calling for Americans to eat equine meat. “Horse, it’s what’s for dinner” is unlikely to be a slogan that appeals to consumers here.
Comments
I read and feel like home.
I read and feel like home. Thanks to the creators of the good life!
Horse meat is unfit for humans to eat.
Horse meat is unfit for humans to eat.
Association of phenylbutazone usage with horses bought for slaughter: A public health risk
Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 48, Issue 5, May 2010, Pages 1270-1274
Nicholas Dodman, Nicolas Blondeau, Ann M. Marini
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6P-4YF5RB0-1...
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - prohibited as well Phenylbutazone, known as "bute," is a veterinary drug only label-approved by the Food & Drug Administration for use by veterinarians in dogs and horses. It has been associated with debilitating conditions in humans and it is absolutely not permitted for use in food-producing animals. USDA/FSIS has conducted a special project to for this drug in selected bovine slaughter plants under federal inspection. An earlier pilot project by FSIS found traces less than 3% of the livestock selected for testing, sufficient cause for this special project. There is no tolerance for this drug in food-producing livestock, and they and their by-products are condemned when it is detected. Dairy producers must not use this drug in food-producing livestock and if it is found, those producers will be subject to FDA investigation and possible prosecution.
http://www.saanendoah.com/prohibiteddrugs.html
Horse Owner Survey Shows NSAID Use Trends
by: Edited Press Release
April 30 2009, Article # 14073
In a recent survey, 96% of respondents said they used nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to control the joint pain and
inflammation in horses, and 82% administer them without always
consulting their veterinarian. More than 1,400 horse owners and trainers
were surveyed to better understand attitudes toward NSAIDs, in a project
sponsored by Merial, the maker of Equioxx (firocoxib).
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=14073
99 percent of horses that started in California last year raced on bute, according to Daily Racing Form. Bute is banned in the United States and Canada for horses intended for the food chain. That’s a permanent ban.
Horse meat is unfit for
Horse meat is unfit for humans to eat.
Association of phenylbutazone usage with horses bought for slaughter: A public health risk
Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 48, Issue 5, May 2010, Pages 1270-1274
Nicholas Dodman, Nicolas Blondeau, Ann M. Marini
Read it for yourselves here:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6P-4YF5RB0-1...
National Disgrace!
Wow. I can't believe some of the arguments people are giving for having their horses slaughtered in a meat processing plant rather than HUMANELY euthanizing them. You have fallen for the illogic of those who actually profit from it and taken it as your own because you don't want either the expense associated with ending your horse's life humanely or you want to make one last lousy buck. This is about greed and over breeding, nothing else. The only reason dogs and cats are not being sold to slaughter is because there is no money in it, although there are countries who also eat dogs and cats. No one has ever suggested slaughtering them for human consumption because of the over population problem. Why? Because there's no money it it. Of course there is money in selling them to research labs, and that is permissible. Also permissible is using dogs as puppy producing machines, of which Misssouri is probably in the lead for puppy mill capitol of the country. So not surprising Missouri would be on the bandwagon for getting its very own horse slaughter plant. Hey anything that makes a dollar, regardless of the suffering involved. No wonder other countries say Americans have no culture of their own. Oh we have our own culture alright but it's for sell to the highest bidder. Disgusting.
What really amazes me is
What really amazes me is that people that oppose the saughter of horse think that everyone in the world should beleive as they do. In a world where people stave to death daily, too many people had rather see old horses that are no longer of uasable quality, be killed by vets and buried than to have them slaughtered for food. That cost is about $200 that lines the pockets of vets. Many people that own horses in recent years have lost their jobs and no longer can afford them. It is almost impossible to give a horse to anyone during these economic hard times. Is it more humane to deprive one's family of necessities or is it more humane to slaughter a horse for food that someone in a foreign country will eat? The government has stopped the slaughter of horses so why can't the government build holding facilities so these unwanted horse can kept and fed and given the best of medical care? And who would pay of this? I think the American Humane Society with its millions of dollars could well afford that small endeavor and if they have a problem with that maybe old Willie Nelson would help out. The closed minded views of animal activest only created problems for true animal lovers. People who love horses raise them , care for them and give them the best of care as do cattlemen love their cattle. Cattlemen raise their cattle for the sole purpose of food. Horse are beasts of burden and are raised for that purpose, but when they can no longer preform their job, they can and should be used for food.
I wouldn't say eating horse
I wouldn't say eating horse meat in the US is a no no, because no one has banned folks from consuming horse meat here. You just can't find anyone who processes it here in the US unless they do it themselves. Otherwise you have to have someone from another country ship it into the US.
There was a well known horse clinician that died recently, can't remember his name off the top of my head, that him and his family as he was growing up, would raise one horse and one cow a year to slaughter to feed the family. I have also had friends that have eaten horse meat as well and they say it is a little sweeter then beef.
Also, instead of euthanising these horses, why not let them clean up drug wise and then butcher them here and give their meat away to families in need, that can't afford to buy meat let alone afford any food for the family.
As far as the folks that try to say that horses aren't being abandoned or starved I just heard a news report today that stated that in WY, the brand inspectors stated that the number of abuse and abandoned horses has gone up from 50 in 2008 to 260 in 2009. That is a huge jump and these rescues just can't take them all in and give them a new home.
Granted, yes there are good horses that are now going to slaughter and it would be nice to keep those horses from going, and a lot of these horses might have good bloodlines, but they are usually products of irresponsible breeding by folks just trying to mass produce because they have those lines and they think everyone wants them even though they do no training or showing what so ever to these horses or these horses sires and dams.
Just like I have a friend that turns her stud out with the mares instead of selecting her best quality mare or no mares and then complains when her horses don't bring any money and then she usually takes them to auction to sell them because she hasn't really tried to sell them, nor does she do anything to promote them or finish their training because she doesn't know how and doesn't have the money to afford a good trainer.
Horsemeat IS a "no-no"
Actually the anti-slaughter bill that was passed in 2007 made it illegal to slaughter, possess, or sell horse meat inside the U.S. So I would think you would have to possess it in order to eat it. So point being--horsemeat IS an illegal "no-no" in the U.S.
Living horses are being sold
Living horses are being sold inside the U.S. then shipped farther away to a worse death then if they were killed in the U.S.
What you eat
I would not eat horse but unless you do not eat any meat then I do not see what you can complain about. Cow, Pigs, chickens, lamb and all livestock are not treated humanely before or during slaughter. Over crowded pens and houses, pumped full of drugs then slaughtered for you to eat. So unless you champion all animals then take a new look at what you are saying.
What you eat
I agree with you. The other poster who claims that horses are supposed to be a human's best friend has that mixed up. The saying is a dog is "man's best friend." I was raised on a small farm where we had cows, chickens, dogs, cats and occasionally sheep. We milked the cows, generally sold calves to become veal, but occasionally slaughtered an older one for meat. We ate eggs from the chickens and also ate the chickens. We were taught not to waste anything and that included slaughtering and eating older chickens in stews and soups, etc. Why do people in the U.S. see some animals as somehow off-limits for food. Much of the time, I hear people wonder how someone could eat something so cute. So those people believe we should only eat things that are ugly? What kind of criteria is that to use? If you eat meat, I don't think you have anything to say about people in other countries who eat horse meat or even dog meat. Some meats are considered delicacies in other countries, but some are eaten because they are necessary for survival. It's wonderful that people in the U.S. can afford to be so wasteful and picky!
What you eat
Well you know most people don't think about all of the other animals because they are use to it. But horse's are suppose to be a humans best friend. They are the working animals of the U.S. Horses help us plow our fields, help us get places, and give us enjoyment when we ride them or even just play with them. People do not understand what a beautiful creature they are until they take time to be around them. So why don't you think about that the next time you want to post something. Sorry for being a bad word I just feel very strongly about horse slaughtering.
Unreal! WY has already
Unreal! WY has already passed a law legalizing this. Now one of their hare-brained legislators, Slaughterhouse Sue Wallis wants to build a slaughterhouse in Cheyenne - not in HER own backyard, though. Hmmm, wonder why not on the home range?
First, Wallis's plan was "sell it the EU", then "feed it to WY inmates, poor and elderly", now she wants to poison our pets by selling it for pet food. Evil troll wants to subject conscious horses to inhumane slaughter (our own govt inspectors report they are aware during the process in over 40% of horse slaughters!) and poison consumers and pets! This woman is completely and totally out of her mind and all the state legislators trying to follow in her footsteps are just as deranged. Obviously there is behind the scenes purse fattening going on - money, the root of all evil. They will be stopped though as Americans will NOT STAND FOR THIS disgusting, immoral, unethical "business.
Maybe there is mercury in the water in these states. Maybe these legislators have some brain damage. What else can explain the complete and total lack of logical thought process? Why on earth would anyone believe they can sell POISON meat for pet food (or to humans in other countries for that matter!) and get away with it? Ding, ding, ding - "made in CHINA" poisonous pet food ring a bell? Just exactly what kind of pet owner will be purchasing a POISONOUS food product?
The vast majority of the thinking public realizes how these evil sub-human trolls wants to make $$ at the expense of the poor innocent animals they wish to slaughter and the poor innocent animals (& humans!) they wish to poison with carcinogenic and toxic meat. How can these sick individuals even exist? They are NOT human. What human with a soul sells out by creating a TOXIC POISONOUS product and pushes the sale of this to humans and their companion pets?
To those in the slaughter-bent states: WY, MT, KY, TN, MO - Watch out people, the next thing you know, your mental midget legislators will come up with a soylent green plan for you next! Vote these pea-brained evil immoral slaughter pushers OUT OF OFFICE asap!
Okay, I have to reply here
Okay, I have to reply here because if you understood the whole process that Sue is trying to do, you wouldn't be saying these things. I really like her plan.
First off, in the state of WY, in 2008 the WY brand inspectors reported picking up 50 abused and abandoned horses, in 2009 that number grew to 260. We are not talking about 1000s of horses here.
Next, her plan is to take in these horses and go over each and every horse to see if they can be retrained to make a good useable mounts that someone would want to buy.
Next part of her plan will involve the horse training students at LCCC retraining or further training these horses. I have witnessed the horses coming out of this program and the students do a very good job in training these horses. Who knows, maybe more states will adopt her plan and involve their Jr. Colleges that do horse training programs into the plan.
At least with Sue's plan, horses that deserve to have a chance will have a chance. The state of WY spent a bunch of money housing these unwanted horses until they could take them to auction to get rid of them where they ended up selling them for very little money to one buyer, if I remember right, and I can just about bet that they all went to slaughter too.
As far as claiming these horses are poisoned, that is a crock. Granted these horses could have antibiotics and such on board at the time of seizure, but all that you need to rid an animals body of most antibiotics and such is 30 day withdrawl time and most of these horses going towards slaughter are generally ones that haven't been pumped full of drugs because if their owners could afford the drugs and such, they would be more then likely keeping the horse as well instead of sending them to slaughter or abandoning or starving them. Plus if a horse is seized and needs to be put down, they are put down then and there. If anything, most of these horses are lacking in veterinary care or just feeding. I know of several folks in my area that don't even vaccinate, let alone worm their horses, because of cost and because some of them don't believe in doing it either.
Those of you who are quick
Those of you who are quick to say it's ok to slaughter horses may not know what it's like to own a really good horse. They have personalities; they have relationships with each other and with humans. This makes them different in some ways from other livestock. Many of them work hard for humans, whether to make them money or just serve their recreational purposes. After a life of hard work, why should a horse have to take that last cruel ride? My horse is an awesome companion. He went to many horse shows and packs me around on the trail anytime I want to go. He never says no when I ask him to do something. He can be ridden without a bridle or saddle because he aims to please. There are many horses just like him killed in slaughter houses in very cruel ways, enduring horrible rides in tractor trailers and being shocked into chutes, falling down, in pain, all the way to the end. Slaughter houses are not the answer for unwanted horses in this country. Wake up people. You just don't want to bother doing something that takes more effort and money, even if it's worthwhile or the right thing to do... You'd rather just be ignorant of the suffering and not have to deal with it yourself. Have somebody else kill the unwanted animal so you don't have to see it yourself or make a decision yourself. Just don't make you watch the killing process so you won't have to feel anything.
Those of you who are quick
I own an Arabian mare and she is a wonderful horse. It seems to me there are two separate issues that people are writing about here. One is whether it's okay to eat horse meat. Two is whether it's okay to send horses to a slaughterhouse to be killed. If the real issue concerns inhumane slaughterhouse treatment, we obviously need humane methods of transportation and slaughterhouse procedures. If the issue is that horses are too cute or that they shouldn't be eaten because we ride them, that is emotional reasoning and nothing more.
friend to a horse
I really enjoyed this post. It should be widely spread . It is truely an abomination the way horses are sometimes treated in this country of all countries I also as a horse owner know what it is to have relationships with many horses. But the horses that you and i have are not the same as as the horses that god forbid end up in the kill pens or slaughtered. Those poor souls have had poor or bad lives for some time. Ive seen abandoned, abused, terribly abused and unfed. So i believe that a " humane" death is better or naturaly preferred. For myself included. A horse is a nobel creature. I dont know how people can bring a dog to the pound. But sometimes i think no life is better than a bad or tortured one.
A dog to the pound!?
I just wanted to point out that some Asian counties eat dogs.
Horse abusers don't send horses to slaughter
A point that is missed again and again in this argument is that people who abuse and neglect horses don't send them to slaughter. Without a victim the abuser can't abuse. So saying that horse abuse is increasing because there are no U.S. slaughter plants is simply untrue.
I'm Japanese
I'm born and raised in the states, but I do go visit family in Japan often. For the people that raise horses and can't imagine eating one, my family raises pigs, and eat a lot of pork. It's a natural cycle of life that people have been doing since God knows...
In Japan, not only do they eat horse, they eat it raw. It's sliced thin and served just like any sashimi. Japan also has standards and tests that they run on their imported products, so like mad cow disease, if the American bred horses aren't up to par, Japan won't take it.
But, thank you. This was very informative. Next time I order horse sashimi, I'll make sure it's not a horse from America.
I encourage you to read up
I encourage you to read up on Phenylbutazone (Bute) and the other drugs such as steroids that most all North American horses are given in their lifetime. Bute is the "asprin" of the horse world and is given frequently to any horse that is experiencing pain.
The European Union apparently must have higher standards than Japan because they are the ones who are demanding that horses that have been given these drugs be no longer eligible for slaughter for human consumption. It appears to be the same situation for Japan as with the slaughter of dolphins for human consumption, their bodies are full of mercury yet their meat is sold as food in Japan.
It is sad to say but the Canadian nor Mexican nor any other Government have taken this step to demand documention showing what drugs a horse has been given in their lifetime. Mexico isn't even complying with this new rule, and Canada is only going along with it because they are being told to by the EU, they didn't do it voluntarily. Horses are not considered animals meant to be eaten so there has never been any records of what drugs they have been given. The fact that horses have these drugs, plus any number of the approximately 60 more drugs that are banned, in their systems is a well known fact, yet Governments still sell the product as food for humans in some countries.
It is all about money and has nothing to do with the pro-slaughter groups so called "unwanted horses" The simple answer is to stop over-breeding, yet, to make money organizations like the American Quarter Horse Association and the Arabian Horse Assocation support excessive breeding of their respective breeds, and they support slaughter too. They encourage slaughter as a way to dispose of some of their breeds, and the simple reason is that they want people to produce and register as many new foals as possible...so they can make money from the registration process.
Good luck distinguishing what horse meat is from Canada, the US or Mexico, I doubt your sellers will even know especially in a restaurant.
Animals as commodities
I think it's clear to see that as long as money can be made from horse blood, flesh, bone and hide there will be people who push to make their dollar on the killing.
The idea of removing wild horses from public "protected" lands for the sake of cattle interests, and at the expense of taxpayers is enough to make anyone distrustful of the whole system. Bent on greed and reliant on political corruption - as long as horses are seen as "things", like pigs, cows and chickens this evil will continue.
The meat industry spends hundreds of millions of dollars lying to the public about their product. But no amount of false propaganda can sanitize meat. The facts are absolutely clear: Eating meat is bad for human health, catastrophic for the environment, and a living nightmare for animals.
Want to create a better world? Eat like you mean it - Go Vegan
http://www.nonviolenceunited.org/veganvideo.html
Humm, lets see, create
Humm, lets see, create better world, go vegan. Do you understand that unless you get food from a known source such as a friend that uses no fertiliser, that you vegan people are helping out with global warming. Even though foods are certified organic, urea is a product that is allowed to be used in organic production. Urea can occur naturally through chicken urine, but most urea in the US is chemically produced. Also another product used to help grow food is UAN (Urea / Ammonia Nitrate solution) also known as 32%.
Do you know where Urea and Ammonia Nitrate come from?
Well let me tell you. These products come from natural gas (CH4), air (N & O) and steam (H2O). In the process of making ammonia, CO2 is created because ammonia contains just nitrogen and hydrogen (NH3) and the CO2 must be removed before it can go through the Syn Convertor that converts the gas into ammonia. Then in the process of making urea, both CO2 and ammonia (NH3) are combined again and put through a heat process to create urea. In the making of ammonia nitrate, ammonia is run through several heat processes with catalyst to create nitric acid which is then turned into ammonia nitrate through more heat processing.
Any CO2 that is not used in the making of urea, if it is clean enough, can be used in the bottling of carbonated beverages or making dry ice or it can be used in the fracking of wells. Anything that is left beyond that can be vented to atmosphere.
So by trying to promote a vegan lifestyle, you are not helping out the environment anymore then a person that eats meat because in the end, the meat that we normally eat, is raised by plants as well and fertiliser makes the world go round.
Also, by drinking carbonated beverages, every time you pop a top, you are emitting CO2 into the atmosphere. Plus vegans eat the same things animals do, plants, and your are manufacturing CO2 as well as the animals that eat plants.
You do know that meat eaters
You do know that meat eaters produce just as much byproduct, right?
Horses - More than Meat
Anyone who has enjoyed the pleasure of working with horses, has to find the thought of horses being slaughtered for food, a blow both to the heart & stomach.
Yep, I was lucky to grow up around wonderful horses, from Morgans to throughbreds, and quarter horses, they taught me so much. The family had been in horse racing & raising for 3 generations before me, and the value horses had beyond the business was a lesson I had observed and learned early.
I studied in France for most of my high school and part of my college years. One of my first weeks in a french boarding school, one of my new classmates ordered dinner for me, everyone at our table grew quiet, watching as we were served. Other than the meat being very rare, and bleeding all over the plate, all the fresh vegetables, cheeses and bread looked fine. I ate, and pretended to be unconcerned with my food ( never let them see you sweat, horses teach you that too). I cut the meat, it had a different texture than our beef, but so bloody I just moved it around and ate everything else with gusto as I prattled on in my new language. When the plates were removed, the laughter was immediate. I had been served horse meat, and since I was from Texas, they thought that was a great joke on the "american cowgirl." It took a full semester, but every weekend I took different groups of my classmates riding with me in the countryside. Most were afraid of horses and had never touched one,( but they ate them). By the end of the year, there was not a single girl in my dorm that would eat horse. They had seen them as companion animals, not dinner. It brought on school-wide discussions that included the attendance of some of their grandparents who shared stories that the eating of horsemeat had come from their survival needs during their great wars, but they had also eaten rat, and cat as well.
Evidently there are several states, including Tenn., that have lost the connection between their citizens and the horse. That is a sad comment.
Ask a soldier or anyone who has gone through therapy with horses. New worlds open up, wounds are healed, and life is improved. Anyone who has horses that they can no longer care for should spend the time checking into these programs, horses and volunteers are needed. There have always been people who mistreat and starve their animals, the economy is just another excuse for many of them. We have had plenty of them in Texas through the years.
As far as the mustangs, there are plenty of our Public Lands where they should be running free, but thanks to the big money the cattle industry throws around, we remove them and thousands of cattle are put on the lands for each horse removed. Shame on the lawmakers who keep selling out, and then charging the public for the mustangs upkeep by the BLM.
Thanks to anyone who brings the attention of the public to the mistreatment, and abuse of these special companions that America is lucky enough to have in this country!
yum yum
Why not? Jobs created and horse no matter how much some think otherwise is an animal just like swine/cattle/goats/etc. You can have a pet pig but we sitll eat bacon, you can ride your horse too but that doesn't mean you can't eat them. I say eat up!
Horses are not livestock
Horses are not livestock like cattle/swine/goats etc......Think dogs & cats, okay & you may be on the correct track. Horses are companion animals first & foremost. We DON'T eat horse in America and US horses should not be exported for slaughter nor should slaughter of horses be permitted in the US
think about this
horses are livestock, what makes a sheep, goat, pig, or cow any different. They are livestock, they can be companion too, but they are livestock. they take money to own, and they are owned to make money and keep the economy going.Todays food market is based on high production to keep prices lower. Maybe anyone who thinks it is so easy to keep horses should dig into their pocket book and pays for unwanted horses. i have loved horses since i can remember, AND i realize there has to be a place for unwanted horses. I do agree that slaughtering plants should be overseen and monitored, regulated.
Slaughter of Horses for Human Consumption
"Supporters say slaughterhouses are necessary to deal with horse cruelty and abandonment, where owners are unable to care for the animals and can’t find new homes for them."
If the solution to horse cruelty and abandonment is horse slaughter, then what is the solution to child abuse?
Slaughter of horses for human consumption
Hmm--you see your children as livestock?
Slaughtering animals for
Slaughtering animals for consumption half-way around the world is ridiculous, and the way that animals are treated and slaughtered in the US is not even remotely humane.
Ky Response
I too am a lover of horses but, I do agree that there is a problem with horses being starved and abandoned and that some breeder's/owners need to be more responsible and held accountable. I am NOT a bleeding heart liberal but, a conservative Republican and I don't agree with the methods used in horse slaughter. If our cattle industry allowed our beef to be treated in such cruel manners during transport and the act of slaughter itself the American public would be "grossed out". I'm not saying that cattle and other livestock are handled with "tlc". However, we do live in a society where people only think of their wants first and to hell with how the food made it to the plate! We don't ship our unwanted dogs, cats, etc over seas for dinner delites; we euthanize them. As for the American Wild Mustangs that are being rounded up and held in government holding pens; set them free. It's costing the taxpayers $100,000 a day to feed them!
My husband and I are Thoroughbred owners and breeders. We have retired horses to our farm that we bred and sold when their owners are no longer interested for whatever the reasons. We also euthanize our older mares when they can no longer foal unlike many who send them to auction. I'm proud to say that WE ARE RESONSIBLE for what we bring into this world. We try to give them a dignified life after their careers have ended. I DO realize that not every owner is as fortunate as we are to be able to do this .
A very famous trainer said last week; "these animals are bred for sport,by us, a sport that we enjoy. A sport that brings us fortune at times and other times grief. We need not forget they are living, blood pumping animals not machines. When a part is broken it cannot be eaily fixed with an ordered replacement part nor should it be tossed aside like a worthless, broken piece of junk. Intelligence of the horse allows it to be much more that what we expect It should be".
The horse slaughter issue is not going to go away any time soon. Whatever the outcome (if there is one) there will be those not satisfied either way but, please remember the ultimate sacrifice, whatever the animal species; if you consume it, it gave it's life for you to do so.
End comment
p.s. I own property in TN. It's for sale!! ;-)
Let me get this
Let me get this right.....You euthanize a mare JUST BECAUSE SHE CAN NO LONGER FOAL???? YOU CALL THAT CARING AND RESPONSIBLE??!!! You are just as money-greedy as the rest of the horse-mill breeders. Putting to death an innocent animal just because she can NO LONGER MAKE MONEY FOR YOU" that is DISPICIBLE and so are you and your husband!
Grow up. Business is
Grow up. Business is business :)
Let me get this
Let me get this right.....You euthanize a mare JUST BECAUSE SHE CAN NO LONGER FOAL???? YOU CALL THAT CARING AND RESPONSIBLE??!!! You are just as money-greedy as the rest of the horse-mill breeders. Putting to death an innocent animal just because she can NO LONGER MAKE MONEY FOR YOU" that is DISPICIBLE and so are you and your husband!
re
maybe u can take the mares these people dont want and feed them, house them, give them the shots, medication, farrier care they need until they die of old age. AS i see it they are responible , would u rather see them go to slaughter, and if u think that all horse meat goes over seas for human consumption u are wrong, you are feeding your dog and cat. wake up and think about things
horse meat is full of toxic to humans drugs!
I see these stories and just have to shake my head wondering why the writers of these stories don't mention the fact that 99% of the horses that go to slaughter are domestic horses that have been used for racing, showing, work or whatever and most all of them have been given drugs that are banned for use in animals meant for human consumption!! Why are the writers of these articles ignoring this glaringly obvious fact?
All the so-called horse people who are pro-slaughter should know this, every racehorse owner or person involved with racehorses knows this, people who drug up terrified or perhaps lame horses at auction barns know this, yet it is rarely ever mentioned in these types of posts.
The lack of documentation of these banned for human consumption drugs is such a concern for the European Union that they have demanded that horses slaughtered in Canada that are presented for slaughter must have an EID (equine ID) as of July 2010. The document must clearly show the drugs the horse has been given in their lifetime, if the horse has been given drugs like Bute, steroids and many more that are on the banned list, even once in their lifetime, then the horse is not suitable for slaughter. That would account for 100% of racehorses, and most other working and showing horses. Take a second and look up the facts on Bute alone, it clearly states that people should take care not to inhale the powder or ingest Bute. Hands should be washed immediately after administering to prevent oral contamination since, in humans, bone marrow, renal, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal side effects are associated with use of this medication.
How do they legislators account for the fact that many horses that are slaughtered are given this highly toxic drug days or sometimes hours before they are slaughtered? This drug cannot be “cooked” out of the meat, and in cases of horsemeat used for sushi, it is raw when the person eats it. I wonder who the TN and other pro-slaughter States plan to sell the toxic horse meat to?
I suggest anyone reading this research the now closed horse slaughter plant in Neudorf, Saskatchewan Canada that lost about 43 million once they started slaughtering horses after the Cavel plant closed down and during the mad cow scare. They were owned and operated by the same people who ran Cavel and a couple years after they opened, they went out of business due to multiple environmental violations (they could not dispose of the toxic horse blood) and the inhumane treatment of horses.
horse slaughter
I am an equine veterinarian who has worked at horse auctions in the past. Most of the horses that went to slaughter were not just out of the show ring or off the track. They were usually in poor body condition or lame. While I have problems with equine slaughter, I have also have problems with people playing fast and loose with facts. Most horses in our practice are not on phenylbutazone or steroids. While I am sure that some of the horses going through sales have been medicated ( in hopes of getting an unsuspecting person to buy a "sound" horse), many horses were being sent with the knowledge they would be sent to slaughter, so why would the waste the money on giving those animals drugs? As with any emotional topic, we should be very careful getting our facts straight.
"Most horses in our practice
"Most horses in our practice are not on phenylbutazone or steroids" Maybe not in your practice but in the rest of the United states they are.
Horse meat is unfit for humans to eat.
Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 48, Issue 5, May 2010, Pages 1270-1274
Association of phenylbutazone usage with horses bought for slaughter: A public health risk
Nicholas Dodman, Nicolas Blondeau, Ann M. Marini
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6P-4YF5RB0-1...
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - prohibited as well Phenylbutazone, known as "bute," is a veterinary drug only label-approved by the Food & Drug Administration for use by veterinarians in dogs and horses. It has been associated with debilitating conditions in humans and it is absolutely not permitted for use in food-producing animals. USDA/FSIS has conducted a special project to for this drug in selected bovine slaughter plants under federal inspection. An earlier pilot project by FSIS found traces less than 3% of the livestock selected for testing, sufficient cause for this special project. There is no tolerance for this drug in food-producing livestock, and they and their by-products are condemned when it is detected. Dairy producers must not use this drug in food-producing livestock and if it is found, those producers will be subject to FDA investigation and possible prosecution.
http://www.saanendoah.com/prohibiteddrugs.html
Horse Owner Survey Shows NSAID Use Trends
by: Edited Press Release
April 30 2009, Article # 14073
In a recent survey, 96% of respondents said they used nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to control the joint pain and
inflammation in horses, and 82% administer them without always
consulting their veterinarian. More than 1,400 horse owners and trainers
were surveyed to better understand attitudes toward NSAIDs, in a project
sponsored by Merial, the maker of Equioxx (firocoxib).
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=14073
99 percent of horses that started in California last year raced on bute, according to Daily Racing Form. Bute is banned in the United States and Canada for horses intended for the food chain. That’s a permanent ban.
re
this is probably the most correct post put on this page
toxic horse meat
Well I am very sorry to tell you but you are sadly misinformed, or perhaps you need to go to other auctions.
Right now, today, if you view the horses that just ran through the New Holland Auction house in Pennsylvania, you will find most of the horses are young, well trained and not lame, old or sick. That is the false information that many pro-slaughter organizations tell people but it is simply not true. This is a link to the horse rescue group Another Chance for Horses, to the horses that were purchased by a kill buyer from New Holland Auction Barn, Unidilla and Sugarcreek. This kill buyer has a contract with a horse slaughter house in Canada. The horses that are photographed by Another Chance for Horses are but a few of the hundreds that are sent to their death by this broker twice a week. Look at these photos of young, viable highly marketable horses that are going to slaughter if they are not saved by caring people. This broker and many others like him, also sends pregnant mares to slaughter, late term, heavy in foal pregnant mares.
http://www.ac4h.com/BrokerOwnedProgram.htm
In addtion, this is a list of the horses at the Camelot Auction house in New Jersey that, if not saved by Saturday at noon, will ship to slaughter. There are 2 yearlings in this group, how do you justtify that? This page normally has photos but due to technical difficulty this week there are only a few photos posted here. However, they are all posted on the Facebook pages of the rescue groups trying to save these horses and I can provide them for you should you need further proof.
http://www.nj-feedlot-horse-rescue.com/availablecamelot.html
I can also provide you photos of the heavily pregnant mares and new born foals pulled from both of these auction barns should you wish to see them.
It is a fact that most all racehorses are given bute and steroids before each and every race. It is also a fact that many racehorses are sent to slaughter direclty after losing a race.
http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=79525
As for who should get their facts straight, it appears to be you Mr. or Mrs. Veterinarian. Please educate yourself on this topic.
excellent points I agree
excellent points I agree with you 100% that it is simply a myth that only old, sick, 'good-for-nothing' drug free horses are sold for slaughter! Picture a show horse with a pedigree & performance record that I suppose were literally 'to die for' being handled in the ring by the 20-something owner that was "only selling because I have to rear a family; can't keep my horse because mom and dad aren't footing the bills anymore; hope to be able to have a horse again someday for myself & my kids" who had the horse groomed and slick with ribbons in the mare's mane and tail....now picture a kill buyer placing the winning bid.....happens all the time!
Toxic!!
Yes, I agree with you 100%!. I certainly would not eat one from our farm (not taht I ever would or could) but knowing what I know about their med regiments. I'm also confused; Europe has one of the toughest "meat quality standards" in the world and yet they allow their citizens to eat "toxic" American horse meat. What up? The U.S. has pretty high standards too but just last week a shipment of beef to Mexico was refused by the Mexican inspectors and sent back to the U.S. If Mexico turned it away what is that saying about OUR inspectors?@#$%&!!!!!!! I'm just saying......... AND what happened to that shipment of beef?! Ummm...
Ky Response
reply
well maybe all you people that think horse slaughtering should be stop can adopt and pay for all these unwanted or high costing horses. There are people that love horses but just cant support their horses high hay prices, shots, farrier, housing. But selling and lowering the population of horses makes the trained and well bred horses more vaulable.
I am a lifelong horseman,
I am a lifelong horseman, and over the past couple of years, the trend I have observed is that more and more horse breeders are gelding their stallions and getting out of the breeding business. My veterinarian says she has gelded a record number of mature stallions this year. With our poor economic climate, the horse market has been hit really hard. Horses that would have easily sold for 5 or more figures in the 90's are now being given away.
The market is still rather good for the most elite level of finished show horses, but it takes a lot of time and training to get one to that point, and you hope it won't get injured before it can be sold.
The biggest problem is people who continue to breed horses indiscriminately, and I suspect that many of them are missing from the statistics unless their animals end up in an auction barn. For example, I know of someone who has a stallion just turned out with several mares 24/7, and allowed to reproduce without any management. The owner never submits any registsration paperwork, which means the horses have even less value. The horses are never dewormed, never vaccinated, and never receive handling or hoof care. The stallion is now breeding his own daughters.
I would be in favor of regulated domestic horse slaughter plants as a more humane alternative to having them shipped to Mexico or being allowed to starve.
Credibility +1
Credibility +1
horse processing
Good for TN. Let's have horse meat in the grocery stores soon. How do U bleeding heart liberal morons like this?
if you want horse meat
if you want horse meat available to you in a grocery store, please feel free to immigrate to some place where they already do....I'm sure you can find plenty of help to see you off
Good
Today surplus horses are shipped over the MX and CA borders for slaughter. These plants, especially the ones in MX, do not have the stringent regulations regarding humane treatment that a plant in the US will. I would rather see horses slaughtered locally under stringent US regulations than packed into trucks for a multi-day trip. It's a much more humane end for the animal.
burberry
good web prada
Slaughter wasn't regulated in the U.S.
I agree that horses aren't treated humanely in Mexico or Canada and the unfortunate truth is that USDA didn't regulate humanity of treatment when the U.S. plants were open. As our government trends towards less and less regulation of the food industry, there is little, if any, chance that USDA will become vigilant in the future.