Americans have had a long love affair with horses. Whether on the racetrack, on television, or in Hollywood, celebrated steeds such as Citation, Secretariat, Black Beauty, Trigger and Mr. Ed have always been part of our national history and culture. Our nation was built on the backs of horses. Yet, today, our horse population is facing an unparalleled crisis caused by over-breeding, unsafe racetracks, and the demand for horsemeat served in many products sold in Europe.
Each year, more than 100,000 healthy horses in the United States are shipped across our borders to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada. These animals suffer from inhumane long-distance transport and are subjected to cruel and clumsy slaughter practices. Consuming meat from American horses is also a health risk: Our horses are raised as companions, athletes or work horses, so they have been routinely given drugs that can render their meat contaminated.
However, American horsemeat is still sold in Europe. In the last few weeks, European officials and consumer groups have discovered beef burgers for sale in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain that contained horse DNA though it was not labeled as such. This isn't an animal rights issue. It is one of public safety.
How can this slaughter of American horses be stopped? The Humane Society of the United States continues to urge Congress to ban horse slaughter for good with a bill that would not only outlaw the practice within the U.S., but also the export of live horses to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico. Horse breeders can also help by reducing the number of horses they bring into the world. The HSUS created the Responsible Horse Breeders Council, comprised of breeders around the country dedicated to improving horse welfare. Breeders will sign a pledge stating that they will take back any horse they have bred that becomes homeless whether that's because it has outlived its usefulness on the racetrack, in the show ring, or as a working horse.
A large part of the solution for homeless horses are the many sanctuaries and rescue facilities where horses can be rehabilitated and placed in caring homes, or live out their days in tranquility. The HSUS now operates some of the largest sanctuaries in the country -- the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch and the Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center in Murchison, Texas, as well as the Duchess Sanctuary in Oakland, Ore. There are also smaller sanctuaries, such as Squirrelwood in Montgomery, N.Y., whose owners regularly go to horse auctions to purchase animals that would otherwise be sent to slaughter. But all of these sanctuaries need funding to continue caring for these horses.
We also need to take a hard look at how we treat these animals. Carriage horses in New York City should be banned. Horrific accidents have occurred when a carriage horse bolted into traffic putting itself, the driver and passengers in danger.
At the Aqueduct Racetrack in New York, many horses running in cheap claiming races break down, jeopardizing the safety of other horses and jockeys. One should also note the shocking abuse of Tennessee walking horses who are subjected to having caustic chemicals applied to their legs in order to achieve the unnatural "big lick" gait prized in the industry.
In 2012, The HSUS launched the Safe Stalls program, a national network of horse rescues, professionals, and enthusiasts who provide emergency care and shelter for horses suffering from cruelty or natural disaster situations.
But more needs to be done. The public needs to pressure lawmakers to champion legislation that helps horses. Racetracks might use a portion of the revenue realized through casino gambling to support homes for retired racehorses. Professional equestrians need to rally the world of show horses to make certain that none of their horses go to slaughter.
Companies such as Ralph Lauren and Ford, which ally themselves with horses through their products, should contribute money to programs that help equines.
But perhaps just as important, we need to let some of our European friends know that the horsemeat they consider as a delicacy can be riddled with chemicals from painkillers and other drugs these horses are treated with throughout their lives. By closing down the market for horsemeat, the slaughter houses will eventually be forced to shut their doors.
When we domesticated the horse, we took on the responsibility of caring for it throughout its life. It is only right that an animal that gives joy to so many should be protected from harm and allowed to live out its life in greener pastures.
Horse slaughter is BAD, BAD business anywhere you put it and any way you look at it.
Just as many horses have gone to slaughter since the three horse slaughter plants in the US were shut down as there were when the plants were open - some years even more. You really do need to do some homework! All that changed was that all our horses are trucked to Mexico and Canada and slaughtered there.
Since there was never a national "ban," and most states did not ban horse slaughter at the state level, how can half the states lift bans they NEVER HAD? In truth, several states have instituted bans they never had before! You are indeed mistaken.
Do some research - you totally missed the boat. You may be a "Super User," but that doesn't mean you know what you're posting about.
In response to those that say there are “too many” carriage horse accidents – I give you this:
“New York City school buses were involved in 1,700 accidents last year [2011] — an average of nearly five per day, DNAinfo.com New York has learned.
The accidents — ALL OF WHICH WERE CAUSED BY THE PUBLIC SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS (emphasis added), Department of Education records show — resulted in more than 900 injuries, according to safety records obtained through the state’s Freedom of Information Law.” http://tinyurl.com/cyhc2wh
Considering the number of carriage rides given, the number of accidents is remarkably low – and the number of accidents in which a person or horse has been hurt is infinitesimal. In the past 30 (that’s THIRTY) years three carriage horses that have died as a result of collisions with traffic: Chester (1985), Tony (1990), and Spotty (2006). I am not minimizing the death of any horse, but that is an amazing record.
The fact of the matter is that the push to ban the NYC carriage horses has NOTHING to do with the horses and everything to do with money and real estate: http://thebarnrules.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/18/
Further more it is painfully evident that Many if not Most of the most influential breeders of equines want NOTHING to do with the HSUS.
Being a responsible breeder is miles away from partnering with the likes of the HSUS.
"When you drain the swamp.........don't wonder why you are now up to your ass in alligators."
One other important point is that the availability of slaughter increases over-breeding and also encourages an irresponsible "throw-away" ownership mentality. Breeders continue to churn out more horses even though there's little market for their product, because they know they can sell a few for decent money and cut their losses on the others by sending them to slaughter. Eliminating slaughter would eliminate the "cull" market and force breeders to breed only quality animals for which there is a market.
It is their burden to monitor where and of what quality the meat they are consuming is.
A ban on horse exportation for slaughter will just result in privatized sales of those horses to dealers or brokers in Canada and Mexico who will then designate them as slaughter bound.
The majority of these horses are young, healthy animals who could go on to lead productive lives with loving owners. 80% of American’s strongly opposed the senseless and barbaric slaughter of horses. Do not believe the lies of Greed and profit disguised as compassion! Slaughter is not a humane and our American horses are treasured icons and the very symbol of freedom.
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 1176/H.R. 2966) bills have fallen silent. Please demand they be heard and brought to a vote. Please speak for the voiceless! The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act will ban the barbaric slaughter of American horses for human consumption, including the export of live horses across our borders for slaughter.
Thank you,
. Horses are our trusted companions and have never been raised for human consumption in America.
. Owner responsibility is the answer.
. Horse slaughter and even transport to slaughter are abuses.
. Slaughter is not a humane form of euthanasia.
. Slaughter is not a “necessary evil.
. Drugs given to horses are dangerous to humans.
. The foreign-owned plants in the U.S. are not a better alternative than horse slaughter plants over the border.
. Ending horse slaughter won’t lead to an increase in unwanted horses and result in horse abuse and neglect.
. Banning horse slaughter will not undermine private property rights.
. Ending horse slaughter will not cause environmental harm.
. Ending horse slaughter will not cause the federal government to face the financial burden of care for horses no longer going to slaughter.
HSUS
What gives them the moral and ethical right to force their beliefs upon other people?
Horse meat is anything but safe and shame on on for not knowing this. Please take sometime to Google the everyday drugs pumped into all horses before you speak on the subject. Speaking of beliefs, are you a religious man? The Equine is labeled unclean by God. End of debate!
Please visit the HSUS website to get the facts. They are not trying to eliminate meat eating - their VP of Outreach, Joe Maxwell, is a pig farmer for goodness sakes! What HSUS IS working on, is eliminating cruel practices in the raising of livestock, including confining calves, sows and chickens to tiny cages where they cannot turn around.
Horse slaughter has always and will always be horrifically inhumane, which is why HSUS (and 80% of Americans) are against it. And people who try and subvert the real issue by calling the most MAINSTREAM animal protection organization in the world "radical," are, in my experience, engaged in industries that use the very practices HSUS is trying to stop.
As Upton Sinclair so succinctly coined, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"
Horse slaughter is horrifically inhumane and completely unnecessary. The basis of your argument (greed) does not justify the predatory industry of horse slaughter any more than the livelihood of pit bull breeders justifies dog fighting.
One more issue that I think needs to be addressed and that is our Wild Horses and Burros, of which there over 50,000 now in holding pens, on bare feedlots, paid for by you, the American Taxpayer. When these animals age out at 10 years are also sent into the slaughter pipeline. http://rtfitchauthor.com/2012/11/
Thank you for giving some exposure to this issue. We need so many more to start speaking up against this.
The equine breeders, themselves, are the biggest offenders. There is an over population of horses, and the breeders are complicit, even with the lack of demand. Most breeder have never taken Econ 101, they continue breeding with abandon, knowing they can DUMP their alleged loved horses into the brutal pipeline of slaughter.
The killer horse buyer industry, as you can imagine, is as morally bankrupt and corrupt as they come. Indeed those fellas and there are some women, have no remorse when they falsify a drug record or fraudulently sell horse to slaughter, when it is not even the horse they are claiming it is.
Killer horse buyers, will see horse rescuers at an auction, and purposely bid up the prices, out of spite. Sometimes the auctioneer pretends he doesn't see the rescuers and won't take their bids. That is how petty they are.
The thoroughbred industry has started to look at the situation. However, only a handful of breeders, are committed to the well being of the horses they bred. The others? Couldn't give a da%m.
Artificial insemination is out of control They send semen willy-nilly to anyone and everyone. They don't care if they got their money.
It must end. The torture must end. Over-populating must end-as that's the BIGGEST problem.
The slaughter houses themselves are atrocious!!! Their inhumane handling of the poor creatures is torturous, and barbaric! Yet, Canada claims slaughter is a form of euthanasia! How insane is that?