[PreppyxCowgirl]

I just wrote this and i thought i would share it......tell me what you think.

Dear ________________,

Hello, My name is Katie. I am a 14 year-old girl who is strongly opposed

to horse slaughter. I own and ride horses. I know that there are currently 8 slaughter

houses in US and Canada, two of which are in Texas.

1. Bouvry Export Calgary, LTD located in Fort McLeod, Alberta

2. Yamatra Import-Export, INC located in Yamchiche, Quebec

3. Richelieu Meat, INC located in Massuville, Quebec

4. Barton Feeders Co., LTD located in Owen Sound, Ontario

5. Central Nebraska Packing located in North Platte, Nebraska

6. Cavel International located in DeKalb, Illinois

7. Beltex located in Fort Worth, Texas

8. Dallas Crown located in Kaufman, Texas.


I feel that horse slaughter should be history and all horse slaughter houses should be

wiped out. The total number of horses the world has slaughtered is 4,290,250! That is

just wrong! We do not eat pets. Eating an animal you can love seems to bother

people. Horses are animals that have been domesticated, accompany man, and are

given a name. They are not animals that are raised for human consumption. People in

US have a love affair with their horses. Horses are pets, and nobody wants to think of

a pet as being used for anything other than pleasure. The horse deserves to have

protection against slaughter because man conquered the world from the back of the

horse. No animal has served man longer or harder. Our “Beast of Burden” carried us

into war, pullud our wagons, pulled our plows, worked our ranches and delivered our

mail. This nation was developed in partnership with the horse. Accordingly the horse

has become part of our American heritage. Our horses do not feed starving people in

other countries, it is quite the opposite. Rather a $15 a pound delicacy for Japanese,

Belgian, and French gourmands.


The entire process including the slaughter auction, the method of transportation, the

slaughter plantd, everything leading up to and including their death is inhumane. The

horses stand in line smelling the blood, sensing the terror. They are electrocuted or

speared into the "kill box" where they shake violently, falling, unable to stand from

fear. They are repeatedly bludgeoned with the "captive dead-bolt" gun which drives a

four-inch spike into their skull, rendering the horse not dead but unconscious. Alive

and many times still conscious, the horse is then shackled, hoisted, throats slit, bled

and dismembered. It is man's ultimate betrayal to the horse. Horses have not been

bred to be docile. They have been bred to be intelligent, sensitive responsive animals

with an acute "fight or flight" mechanism.

An animal sensitive enough to respond to the subtle lift of a rein, the slight pressure

of a leg, a softy-spoken word. An animal which doesn't understand our language yet

can execute complicated tasks upon command. An animal acutely aware of their

surroundings. Such an animal suffers greatly enduring the rigors of slaughter.

Slaughter is ultimate betrayal, You have to see the unmistakable look of confusion

and fright of horses stockpiled in killer pens: young foals still nursing at their

mother's side, race horses too slow or with legs shattered, mares heavy with foal,

navicular quarterhorses, foundered ponies, ringboned jumpers, mustangs, people's

pets beautifully groomed, these animals were all given names, and trusted man. The

horse will give everything, the least we can give the horse is the guarantee of a

humane death. As horse owners, we feed, trim, inoculate, worm, float and call the vet

to tube during a colic,...our obligation doesn't end with our horse's usefulness. As our

last responsibility, we are obligated to humanely "put them down"....it goes with the

territory.

If we can afford to breed horses, we can afford to humanely euthanize them. If we can

afford to race horses, we can afford to humanely euthanize them. If we can afford to

show horses, we can afford to humanely euthanize them. In fact, if we can afford to

own horses, we can afford to humanely euthanize them. Killer buyers are either

contracted or independent agents for the slaughter plants who attend local auctions

and respond to "for sale" ads. Killer buyers are men and women who are usually

extremely knowledgeable, life-long horsemen, but are desensitized to cruelty or

simple compassion. Below are some facts about horses..


Fact: Horses are an intregal part of American heritage and culture.

Fact: Horses are pleasure animals used primarily for recreation and sport.

Fact: Americans do not eat horses or raise them for food.

Fact: Horse slaughter is a virtual secret industry.

Fact: The method by which horses are slaughtered is cruel and inhumane and cannot be regulated to be humane.

Fact: Horses are acquired for slaughter without disclosure contributing to both consumer fraud and horse theft.

Fact: Widespread use of pharmaceuticals and aminogycoside antibiotics "not prescribed for food animals" renders American horsemeat potentially dangerous to human health.

Fact: Horse slaughter subsidizes over breeding, theft, and the unlawful extermination of our wild mustangs.

Fact: Horses are not feeding the starving masses, rather a $15 a pound delicacy for foreign gourmands.

Fact: State revenues and horse-related industries are diminished by horse slaughter.

Fact: Horses are taxed differently than food-source animals.

Fact: Dogs and cats are protected against slaughter and export to countries where their meat is eaten. Horses deserve this protection also.

Fact: Horse meat eating is discouraged by Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist & Hindu religions.

Fact: Responsible horsemen humanely euthanize their horses.

Fact: According to a national poll, 93% of Americans want horse slaughter stopped.

Why would anyone want to kill such a smart and beautiful creature? Please do me a

favor, and tell me anything and everything that I can do to help end horse slaughter. I will

do anything to make horse slaughter history!

Sincerely,



Katie

[Blistering Winds]

Fact: Horse meat eating is discouraged by Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist & Hindu religions.

Really? Hmm..interesting since majority of the people I have spoken to who DO eat horsemeat in other countries consist of Christian, Buddhists, and Hindus.

unlawful extermination of our wild mustangs

This will happen with or without slaughterhouses. They will be euthanized regardless.

Fact: Americans do not eat horses or raise them for food.

MAJORITY of americans. There are a select few who HAVE eaten horsemeat in other countries and liked it too.

Fact: Horses are not feeding the starving masses, rather a $15 a pound delicacy for foreign gourmands.

FACT.....there are various cuts to a carcass. Horse or cattle. Those that are not the choice are sent to the starving masses that allow horsemeat as well as sold here in the united states to the Zoos that take care and preserve exotic animals for our future and enjoyment.



I really would love to see which animal rights site you got your "FACTS". Some of them are pure bull when you look at the details. ESPECIALLY This one.

Fact: State revenues and horse-related industries are diminished by horse slaughter.

Texas gets PLENTY of taxes from the 2 plants here. People are employed, money moves into the economy.

And the total bottom line price for the lower end horses are set by "market price". So the minimum a horse without training will definitly bring to a businessman is the current price per pound. Then they add the cost of training and such to the price, and WHALA...you get the sale price for that horse.

Fact: The method by which horses are slaughtered is cruel and inhumane and cannot be regulated to be humane

Really? Which PROFESSIONAL stated that? AVMA and EEAP both support the captive bolt as a humane euthanasia and have put out statements about it.

The "inhumane" is the improper use...which you inject a horse with Beuthanasia wrong, and you can be inhumane too!

[Lou3]

Oh for crying out loud - enough of these anti-slaughter threads already. There are loads of threads like this already and you will always get the same the same answer from anyone who actually has half a clue what they're talking about.
Horse slaughter is necessary, it is humane and it should not be banned.

[Blistering Winds]

You want slaughter stopped? Quit relying on POOR fabricated facts. Pull the EMOTION out of your plea and be realistic. Emotion turns people OFF in politics. They want numbers, true and proven facts, and will read unemotional testimony themselves, instead of handing it off to their lackies to read and throw away.

[cowgurly02]

I have to agree with the above. A lot of false information here.

[Equine_Harmony]

Originally Posted by Lou3

Oh for crying out loud - enough of these anti-slaughter threads already. There are loads of threads like this already and you will always get the same the same answer from anyone who actually has half a clue what they're talking about.
Horse slaughter is necessary, it is humane and it should not be banned.

Lou3,

People have the right as an individual to post the same topic over and over, you have the right not to read it ans post over and over just like you always do. We all know how you feel, just like all knows how I feel, not being rude but this is an issue that will never go away, now you are very much in strong hold this will never happen the ending of horse slaughter and since you hold onto this being humane I would like to take this moment to add that I wished I did not feel like I do, I wished I felt as you do, for it hurts me to a pint you wil never know of and many like me. To see the legs of this animal hoisted up in the air to never hit the ground again where he/she should be odd to **** odd, and I could go on and on...


So I see no problem, other than you may not like seeing these threads, many agree with you and many do not. There are a lot of people on pro and against who rather "not" get into these threads w/ vast reasons for I have received many PM's Re: one thread I made, the majority was against slaughter and did not want to be known as such, I did value and kept their user name in slilent, you would be surprised who feels that this is not himane, yet posts on the other side of the track, I don't agree w/ this, yet PM's are a way for people to vent and to really work matters out.

[EmazingCasper]

Originally Posted by Lou3

Oh for crying out loud - enough of these anti-slaughter threads already. There are loads of threads like this already and you will always get the same the same answer from anyone who actually has half a clue what they're talking about.
Horse slaughter is necessary, it is humane and it should not be banned.

Hey look. I was just posting my article and I wanted people's opinion. don't add me in as one of those people. And what you said above was really rude. It would be really nice if you just kept those to yourself. She was just stating how she feels, and she has the right too. You also have the right to state how you feel, not rudly and on a different thread. Horse slaughter is sick, and us horse crazy people don't like it.

[Kizza]

Originally Posted by EmazingCasper

Hey look. I was just posting my article and I wanted people's opinion. don't add me in as one of those people. And what you said above was really rude. It would be really nice if you just kept those to yourself. She was just stating how she feels, and she has the right too. You also have the right to state how you feel, not rudly and on a different thread. Horse slaughter is sick, and us horse crazy people don't like it.

Sorry but I just had to point this out...
So just because I DON'T think horse slaughter is "sick"
I'm not a horse lover?

[Grittman]

I have to say this :

Fix the problem of the unwanted horse and maybe horse slaughtering will no longer be a necessary evil.. I am a horse lover and supporter of Slaughter houses due to the FACT there are Thousands of "Unwanted Horses"..

Please let us try and find the solution to this problem and then those who are against slaughterhouses have a better chance of fighting to rid them.

It seems everyone is against it but no plan of action for these horses who are no longer wanted, who is going to care for them and pay for their meals,vet bills and care until they are humanely euthanized or pass away?

I admire those on both sides.. It does hurt to see one go this way but the truth is the bolt gun is considered humane..

[Equine_Harmony]

If given the opportunity, Americans would overwhelmingly vote to outlaw the slaughter of America's horses. The pro horse slaughter forces have depended on the secrecy of horse slaughter. In recent years, in large part due to the Internet, the existence of horse slaughter has been revealed to the American public and to horse lovers and owners.


Previously the anti-slaughter forces were dependent on horse publications to cover horse slaughter-which happened about as often as a solar eclipse. When the issue was covered, the articles were typically pro slaughter. Mainstream media only covered the issue when there had been a horrific accident involving horses being transported to slaughter. Thus the horse industry's "dirty little secret" has been allowed to continue for over 20 years. The result has been the cruel slaughter of over 3 million of our noble American horses in the past 2 decades to satisfy a foreign taste for horsemeat.


The Thoroughbred racing industry has now come out against slaughter and is actively working to oppose legislation that would legalize the slaughter of our horses. The CA Thoroughbred industry supported CA's Prop 6 in 1998, which made the slaughter of CA's horses a felony.


The American Horse Council, AHC, long pro slaughter, has now adjusted their position to neutral, due in large part to the Thoroughbred industry opposition to slaughter. The vast majority of state horse councils remain out of step with the position of horse owners and still remain pro slaughter. Their attempt to remain neutral or to oppose anti-slaughter legislation based on their concern for the welfare of unwanted horses is a lame attempt at damage control.


Recently many of these pro slaughter organizations have taken the step of supporting horse welfare organizations as an option for unwanted horses. That is a step in the right direction. Yet, very few of these state horse councils are working to enforce laws on the books against cruelty to horses. If anything they support laws with vague and ambigous language that will make the successful prosecution of abusers nearly impossible.


The AQHA remains pro slaughter, stating that owners need the option of slaughter, and describing slaughter as humane. The word slaughter and humane in the same sentence is an oxymoron. The American Paint Horse Association testified in favor of horse slaughter legislation in TX in 2003.


Probably most disturbing of all is the American Association of Equine Practioners, AAEP, support of horse slaughter. Who would ever believe that a vet would support the cruel slaughter of our horses?


Pro slaughter forces point to anti slaughter advocates as animal rights activists. Up until the time many of us choose to speak out against horse slaughter, we are professionals in the horse industry, or lifelong horse owners. We are part of the horse industry. The pro slaughter forces use the term animal rights activist to discredit and dismiss our arguments against the slaughter of our horses.


TX Rep Betty Brown stated on the Texas House Floor on May 24, 2003 ,


"..and the question now is, do we want the animals rights people to set ag policy for our State from now on? Or do we want…. or do we want the people that are involved in agriculture and agriculture related industry in our State who deal with this issue all the time and know the most about it, for them to make the decisions about the future of ag policy in our State."

Excuse me Ms. Brown, since when did Fasig-Tipton, Breeders Cup, Ltd., and Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, TRF become animal rights activists and not,


"people who deal with this issue all the time and know the most about it"?

What horses are slaughtered?

Any horse that falls within the profit margin for slaughter. Horses of all ages and sex are slaughtered including pregnant mares and foals. Former racehorses, show horses, pleasure horses, carriage horses, Amish work and buggy horses, summer riding camp horses, police horses, former therapeutic and handicapped riding horses, lesson horses, rodeo horses, wild mustangs, broodmares, mares used in the production of Premarin and the foals that are the byproduct of the production, and companion horses all been purchased and sent to slaughter.
Accomplishments won are no guarantee as demonstrated by the slaughter of 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand and the Hall of Famer Exceller.
Who slaughters horses and where are they slaughtered?

Horse slaughterhouses located in the United States are all foreign owned. The horsemeat is federally inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture, (USDA) with your tax dollars footing the bill. Under federal law, horses cannot be slaughtered in the same slaughterhouse as cattle, hogs, sheep, or goats.
Due to the fact that horses are not raised for food or fiber in this country, and Americans do not consume horses, none of the products that we routinely use on our horses has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on horses intended for food. Currently there are two horse slaughterhouses in the United States, both located in Texas. A third slaughterhouse owned by Cavel Int. is being rebuilt in DeKalb, IL after a fire destroyed the plant in 2002. In 1999 Cavel attempted to relocate to Big Foot, IL but was stopped by citizen groups who opposed horse slaughter.
In Texas there is currently a legal battle underway in federal court after the Texas Attorney General's Office issued the opinion that a 1949 Texas law prohibiting the sale and possession of horsemeat did apply to the two Texas slaughterhouses. An effort by Texas Representative Betty Brown to amend Texas law to allow the slaughter of horses for export passed the House, but HB 1324 failed in the Texas Senate after anti slaughter horse slaughter organizations hired lobbyists to Kill the Bill, Not Our Horses!
American horses are also exported to Canada for slaughter.
Who eats horsemeat?

France, Belgium, Japan, Italy, Switzerland account for the majority of horsemeat consumed in the world.
Are horses slaughtered for pet food?

No. The pet food companies cannot compete with the price paid by the slaughterhouses for human consumption. Slaughter is for human consumption. Horses for human consumption must arrive alive at the slaughterhouse and cannot be killed using any drugs. When pet food companies were required to label the ingredients, the American public voted with their dollars and said neigh to feeding horses to their dogs.
Recent research at Colorado State University, (CSU) is revealing that animals who consume another animal infected with West Nile Virus, (WNV) can contract the disease. Horse meat is not tested for the WNV. The USDA issued a directive in April for meat inspectors to visually inspect horses at the two Texas slaughterhouses for signs of the disease. According to CSU biomedical sciences professor Rich Bowen 9 out of 10 horses infected with the WNV exhibit no signs of illness.
How are horses slaughtered?

Horses are slaughtered by the use of the captive bolt, a four inch retractable nail. The horses are hit repeatedly in the forehead with the captive bolt which is supposed to render the horse unconscious. One hind leg is then shackled and the horse is lifted into the air upside down to have its throat cut and be bled out. Undercover investigations have shown that horses have been hoisted into the hair while still conscious.
The terrified horses can smell the blood, can hear the horses in front of them being killed and see other horses hanging in the air. Horses shake violently in the knockbox from fear and try desparately to avoid the captive bolt, scrambling and falling on the blood and urine soaked floor of the knockbox.




How Many Horses Are Slaughtered?

In recent years the number of horses slaughtered has continued to drop since1989 when almost half a million American horses were slaughtered in the United States and Canada. In the late 1980's the tax shelters for horses disappeared and hundreds of thousands of Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, Quarter Horses and Arabians were dumped onto the market. Killer buyers routinely attended pedigreed horse sales sitting right up front picking up any horse, including stakes winners and full term pregnant mares, that sold within the profit margin for slaughter. (Note: Many sales companies specializing in pedigreed horses have now instituted a minimum bid of $1000.00 to prevent horses from being purchased by the killers.)

According to a story in the Baltimore Evening Sun at the1988 Fasig Tipton sale in Timonium, MD of the 269 Thoroughbreds, 94 sell for less than $600.00. The killer buyer sitting in the front row bought 46, including mares heavy in foal. The reporter finds the horses the next day at the infamous New Holland sale in Lancaster County, PA. The mares are beaten with whips and canes onto double deck cattle trailers and shipped to AmFram in CT. (Am Fram has since closed, as have 12 other horse slaughterhouses).

After a steady downward trend during the late 1990's, the number of horses slaughtered in 2001 rose to 56,000 due to outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease and fears of Mad Cow in Europe. The number dropped to 42,300 in 2002, but a repeat of the late 1980's bloodbath is on the horizon for 2003 after Wyeth Ayerst Laboratories, the manufacturer of the estrogen-replacement drug Premarin® cancelled contracts with a third of all the Pregnant Mare Urine (PMU) farm producers and the remaining producers have been cut in half. According to the North American Equine Ranching Council, (NAERIC) there are 35,000 broodmares on the PMU farms. Various horse welfare organizations put the numbers at 50,000 - 60,000. The PMU farmers are now dumping their broodmares onto the market at the same time as the annual fall auctions of the foals that are a by-product of the industry. There is no way the horse industry and horse welfare organizations can absorb the tens of thousands of drafts and draft cross mares and foals that will flood the market.
How do horses end up destined for slaughter?


Horses are not raised in the United States for food and fiber. When owners breed horses they are dreaming of the next Triple Crown winner or the next National Champion, not their next steak dinner.

The majority of horses destined for slaughter are purchased at non catalogued horse auctions held throughout the United States any day of the week. Owners or dealers bring their horses to these auctions where they may be purchased by agents for the foreign owned horse slaughterhouses. Dealers also answer classified ads in the paper. Very few pleasure horse owners who place an ad to sell their horse would knowingly sell their horse to slaughter. Dealers promise the owner a good home, often telling the owner a time honored story of a good home with green pastures. The dealer makes certain they tell the owner exactly what the owner wants to hear.
In contrast to the pleasure horse owner, the Amish owner is generally well aware of the final destination of the carriage or work horse that can no longer perform.
Lesson horses from riding stables, camp horses from summer camps and even therapeutic riding horses are sent to slaughter. Often the stable owners tell students and boarders that the horse is being retired on a farm by the dealer who is bringing the replacement horse. A trip to the nearest auction is often the real truth.
The caretakers of Thoroughbred and Standardbred race horses are well aware of the potential for these horses to be purchased by "killer buyers" and slaughtered for human consumption. The horse's owner though may or may not be aware of the horses' fate. Owners make the decision to sell the horse, sometimes on the recommendation of their trainer. Rarely do they ask where the horse is going. It would be even rarer for the trainer to tell the owner of the possibility that the horse may be purchased by "killer buyers" and sent to a slaughterhouse. If the trainer did inform the owner of this possibility, the owner would be assured that the process was humane.
What should be done with unwanted horses?

There are horses right now being slaughtered that could be saved if their owners would simply take the responsibility to euthanise their unsound or unwanted horses.
Are there any laws to protect horses?

Yes. Pennsylavania has a law that states it is illegal to offer for sale or sells any horse, which by reason of debility, disease or lameness, or for other cause, could not be worked or used without violating the laws against cruelty to animals, or leads, rides, drives or transports any such horse for any purpose, except that of conveying the horse to the nearest available appropriate facility for its humane keeping or destruction or for medical or surgical treatment.
The EPN documented the apparent violations at PA horse auctions for several years and made complaints to local and national animal and horse welfare organizations to no avail. The PA State Police responded to our complaints resulting in an investigations of several auctions, arrests and convictions. The PA State Police investigation resulted in the first successful prosecution of sick, lame and debiltated horses.
Several other states have similar laws. The problem is a lack of enforcement and unfamiliarity with the law by law enforcement, failure by citizens to report suspected violations, and an unwillingness on the part of some veterinarians to cooperate with law enforcement.
There are horses sold and transported to slaughter every day in this country that are in clear violation of states laws. The enforcement of the laws already on the books in this country could prevent thousands of horses from being sent to slaughter .
Pennsylvania, (PA) and New York,(NY) have the strongest laws in the United States that ban outright the use of the inhumane double deck cattle trailers to transport any horse no matter what its final destination. PA passed the Horse Transport Law in 2001 under then Governor Tom Ridge while New York's law has been in effect since 1980, with amendments in 1998 and 2002 that closed two loopholes and raised the fines. The EPN brought continued violations of NY law to the attention of the NY State Police, (NYSP) which resulted in several successful prosecutions. The two NY killer buyers that were transporting horses from PA horse auctions using double deckers no longer due so due to the efforts of the EPN and the enforcement by the NYSP and the successful prosecution by the district attorneys in NY.
Vermont, (VT) and Massachusetts, (MA) also have outright bans of the inhumane double deck trailers for horses.Several other states have legislation regulating the use of double deck trailers to transport horses including, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, and Virginia. The regulation allows for the trailers use as long as the trailer meets certain requirements. The result of this regulation is little or successful prosecution and the continued use of the inhumane trailers.
The above states laws are effective as demonstrated by the successful prosecution in both PA and NY, after the police were made aware of the violations. Law enforcement depends on the public to report alledged crimes. The public must be on the look out for double deck trailers with horses inside. If you observe a double deck trailer with horses inside in PA, NY, VT, or MA it is illegal and you need to report it to the police.

• <LI type=disc>PA Law is in the Crimes Code, Title 18, Section 5511(e.1) <LI type=disc>NY Law is Ag & Markets Section 359 (a) <LI type=disc>Write down the license plate <LI type=disc>Name on the side of the truck or on the front of the trailer <LI type=disc>Location of truck and direction the truck is heading <LI type=disc>Call the police immediately <LI type=disc>If possible take a picture of the truck, license plate and the horses inside the trailer
• Note the time and date

The infamous Commercial Transportation of Horses to Slaughter Act of 1996 resulted in the legalization of every inhumane practice identified in the transport of horses to slaughter, and put the very people identified as the abusers in charge of the horses! The fox is guarding the hen house, and the final regulations are nothing more than a paper tiger."

The infamous Commercial Transportation of Horses to Slaughter Act of 1996 was supported both by animal welfare organizations, who were willing to regulate inhumane transport instead of securing an outright prohibition, and by pro-slaughter horse industry organizations intent on slaughtering American horses. The final regulations fly in the face of every accepted horse industry transport method for horses yet at the time, animal welfare organizations claimed it as a victory.
Does the EPN believe that all horses destined for slaughter need to be "saved"?


No. Many horses purchased by "killer buyers" need to be euthanised. The EPN is not opposed to the horse's life ending, we are opposed to:

• <LI type=disc>the method used to end the horse's life, (slaughter);
  <LI type=disc>the prolonged suffering of the horse, (transport to a sale, sold, transported to holding facility, and finally transport hundreds or thousands of miles to a slaughterhouse;
• Owners, dealers, auction houses, shippers, and slaughterhouses all profiting from a horse that is suffering due to sickness or injury. The EPN does not believe that irresponsible owners should profit from their irresponsible and sometimes criminal actions.

http://equineprotectionnetwork.com/slaughter/sindex.htm