Hard Time for Horses

[hypocritexposer]

"This is definitely a very bad time to be a horse," Ms. Kanciper said, confirming the negative development — driven by panicky, cash-strapped owners and an unforgiving economy — that has uprooted Maple and an as-yet-unknown number of his species. Reports of a surge in abandoned or neglected horses; of overcrowded rescue, auction and retirement facilities; and of unwanted equines being fattened in feedlots before being shipped to slaughter in Mexico and in Canada have prompted the Unwanted Horse Coalition, an offshoot of the American Horse Council, to undertake a national survey on the problem.

According to Dr. Tom Lenz, a veterinarian who is the chairman of the coalition, although the elimination of domestic slaughterhouses has reduced the total number of horses killed, 100,000 to 150,000 are still exported for slaughter each year. "So we know they're unwanted," he said. "America needs a wake-up call about this issue. The general population has this love affair with the horse without realizing the costs and complications of owning horses in this economy."

The expense of euthanizing horses that are sick, lame, old or dangerous is creating an ill-timed rise in "irresponsible owners," Dr. Lenz said, and a new class of unwanted — and in some cases discarded — beasts. He finds logic in California's proactive, if grim, response to the problem: It has established low-cost equine euthanasia centers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/nyregion/long-island/01Rhorses.html?_r=1

 

[Blkbuckaroo]

Who's idea was it to get rid of horse slaughter anyway :???:

 

[little bow rancher]

This is D'

The animal activist and people who see horses as pets and not livestock.

I love horses and hate to see them go to slaughter BUT not all horses are meant to be owned and not everyone can afford to get them put down. So one is left with trying to get something out of them. They are still livestock :!: :!:

 

[George]

In this area you have to keep your gates padlocked because if you don't you will wake up and have a pasture full of horses. Is this reverse theft?

The state parks are having extra patrols as people are dropping of horses there as well.

The local sale barn is charging you $100.00 to drop off a horse - - - -if it gets a buyer they will deduct the sale fee and return the balance of the money. I have seen many good horses with no buyers at $1.00 A very well broke mare about 6 years old was sold with all tack included for $80.00 but the buyer backed out - -- - all he wanted was the sadle and refused to take the horse.

This is another example of "unintended consequences" - - - -I'm sure the people who caused this had the best of intentions but they have to look beyond the end of their noses!

 

[Blkbuckaroo]

It's really amazing the amount of free horses around lately,i just got two 2 year old fillies,real nice too.Someone probably approches me at least once a week in regards to a free pony.Some with pretty decent papers.

 

[mrj]

Isn't this just part of the HSUS/PETA agenda to end all practical uses of animals, including cattle? Sadly, they used the people who love their horses to further that ending of animals as food or any other purpose. Horse loving people owe it to their horses to grow up and realize the horse is a food animal in many societies. Isn't it wrong to tell people they cannot horses simply because 'we' don't do it???

There are worse things for a horse than to be processed into food for people or zoo animals, IMO. Dying in a lonely pasture in a storm, or when too ill to fight off the coyotes and larger predators comes to mind.

In a perfect world, that shouldn't happen, but life isn't perfect for either animals or humans, is it?


mrj