[Barn_Brat]

can someone tell me the steps that a horse goes threw to await being slaughtered? Im doing a research project, so I need actual facts. THANKS!

[Blistering Winds]

first, kill buyers buy the horse...usually from an auction.

They are loaded and then drove to one of the 3 plants or over state lines.

The plants will then walk each horse off, weigh the horse as they come off and sort them, Most they buy, but if they are a certain height, build, etc they will not buy them.....Ponies, foals, pregnant mares, and drafts they do not buy.


Then the killers will load the unpurchased ones up or some plants have an onsite renderer who will destroy those that the actual slaughter house cannot use because of the machinery.


Those horses that are purchased are moved into a holding pen. Depending on the current cycle, they will be put into either a feeding pen or a water only pen. Feeding pen is for those horses to be slaughtered 12 hours or later. Water pen are the horses pending slaughter.

Then the "CYCLE" begins.



************************************************** ************************************************** **********


Don't read beyond this if you don't have a decent stomach. I'm gonna get detailed.


























The horses in the waiting pen are rounded into the chutes and slowly work their way up to the knocker.

They are bolted, throat sliced to bleed them out, back leg hooked with a chain, and hoisted upside down. The horse is unconcious by now. Heart is still beating, but the brain is mushed or pressure has dropped so much they are unconcious either way.


the line begins.

First they get bled out....down the line are electric lines that shock the body to finish bleeding out. The horse's body is cleaned through a cleaner and sent into the next room....where their hide is cut away, their legs are cut off at the knees, their heads are removed, and they end up looking literally, JUST like a cattle carcass.

The bodies are then stuck in a freezer like area, similar to the cattle houses....just not as big. Carcasses that have been there for I believe 24 hours are then sent onto the cutting floor, where the body is cut up into different cuts of meat, packaged and stuck in another cooler till shipping.


Some parts of the carcass are unuseable and deemed unedible at various spots by USDA agents. Which there is an agent in the pens, knocking area, hide removal, cooler, and different spots on the cutting room floor.

There are some cuts deemed animal use only......other deemed totally unedible and are removed and burned.

bones are used for bone meal, hooves ...not sure what they use hooves for now adays.....Lion play toys??/ **writes note to call and ask**


That help any???

If you want, I'll send you my stuff for a bibliography if you want to use anything for quotes.

as well as a place you got your information.

[Barn_Brat]

YES thanks you!

[Blistering Winds]

not long ago, on RDFTV, there was a cattle slaughter special that showed the cattle process.

There isn't too much difference, a few steps left out...but overall, it is the same.

The carcass itself isn't graded Choice or anything....but it is deemed edible or unedible.

I"ll see if I can get a bit of USDA information and quality information for you....as I have direct contacts for both......

[Barn_Brat]

I dont think Im allowed to tell the details of how it was slaugter ( as in cutting off the head etc, but people get the baisc point. Thanks you very much!

[Blistering Winds]

ah, well sorry I went that detailed. LOL

[Blistering Winds]

also, to add to it


when they unloaded as well, they are looked at for health as well.

In the "kill pen"....they are inspected once more by USDA AND a QA inspector of their own.

[Barn_Brat]

Okay! Thanks!