At Utah State University, a group of undergraduate students, a professor, an equine extension agent and the coordinator of the equine extension program gathered their resources, and minds, to write a paper about the state of the industry as it stands now. It’s a long paper, and in it’s entirety can be found here.
However, I’d like to break it down into sections and discuss it that way. We’ve looked at the numbers in the industry. Now let’s delve deeper.
From Page 1:
In September of 2007 the last horse processing plant in the United States closed its doors. This came about due to pressure from animal rights groups opposing horse harvesting. A state law was passed that forced the Dekalb, Illinois, plant to close and this ruling was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for theSeventh Circuit.
Approximately 100,000 head of horses each year were being sent to U.S. horse processing plants prior to their closure. This is approximately 1 percent of the horse population in the United States (Ahern et al., 2006). The groups that fought for the closing of the processing plants do not want horses processed for human consumption.
The goal of this paper is to look at what effect these closings have had on the horse industry. This paper will analyze four arguments supporting the plant closures and the present environment due to the closure of the plants.
The main statements by the lead groups supporting a ban on horse processing include:
Argument 1. The United States should not participate in such a cruel, inhumane practice (HSUS, 2008).
Argument 2. The United States should not provide horse meat to satisfy other countries’ needs when Americans do not eat horse meat (Weil, 2007).
Argument 3. Horse owners will be responsible and take care of their horses (Horse Talk, 2007).
Argument 4. Owners have other methods to deal with unwanted horses, such as euthanasia, burial, sell the horse, or send to rescue facility (Horse Talk, 2007).
Now let’s take a closer look at each of these arguments in the coming weeks. We’ll start, obviously, with Argument #1.
The United States should not participate in such a cruel, inhumane practice.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) lists two accepted methods of euthanasia for horses: 1) overdose of barbiturate anesthesia, sodium pentobarbital administered with a sedative, 2) physical method of euthanasia from a gunshot or penetrating captive bolt causing trauma to the cerebral hemisphere and brainstem resulting in an immediate painless and humane death (AVMA, 2007).
U. S. horse harvesting facilities use the captive bolt method of euthanasia. As the AVMA states, “when properly used by skilled personnel with well-maintained equipment, physical methods of euthanasia (captive bolt is a physical means of euthanasia) may result in less fear and anxiety and be more rapid, painless, humane, and practical than other forms of euthanasia” (AVMA, 2007).
Dr. Temple Grandin, PhD, designer of livestock handling facilities and professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University is an expert in methods of handling animals at harvesting facilities. In an interview on the radio program, “Horse Talk,” from Park City, Utah, Dr. Grandin indicated that done correctly euthanasia by captive bolt is second only to chemical euthanasia in discussing humane methods of euthanasia (Grandin, 2007).
Jim Tucker, the manager of the Cavel International horse harvesting plant in DeKalb, Illinois, stated a licensed veterinarian was on site any time an animal was euthanized (J. Tucker, personal communication, November 27, 2007). Dr. Mark Lutschaunig, DVM, Director of the American Veterinary Medical Association Governmental Relations Divisions, indicated the horse processing facilities were highly regulated and a veterinarian was present to record any inhumane treatment (Lutschaunig, 2007). Lutschaunig also stated that the plants employ highly trained personnel utilizing the captive bolt (2007). Dr. Robert Lewis, DVM, American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Representative for the Legislative Advisory Council, stated the AAEP sent a team to the Texas plants and these equine veterinarians deemed the plants humane and the plants are USDA inspected and inspectors are on site (Lewis, 2007).
The groups behind the ban, instead of helping the animals they set out to help, have created a situation where horses are neglected due to a lack of options. They have also condemned horses to shipment out of the country to foreign plants with less than humane methods of slaughter.
Now I don’t want anyone to get their panties all ruffled about this because, like it or not, processing horses is part of the industry (it’s just moved to Canada and Mexico now). What bothers me about this argument, is the *humane* part. I have discussed this before, so if you missed it, you might want to read it, so you’ll understand my thought process. I will also tell you that I’ve never had to send any of my personal horses to the killers, but we have sent some that the ranch raised- some that were crippled and would never be sound enough to be ridden. We have sent old horses as well. And recently we sent some that weren’t old, simply because we needed the grass. Which brings up another issue to discuss that I believe warrants a separate post/discussion- contrary to popular belief, grass isn’t infinite. And wide open spaces, don’t mean that the space can handle many animals. As an aside, we do not set out to raise horses specifically for the kill pen, nor do we know anyone that does. I find that argument to be bogus. Horses are much more valuable if they’re sound, well-bred and if they have a job (running barrels, on the track, roping, working on the ranch, packing kids and novice riders around, etc). You’d have to raise hundreds of horses a year to come close to making a living on sending them to slaughter. Another reason that argument is utter bull-shit.
It’s worth noting that prior to the slaughter facilities closing, these equines (the perfectly sound, prime of their life horses) had a value of between $500 and $1000 as NON-KILLER horses. So in essence the argument could be made that closing the slaughter facilities, has in and of itself, created a larger market for killer horses, because even though I tried to give the horses away, I was unable to do so. Which begs the question- why were you unable to find a new home for these horses? Again, that’s something that we’ll discuss at a later time.
In the meantime, if you can be civil and refrain from name calling, let’s discuss this, if not, your comments will be deleted. As I said earlier I will also keep a running list of questions that I will answer when I have enough to make a post or answer them as it becomes relevant.
Have a good one folks- I’m going to spend my day riding, at least until it rains!
This is so important. I thank you for being bold enough to speak out on this issue.
As is said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Many of these people had good intentions, and no knowledge. They weren’t willing to listen to the people who did have knowledge.
I don’t think waiting for a horse to colic by itself in an empty field at old age is a very humane way to die. We won’t allow that to happen at the ranch, and I think it’s awful that the people who passed these laws didn’t think about what would actually happen to these horses.
Those are my thoughts, I have even more, but I’ll keep this on point and leave it here.
Thumbs up!
🙂
Dree
Thank you, Dree.
I really do try to keep this blog as close to realistic as possible because life isn’t all flowers and roses. I love that you brought up the fact that it’s nicer to not let the horse suffer. We’ll be discussing that as well as we go through this study and talk about some other things on the agenda!
I’m headed back out to enjoy my ponies. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!
I don’t have the data to back this but I’ve heard that people arwe driving up to the NC mtns and turning their horses out because no one will buy them at the sale barn, and as you mentioned you can’t give them away.Did no one consider this possibility? Death would be more humane!
April- we’ll be talking about that very thing later in the series. 🙂 thanks for the comment!
Thank you for speaking out. I do not know any horse person who supports the ban on slaughter – because we all know the sad truth is that a lot of people can not afford their horses and do not take responsibility for them. When ever I travel in the West and in Indian Country this is one of the first issues people raise. They say “how could people be so stupid?” “How could they pass a law that creates so much suffering?” I wish those “horse lovers” would go stand out in the snow with no food for a while and then come back in the summer and spend a few long hot days studying the range.
I would argue that the as long as there are women and children being abused, and people mistreating people, we are going to have people mistreating animals. There’s lots of people and kids that need saving too.
Argument 1. The United States should not participate in such a cruel, inhumane practice (HSUS, 2008).
Funny; HSUS says the same thing about cows, pigs and every animal almost everyone eats so what’s different about horses and why are legislators so eager to go along with spurious distinctions for horsemeat?
Argument 2. The United States should not provide horse meat to satisfy other countries’ needs when Americans do not eat horse meat (Weil, 2007).
Do I detect a little manufactured jingoism and veiled cultural prejudice in there?
By definition, every animal part sold abroad is one not intended for an American to eat. So what?
Argument 4. Owners have other methods to deal with unwanted horses, such as euthanasia, burial, sell the horse, or send to rescue facility (Horse Talk, 2007).
So, on top of attacking food diversity (when the UNFAO has recognized we’re in crisis on that front) HSUS and the animal protest industry would rather see good meat go to waste.
How are seemingly rational legislators made to go along with this line of thinking?
Why are American legislators so eager to deny their fellow Americans and trading partners the right to choose what kind of sustainable animal protein they nourish themselves and their families with?
This is madness unless viewed through any other lens than as a manufactured controversy on which to hang a fundraising campaign.
Thanks for writing. I hope that people on both sides will read your article. I think some have made judgements, but really have no idea about the ramifications on no slaughter houses. Now we have hundreds of thousands of starving horses that are suffering. People need to focus on that. No animal should go through a long starving process and neglect. That is what is actually inhumane. I wonder how many people that are so outspoken even have lived on a ranch or farm? I think many have not.
The HSUS has an agenda that goes far into the future:
1. Stop the slaughter of horses
2. Claim there is a ‘horse overpopulation’ problem (which is a direct result of not having affordable ‘end of life’ choices)
3. Propose/ pass laws to limit the ownership of horses – # you can have, who can have them, etc
4. Propose/pass laws for mandatory sterilization of horses
5. Propose/pass laws to make the breeding of horses difficult and expensive
6. Change public perception of horse owners and breeders so they become ‘evil’, on par with drug dealers, pedophiles, etc.
7. Ultimate goal, no more horses, ever. anywhere.
The HSUS is no friend to animals, and they could care less about animal welfare.
Nicely put. They are currently trying to do the same thing with dogs. In Missouri (I think) they are trying to pass legeslation so dog owners cant own more than x amount of dogs. There is no doubt in mind that is what they will do to horse owners too.
I find this discussion VERY interesting. While I am not a whacko on either side, I do find myself tending to be soft-hearted toward 1) children and a distant 2) horses and other living critters. I truly appreciate your open and honest presentation of this issue. Growing up, our horses and other animals sometimes lingered in agony until finally their bodies just gave out or we finally talked someone into letting them be put down. I know of others who just put animals down because they no longer want to bother with them. Neither side is right.
My children are researching and saving money to start a ranch for our family, and this sort of thing has yet to come up in our discussions of the reality of such a life. I appreciate your blog and the information we are gleaning for my children’s (and hopefully our) future ranch. I especially appreciate your straight-forward, realistic perspective on a world that otherwise seems to have gone loopy.
I am interested as to why you would say neither side is right? What would you do with an aging animal? You clearly didn’t like to see it suffer. But it sounds as if you didn’t like to see them put down because someone didn’t want to bother with them any more. What would you do for a solution?
This is fascinating but foreign to me, being such an urban princess. I do have a 130 lb beast of a dog that I sometimes ride around the house like a horse.
Thank you for providing an assessment as a person who is in the trenches, when the people writing these laws have no concept of what being a responsible horse owner means in reality.
I’m referring to actually providing for the best interest of an animal of this stature, from birth to the end of it’s life.
When is our government ever going to get it that people who work in the industry should be relied on for their expert guidance as to laws that are relevant and sensible?
I would imagine that we have all figured out that HSUS is not a friend of animals but it appears they want to see all animals removed from human use, chickens, beef etc. Yes even food for those who choose to eat meat. When I see pictures of the starving horses that have been set free I feel that euthansia even by slaughter is a much better death than death by starvation. Some people just do not have the means in this day and time to keep up their horses, feed, supplies, hay all have doubled in price in the last three or 4 years. This presents a hardship on those who have horses and with the economic times many just can’t manage.
As far as horses for food. Who am I to convince France or any country not to eat horse if that is normal to their diet. Would I eat it? No. But again someone’s rights is being infringed upon to select a diet of their choosing. How much money has the closing of the horse slaughter cost the people in this economy in the long run not to mention the government expenditures.
When searching for a horse many of the “rescues” have horses that can not be or should not be ridden, for sale. There are not many people that want to take on a pasture pet, and though the rescues and santuaries are filling, the prices of the horses are not as low as what I could purchase a horse from an owner. So do we need a way to put more owners with buyers who are having a difficult time? I do not know the answer but it is an emotional one for various ways of thinking but I do believe that HSUS has done more to harm animals than help them. All animals.
Any of us who love horses, I just don’t think I have ever seen anything more beautiful than a well conditioned horse moving. In my softheartedness It is difficult for me to see any animal suffer a prolonged death and euthanasia is the kinder thing IMHO, even by slaghter. They deserve better than the alternative. It is part of owner responsibility.
30 years ago horse meat WAS available in grocery stores – I remember it in the freezer section right next to the packages of Pel-Freeze rabbit. Come to think of it I haven’t seen rabbit in the grocery store in a long time either!
Thank you for beginning this discussion. I will be following your upcoming posts regarding this. People need to see an objective treatment of this subject. As a founding member of the Alabama Canine Coalition (www.alabamacaninecoalition.org) and presently its VP, we want to work with all responsible animal groups to safeguard our rights to have and maintain our animals and our lifestyle.
First – It was not the HSUS leading the way on the closing of the horse slaughter plants. They only jumped on the bandwagon once it started rolling. It was the ASPCA that led the attack against the horse slaughter plants.
Neither group (ASPCA or HSUS) is worth the air that they breathe nor the room they take up on the earth, but let’s make sure we give credit where credit is due.
HSUS is leading now on getting rid of all animal husbandry and is leading the fight against reestablishing horse slaughter plants, and ASPCA is following as they are after the carriage/cart horses in both NYC and the Carolinas, plus any other city that may have this enterprise. HSUS has more money then ASPCA, so ASPCA is not hollering too loud.
Second – the closing of the slaughter plants were the beginning of the end for the horse industry and unless they can be reopened, the industry is doomed as the KY breeders are swallowing the HSUS kool-aid and welcoming them and their ideas into their state.
As far as I am personally concerned, I do not own enough horses nor do I breed that the slaughter plants had any affect on my ownership of my horses. I have never sent a horse to a slaughter plant.
BUT, there is nothing inhumane in slaughter plants as long as the proper procedures are followed as I have had the experience of working on small private kill floors for cattle and have observed large operations on their kill floor. Horse slaughter is no different except for a being a different species.
The waste of edible protein for starving people in other countries is a shame and is another exhibit of the wastefulness of the US people. But neither the ASPCA nor HSUS care about this as they are both against the consumption of animal protein and are trying to eliminate it from the human diet.
Both of these agencies, ASPCA and HSUS, said that horse rescues would be able to take care of any excess animals that were not wanted and they would be able to live out their (horse) lives comfortably. What they failed to mention is that neither one of these operations run big enough horse sanctuaries to take in the number of animals that have been abandoned due to the failure of the economy in the USA. HSUS did run the Black Beauty Horse Sanctuary in Texas but closed it down due to being overcrowded, I believe. This was when horses started flooding the horse rescues and of course HSUS does not use money for animals that they can use for legislation.
Horse rescues are overrun as we all know. Many of them are being raided with other groups to rescue the horses there as money runs out and the people who started out doing a good thing find out that they can’t give the horses away and have to watch them starve because they won’t send them out of the country to be slaughtered (which is very cruel as these truckers don’t care about the animals, only getting them delivered).
Recently here in Missouri, the HSMo (a side branch of the HSUS) rescued around 20 head of horses from a farm where they were literally starving with several found on the farm dead. The owners had run out of money for hay, barely surviving themselves and could not give away the horses. Of course they will be portrayed as the abusers but in my eyes, the ASPCA, HSUS and any legislator that voted to close the horse slaughter plants are the real abusers.
Finally the argument that horse owners can take care of the body of the horse once it has been euthanized is totally false.
If put down by barbituates, most rendering packing plants cannot take the body due to the drug contaminating the meat for consumption by pets.
In many areas you cannot bury a horse because of the water table or restriction of planning and zoning.
IF you are lucky enough to be able to bury a horse on your property it can cost anywhere from $300 in rural areas to as much as $1000 in urban areas.
If you cannot have the carcass picked up by a rendering plant, nor can you have it buried, the last option is to have it cremated. This is highly prohibitive as the crematories are few and far between that can handle a horse. IF you can find one (ASPCA is kind enough to list them on their website) AND they will come to your place to pick up the body, it will cost $1000 to $1500 for the service.
Disposing of the bodies is very problematic and something that is almost impossible to solve depending on where you live.
ASPCA, HSUS, and the legislators that voted for this, did not care what it would cost the owner nor the horse industry. The initial intentions were to destroy the horse industry. They have almost succeeded. Currently, ASPCA and HSUS are focusing on dog breeders across the nation, while HSUS is also focusing on animal husbandry practices. IF the horse industry means to survive they have to get the horse slaughter plants reopened. This is the time to do it and one organization for horses has begun to lead the fight. Everyone else in the horse industry needs to join the fight. Then as all animal lovers are finding out, we have to join forces regardless of the species that we are involved in.
Which organizations if any, are leading the charge to get horse slaughter plants reopened?
United Organization of the Horse
http://www.unitedorgsofthehorse.org/index.htm
I have been following this organization since it hit the internet and they are working their tails to the bone on all horse related legislation. So far they have states backing and Tribal backing to reinstate slaughter plants. At one time we thought one of the Tribes in OK was going to open one up but then the attention switched to WY or MT (can’t remember which). After that the state legislatures have been passing resolutions that the closing of horse slaughter plants has destroyed the industry.
Cathy- It was MT, and then Utah Followed. I’ll be writing a piece about the Indian Tribes from the Northwest soon. What I think I’d like to see is horse people that really get it, get behind an organization such as this. The problem is, we whine around an opine about it, but HSUS puts their money where their mouth is- instead of, of course taking care of the animals that they *promote* to save. Sad. Very Sad.
I often feel like we don’t have the money as horse owners to donate to these causes, because we are too concerned with the welfare of our own animals. But if we don’t start, we won’t have them to be concerned about. Something has to give. No pun intended!
Thanks! I have way too much information running around in my mind as I am also active with all animal legislation across the nation.
The dog world has woken to the fact that we have to join forces with other species to preserve our right across the board. I think EVERYONE is awakening to this fact.
Come join us on Petlaw (pet-law@yahoogroups.com). We are trying to stay up on large animals and have some people that are devoted to it but we can always use more and mainly we are out to shut down HSUS on ALL fronts for ALL animals and their owners!
Cathy- I will try to get over to that group. I agree that we need to all ban together to stop the *madness*. Thanks for your support!
GOOD NEWS!
Missouri has a bill going through right now that will legalize horse slaughter in the state. It has passed committee and headed to another to be perfected to head to the floor for a vote. For more updates on it: http://www.house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/bills101/bills/hb1747.htm
Not only that but there is also an amendment to the ag law that states:
Section 1. Agriculture which provides food, energy, and security is the foundation and stabilizing force of Missouri’s economy. To protect this vital sector of Missouri’s economy, it shall be the right of citizens to raise domesticated animals in a humane manner without the state imposing an undue economic burden on animal owners. No law criminalizing or otherwise regulating crops or the welfare of any domesticated animals shall be valid unless based upon generally accepted scientific principles and enacted by the general assembly.
Note that this says ‘scientific principles’. In other words you can’t pull something out of the air and say that it is good for the animals or people. You have to have science behind your statement.
To say I am excited is putting it mildly. Horse and animal people are banding together to kick the HSUS and ASPCA out of our state.