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Horse slaughter

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RoperAB said:
The way I see it im standing up for half decent humane treatment of Horses and fighting against France.
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You really need to drop the inhumane argument. There are no real differences in treatment of horses going to slaughter and cattle going to slaughter. The only difference is the species.

Your inhumane argument could easily be used against us all by the next bleeding heart liberal bunch that wants to stop the slaughter of cattle. Because the process is basically the same.

If you want to speak with authority on Canadian horse slaughter being inhumane, be my guest. But knock it off about the horse packing industry in the United States, because you're misinformed.
 
RoperAB said:
The way I see it im standing up for half decent humane treatment of Horses and fighting against France.
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The way I see it your a crackpot.
 
Texan said:
RoperAB said:
The way I see it im standing up for half decent humane treatment of Horses and fighting against France.
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You really need to drop the inhumane argument. There are no real differences in treatment of horses going to slaughter and cattle going to slaughter. The only difference is the species.

Your inhumane argument could easily be used against us all by the next bleeding heart liberal bunch that wants to stop the slaughter of cattle. Because the process is basically the same.

If you want to speak with authority on Canadian horse slaughter being inhumane, be my guest. But knock it off about the horse packing industry in the United States, because you're misinformed.
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Very valid points.
 
You know im just trying to look for solutions to prevent inhumane treatment of horses by commercial french packers.
The majority on here seem to be okay with the current abuse thats going on.
This makes me the bad guy :roll: :lol:
 
Anybody wondering if they ever do ban horse slaughter i the US how many plants will open across the border in Mexico and how many trucks will be heading south each day? Just a thought that crossed my mind.. Especially horses out of Texas, I know one of the plants in Texas also owns a plant in Mexico.

Oh, and two of the three plants in the US are owned by Belgian companies. Might have french connections but they are Brussels based. Got a little bored today, kids are away, aper work is maddening.. Tought I would google a bit.
 
I have worked for more than a few ranches in the high plains region. Every one I worked for used horses. Both riding and draft animals. People who are in the ranch busines seriously use their horses as tools of the trade. These are people who ranch as a living, not as a hobby, not as a pasttime, and not as a second income. Most of them treat their horses very well. They have to. They are neccesary for our lively hood.

I have worked for acouple of individuals that didn't believe in the horse slaughter. Here's a little story about one man and his beloved horses.

He ran quite a horse operation and he had two old brood mares that had long ago fouled their last colt. But he kept them around the house yard. They were always in the way of anything you did but they were his special pets. He loved his two old mares. Both horses were so thin and poor it just made you mad to see them. But he loved them anyway. I'd ask him if he wanted me to get them in and grain them as winter came on but he wanted them left alone in their retired years.

I asked him several times what his plans were for them and he just wanted them to live out their lives being happy. He just couldn't bear the thought of them being slaughtered.

Well, sure enough he came down to my house one cold nasty morning and was all weepy eyed cause one of the poor old mares couldn't get up and would I please put her out of her misery. He didn't seem to notice her misery the night before. But then again he felt good about himself not sending them to the terrible fate of the slaughter plant.

Well, I took care of his horse for him and two weeks later I had to take care of the other one for the little pansey. But he could say with pride he didn't send them to the slaughter plant.

Banning horse packing plants will just cause more of this kind of stories to happen. Alot of people will not have the funds or the facilties to handle old or crippled horses after their usefulness is over. I see alot of backyard horses now that belong to people who can't take care of them proper. Every town and city is surrounded by bare dirt lots with two horses and a pony. Unsound horses are doctored up and ran thru local auction barns all the time now because people are people and they want theit investment back.

Also without packing plants, the problem of the wild horse issue will never be addressed. But here again the bleeding heart, weepy eyed public can't bear the reality of dealing with the ever growing problem. But most don't have to because they aren't trying to make their living raising cattle amongest the so called mustangs, or praire dogs or rattlesnakes or wolves or mountain lions, grizzly bears etc. etc. etc....

If you want to give horses their dignity vote to keep our slaughter plants open and start treating horses as they have been for 5000 years. As working animals in the livestock industry and the recreation industry. Not as pampered lap dogs that are left to be crippled, old and sick because some bleeding heart doesn't have the sand to pull the plug on a loyale companion.

'nuff said'
 
Great post Saddle Tramp.

I to have seen horses die a miserable death because the owners wouldn't take responsibility for their horses. Horses so thin they would lean against the barn or horses more or less turned loose to die a slow death. I have sent horses to packers and try not to procrastine and get them away before they will suffer from the trip and I have shot horses that had special meaning or for some reason couldn't be shipped humanely.
 
But the story was about an iresponsible owner who choosed to starve his horses to death instead of humanely putting them down.
Yes in that case it was worse than sending them to the slaughter plant. However that guy could have sent the horses to slaughter but he choose not to. Same as he chosed not to humanely put them down with a bullet or with a vet.
There are all kinds of people out there. I could post stories as well. I just dont see how that story proves anything because that guy had lots of options including sending his horses to slaughter or better yet allowing you to put them down before the starved half to death but he chose the worse possible fate for his horses.
I just see elimaneting the French slaughter plants as a way of elimaneting one bad option.
 
RoperAB said:
But the story was about an iresponsible owner who choosed to starve his horses to death instead of humanely putting them down.
Yes in that case it was worse than sending them to the slaughter plant. However that guy could have sent the horses to slaughter but he choose not to. Same as he chosed not to humanely put them down with a bullet or with a vet.
There are all kinds of people out there. I could post stories as well. I just dont see how that story proves anything because that guy had lots of options including sending his horses to slaughter or better yet allowing you to put them down before the starved half to death but he chose the worse possible fate for his horses.
I just see elimaneting the French slaughter plants as a way of elimaneting one bad option.
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Your not going to change the French Diet they will just buy it elsewhere.
 
RoperAB said:
I just see elimaneting the French slaughter plants as a way of elimaneting one bad option.
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You keep going on and on about the French. You need to apply your efforts elsewhere, if you're worried about French plants. We don't have French slaughter plants in the US. This bill concerns the United Sates. Not Canada. Time for you to find some new talking points.

deadhorse.gif
 
Texan said:
RoperAB said:
I just see elimaneting the French slaughter plants as a way of elimaneting one bad option.
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You keep going on and on about the French. You need to apply your efforts elsewhere, if you're worried about French plants. We don't have French slaughter plants in the US. This bill concerns the United Sates. Not Canada. Time for you to find some new talking points.

deadhorse.gif
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http://www.longislandpress.com/index.php?show=article&cp=239&a_id=9572
The three U.S. slaughterhouses that export horsemeat for human consumption are Cavel International, in DeKalb, Ill., owned by Velda N.V. of Brussels; Beltex, in Fort Worth, is owned by Multimeat N.V., also of Brussels; and Dallas Crown, in Kaufman, Texas, is owned by the French company Chevideco.
Horse theft in California dropped 34% when they banned horse slaughter.
http://houston.craigslist.org/pol/196851221.html
· Horse slaughter plants are a drain on the economy. They employ less than 200 low paid mostly migrant workers. They require U.S. oversight of the slaughtering process costing U.S. taxpayers millions of dollars. Further the three U.S. horse slaughter plants gross around $60 million a year, and using accounting loopholes pay little or no U.S. income taxes. They also send all of their profits to their foreign owners.
 
I was just listening to Agri-Talk on the radio. A lady from South Dakota brought out some good points. She said that she is a horse lover, and that she and her husband raise horses. They have had favortie old horses that when they died, the family shed buckets of tears. She also said that she has hauled horses to sales where they specified that the horses go "only to slaughter". These horses were unsafe, and would get somebody hurt if they tried to ride them. Those kinds of horses are definitely not worthy of being turned out on fields of clover, to live a life of leisure until they die.

The lady pointed out that it is just not economically viable to keep the 80,000 to 90,000 horses per year that normally go to slaughter. Another factor to consider, is that to euthanize a horse requires a large overdose of drugs. These drugs are highly poisonous to any kind of animal that would devour the dead horse. Some states won't even allow dead horses to be buried.

The bill to ban horse slaughter is a boondoggle in the making. We all need to nip it in the bud. The vote is to take place on September 7th. Call your representatives now.
 
Do you understand what is going on here, Reader2?

That could just as well be a packing house...for cattle.
It's a CONTROL issue rather than a humane issue. But the
word "humane" gets the emotions and resistance boiling.

Some residents on the outskirts of Bozeman, Mt. griped about the
smell of the packing plant they lived close too. Unbelievable that the
county commissioners stood up to them and told them the packing
plant was there BEFORE they bought the property and they should
have been more cautious about such things BEFORE they purchased
the land.

Not all these cases are going to be handled this way.

BTW, I applaud those county commissioners of Gallatin County.
BRAVO!!! :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
I am sorry here I have to point something out. The plants in Dallas and kaufman have been there mannnnyyyy years. The people complaining built houses there knowing that the plants were there. To complain on the smell now is not the plants fault its the builders fault.

I have to agree in that we need the slaughter plants and maybe you think me cold hearted, but like JB and Soapweed and the others trying to make you understand that there are just some horses that no human needs to try and work with, they are OUTLAWS and will stay OUTLAWS..someone whether they be horsemen or not...will get hurt by these horses. Best place for them to go is where someone can use them, and yea maybe thats for food, at least they served a purpose on earth. My dad has taught me that everything had a place till we domesticated them. Now we have to act as a part of what use to be a natural chain of life in the wild or we get over populated with these domesticated animals. If serving as food for a foreign country is part of that food chain..at least they are serving a purpose and not dying for no reason.

I love my horses and as you all have heard now..lol. Yes I have one retired horse that earned her way to stay alive. I will keep her that way till she can no longer live a healthy life. Right now she is teaching a 11 yr old how to ride. And, I am sure that at 25 her time will come when I have to make that decision how to put her down. No I can not shoot one, but I can have my family help in that area and will.

We are the ones that domesticated the horse, but they were done so as a tool in our lives. Some make a way into our cold hearts and others are just that a HORSE. Cattle as well are domesticated, what will we do with them if they decide we can't kill them because they are domesticated? Me I like to eat my beef steaks. Government has no right in making our decisions for us in what we do with our stock. I do agree that if the animals are being starved then lets get the owners, that is a totally different subject.

And yes I have been through a slaughter plant in my ag. class many years ago, when things were not controlled. Even then...horses were not put out in a pen. They were run up a alley and a bullet/hammer not sure of the right term for this contraption...but they were hit over the head with the bullet and killed instantly. Very few were ever reported not to die a instant death.

Okay just my 2 cents worth as I have said before maybe it aint worth that to you...but, I have now had my say.

Easty
 
TO: TSCRA Members

FROM: Matt Brockman

DATE: September 1, 2006


SUBJECT: Final Push to Defeat Horse Slaughter Bill - H.R. 503

Final Push to Defeat Horse Slaughter Bill (H.R. 503) - Floor Vote Thursday


A vote in the House of Representatives is scheduled for Thursday, so this week is your last chance to weigh in against H.R. 503. The bill would prohibit the processing of horses for human consumption and basically close the nation's plants. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we need everyone to call the House of Representatives and urge them to vote no on H.R. 503. If you don't know who your Congressman is you can access the House of Representatives website at http://www.house.gov/. You'll need your 11-digit zip code to use this system. It's simple to call your Congressman - just dial (202) 224-3121 and ask for his/her office. When you are connected, ask for the Agricultural assistant and express your viewpoint to them or simply leave a message with the receptionist. Either way you are expressing your viewpoint and the calls do matter. Rest assured our opposition will be calling in their efforts to beat us on this crucial issue. Talking points against H.R. 503 are listed below.



H.R. 503 is a Bad Bill for Horses



You may think you're helping horses by voting to ban horse processing. You may even consider horses pets. But hundreds of thousands of unwanted cats and dogs must be euthanized each year, and the same is true for horses. Horse processing plants are simply another venue for owners to access humane euthanasia, without having to pay for carcass disposal. Contrary to what you may have heard, processing ONLY happens after the administration of veterinary-supervised, humane euthanasia approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).



Now nine professors from four universities have released an independent analysis of the unintended consequences of banning horse processing (slaughter) and found significant problems would result.



Reasons to oppose H.R. 503 - The Horse Slaughter (Processing) Prevention Act:

- HR 503 will result in more harm than good to the welfare of America's beloved horses.

- Veterinarians (AVMA) and 195 state and national organizations concerned about horses are against this bill.

- The ban will devastate the U.S. horse market: Each horse's value will decrease by $304, or about $29 million in losses for U.S. horse owners.

- 60,000+ additional unwanted horses EACH YEAR will flood an inadequate, overburdened, unregulated patchwork of rescue and adoption facilities.

- These extra horses will be competing for adoption with the 32,000 wild horses that U.S. taxpayers are already paying $40 million to shelter and feed.

- More abandoned and neglected horses will result because owners who can no longer afford the $2,000+ each year in care and who can't sell or give away their horses will be left with no other option.



Horse experts are the ones who speak for horses, not animal "rights" groups that use the issue spread lies and raise money. If you love horses and want to protect them from the consequences of this bad legislation, don't be a party to emotional rhetoric without facts...



Oppose H.R. 503.



For the full report, "The Unintended Consequences of a Ban on Horse Processing (Slaughter)," visit

http://www.animalwelfarecouncil.org/.



Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is a 129-year-old trade organization with 13,900 members. If you are not a member, we encourage you to get involved today. Contact TSCRA Member Services toll free at 1-800-242-7820 or [email protected] or visit our website to join us.
 
Horses destined for slaughter are EXCLUDED from the Animal Welfare Act. Slaughter animals have limited protections because the slaughter industries lobby constantly for less restrictions, not more.
Anyway about what to do with all these horses that so many of you think will have to be taken to landfills in urban areas.
In Canada because of the BSE feed ban the rendering business sure isnt what it used to be. They were talking on the radio <David Rutherford>some months back about a plant opening up in AB that would take dead animals and they turn them I believe if I remember right into electricity. This company wont be buying dead animals but they will pick them up and take them away for free.Anyway they where predicting that this was the future and apparently they do the same thing in Briton or in Europe<I cant remember if it was just Briton or just Europe or in both places>.
 
IL Rancher said:
Anybody wondering if they ever do ban horse slaughter i the US how many plants will open across the border in Mexico and how many trucks will be heading south each day? Just a thought that crossed my mind.. Especially horses out of Texas, I know one of the plants in Texas also owns a plant in Mexico.
.
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<<<my understanding is that this bill also would make it illegal to transport horses intended for slaughter outside of the US. >>>
 
That might be the way it is in your part of the world.
Not so, in the West.

Old horses are a problem. I am not at all advocating that someone
ship their good old horses to a packing plant. Not at all.

But they are not all "Good Old Horses" and what are you going to do
with them? We have too many people who don't understand the problem trying to rule on it. They have a noble idea, but it just isn't practical. No one has mentioned that horses can be the worst grazing animal there is as far as damaging pasture. They have teeth at the top and the bottom of their mouth and they can graze grass down right to the dirt.

I've had enough of this subject so this is my last post on it.

Have a great day!!
 

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