Subject: Re: [againstslaughter] humane treatment of
horses/worries
Tom,
I couldn't agree more.
But we will never have to worry that the auctions and transport will become more
humane and thereby, more acceptable, as long as horse slaughter for human
consumption still exists.
The ONLY way the auctions and transport industry can begin to regain their
"humanity" is by eliminating the slaughter of horses for human
consumption. As long as there is PAYMENT for irresponsible and abusive and
neglectful horse owners and breeders, and "blind eyed" auction houses,
the cycle of abuse will continue.
Take away the REWARD for this type of element in the horse world, and these
people will vanish from the picture.
Think about it... We all know that the slaughter plants PAY ONLY for the
healthy, meaty horses, and that the skinny, neglected horses can be disposed of
"for a fee." If we take away horse slaughter for human
consumption the healthy, meaty horses, will remain in the mainstream horse
community, and the owners of the skinny, neglected horses, will no longer be
provided with an incidental reward at auction, because there will be no real
market for killer buyers and no profitable outlet for their product.
Owners of the healthy meaty horses will not receive enough $$$ to sell to the
slaughter houses and the owners of the skinny neglected animals, will have to
deliver their neglected animals to slaughter as zoo food.
The slaughter plants would probably have to raise their fees to accept horses in
poor condition, as the profit margin on horsemeat for zoo animals is next to
nothing when compared to the human consumption market.
The REWARD for their neglect and irresponsibility taken away, these types of
people
will surely vanish. One would think that the state of the business at our
auction houses would greatly improve as well.
I know hundreds of horse trainers, such as myself, that have stopped bringing
our sale horses to auction because of the slaughter/inhumane element that has
infiltrated our auction houses.
Should these elements disappear, and the auction houses return to the glory days
of old, I would, as would most involved in the buying and selling of horses,
return to this outlet as an acceptable method of buying and selling horses.
Several years ago while at auction with a client looking to purchase a horse for
their 11 year old son, we were witness to a deplorable act of cruelty, by a
killer buyer, attempting to load his cargo of doomed horses, following the sale.
Well, this poor boy was so traumatized by what we witnessed, that he had to
undergo professional therapy to recover.
Needless to say, that was the last time I EVER brought a client to a local type
horse
auction. These auctions have lost a lot of $$$ from my clientele alone.
I have, since this episode, always bought and sold my horses privately. I
do, however, occasionally attend auctions solo, to rescue a horse or two.
I fully believe that if this element were no longer present, that the mainstream
horseman would return to this venue, bringing with them a better quality of
horse to sell, a better quality of buyers to buy, and a better BOTTOM LINE for
the auction house.
For this to begin to happen, slaughtering horses for human consumption must
end!!
Then and only then, will we be able to rid the horse business of the bad
seeds!!!
In the meantime, it is our RESPONSIBILITY to report all instances of neglect and
abuse!!! We simply MUST not turn a blind eye to these crimes. By becoming
watchful and reporting these criminal acts, on the part of horse owners, auction
houses, and shippers of horses to slaughter we can and will improve the
conditions for all horses!!! When these people learn that there are indeed
consequences to their crimes, and that they will have to pay out of their
pockets and spend a lot of time in our court systems, not to mention being
publicly
acknowledged for the scoundrels they are, then and only then will the quality of
life for all horses improve.