The recent article "AQHA Responds to Allegations From Horse Charity" illustrates a continued effort by  a very few organizations to mislead the public on the issue of horse slaughter.  With this letter I hope to put an end to what has become an urban legend. The AQHA claims that cruelty and neglect would increase should horse slaughter be banned. While no evidence exists to support this claim, evidence to the contrary is available, but selectively ignored.  In fact, research by a veterinarian at UC Davis shows that cruelty to horses has not increased as a result of the 1998 ban on horse slaughter in California.  And according to recent figures from the State of Illinois, reports of horse abuse dropped significantly since the state's only horse slaughter plant went out of business in early 2002.

So it was with great surprise and interest that I read that the AQHA has evidence, "...supported by an independent, scientific study" to back their claim that cruelty and abuse would increase should a ban be enacted. I immediately contacted the AQHA requesting a copy of this report, because, if true, the information is important. However, it didn't take me long to find out that the report they mention is a 1999 study conducted by Dr. Temple Grandin called "Survey of Trucking Practices and Injury to Slaughter Horses."  As the name suggests, this report has nothing to do with a correlation between ending horse slaughter and a predicted increase in abuse.  Rather, it show that horses arriving at slaughter houses have often suffered abuse by the very owners who sent them to slaughter - imagine that.   Why does nobody question misleading statements such as this?  None of this is surprising.  However, it does beg the question:  Should society reward individuals who neglect and abuse their horses by allowing them to profit at the ultimate abuse, i.e., the slaughter of their horses?

If the AQHA is truly concerned about horse abuse, it should support passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Sincerely,