By Rita Brhel
That horse owners around the nation are starting to feel desperate in finding ways to unload their aging and unwanted stock, is an understatement.
Earlier this month, at least one horse owner hauled his live horse to the Fremont County landfill near St. Anthony, Idaho, before shooting it and unloading the carcass into the dead animal pit. The Fremont County Commission discussed the incident briefly during a recent meeting, and Chairman Paul Romrell said the Commission may need to discuss whether to ban the practice should it become more common.
The Idaho incident is among the increasingly creative ways horse owners have been trying to get rid of their horses. Since the U.S. horse slaughter ban was passed in 2006, the number of horses that have been left neglected or abandoned has risen sharply, their owners unable to care for them as feed costs rose and the economy stumbled. The total number of horses neglected or abandoned since the last of the U.S. horse slaughter facilities closed in 2007 is unknown, but an impressive number of cases have been reported in states from Maryland to Kentucky to Texas to Oregon. In Wyoming, the state Brand Commission handled more than 40 cases in 2008, up from the usual six to eight cases per year. In Nevada, 63 horses were left on public lands, up from a usual 11. Earlier this year, 170 horses were rescued from a Texas ranch, and in April, authorities found 74 dead and 174 emaciated horses on a ranch in Nebraska.
Officials in many states are seeing horses left at sale barns and veterinary clinics, tied to telephone poles, and released onto federal land and even in other horse owner’s herds.
In March, concerned with the rising number of local horse owners unable to afford the cost to feed their livestock, the Fremont County Commission agreed to join an effort to convince the state government to adopt a resolution against federal legislation that would tighten restrictions on the horse slaughter ban, even beyond U.S. borders.
Missouri has passed a similar resolution, while Montana has passed a bill supporting construction of a new horse slaughterhouse and North Dakota is investing funds into a study on whether a slaughterhouse would be legal in the state.
Congress is considering HR 503, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009, an amendment to the 2006 law that would effectively end all slaughter of U.S. horses by prohibiting possession, transport, purchase, and sale of any horse, horse flesh, or carcass with the intent of it being used for human consumption. Violators would be fined or imprisoned. The bill was introduced in January by Rep. John Conyers (Mich.-D) and has since been referred to the House Judiciary committee and the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. If passed, the bill would close the loopholes in the U.S. horse slaughter ban that allows the transport of horses to markets outside the U.S.
According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), nearly 100,000 horses were hauled to Canada and Mexico for slaughter last year. During the first quarter of 2009, HSUS reported that more than 17,000 U.S. horses went to these two countries for slaughter. This means, if HR 503 is signed into law, that the U.S. would retain the thousands of horses that would otherwise be disposed of each year through markets in neighboring countries. Even though these horses currently going to slaughter are a fraction of the total number of horses in the U.S. – 9.2 million, according to the American Horse Council – adding these horses to the total population each year won’t help the current problem of abandoned and neglected horses, especially since horses live 20 to 30 years on average.
Ginger Langemeier, assistant director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, said the root of the problem is a changing perception of animal rights. What began with an attitude toward dogs and cats is now shifting to livestock typically used for agricultural purposes. HSUS is among the most influential activists for animal rights, and this organization had a major part in getting federal legislation passed in 2006 to ban horse slaughter.
“Every day that passes means that there will be more torment and more suffering for America’s horses,” said HSUS President Wayne Pacelle of current legislation.
The American public is easily persuaded by groups like HSUS, and agricultural groups need to understand that the goal of animal rights activists is to put animal agriculture out of business, Langemeier said.
“People want to treat their pets like people, and people want to feel good,” Langemeier said. This attitude of “animals are friends, not food” and “animals are members of the family” is how horse slaughter was banned in the U.S. in 2006 and why there appears to be enough support for a second bill to be passed banning horse transport to slaughter outside the U.S.
“People don’t care about the businesses going under or that the number of horses being neglected and abandoned has risen considerably,” Langemeier said. “They want to think the horses are running wild and free.”
What it boils down to is BEING RESPONSIBLE for the animals in your care. I have a 32 year old horse. When the time comes that he no longer has quality of life, I will have him humanely and respectfully euthanized by a vet not “unloaded” at an auction or slaughterhouse.
Slaughter houses for horses are essential. It’s sad when folks can’t understand how essential they are to coming generations being able to have horses. It’s sadder when folks have zero understanding that the drugs used in euthanasia of large animals pollute land and water tables plus the decomposition of large animal carcasses endanger wildlife, pets, people, and other commercial animals.
The problem is a huge number of horse owners in the United States are not responsible owners!! I can make a 5 mile circle around the area I live in alone and show you more then 20 starving horses!!!
With the economy in the shape it’s in, people can barely feed them self and their family little lone afford the high price of feed and medical care for these animals!!!
slaughter of horses was humane compared to what they are going through now!
The price of feed is only going to go up as there’s more horses to feed. Which further complicates things.
Look, I have an adorable registered gelding for sale- for just above killer price and I can’t hardly give the sucker away. Do you know why? Because the bottom of end of the horse market- that end where your unwanted, unbroke, unregistered horses fall (those that don’t have a job) is SATURATED with horses that would have otherwise gone to the meat man.
I’m contemplating just keeping him, b/c we can afford to feed the number of horses we have here. I’ll get him broke and then maybe I’ll get 1,500 for him as a broke ranch horse. But still, if you’re me and you ride horses for a living, that’s not even getting paid for my time on him.
You know I was wondering a lot about this. My family has this year quit pasture breeding with their stud because of high cost of feed and no sales. Their mares were breed last year and will be their last colt until things pick back up, if they ever really do. Last year one of their mares could no longer breed and the stud basically ousted her, not letting her eat etc. But luckily we were able to find someone who wanted her just to feed and love on. Only thing is, we gave her away. It’s really hard the whole situation.
i agree with the first poster…
people need to be responsible for the animals in their care…
I’m not sure what to see. I’ve seen films on what they do to horses at slaughter houses and it almost made me throw up. Were these films wrong? Misleading? I mean, is there a HUMANE way to slaughter a horse? I would never, ever, want to have a horse slaughtered and it hurts my soul to know they are out there.
Please convince me as to why it should be allowed. I’m being honest here. I’m not being judgemental, mean, any of that. I really just don’t know enough about it, except for what I have seen and read on the internet.
THE VlDEOS OF HORSES BElNG PROCESSEDE ARE STUPlD AND COMPLETELY EDlTED TO ONLY SHOW BAD THlNGS!!! l HAVE WATCHED SEVERAL HORSES BE PROCESSED, lN PERSON AND lTS NOT LlKE ANY OF THE VlDEOS THE ANTl-GROUPS SHOW. THEY SHOW THlNGS GOlNG WRONG, ANlMALS GOlNG CRAZY AND THRASHlNG WHlLE THEY ARE DYlNG. THlS DOES HAPPEN BUT ONLY EVER GREAT ONCE AND AWHlLE. NOTHlNG lS A 100% PERFECT. THEY WANT THE GENERAL PUBLlC TO THlNK ALL PROCESSED HORSES ARE tortured TO DEATH SLOWLY, BUT THlS lS NOT THE CASE. l HAVE WlTNESSED THlS FlRST HAND. WHAT l WATCHED WAS MEN (W/ “JOBS”) MOVlNG AN ANlMAL UP TO BE PROCESSED. USUALLY PATTlNG lTS HEAD THEN, USlNG THE BOLT GUN ON THE HORSE. THE HORSE DROPS TO THE GROUND. THEN THE PROCESSlNG BEGlNS. lT JUST MEAT AFTER THAT. WE ARE ALL OKAY WlTH EATlNG PORK AND BEEF; THEY ARE KlLLED THE SAME WAY MOST OF THE TlME.
ON BElNG A RESPONSlBLE HORSE OWNER: WHAT lT BOlLS DOWN TO ‘REALLY’ lS WE ARE FORCED TO KEEP HORSES THAT 3 YEARS AGO SOLD WELL BECAUSE SOME BLEEDlNG HEART CRlED ENOUGH THAT CONGRESS BELlEVED THEM. THE WHlNEY ASS AMERlCAN PEOPLE ARE TO BLAME. HORSES ARE NOT PETS. HORSES ARE LlVESTOCK. MUSTANGS ARE NOT WlLD FREE ANlMALS THEY ARE A PAlN lN THE ASS. PEOPLE WHO RAlSE AND SALE HORSES FOR A llVlNG ARE NOT TO BLAME. WE KNOW HOW AND WHAT TO BRED TO MAKE A SAFE, SOUND AND MARKETABLE HORSE. PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRASH SHOULD NOT BRED THlER HORSES. ANYONE BREEDlNG A MARE JUST TO HAVE A FOAL SHOULD BE SHOT DEAD ON THE SPOT. AND, PlCKlNG BETWEEN TAKlNG CARE OF ONE’S FAMlLY AND BlLLS AND FEEDlNG A HORSE lS AN EASY CHOlCE. THE PEOPLE MAKlNG THAT CHOlCE, AT ONE TlME HAD A MARKET TO SELL THE HORSE lN, NOW THEY DONT.
l PERSONALLY AM BElNG FORCED TO KEEP HORSE BECAUSE WE CAN FEED THEM AND l DONT WANT TO SALE THEM FOR LESS THAN WHAT THE ARE WORTH. l HAVE TOO MANY BUT WHAT DO l DO SALE THEM FOR A 1/4 WHAT THEY ARE WORTH BECAUSE THE MARKET lS FLOODED OR TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS A HORSE BUT DOESNT KNOW HOW TO CARE FOR lT OR REALlZE THE COST OF TAKlNG CARE OF ONE.
HERE lS A EST. OF WHAT WE PAlD LAST YEAR TO FEED AND TAKE CARE OF OUR HORSES. AVG ABOUT 10 HEAD ALL YEAR. ALL OF THESE ARE ROUNDED OFF.
GRAlN $6000
HAY $4500
VET $8,500
HOOF CARE $2000
SUPPLEMENTS $1000
TACK $2000
VACClNATlON $300
DEWORMER $1500
THATS OVER $25,000.
OUR FEED BlLL FOR THE YEAR lS ALREADY OVER $2000 FOR THE FlRST 4 MONTHS. WE HAVE ALREADY BOUGHT $2500 WORTH OF HAY. AND MY CURRENT VET BlLL lS $1984.27. $500 lN WORMER AND $300 lN SHOTS.
lF YOU WANT TO EUTHANlZE ONE HORSE AND BURY lT, THAT lS GREAT! HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED A HORSE BE EUTHANlZED? l DOUBT lT OR YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO DO lT. ABOUT 50% OF THE TlME THEY DONT GlVE THEM ENOUGH AND THEY FLOP AROUND LlKE A LANDED FlSH. SOUNDS FUN, GOOD LUCK WlTH THAT. WHAT ABOUT ALL THE WORTHLESS HORSES THAT ARE GETTlNG DUMPED ON ANYONE W/ AN OPEN GATE AND LAND, ACROSS THE COUNTRY. l SAY BULLLET BUT THEN WHAT TO DO WlTH THE BODlES. THE NUMBERS FROM THlS ARTlCLE ARE WAY LOW. ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT THE HORSE lNDUSTRY BLAME THE HORSE OWNERS. THE ONES TO BLAME ARE THE lDlOTS WHO GOT THE LAWS CHANGE AND THEN WALKED AWAY. lF YOU THlNK HORSE OWNERS ARE THE ONES TO BLAME, YOU REALLY NEED TO LOOK lN THE MlRROR BECAUSE SOMEONE JUST AS STUPlD AS YOU lS TO BLAME. SO, PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK, WHlLE WE FlX THE PROBLEM AND GO BROKE. OR MAYBE ALL OF YOU THAT THlNK HORSE PROCESSlNG SHOULD STOP CAN TAKE A FEW HORSES TO FEED. THEY ONLY COST AT MlN. $2500 A YEAR TO FEED, JUST FEED.
HORSE MEAT lS ACTUALLY REALLY HEALTHY AND BETTER FOR YOU THEN MOST MEAT WE EAT lN THE USA. lT TASTE GOOD TOO!
l SENT MY FAVORlTE HORSE TO A PROCESSlNG PLANT AND l WATCHED HlM BE PROCESSED. lN LlFE HE FED MY SOUL; lN DEATH HE FED SOME FAMlLY OVERSEAS. GET A LlFE EUTHANlZlNG AN ANlMAL lS WASTEFUL. l COULD GO ON BUT l HAVE TO GET UP AND TAKE 7 HORSES TO THE VET lN THE MORNlNG…..
Just wanted to let you know I stopped by to read this post. I’m not going to state my opinion on this subject right now. It’s too frustrating and I don’t want to say anything I can’t take back. My momma taught me that!
Have a good week! 😉
One more thought about slaughter houses besides what has already been stated. The horses that are sold at the sale barns because someone cannot afford to keep one, or for whatever reason they take them to the sale barn, they are taken to Mexico to be slaughtered. So we are sending horses down there to be slaughtered, so therefore, we keeping the Mexican slaughterhouses in business. Meaning that puts people to work down there instead of putting people to work here in the best country in the world. Now I’m not saying all horses taken to a salebarn will sale, but they are more than likely bought by people to be taken to the Mexican slaughterhouses for more money because they will in turn sale the meat to forgien countries for food.
Jillian,
I hope your anger was directed at me. I admitted I didn’t know enough about this to honestly state an opinion one way or the other. While I have never been a “horse” woman with dozens of horses, I had three in WV and two here. I kept them fed, brushed, shoed, watered, kept their shots up to date and spent as much time as I could with them. So yes, I do know some of the expense of horses.
I think hay is much cheaper here than it must be else where, and feed, too. Of course, as I stated, I didn’t have as many horses as you do! I couldn’t because I KNOW I couldn’t afford that!
After reading Jen’s next post and following the links she provided, I must say I do agree with the process. I watch Animal Cops all the time and they are ALWAYS finding horse that are being starved to death. Heck, one horse a freaking hole in it’s neck the size of a baseball!
So please don’t be angry with me. Yes, I’m a horse lover, but I’m not a horse breeder or trainer. I would never let a horse starve. If something happened to one of my horses, I would still hope they could give it something to kill it, or just shoot it in the head (but damn, I wouldn’t watch).
I know that you and Jen and all the other real horse people out there know more than I do. It doesn’t hurt to learn something, right? And that’s all I wanted.
BlNA, NO NOT YOU!!!