# Horse Slaughter



## pub2012 (Dec 14, 2011)

President Obama quietly approved horse slaughter las month aboutb the same time he spared the Thanksgiving turkey. I can't believe how easily he did that. Not much fuss at all from the media - just a few lone writers like the link below. Horse slaughter! Where's the outrage?

Op-Ed: Wild horses may keep Obama away
:-x


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Sigh, this AGAIN? :?

No, Obama did NOT 'approve' horse slaughter in the US, since it's never been banned, except in California and Oregon. There has_ never_ been a federal ban on the processing of horses for meat in the US.

All he did was sign the bill for refunding the USDA inspectors. Do you people not understand how any of this actually works? :-x


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

It's a good thing. I like turkeys better than horses. Did you know that the turkey was almost the national bird? The horse was never almost the national bird. That means that turkeys are more American than horses. The president was doing the right thing according to the founding fathers' values.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

pub2012 said:


> ...Where's the outrage?


I think all the outrage - and support - is on the other dozen threads posted this week...:evil:

Horse Protection


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Speed Racer said:


> ...All he did was sign the bill for refunding the USDA inspectors. Do you people not understand how any of this actually works? :-x


It goes beyond that. The bill funded the Agriculture Department, and also provided a continuing resolution to keep all the rest of the government funded for another 30 days.

Obama opposed horse slaughter (one of the many areas he disagrees with me on), but does anyone really expect him to shut down the entire government over it?


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Why doesn't Obama use line item veto?
People put riders on bills all the time.
Take away endangered species protection or the government shuts down.
Put money into inspection for equine slaughter or the government shuts down.
A line item veto would stop a lot of crap.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Why not? Because 'line item veto' does not exist in Federal lawmaking and funding. It would take a Constitutional amendment to allow it. 

I have listened to and participated in the slaughter debate since about 2004 when petitions and proposed laws were being circulated. This was when there was still a good healthy horse market and the economy had not crashed. 

I asked the same question then that I ask now ----

*What do those opposed to slaughter propose to do with the 200,000 plus horses that are unwanted by anyone willing to feed and care for them?*

So, Celeste, what would you do today with all of these unwanted horses?

Letting them stand around and starve is not a great idea.

More laws will not work because we cannot enforce child abuse laws or animal abuse laws now.

We cannot, as a free enterprise - free market system tell people that they must care for them. That could not be enforced anyway.

I guess we could euthanize all of them with poison chemicals and let the taxpayers you are so worried about pay the bill. In some states that is $500.00 to $1000.00 per horse to kill and dispose of them as hazardous, poisonous waste.

Do you really think the dead horse cares if he is eaten or wasted at a cost of several hundred dollars?

Is the taxpayer supposed to pick up this huge bill?

You cannot legislate morality. You cannot legislate responsibility. You have to deal the reality of what the facts are.

The facts:

There always have been and always will be horses that no one wants to keep or feed. Some are going to be old, crippled, mean, diseased, unable to perform their previous job in life whether it was producing foals, being ridden or just being cared for by someone who has died or is no longer able to care for them any longer. 

No one forces anyone to give up a horse if they are caring for it. No one forces anyone to sell a horse -- to slaughter buyers or anyone else. But, thank goodness we have these bottom feeders to pick up behind all of us who can no longer keep a horse for whatever reason.

I wish all of the people who think slaughter is evil would work on alternatives -- whatever they may be. I think those wasting their time and mine railing against slaughter should just start buying up horses and giving them a good home forever. Just remember, for every one you save, there are 100s more waiting for that home. The rescues are full and the sanctuaries are full. Many have had to relinquish their horses because they could no longer feed them and care for them and they were starving them. 

You just cannot tell me that it is not better to develop American Processing Plants that are planned, built, managed and inspected in a manner to keep horses safe and quiet until they are humanely processed into a marketable product. Don't tell me that it cannot be done. It is now being done with cattle in the US and is done with horses in Iceland where they are raised and slaughtered humanely, quietly and uneventfully in plants that have been built specifically to process horses. 

This situation does not require more 'knee-jerk' reactions and more supposed 'do-gooders' causing more harm than good. That is all they have done so far.

OK -- I'll get off of my soap-box for the day. Carry on.


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## Bellasmom (Jun 22, 2011)

I don't see a whole lot on this forum about the other end of the issue...too many horses (and I admit that my reading is spotty, some of the threads are soooo long!).
The horses that kill buyers pick up at these auctions are horses that their owners DUMPED, the same way dogs and cats are left at the pound to "find good homes". Quit breeding! I see it all over just about every forum I'm a member of..."I'm breeding her because I love her and she has such a good temperament, I want a baby out of her". STOP IT. You are part of the problem. If you are breeding araloosawalkers, you are part of the problem. I have a grade horse and I love him, but NOBODY should be breeding grade horses in this economy. Any industry that breeds a ****load of horses to get a few "stars" ( AQHA and Jockey Club, talking about you) is part of the problem. I have been involved in cat/dog/horse rescue for years and rescued quality animals because they were not sound or could no longer be bred (cause God knows its totally okay to breed that crippled mare year after year 'cause what else are you gonna do with her). The ONE thing they all had in common was that whoever sent them to auction didn't care a thing about them. Until you address overpopulation, the whole slaughter thing is kind of a moot point. Rant over, sorry.


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## stylemichelle21 (Nov 9, 2011)

Bellasmom said:


> I don't see a whole lot on this forum about the other end of the issue...too many horses (and I admit that my reading is spotty, some of the threads are soooo long!).
> The horses that kill buyers pick up at these auctions are horses that their owners DUMPED, the same way dogs and cats are left at the pound to "find good homes". Quit breeding! I see it all over just about every forum I'm a member of..."I'm breeding her because I love her and she has such a good temperament, I want a baby out of her". STOP IT. You are part of the problem. If you are breeding araloosawalkers, you are part of the problem. I have a grade horse and I love him, but NOBODY should be breeding grade horses in this economy. Any industry that breeds a ****load of horses to get a few "stars" ( AQHA and Jockey Club, talking about you) is part of the problem. I have been involved in cat/dog/horse rescue for years and rescued quality animals because they were not sound or could no longer be bred (cause God knows its totally okay to breed that crippled mare year after year 'cause what else are you gonna do with her). The ONE thing they all had in common was that whoever sent them to auction didn't care a thing about them. Until you address overpopulation, the whole slaughter thing is kind of a moot point. Rant over, sorry.



Couldn't agree more. Unnecessary breeding is the root of a lot of problems...the one that started this forum being simply one of them. It is incredibly irritating how people can have that much disregard.


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