[cowgurly02]

Thank you for understanding Nocturno. I did not mean that animals shouldn't be protected from abuse. I just meant they aren't equal to humans as in they can't make their own decisions about most aspects of their lives, such as whether they get shown, neutered/spayed, owned, etc...

The idea I was combatting was the "animal rights", that animals should not be owned, shown/competed with, eaten, etc...

I'm glad we are on the same page now and understanding eachother See, debates can be a good thing LOL

[Blistering Winds]

Ya'll aren't debating animal "rights", ya'll are debating Animal Welfare. Rights are VERY VERY extreme in their beliefs. Can't own, can't stable, can't transport them in the trailers, etc. Welfarists are more conservative, more worried about their care than the fact that the owner owns them. They can "own" the animal as long as they take care of the animal up to a certain set of standards that are written and law.

[Black Magic]

there is a basic point to slaughter, aslong as horses, like any other animals, arnt transported for miles to trhe slaughter house, then i have no problem.
remember its not just horses that goe to the slaughter houses.

[luvs2ride79]

Last year just over 50,000 horses were slaughtered here in the US for human consumption overseas. Their meat is exported to France, Belgium, Italy, and Japan. Horsemeat is generally considered a delicacy in these countries and is higher priced than beef. France alone consumed 300,000 horses last year, Italy 350,000 horses. The French numbers may change however. France has banned the sale of horsemeat in restaurants due to health concerns. Many medications and topical treatments that are commonly use on horses are never to be used on animals intended for food. There is no withdrawal period.

The population of horses in the US is approximately 7 million horses. The 50,000 slaughtered horses represents less than 1%. In 1990 over 300,000 horses were slaughtered in the US. The number of horses slaughtered has steadily dropped in the last 14 years while the number of foals being born has increased. Drops in the number of horses slaughtered have been almost 80,000 a year at times. During those years we did not see a huge influx of "surplus" horses or a large drop in the price of horses. The number of horses slaughtered every year follows the demand for their meat, not the overall horse population. This illustrates the lack of a need for the slaughter industry to regulate horse population.

California passed similar legislation in 1998. Since then, horse thefts have dropped almost 40% and continue to drop every year. Horse prices have remained steady and the horse industry thrives. Abuse cases in California have not risen at all, and have declined in areas, while the national average is on the rise. Also, during the years that the Illinois slaughter facility was closed, abuse numbers dropped. Ironically (or maybe not), Texas has the highest rate of horse abuse in the nation. This illustrates that ending slaughter will not encourage the neglect and abuse of horses.

The method of transporting horses to slaughter is inhumane. Horses often travel 36 hours or more without rest, food, or water in cramped double decker trailers. These trailers are built for shorter animals such as cattle and pigs. Horses often slip and fall in these trailers arriving at the plants dead or severely crippled. Transportation reform laws were enacted in 2002 but they have not done any good. Even proponents of slaughter like Dr. Friend at Texas A&M agree that the transportation of horses to slaughter is inhumane.

The slaughter itself is also inhumane. The chutes that hold the horses are made for cows. Horses are much more flexible with longer necks. They are also more intuitive than cows and have a skittish nature in stressful unfamiliar environments. They thrash about making the captive bolt operator's job very difficult. The operator often has to stun a horse 3-4 times before rendering the horse unconscious. Sometimes the horse is slaughtered while still alive. USDA considers a 95% rate of unconsciousness before being butchered very acceptable. That means that 2,500 horses (at best) were slaughtered last year while they were still fully alive. The captive bolt gun is used to stun the horses. It's like a spike on a leash. It is shot into the horse's head and then retracts back in to the gun. It can be a humane method of a killing a horse (much like a well placed bullet), but the assembly line fashion that these horses are run through makes it nearly impossible.

Horses that go to slaughter are not generally old, sick, crippled, or dangerous. By the slaughter house's own records (Dallas Crown and Beltex in Texas) only 10% of horses processed are old, sick, injured, or otherwise "unusable". Just like beef consumers, people who eat horse want young tender flesh. It's just plain ridiculous to think that all of the horses being slaughtered are 25 yr. old nags who can barely walk...

And did you know that 40-50,000 horses are stolen in the USA every year? You can verify these statistics with Stolen Horse International, http://netposse.com. Did you know that the only reason the slaughter plants scan for microchips is to remove them so they do not contaminate the meat? This was testimony from plant workers.

To support horse slaughter is to support the abuse and butcher of a national treasure. Horses helped build this country, settle the west, and win wars. Today they give us entertainment, pleasure, and companionship. Horses are not eaten here in the USA. They deserve respect and thanks for all that they have given us.

More information on horse slaughter, http://www.stophorseslaughter.com Click on the HR 857 link.

~Barb