# CBC Horse Slaughter Article



## appylover31803

I never thought horse slaughter was humane, not even with all the regulations and what not. I've seen videos multiple times and it still gets under my skin. :twisted:


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## JustDressageIt

"Gets under my skin" doesn't even begin to describe how I feel.


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## PoptartShop

I still don't think it's humane...ugh.


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## LuLu

In my eyes, there is no such thing as "humane" slaughter, that slide show was heartbreaking. Just seeing those two gorgeous chestnuts waiting in the slaughter pens was devestating!


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## MeganMafia

This slideshow was heartbreaking.
Having just rescued a slaughter bound horse it was very touching.

I have never understood why people think that it is nessecary, putting an animal through that can NOT be nessacary.


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## Brighteyes

*Sob* So very, very sad... one of those horses looked just like Lola almost..that very well could have been her.


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## Spastic_Dove

Don't jump down my throat now...but though slaughter is not always humane, I still see it as necessary until people can stop breeding crap and take responsibility for the horses they already have. Yes, I wish slaughter would be more heavily regulated (and happen in America instead of hauling the horses to Canada) and all the horses would be stunned effectively. I wish slaughter didn't happen. However it's an export buissiness and there is always going to be demand. Instead of trying to close plants in America and trying to save all the horses, we as horse owners need to take action. Retirement, euthanasia, etc are all viable options. Horses are still going to be killed, but far less will be if owners are responsible.


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## goldilockz

I agree with Spastic Dove. Also, the horse industry needs to push for humane slaughter legislation. Yes, slaughter CAN be humane, if done right. We have a massive overpopulation problem, and until BYBs and irresponsible horse owners are held accountable for their contributions to the issue, horse slaughter is a necessity to prevent unwanted horses from being neglected, abused, and starved. I could never eat horse meat, but who am I to say someone in Mexico or Canada or even here in the states shouldn't? 

Horse slaughter can be done just as humanely as most beef slaughter plants IF we push for the regulations to be enforced. If you've ever said all horse slaughter is inhumane, but you eat beef, you're a hypocrite, to put it plainly.

I know that isn't the popular opinion, but it's the realistic one. It's sad that there are so many unwanted horses in the world, and I would home and feed them all if I could.

Please don't stone me


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## Kentucky

goldilockz said:


> I agree with Spastic Dove. Also, the horse industry needs to push for humane slaughter legislation. Yes, slaughter CAN be humane, if done right. We have a massive overpopulation problem, and until BYBs and irresponsible horse owners are held accountable for their contributions to the issue, horse slaughter is a necessity to prevent unwanted horses from being neglected, abused, and starved. I could never eat horse meat, but who am I to say someone in Mexico or Canada or even here in the states shouldn't?
> 
> Horse slaughter can be done just as humanely as most beef slaughter plants IF we push for the regulations to be enforced. If you've ever said all horse slaughter is inhumane, but you eat beef, you're a hypocrite, to put it plainly.
> 
> I know that isn't the popular opinion, but it's the realistic one. It's sad that there are so many unwanted horses in the world, and I would home and feed them all if I could.
> 
> Please don't stone me


I agree to you mostly, some horse will never be able to go to any home safely either they will be a threat to either other horses or humans, horse population as nothing to due with those horses. The irresponsible breeders and byb will always be there, some of them will break rules and you name it those ones don't care. Ever another way to look at this is invcrease the numbers of riders ie increase the demand for horses, to create homes for them. 
About some of the other options they cost money and slaughter does produce some money for the owner, not much but some.


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## mountainhorse44

Horse Slaughter isnt Humane by any standards but I believe it is a necessary evil. Think of all the unwanted horses out there that no longer have an outlet because of the slaughter houses being closed down. Horses that are injured, sick or just plain aggressive and cannot be handled. Where are those horses going to go? I dont know about you but most of the rescues around here are stock full of horses. The horse market is bad and I believe that closing the slaughter houses down 4 years ago was a main cause of it because they are just getting over populated and have no where to go. People are dumping horses off at parks because they cannot afford to feed them. You could get 800 dollars for selling a horse for meat, just by the pound. That would have been money for an owner that had a horse that was lame or unhandleable. There are good horses going to the slaughter pens but there are also horses going that need to be there.. sorry to say it.. but it's true. It's reality. I love horses as much as the next person but I feel one needs to be reopened.


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## Kentucky

If the slaughter plants were in the USA, they would mostly likely be more humane than one in Mexico or even Canada, and there would be lessshipping time, plus it would create more jobs for Americans.
And that $800 could go to buying another horse.


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## mountainhorse44

Yep, that's very true. I'm sure they would be more humane then overseas, america normally tries to pride itself on humane treatment of animals. You are right, there would be more jobs for those americans that have lost theirs in this economical slump. Horses are starving everywhere, because the owners have lost jobs and cannot afford to feed them and with no feedlots open.. they just turn them loose. It's happening all over the U.S. people taking trailer loads of horses into state parks and letting them go or tying them to some one elses trailer. 800 dollars is good money for a horse you may not even get 150 out of. Be it lame or aggressive.


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## Kincsem

I am against slaughter and the slaughterhouses that were in the US were not humane. One slaughterhouse in Texas was constantly being fined and not paying for polluting the environment and people who lived near it complained. Slaughter is not necessary. Horses can be humanely euthanized or turned over to animal control if suitable homes cannot be found or the animal is dangerous. Greed is the reason slaughter exists and those who really care about horses are against it even if they can profit from it. Evil is never necessary and good people do not let their animals starve. People who starve their animals are criminals. Cattle slaughterhouses have been guilty of cruelty also and all cruelty should be punished no matter what kind of animal is the victim. Humane slaughter has been the law for a long time and should have been enforced but wasn't and maybe isn't. Cruelty turned me into a vegetarian. Pigs have been raised cruelly not just slaughtered cruelly in close confinement hog barns. America has been guilty of lots of inhumane treatment of animals and still is including cruelty in research. My old mare was humanely euthanized by a vet and I was there with her. When I bought her back at the end of 1990 she was skin and bone and there was a slaughterhouse less than a hundred miles from the auction. That night I bought the only horse sold to the kill buyer after the auction ended and I had him for many years. He was about 5 years old and sound. In the county I live in a man starved horses back when that place was open and was convicted twice more before he was told he could not have horses anymore. He even locked horses in stalls and nailed the doors shut and the horses were found dead inside. He could have sold them and could have had the kill buyer pick them up but he chose to starve them instead.


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## DakotaLuv

I don't believe horse slaughter has ever been humane. The problem is that anti horse slaughter folks pushed to close the slaughter plants down without ever thinking ahead. Now, you've got less horses being slaughtered, but the unlucky horses that are going to slaughter have to travel in the most inhumane way and a long ways at that, and when they get there, they're being treated and slaughtered MUCH worse than how it was in the US. Then you've got more abandonment, cruelty, and neglect than ever before. So how was closing the plants really helping the horses? I don't see it as a necessary evil, I see it as just plain necessary. Does a horse have different feelings than a cow or chicken? No. Yet here we are today with chicken, cattle, and hog slaughterhouses and no one is pushing to close them down. 

You know...this was the first year our family has ever had to dealt with an abandoned horse left to die at our straw stack. He was skin and bones when I found him and unfortunately had to be put down two weeks later due to complications and other issues. I have NEVER in my whole life seen so many abused and neglected horses as I have in the last year. I wish us horse people really would have thought the whole thing through before many of us had pushed to close them down. What's worse, dying quickly from nail gun shots through the head or sitting in a pasture for 2 years without hoof care starving to death? 

I hope I don't get beat for this, but everyone is entitled to their opinion and that's mine. 

EDIT: Sorry can't spell today.


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## goldilockz

Kincsem said:


> Greed is the reason slaughter exists and *those who really care about horses are against it* even if they can profit from it. Evil is never necessary and good people do not let their animals starve.


That's insulting. It implies that those of us who see the necessity of slaughter don't care about our animals. You couldn't be more wrong if you tried. The reason slaughter is necessary in my eyes is because I would rather see a horse go to slaughter (humanely and yes it IS POSSIBLE to have a humane slaughterhouse) to feed the hungry than see that horse neglected and abused.

Greed is not the reason slaughter exists. Greed is the reason slaughter is necessary. You can thank the backyard breeders who look at horses and see money signs for that. The backyard breeders who breed horses just to sell them. 

Slaughter is not evil. Good people do not let their animals starve, but good people also do not stand by and let other people's animals starve if those animals can go and serve a good purpose and feed the hungry. 

The sad truth, as DakotaLuv provided an example of, is that people WILL let their animal starve if they can't afford to take care of it, and you simply CAN NOT feed every unwanted horse in the US. Do you have any idea how many unwanted horses are bred every year due to ignorance, negligence, and greed?? It is idealistic and unrealistic to think that we can just "open our hearts" and feed every single unwanted beast. I sincerely wish we could, because contrary to what you believe of a pro-slaughter individual, I actually do care about the horses.


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## Kentucky

Greed is not the reason slaughter exists. Greed is the reason slaughter is necessary. You can thank the backyard breeders who look at horses and see money signs for that. The backyard breeders who breed horses just to sell them.

goldilockz,
I disagree with you about that. The issues are more than just breeders over producing foals. And making money is the reason why breeders are breeding horses. Those breeders who breed a junkie mare to a below average stud, are not the only reason why we have horse slaughter. People who used to ride is another reason.


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## Solon

Spastic_Dove said:


> Don't jump down my throat now...but though slaughter is not always humane, I still see it as necessary until people can stop breeding crap and take responsibility for the horses they already have. Yes, I wish slaughter would be more heavily regulated (and happen in America instead of hauling the horses to Canada) and all the horses would be stunned effectively. I wish slaughter didn't happen. However it's an export buissiness and there is always going to be demand. Instead of trying to close plants in America and trying to save all the horses, we as horse owners need to take action. Retirement, euthanasia, etc are all viable options. Horses are still going to be killed, but far less will be if owners are responsible.



I agree. If we had humane methods it would be better for the horses. And if you could get people to quit breeding crap horses that'd be even better. But the second one isn't going to happen. 

And that's a bunch of crap that someone that supports slaughter doesn't care about their horses. Thank the idiot breeders out there for making it necessary. Go look at any number of threads on this very forum with people wanting to breed inferior mares and ignoring the people who tell them not to do it.

It can be made more humane. You think it was bad in the US what do you think is happening to the horses getting shipped to Mexico? Does it make people feel better that it isn't happening in our country? If it was, better legislation could be pushed forward to regulate them.


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## goldilockz

Kentucky said:


> Greed is not the reason slaughter exists. Greed is the reason slaughter is necessary. You can thank the backyard breeders who look at horses and see money signs for that. The backyard breeders who breed horses just to sell them.
> 
> goldilockz,
> I disagree with you about that. The issues are more than just breeders over producing foals. And making money is the reason why breeders are breeding horses. Those breeders who breed a junkie mare to a below average stud, are not the only reason why we have horse slaughter. People who used to ride is another reason.


Oh I definitely agree they aren't the only reason that slaughter happens. I just feel it is a major factor because these horses have nowhere to go when no one wants them, and they shouldn't have been bred in the first place.


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## Kentucky

I think a major part of that reason is the breeders don't know what they are doing. The best way to counter this is to educate them on what a good horse is and what should and shouldn't be bred.


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## goldilockz

Kentucky said:


> I think a major part of that reason is the breeders don't know what they are doing. The best way to counter this is to educate them on what a good horse is and what should and shouldn't be bred.


Precisely! I think that would help curb a LOT of the overpopulation problems.

There would still be people like my mother's uncle who doesn't care about the horses at all, and just wants to make a buck, but those are less common than the ones who feel they're doing good. I think education would help tremendously with those who just don't know any better.


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## Solon

Kentucky said:


> I think a major part of that reason is the breeders don't know what they are doing. The best way to counter this is to educate them on what a good horse is and what should and shouldn't be bred.



I would agree with this. The only exception is, look what happens to people on this forum who try to educate. The so called breeder just will not for a moment think that their 'perfect pretty pony' could be remotely too inferior to breed. The knowledgeable people here to try to reason with them and it goes no where. I believe most people out there just flat out refuse to be educated and that's really too bad.


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## goldilockz

Solon said:


> I would agree with this. The only exception is, look what happens to people on this forum who try to educate. The so called breeder just will not for a moment think that their 'perfect pretty pony' could be remotely too inferior to breed. The knowledgeable people here to try to reason with them and it goes no where. I believe most people out there just flat out refuse to be educated and that's really too bad.


That always makes me sad to read about, and I just got done reading a thread from earlier in the month about it. 

My horses are the mostest beautifulest evar lol but I'm glad we got Dixie before the other buyer did. The previous owners were skeptical because the woman was inquiring about Dixie's breeding history and wanted to be able to return her if she didn't get pregnant. Don't tell Dixie I said this, but she's just not good breeding stock. Back toes out, pretty downhill, etc. 

I wish everyone could look *honestly *at their horses and ask themselves, "Is my horse REALLY worth breeding/breeding to?"


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## Kincsem

Horsemeat is not "feeding the hungry". The meat is sold not given away. In the US deer meat is donated to food banks to feed the hungry. In the Nature Valley Farms photo its shows a huge amount of meat by products being spread out on the land. It that was a cattle,pig,chicken,etc. slaughterhouse the heads,intestines,stomachs,etc would be used and not tossed outdoors to rot. Many pounds of flesh are being wasted when they kill horses. Many horses that are killed are sound healthy animals whose former owners are not even aware of their fate and would not have sold them to slaughter. They were useful animals who should have had long lives. Many times kill buyers have lied to people and told them their horses would have a good home. People who care about their horses have had them stolen by people looking to make some dollars selling them to slaughter. www.netposse.com lists lots of horses who were stolen and most probably ended up in slaughterhouses. There are people renting government land in the US practically free that are raising horses and cattle. THey do not care about producing quality horses and they do not spend hardly any money raising them and they do not care if they go to slaughter. They only care about how much money they can get. The US government has spent millions keeping mustangs penned up so that these people can make money at taxpayer expense. Public land should be used by the public and not these greedy ranchers who are profiting at their expense and the expense of the horses. Anybody who claims to care about horses and does not care if they suffer from cruelty is not telling the truth. Why would anybody who cares about horses favor a cruel death for them over a quick painless one being held by the one that owns them in their own stall or pasture either via bullet or injection. The body can be rendered,buried or cremated. Slaughter is not necessary not humane and its strongest advocates are people who never ever cared about horses.


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## goldilockz

K. Agree to Disagree.


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## Solon

Kentucky you seem really down on ranchers and I think some of that dislike is really misplaced. Our country would be in a world of hurt without the ranchers.

And you changed the statement about not caring for horses if you support slaughter.

You said " Anybody who claims to care about horses and does not care if they suffer from cruelty is not telling the truth."

People here that support slaughter are saying they would support *humane *slaughter. That's a big difference than supporting slaughter by cruel methods. The truth still remains that it can be legislated. However, the bleeding hearts would rather have the slaughter be outside our country so it can't be regulated out at all. It's okay, as long as it's not in our country I guess. That is a sad thing.

What do you see the difference between rendering and slaughter?

What should be done with the unwanted horses out there that can't seem to be adopted out or sold to people?


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## Kincsem

Humane slaiughter was legislated many years ago and has not been enforced many times. Horse slaughter in the US was no more humane than that in Canada. Horse that are unwanted and unadoptable could be humanely euthanized. Rendering plants accept animals that are already dead. In some places humanely euthanized dog and cat bodies have been rendered,.Humane slaughter of cattle has not always been enforced either. "They die piece by piece" about the horrors at a cattle slaughterhouse and other horror stories about cattle slaughter are the reason I stopped breeding cattle and eating beef. The captive bolt gun many times did not stun the animal which was hoisted fully conscious,poorly stuck or left unstuck and the animals went down the line bellowing in pain as their feet were cut off and they were skinned and did not die until near the end of the line when their heads were cut off. It took about 10 minutes of sheer agony before their suffering ended. Congress and others promised to end the cruelty but there have been other stories of cruelty since then. The captive bolt guns lose power unlike real guns and become ineffective. They have sometimes caused pain without any loss of consciousness.


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## Solon

It is about enforcing it and I think it could have happened if the politicians really pushed it. You can be certain it's no more regulated in Mexico or Canada. There's no reason the horse or any other animal couldn't be humanely dispatched prior to slaughter.


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## Kentucky

Solon, I am pro rancher 100%, I was talking about back yard breeders and those breeder who are don't know much about breeding.


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## Solon

Thanks for pointing that out, I thought you were including the ranchers in that!


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## Kentucky

i should have made that point clearer Solon, but I assumed with my other replies defending ranchers my opinion on them would be clear as glass. I can I should never assume that.


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## Solon

Just went back and re-read the posts above mine. I was confusing your replies in this thread with kinsecm (sp) - that person is the one that was dissing the ranchers not you!!! Sorry about that!


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## Kentucky

that is not a problem, Solon


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## reining girl

o my, this kills me inside, looking at all those perfectly beautiful horses that are going to die painfully. i hate this. why cant there be some other way.


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## Crimsonhorse01

Just so the anti slaughter people know. Horses are being consumed in the states that horses have a Job in. When the cost of a horse is at 100 for a three year old... What else will happen. 
Three cheers for everyone that stopped horse slaughter they are just going to ranchers butcher shops now.


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## alli09

just because horse slaughter has ended in the US, does not mean that it was a bad thing.I mean, yes they are going to countries that treat them worse, but they were still going there before that.Since the slaughterhouses have ended here in the US, I bet you people have been having a hard time getting them across the border.More work on the people and soon they will get tired of all of this pointless stuff.


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## Aoi Miku

Either the slaughter houses need top open back up.
Or people need to stop breeding crap.

I think, that is the one thing I'd absolutely love to do is get a few horses from the feed lots and train them.
It's like, I'd trade a Vanner for a QH anyday.
But in the US someone would give me 10 QH's for a Vanner.
It's weird.

There's an immense amount of horses that go to slaughter, but because people love the ickle ponies they think closing down closer slaughterhouses is the right way to go?
WTH.
We wouldn't dare close any of our slaughterhouses.
We'd be over run with TB's and Natives. Not too mention to ridiculous trip across the channel, to France then to Italy.
That's like, 4 to 5 days in them crappy lorries cramed full off hoses.
Great.
That's the way to go.

So long as people keep breeding things that have no market, slaughter will keep happening.
The only thing we can do is make it just that little bit better for the horses, aka not closing nearby houses so the horses don't endure the unnecessary trip across the boarder.


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## Kentucky

Aoi Miku, well said and a partly agree with you. The problem is not that only some people breed horses that have not market. Their are horses that have no homes to any one of season reasons. And some are sold to shaughter because they are hust too danger to be handled even by expert riders, trainers, and horsemen, or they for some reason try to attack and kill their handlers.


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## alli09

Aoi Miku said:


> Either the slaughter houses need top open back up.
> Or people need to stop breeding crap.
> 
> I think, that is the one thing I'd absolutely love to do is get a few horses from the feed lots and train them.
> It's like, I'd trade a Vanner for a QH anyday.
> But in the US someone would give me 10 QH's for a Vanner.
> It's weird.
> 
> There's an immense amount of horses that go to slaughter, but because people love the ickle ponies they think closing down closer slaughterhouses is the right way to go?
> WTH.
> We wouldn't dare close any of our slaughterhouses.
> We'd be over run with TB's and Natives. Not too mention to ridiculous trip across the channel, to France then to Italy.
> That's like, 4 to 5 days in them crappy lorries cramed full off hoses.
> Great.
> That's the way to go.
> 
> So long as people keep breeding things that have no market, slaughter will keep happening.
> The only thing we can do is make it just that little bit better for the horses, aka not closing nearby houses so the horses don't endure the unnecessary trip across the boarder.


they are still going to to go across the border even if there were slaughterhouses here.


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## Kentucky

^ that is possible but only becuase the border was closer than the nearest slaughter house.


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## alli09

Kentucky said:


> ^ that is possible but only becuase the border was closer than the nearest slaughter house.


which is why all of this just needs to end.


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## Kentucky

Do you have any solutions to over population of livestock besides not breeding to total government control? And government control has worked wonders for the Mustangs.


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## alli09

Kentucky said:


> Do you have any solutions to over population of livestock besides not breeding to total government control? And government control has worked wonders for the Mustangs.


I will never consider horses livestock.I consider them pets and companion animals, but I don't want to get into that argument right now.I think that if it can't be done right and humanely it needs to stop.


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## PiggyPablo

alli09 said:


> *i will never consider horses livestock.i consider them pets and companion animals*, but i don't want to get into that argument right now.i think that if it can't be done right and humanely it needs to stop.


*amen!!!*


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## MacabreMikolaj

alli09 said:


> I will never consider horses livestock.I consider them pets and companion animals, but I don't want to get into that argument right now.I think that if it can't be done right and humanely it needs to stop.


I find it pretty **** convenient that it's always people like you screaming it has to stop, and yet when it boils down to it, you always have some lame excuse on why you don't have an answer on HOW to stop it.

Far to many people in this world seem to think they know the answer, but none of them know what the question it.

That's great that YOU consider them pets and companions. I'm sure that will make a whole heap of difference to your neighbours horses who are starving to death over a period of months instead of at least dying somewhat quickly because he can make a buck off them selling them for slaughter.

You think slaughter is inhumane? Take a look around at your world of rainbows and lollipops and take a good hard think on what's going to happen when deadbeat owners can't make a buck selling the carcasses of their unwanted animals anymore. You think they're going to pay for humane euthanasia? Pay for food? Give even the slightest ****?

Ending slaughter is condemning thousands of horses every single year to a fate worse then death. You cannot take away the ONLY form of population control we have unless you're willing to implement a new one. It's called common sense.

And there's always Mexico! You think Mexico will ever pass a slaughter ban? You think horses are treated bad in Canada? Go watch a few PETA videos because as much as I hate that organization, they give a REAL good insight on what occurs in foreign countries with either no animal welfare policies or a tendency to turn a blind eye regardless.


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## LadyDreamer

Well, if we are going to put them on a level with cats and dogs as pets, we should euthanize them in mass numbers to help(not very effectively) control the populations like dogs and cats, and discard all that good meat. That meat could be used though not if it is chemically contaminated. Use the meat for dog food. Use the meat to feed the carnivores at zoos and wildlife rescues. It doesn't have to be for human consumption. I for one would like to be able to afford a dog food with higher "real meat" content. If horse meat brought prices down and quality up on my dog food, you BET I'd be buying. 

I really wish eating horse was not taboo in this country. Horses are livestock. Some are worthy of "pet" status, but definitely not all.


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## iridehorses

It seems this thread is headed down hill and nothing factual is being discussed. There have been several reports concerning rudeness so we've decided to close it before it degrades further.


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