I used to think that horse slaughter was a necessary evil, and as a horse owner of almost 40 years, I closed my mind to it, and just figured "never one of mine." But in the last couple of years, thanks to people like John Hettinger who spoke out for the TB community, and Mary Nash who lives near Dallas Crown, one of the foreign-owned live horse slaughter houses in Texas, I have learned how very wrong I was. I thought they were hauled in decent conditions and very shortly after arrival, were humanely killed. How very wrong I was.

They are slaughtering stolen horses, and mustangs that are supposed to be protected, and young, healthy perfectly normal horses. According to the company's own records, only 10% are old, crippled, or otherwise "useless". And 90% are shipped in from outside the state of Texas. Live slaughter means just that. They are supposed to be slaughtered after being stunned, suppose to be unconscious. There is ample evidence, including testimony by employees, statements by inspectors, photos and film to demonstrate that many die piece by piece, in a process that is anything but humane. The employees are pressured to push thru as many horses a day as possible, resulting in insufficient time for the stun gun to recharge. Horses are terrified and fighting, and frequently have to be hit with that bolt several times to render them unconscious, and if they are only injured enough to limit the thrashing, but still aware, they go ahead and skin them and butcher them.

What kind of abuse could be worse than this? Isn't this the ultimate abuse, to die a terrifying, painful, extended death? If you don't believe this happens, you are just fooling yourself. And yes, this can and does happen to people's horses, just like mine and yours. Did you know that after California banned live horse slaughter, the horse theft rates declined by almost 50%? Know anyone that had a horse stolen and was never recovered?

This whole industry is callous and brutal. Any of you read about the foreign-owned feedlot in Montana that was in the news recently? The Canadian company buys up America's horses and crams them into a hell-on-earth feedlot, 2200 horses on three acres, with no shelter, no care for injuries. Horses that cannot compete in such a crowded pen fall and are trampled to death. Foals born in this feedlot are also trampled to death. Some horses spend months there before they are shipped off to slaughter. The inspectors found 35-40 carcasses rotting in the feedlot, yet could only cite human health issues as concerns about the situation.

For those of you that say you have no problem with live horse slaughter, do you really think these companies are doing us a service? They have spread so many lies and misrepresentations about it for so long that people take it for granted that what they say is true. It's time to learn the FACTS, that they are only in it for the money, and that America does not need them to get rid of our "unwanted" horses. A lady went to the Stephensville, TX sale a few days ago. She and other families trying to buy horses at the auction were consistently out bid by the killer buyers. Every single horse went to slaughter. So, what would have happened if live slaughter did not exist? Those horses would have been purchased by the people that wanted a horse for their kids, or for pleasure or for working cattle.

If you have not read John Hettinger's article in The Blood Horse, you should, if you are interested in FACTS. And since you cared enough to have read this far thru my message, visit Mary Nash's website to see the pictures of horses waiting for slaughter at Dallas Crown's plant. They are beautiful, shiny and fat horses that would have warmed the heart of many kids if they just had not been at the wrong auction at the wrong time.

America does not need live horse slaughter. The foreign-owned companies are not doing us a service, they are simply parasites. I say it's time to get rid of them. Write to your Representative and tell him/her to co-sponsor H.B.857.