This article will be run in the October edition of The
Horsemen's Roundup, an Arkansas horse publication.
This article may be reproduced, but only in its entirety
with a return link to http://RescueNetwork.com
This article was written by Barbara Reeves and
Raymond Williams. Raymond and Barbara are Little
Rock, AR residents, horse owners, and proprietors
of Equine Friends, L.L.C. They maintain a network
of horse related web sites, namely EquineFriends.com and
RescueNetwork.com. EquineFriends.com is a free
photo classified web site and on-line horseman's
directory. RescueNetwork.com is a site for horse
rescues to come together to share news, ideas,
information, and inform the public of the current horse
rescue situation. Equine Friends, L.L.C. funds its
rescue and advocacy efforts through the construction of
interactive web sites for the horse community, such as
ArkansasDressage.com and DiamondTR.com.
If horses can't be slaughtered, where will
the thousands of horses now being slaughtered go? What
kind of infrastructure is in place to absorb these
"unwanted" animals?
In 2002, according to USDA records 42,312 horses were
killed for human consumption in the United States alone.
In addition, many thousands of live horses were
transported across the borders to Canada and Mexico for
slaughter. After these horses are killed, their meat is
shipped to Europe and Asia for human consumption. A
small percentage of the meat, that is deemed not fit for
human consumption, is sent to zoos and rendering plants.
In the early 1990s, according to the USDA, over
300,000 horses were slaughtered annually in the US. Due
to a decreasing demand for horsemeat in Europe, that
number dropped to approximately 47,000 in 2000 and
42,312 in 2002. No special infrastructure was created to
absorb the thousands of "unwanted" horses that
were not slaughtered during this time. Instead, horses
were kept longer, were sold to another owner or, in some
cases, were humanely euthanized and buried or rendered.
The number of horses that went to slaughter in the US
last year (42,312) represents less than 1% of the total
horse population in the US. "Unwanted" horses
who are not humanely euthanized can continue to be kept
by their owners, can be sold to a new home, or placed in
one of the many horse sanctuaries or rescues springing
up across the country. Education within the horse
community about these humane alternatives to slaughter
is already occurring, and will continue to do so.
Responsible breeding will help curb the over breeding
problem here in the US, resulting in fewer
"surplus" horses. Another option is to donate
the horse to an equine rescue organization; some will
take unwanted horses and find them good homes.
Who eats horsemeat?
Horsemeat is not eaten in the U.S.; it is exported to
serve specialty "gourmet" markets overseas.
The largest markets are France, Belgium, Holland, Japan,
and Italy. The demand for horsemeat has been substantial
for many years, and prices are high. The demand for
horsemeat increased in 2001 after outbreaks of mad cow
and foot-and-mouth disease resulted in decreased
supplies of beef, pork, and lamb because horses do not
contract those diseases. These countries, particularly
Japan, limit the import of beef. If we did not
ship horsemeat to them they would likely import more US
beef. The Japanese have a hearty appetite for
beef, but their government severely limits the
availability of American beef, basically subsidizing
other protein sources (soy, fish, horse).
How do horses end up at slaughterhouses?
According to The Humane Society of The United States,
most horses destined for slaughter are sold at livestock
auctions or sales. Stolen Horses International, Inc.
states that stolen horses also often end up at
slaughterhouses. A slaughterhouse, or auction that
killer buyers frequent, is an easy way for horse thieves
to get quick money for stolen horses. Like American beef
consumers, people that eat horse, want fresh young
tender meat, not old tough flesh. The argument that
"our old and broken down horses are going to
slaughter for human consumption" is a fallacy.
The cruelty of horse slaughter is not limited to the
act of killing the animals. Horses bound for slaughter
are shipped, frequently for long distances, in a manner
that fails to accommodate their unique temperaments.
They are usually not rested, fed, or watered during
travel. Economics, not humane considerations, dictate
the conditions, including crowding as many horses into
trucks as possible. To attest to this, research recently
concluded (opposed by Equine Friends) by a Dr. Friend at
Texas A&M University, under a USDA grant, on the
long distance shipping conditions of horses bound for
slaughter. Even proponents of slaughter, like Dr.
Friend, recognize the inhumane transport methods
currently being used.
Often, terrified horses and ponies are crammed
together and transported to slaughter in double-deck
trucks designed for cattle and pigs. The truck ceilings
are so low that the horses are not able to hold their
heads in a normal, balanced position. Inappropriate
floor surfaces lead to slips and falls, and sometimes
even trampling. Some horses arrive at the slaughterhouse
seriously injured or dead. Although transportation
accidents have largely escaped public scrutiny, several
tragic ones involving collapsed upper floors and
overturned double-deckers have caused human fatalities
as well as suffering and death for the horses.
How are the horses killed?
Under federal law, horses are required to be rendered
unconscious prior to slaughter, usually with a device
called a captive bolt gun, which shoots a metal rod into
the horse's brain. Some horses, however, are improperly
stunned and may still be conscious at the time of
slaughter. They are hoisted by a rear leg to have their
throats cut, or they are shot repeatedly with the bolt
gun. The chutes that hold the horses are not made for
long necked horses. The horses are frightened and move
around making it difficult to get a good shot. In
addition, the general load and crude conditions in the
slaughterhouse are stressful and frightening for horses.
Their experience is akin to Auschwitz.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral
progress can be judged by the way its animals are
treated" --Gandhi
Which kinds of horses are affected?
Horses of virtually all ages and breeds are
slaughtered, from draft types to miniatures. According
to The Humane Society of The United State, horses
commonly slaughtered include unsuccessful race horses,
stolen horses, surplus riding school and camp horses,
mares whose foals are not economically valuable, and
foals who are "byproducts" of the Pregnant
Mare Urine (PMU) industry (which produces the
estrogen-replacement drug Premarin®).
Many of the horses that HSUS investigators have seen
purchased for slaughter were in good health, and bought
for only a few hundred dollars or less. With the current
and past horse market, many very good horses have gone
to slaughter needlessly. According to the
slaughterhouses' own records, only 10% of horses
processed are old, lame, or otherwise not
"useable". The current administration of
the AQHA has an interest in keeping slaughter legal, as
they would lose the registration fees from all of
registered horses that do not sell well at auction and
end up slaughtered. It seams as though they are more
concerned with finances than the well being of the
American Quarter Horse.
"The question is not, Can they reason?
nor, Can they talk? But rather, Can they suffer?"
--Jeremy Bentham, 19th century Philosopher,
Oxford University
Are there any current federal or state laws
protecting horses from these cruelties?
A few states (California, Connecticut, New York,
Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia) have laws that are
intended to prevent some of these abuses. Unfortunately,
even in these states, enforcement is inadequate, as
evidenced by the continuing use of double-deck trucks
even where they are illegal. After California passed its
law against slaughter and the transport of horses for
slaughter, horse theft declined by more than 30% and
continues to decline every year.
Congress passed the Commercial Transportation of
Equines for Slaughter Act in March 1996, which directed
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to write
regulations to enforce the Act. Those regulations were
not released until January 2002. Unfortunately, the
regulations allow the use of double-deck trailers for an
additional five years; permit horses to be transported
for 28 hours without food, water, or rest; and allow the
transport companies themselves to certify the care the
horses received.
Won't a ban on horse slaughter mean that
there will be a rise in the number of horse neglect and
abuse cases?
In 1998 California passed a law banning the slaughter
of horses, the sale of horses for slaughter, and the
transport of horses to slaughterhouses across state
lines. Since then, there has been no discernible
increase in cruelty and neglect cases in the state.
There has also not been a corresponding increase in the
number of reported horse abuse and neglect cases from
the major decrease in horses slaughtered from the early
1990's. Opponents of HR 857 claim that the only option
for some people who are unable or unwilling to keep
their horse, and who cannot afford to have their horse
euthanized by a veterinarian, is to sell their horse to
slaughter, or to turn him/her out into the field to
starve to death. While prices vary across the country,
it costs on average between $50 and $250 to have a horse
humanely euthanized and disposed of - a tiny fraction of
the cost involved in keeping a horse as a companion or
work animal. Further, it is illegal to neglect and
starve a horse, and animal control agents and humane
officers across the country are charged with enforcing
our humane laws. HR 857 names provisions for those
owners who cannot afford euthanasia and removal of the
horses. There will also be assistance available for
rescues that find themselves over burdened with donated
and rescued horses.
Slaughter is not an alternative to humane euthanasia
by a qualified veterinarian, as some would like you to
believe. Euthanasia, according to an article written by
Dr. Sean Bowman in the February 22, 2003 issue of Blood
Horse, "is an induction to anesthesia, just like
for surgery, but the veterinarian continues to overdose.
The horses are not afraid; there is no fear of
anticipation".
"If you have men who will exclude any of
God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity,
you will have men who will deal likewise with their
fellow men." --Saint Francis of Assisi
The Economic Impact of the United States
Horse Industry
"Throughout our nation's history, whatever we
have asked of the horse, the horse has responded. Today,
the horse's role in American society is much different
than it was in the early 20th century and earlier.
Americans today fully enjoy their relationship with
horses-a connection deeply rooted in our nation's
history that was written on [the horse's] back-and are
committed to enhancing their future involvement with
horses, whether as a livelihood or weekend
recreation." -----Amy Owens, "Force of the
Horse"
Here are just a few statistics about the horse
industry in the U.S.:
· $112.1 Billion in economic impact
· 7.1 million Americans involved with horses
· 1.4 million full time jobs created by the horse
industry
· 6.9 million horses (representing approximately
100 breeds)
· $1.9 Billion in total taxes paid
· 3.6 million participants in horse shows
· 4.3 million participants in recreational
equestrian activities
· Horses are used for racing, showing, recreation,
and work such as ranch work, police, etc.
The above figures compiled for the American Horse
Council Foundation by the Barrents Group LLC of
Washington, D.C., the specialized economic and fiscal
consulting unit of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP.
Something to ponder; if the 42,600 horses slaughtered
last year were instead introduced back into the economy,
the tax base would have increased by $11.4 million. The
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) would have increased by
$69.2 million.
Conclusion
The pro-slaughter forces try to minimize the problem by
stating that less than 1% of horses wind up being
processed for human consumption. However, by making this
statement, they defeat their argument "where would
all the horses go?" This tiny percentage can easily
be absorbed back into the population. There may be an
initial drop in the price of horses. But, as
indiscriminant breeders find no place for their low
quality stock, they will be forced to slow or stop their
breeding. If breeders do their part and breed only
quality, the market will logically level out. Two Texas
slaughter plants can't make a positive impact on the
horse industry. The fact that the slaughterhouses are so
close to Arkansas makes me fear that my horses could one
day be stolen and sent to slaughter. Closing these two
plants will not have a negative impact on the horse
industry and will force us to take responsibility for
our equine friends.
"I am in favor of animal rights as well
as human rights. That is the way of a whole human
being." --Abraham Lincoln
For more information on HR 857, The American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act and horse slaughter in general
please visit http://RescueNetwork.com.
If you would like to sign a petition in favor of HR 857
that is periodically sent to House Committees and your
US Representatives, go to: http://www.myhorsesite.com/petition