The Summit of the Horse was a recent gathering in Las Vegas (January 3-5, 2011) sponsored by equine industry group United Horsemen. The group is composed of members whose businesses and livelihoods revolve around horses. According to the website, the reason for the meeting was... "The horse industry gathers to address head-on - with knowledge, experience, and compassion - the issues that threaten to destroy the viability of the equine industry."
Wild horses at the Palomino Valley Adoption Center north of Sparks, Nevada.
Photo © Stan White
Among the issues United Horsemen addressed, and perhaps the most controversial, was that of using horses as food for humans. They want to reverse the 2007 Congressional ban on slaughtering horses for human consumption, a proposal that puts them in direct opposition to horse advocacy groups and current Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policy. BLM Director Bob Abbey spoke at the meeting and drew the ire of numerous animal rights groups for doing so.
BLM roundups (gathers) of what it calls excess horses from the public lands it administers have long been criticized by horse advocacy groups like the Cloud Foundation as well as those in the horse industry. Abbey defended his agency at the meeting... "There are a lot of people who believe we have ulterior motives in the actions we are taking. We are not interested in eliminating wild horses from these lands."
The gathers, however, do not fix the problem of growing numbers of horses being kept and supported in government facilities. And so far, BLM and supporters on both sides have found little common ground for resolving the issue. For more details and to learn about some of the history surrounding wild horses on public lands, refer to my Nevada's Wild Horses article.
Despite the fact that horse meat is a common menu item around the world, there remains a cultural bias against it in the United States. Many of us see horses as human companions much like dogs, while eating chickens, pigs, and cows is standard practice. Can this bias be changed? Should slaughtering horses for food be part of the solution to controlling their numbers?
Source: Nevada Bureau of Land Management press release, Reno Gazette-Journal.
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Comments
No – horse is not a food animal. It is a spiritual animal who has joined forces with man, endured his abuse, shouldered his weight, and inspired him to victory in war. We as a species must at some point cherish the animals who are as important to our past and future as we are. Just think guys – you would still be rolling that wheel if it were not for the pulling power of the horse. Let’s see if we have 2 horses that equals MORE POWER. The Mustang roar, the GTO, the tractor – even the rocket would be what? Horses are our salvation. Be respectful. No HORSE SLAUGHTER PERIOD. Remember that. Oh and another little reminder – God will return on a White Horse (so the legend goes). Thank you.
To say the purpose of the summit was “to meet head on – with knowledge, experience and compassion – the issues that threaten the viability of th equine industry” is simply absurd. It iwas a very sloppy excuse for looking to make money by returning slaughterhouses to the US where the American people have already voted. They voted NO! As a country, we are better than that.
Horses, in fact, are NOT bred to be food animals. They are bred to work in tandem, whether it is on the farm, racing, showing, or just taking us on a trail ride. They ARE companion animals. Chickens, sheep, and cows are not trained to work with us to accomplish anything. They are fed with purpose to get ready for slaughter. The summit was never about compassion or knowledge. And whatever experience, it was overshadowed by greed and ignorance. It was about breeders hanging on to their practice of over breeding and scapegoating. When there is an overabundance, most rational people would say stop producing. No one says throw away what you have so you can make more. The summit was about trying to back Dr. Grandin into a corner which she simply would not do. And it was about trying to get Bob Abbey to stand up and say his intention is to send the mustangs to slaughter so let’s get our slaughterhouses going and make some money. The summit was a bust in its transparency. Time to reexamine their motives and teach some ethical business practices.
The stated purpose of the Summit is highly misleading. Its true purpose was to allow Wyoming Rep Sue Wallis to misuse her authority to open a profitable horse slaughter plant.
She is hellbent on feeding toxin-laden horse meat to school children and prisoners. Sue entered the Summit already under the cloud of an ongoing governmental investigation into her securities fraud related to using her political position to promote slaughter, then financially benefit from it.
What actually happened at the Summit: Instead of hundreds of attendees, only a few dozen showed/
A segment were horse advocates, there to take notes.
In total, only a handful were pro-slaughter.
Star speaker Dr. Temple Grandin stated publicly that the Summit misrepresented her; she had done diddly squat about designed a “humane” horse slaughter plant. If indeed such a thing is possible, given horses’ highly emotional and intense flight and fight reactions.
Dr. Grandin then blithely read a list of humane alternatives, most suggested to her by experienced horse advocatescut gov’t and breed assoc subsidies for overbreeding, impose surcharges on breeders to ensure humane death, establish gelding clinics and humane euthanasia funds.
Bob Abbey, Director of the BLM, stated he is against slaughtering mustangs.
Vegas Channel 8 aired lengthy footage from inside horse slaughter plants, demonstrating that they are butchered alive.
Driven to the brink by the humiliating failure of her Summit, Slaughterhouse Sue Wallis flew across the conference room. In full view of all. plus video cams, she assaulted calm, rational horse advocate Simone Netherlands. Ms. Netherlands went to hospital.
This, I swear by the horse gods, is the truth about what really happened at the Summit of the Horse. Or, as it has now been christened: Slaughtergate.
Jan Schultz should be made the spokesperson to speak out against this madness..LOUD and CLEAR. From the looks of the poll numbers I think the American people HAVE spoken. How could anyone even THINK of doing this? For the love od GOD, if there are too many then STOP THE FRIKKEN BREEDING !!!!
Do you let your dogs and cats stay unaltered also? What is the matter with peoples MINDS?? Oh! THAT’S right…..MONEY
The cutesy title of the article provokes not thought, but nausea.
Disclaimer: I’ve been a vegetarian since 1969.
Like Paul McCartney, I believe if slaughterhouses had glass walls, few would eat meat.
There are long treatises written by experts that describe the particular agony horses endure in the abbatoir. I don’t understand how anybody works in these places or has lost their souls so that they can torture animals & kill them with bolt guns or bleed them out & hang them upside down. How? Why?
No, Americans are not going to eat horse meat. No matter how much advertising money is thrown around, it won’t happen. So stop the madness, stop the overbreeding, & stop the yellow journalism.
Beautiful words from Jan….in addition facilties set up to slaughter bovines are not humane in the LEAST for equines.
We have a lot of excess useless people eating up our tax dollars and breeding indiscriminately….thanks to welfare (perverted far past it’s original concept)! Shall we slaughter them too?
Considering most horses put in at least 20 years working for a living who more deserves a decent retirement? Who has truly earned their keep? Who has contributed more to society?
And if you don’t give a damn about horses think of this-most horses are treated with a variety of drugs throughout their lifetimes that are NOT safe for food animals. So even if all you care about is yourself there’s something to chew on!
Once again, eastern ranchers , southern ranchers , if the western ranchers are able to open slaughter plants you will pay. 70% of the people in the US think Horse Slaughter is wrong. And they will domonstate that at the grocery store. The first horse will cost you millions, then the second and so on will cost you your livelyhood,
Horse slaughter is a very creul & predatory so called business.
See: all the true facts about it that have been gathered over the years at: http://www.kaufmanzoning.net
American horses are not considered for human consumption being many drugs,wormers etc… given to them over their lifetime would be zero tolerance in the meat animals we consume here in the USA!!
Horses are not bred and born to be butchered. Reopening equine slaughter plants will only contribute to more stolen horses most of which are beloved companions to their owners.
Horses are food animals, recreational horses, work animals, etc!! We served horse meat in the Harvard CLub in NYC up till 1993!!! FACT!!! All the animal huggers have done is cause more pain, neglect, and sufffering and destroyed the equine economy for the everyday working man and woman that wants to have horses……..that is fact! Get a copy of the latest Range Magazine and read the article on the Facts and the Myths of Mustangs…… Lets get real in this country and quit spending millions on feral mustangs and use that money to help kids and elderly people that need it! We need to preserve the wild horses, but this is getting ridiculous! Pro Humane Horse Processing!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with most of the posters, but how come no one has mentioned the reason why American horses – wild or domestic – cannot be used for human consumption?
Since horses are not classified as food animals in the US, they are routinely exposed to substances that ban them from the human food chain for life. Bute is only one. Here is a link to the FDA list of banned drugs: http://www.vetsforequinewelfare.org/prohibited-drugs.php
Here is why there is a bill up in the Canadian Parliament to ban horse slaughter in that country: http://www.alexatamanenko.ndp.ca/node/511
This is not opinion – this is hard science and how the pro-slaughter people think they can get around this boggles the mind.
I agree with most of the posters, but how come no one has mentioned the reason why American horses – wild or domestic – cannot be used for human consumption? Hear that, cj?
Since horses are not classified as food animals in the US, they are routinely exposed to substances that ban them from the human food chain for life. Bute is only one. Here is a link to the FDA list of banned drugs: http://www.vetsforequinewelfare.org/prohibited-drugs.php
Here is why there is a bill up in the Canadian Parliament to ban horse slaughter in that country: http://www.alexatamanenko.ndp.ca/node/511
This is not opinion – this is hard science and how the pro-slaughter people think they can get around this boggles the mind.
See, cj? Horses are NOT food animals after all. I also know about the myths about the Mustangs: That they are overpopulating, starving and non-native – all WRONG. Did you see my note above about how these horses have been given banned substances? Got that per BLM Washington Chief Tom Gorey himself. Write and ask him.
PS: There is no such thing as HUMANE slaughter for horses. They ARE however, being slaughtered by the thousands in Canada and Mexico and were before the US plants shut down and have continued to be slaughtered since the US plants shut down. Now – can you explain to me HOW shutting down the US plants made ANY difference since the same or more horses have been slaughtered in Canada and Mexico all along. I’m waiting for your answer. Not to mention that the meat is poison. Hope you didn’t eat very much…..
The BIBLE tells us that we are NOT to eat any animal that is of a solid single hoof, only those animals that has hooves which are split! Has this country gotten so greedy that people feel we need to start disobeying Gods word and ignore his wishes? I believe it has and that’s very sad and soooo horrible! Learn a hard lesson….money CANNOT buy love! Everything that we have in our daily living lives CANNOT go to our graves with us! I know and have seen…even rescued an innocent Tennessee Walker filly…what goes on and how they “humanely” euthenise these beautiful and majestic animals….it is NOT humane it is sickening and horrible and sad and will make you want to do the same thing to these monsters called humans! Understand that most of us still abide by the BIBLE and Gods words and will NEVER allow horse slaughter back into our country and we WILL continue to fight to put an end to this NONSENSE! Start being stricter on the breeders and associations out there! Sue Wallis…you disgust me and make me sick! I used to be proud to say I’m from and live in Wyoming….now I’m almost ashamed to admit it…because of YOU, SLAUGHTERHOUSE SUE! You should be ashamed of yourself especially coming from a state that still relies on horses to care and work our ranches!
I think all you do-gooders who think horse slaughter should be banned should have to take on a few of the starving and dumped, crippled, dying horses that someone can’t feed anymore. YOU take on the expense, quit telling everyone else what they can and cannot do with their horses. Slaughter is a necessary evil – you city and suburban folks want land fills with horses dumped? You want to contribute to subsidizing euthanasia fees which are at least a couple hundred dollars not including removal and disposal? No of course you don’t – you want to live in the land of rainbows where nothing bad ever happens. Shame on you – YOU are the ones allowing horses to suffer longer so much longer than if they’d sponsor the USDA inspectors at slaughter houses again. YOU allow them to make longer more miserable trips to be slaughtered instead in Canada and Mexico. NO responsible horse owner wants them making that kind of trip. YOU are the problem, horse slaughter is not the problem. You talking heads with the bright ideas who have caused great decline in the standards of care of horses since horse slaughter was banned aren’t animal lovers. You’re delusional do-gooders who can’t think with real compassion. The only think that matters to you is your “feelings” about it. Not the reality you’re putting the horses through now
Denise,
You have it right,……those tht have nothing invested want to make the rules. Where is their a law that says on a national level horses are not food animals…..ON A NATIONAL LEVEL. THere is NO National Law to prohibit horse prosessing…..just a few stupid state laws and regs……Whathappenedto freedom of choice? Be careful Liberals….soon the Obama’s of the world will be telling you what food, drink, and books you can buy your kids!!!!
All those that “know” what the Summit was all about, were there and actually sat through it and listened to everything they said? If you were, then you’d know that a number of the above statements are false and meant to mislead the public.
You’re mind readers and know exactly what Sue, Temple and Bob’s intentions are? You know what the horses are thinking on the range?
Just because they want to open processing plants in the U.S. doesn’t mean you have to eat it! Don’t you think that the FDA would have something to say about what horses can be processed for human consumption, or do you get so carried away with the emotion of it that you can’t think straight?
This ploy of feeding on human emotion is getting out of hand and leading us farther from finding a solution as to what to do to 1. Keep the horses out of the Mexican slaughter houses! 2. Reduce the numbers of horses that are being abandoned on public land, or abused and neglected. 3. Find a solution to the growing numbers of wild horses on the range. 4. Find a solution to the number of horses in long term holding facilities.
Work on finding a viable solution that benefits the horses, not people’s pockets. It is not just the people behind the processing plants that are receiving money. It’s all the organizations that ask for donations or receive payments that are benefitting from this issue. As long as you keep donating to an organization you’re going to get what you want to hear so you will keep donating. Don’t be blinded by the propaganda. Get out and see what is on the range. Go to the Summit’s. Write letters to the people that are in control of an organization. Get on the internet and do your research. Don’t just believe what is on a blog, get the information, and then research to find out the truthful facts. If you see one video then look for others that have posted the same video. Don’t just listen to one side and take that as the whole truth.
As usual, the animal rights puppets have left comments that are complete lies, deceptions. twisted truths and are trying to force their opinions on all of us. They talk big, but why arent they putting their money where their mouths are?? Why arent they paying decent money for unwanted horses and paying for feed and board of these horses?? They are the ones WHOLEY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERPOPULATION OF HORSES-banning slaughter. Yet they refuse to acknowledge that fact, and feel that others and the government should spend money that they dont have to “fix” the problem THEY created.
Horse meat is consumed by much of the humans on this earth…just because US citizens dont consume as much, does NOT mean that it is an “unfit”meat-(the commenter above who mentioned the bible needs to get more Christian education-the new testiment has replaced the old testiment)
Irregardless of personal opinion, NO ONE has the right to tell another person what they can or cant eat-period…It is a tragedy that people think they are above the constitution and have the right to tell not only what people can eat, but what they can do with their property. It is sadly the start of communism. No one should tolerate this.
Misleading article title, who ever said that anyone wanted people in this country to start eating horse meat? Quote “They want to reverse the 2007 Congressional ban on slaughtering horses for human consumption” endQuote. Pure and simple, that doesn’t mean that anyone is going to be forced to eat it here, but will be able to continue selling it to overseas markets.
Suzanne, I didn’t realize people were giving bute to our wild horses.
Besides, if you’ve ever actually owned a “food animal”, you’d see that they still get similar drugs, but simply have a period of time required between the drugs being given and butcher. what would be different with horses? Why don’t we just classify them as “food animals” as you put it?
Go CM spot on!
To those who are saying that horses weren’t born and bred to be butchered:
Actually they are in many countries. Who are you to say what I do with my animals? As long as they are treated humanely, what do you care where their meat goes after death?
Suzanne, there must be people dropping dead all over the world from eating horse meat. How come there’s no news of this?
I know that not everybody truly understands why they are contemplating reopening the slaughter plants.
I would really like for y’all to think about what the government can do with all of these unwanted horses. As an equine professional that makes a living off of horses, I realize that with all of these unwanted horses around; no body wants to go and buy quality horses. Most buyers buy horses that are cheap, most of these horses are free.
It does not help people that are in the horse industry. Those of you that are aging horse slaughter do not realize thatthat keeping it closed is going to continue to hurtthe horse market.
No one is saying that horsemeat should go on all the restraunt menus in the US. It is NOT un-American to eat horsemeat. And I would like to know who gives anyone the right to tell others what to eat.
No one is saying that the Mustangs all need to be captured and sent to slaughter either.
As for the whole drug issue and conatmination. Change the drugs. Do you not think that they have been changed and redesigned over the years for the cattle, hog or any other industry.
I was at the Summit. There were approx 200 people there from many States, Countries and all walks of life, including some from various rescue groups. There were many people on the video feed. Not just breeders looking to make a fast buck. If the breeders were looking to make a buck they would damn sure be in another business.
There were also AR people there to “report” (if that is what you can call it). They obviously didn’t listen well or understand what was said since they didn’t do a very HONEST job of reporting. Yes slaughter was discussed at length. So were the over flowing rescues discussed.
Why have we become such a wasteful nation that we poison thousands of pounds of red meat that can not be used for anything. Once something is dead why not utilize that meat. I would be first in line if I could buy dog food that was horse meat instead dog foods made of imported crap from China that includes poisons of the type that killed hundreds of pets. There are alot of zoos and big cat sanctuariesout there who could be using this meat also. But because you have chosen to poison the horse (to euthanize it) this meat can be used for nothing and it can not be leagally buried or put in a landfill.
Dr Grandin repeatedly stated that she wished there was no need for slaughter but that US slaughter plants properly built and operated would be a much better option than the “horses worst nightmare” of ending up in a Mexican slaughterhouse.
What none of you pro-slaughter people seem to understand, or simply neglect to mention, is that just because slaughter plants have been closed in the US. It hasn’t stopped the slaughter at all. In fact, after the US plants were closed, the number of horses sent across the borders to slaughter actually increased for year or two .. then declined due to a LACK of demand from Europe.
Also fact: the number of US horses slaughtered has actually declined steadily over the past 30 years.
If you ninnies hadn’t been breeding them like rabbits, you wouldn’t have “too many horses on the market.” This is like saying we have too many houses on the market. .so let’s continue to build more … What is it about some horse people that keeps them from understanding the laws of supply and demand.
Breed fewer horses. Stop the backyard breeder from flooding the market and, guess what, the price of horses will go up.
Horse meat is not going to make it to the table in the USA. It’s not our culture. So the survey is bogus.
However, the horse industry is saturated and breeders continue to reproduce ~and~ people are not able to feed the ones they have, so they turn them loose to fend for themselves.
Horses are livestock and should be categorized that way. Meaning that they need a way to dispose of them. Agreed, the means needs to be humane. Once the horse is dead, what difference then what happens to it? At that point, it makes more sense to make good use of the entire animal, not unlike cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens and so on.
Can you imagine what would happen to our country if dogs and cats were no longer euthanised? You’d be tripping over them, disease such as rabies would be rampant and there would be a severe economic consequense.
This is not about the Bible. Honestly, if you can keep every other law (over 500 laws) this would be an easy one. Most people can’t even manage the 10 commandments. So, that’s a convenient use of the Bible. If you read further, you’ll see we are to be good stewards of the earth. Slaughter is a means of stewardship. We need to make it as humane as possible
Horses are being transported across our borders to places that you can be sure are NOT humane. For the protection of those horses who will go to slaughter regardless of US law, we need to open local slaughter houses.
Horse meat is sent overseas. It is not served in schools. If the prison arguement is your biggest point, sympathy for criminals is not high on my list. Don’t like it? Don’t end up in prision.
For those who believe the feral horses have some value, I suggest you buy huge tracts of land and take care of them. These horses are nothing more than alleycats of the horse world. My tax dollars are going to feed them and I’d rather see my tax dollars go to education, feeding hungry people or some worthwhile cause.
Activists consistently ignore the truth of unintended consequences.
There are some activists who are doing their best to buy, adopt, or take for free some special cases; but, that still leaves the majority of activists who have fallen in love with movies and photos, but don’t have a lick of practical experience in either handling or paying for horses.
Activists are merely playing on people’s emotions and avoiding real-life consequences of their actions. While creating humane plants and processing procedures is vital to our horses, banning horse slaughter plants all together is a damaging action.
@Alpha Mare: Simone Netherlands LIED about who she was in order to attend the Summit. Had she simply come as herself, rather than give a false name and the name of a magazine in the UK as her employer, she would have been allowed just like the rest of us. No one flew across the room at her; Sue Wallis was sitting 2′ from the door, stood up, held her arms out to block Simone, then put her hand on Simone’s elbow and ushered her the 2′ back out of the room. And THIS is what video camera’s caught, which is why when Simone called the authorities, they told her to leave immediately.
While there were those at the summit who were definitely in favor of using slaughter as a means to deal with the excess wild horse population, Bob Abbey of the BLM made it clear that this was not and option and that the BLM would not be euthanizing any healthy horses. At this point, anyone who’d come to the table thinking they’d discuss mustangs at the slaughter house zipped their lips and the conversation turned to the domestic horse crisis.
Temple Grandin, to my recollection, read a list of what those who emailed her suggested as options. Dr. Grandin stated that she believed heading to Mexico was a horses worse nightmare, and if done humanely here, the horse was much better off.
To those who believe there’s no such thing as humane slaughter, you need to realize that there’s no such thing, then, as humane euthanasia. Anyone who’s been around enough horses being put down has seen those that simply do not go according to plan. How do you think the horse feels as he slowly loses control of his body? Have you see a horse who hasn’t quite died after being dosed and bled? I have. I’d prefer to have one bullet do the job quickly and efficiently. Slaughter can be humane, and that is what Dr Grandin came to tell us.
It can’t really be about over population or they would be addressing breeders dumping their undesirables…and forcing more births. This is about human greed and the horse is caught in the middle. Put the horse back to work, eat deer.
Mums the word all you breeders posted above pointing the finger elsewhere to divert attention from yourselves. So you say there is a need for a dumpster? Can’t afford to keep all the horses? Can’t afford for people to adopt free horses? This is about putting food on your table. How about a portion of your profit be state taxed to pay for retirement grounds? Take responsibility. There are leaders in equine industry doing just that, just not you. Why should owners stop caring for hardworking horses with meds, so you can profit from their meat? Some of you profit from the TB breaking their pelvic bones out of the gate to run a race. Then what? you need a dumpster? As for the landowners just trying to protect their investment…you invested in natural resource…are you contributing back to this resource? Yes, there is a need for humane treatment, across the equine and human world. If you really cared about the poor starving children and elderly in our nation….their would be evidence in your bottom line. Start with more restrictions on breeding.The fines alone will pay for care of all needy.
The serious public health threat of horse meat is evident, to all but Wallis and Duquette of “United Horsemen”. Horses are not raised for human food consumption and the presence of toxic drugs makes horse meat even dangerous enough to be banned from dog food. The ignorance and greed of Wallis add only more bad taste to the national disdain that is looming over her proposed plan, which will affect the health and welfare of her state with a public health risk. Bute, Clenbuterol, PBZ (horse aspirin, widely used for Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds) Stereoids and Banamine… are not a cocktail to be fed to unsuspecting humans. Also the risk of a potential Trichinosis outbreak is unsconscionable. People do not eat horses in America, period.
If Wallis’ bloody lust for horse flesh would indeed be initiated by a concern for the “welfare” of horses…, one can wonder why the country so vehemently opposes such ideas. There are alternative solutions, horses need no slaughter plant, only a second chance.
Hay banks, special programs within rescues, cost-reduced humane euthanasia (administered by a licensed vet) or programs such as the Arizona Dept of Agriculture’s Equine Rescue Registry -
http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2010/10/26/state-agriculture-department-launches-registry-to-help-abandoned-horses/
are available.
The serious public health threat of horse meat is evident, to all but Wallis and Duquette of “United” Horsemen. Horses are not raised for human food consumption and the presence of toxic drugs makes horse meat even dangerous enough to be banned from dog food. The ignorance and greed of Wallis add only more bad taste to the national disdain that is looming over her proposed plan, which will affect the health and welfare of her state with a public health risk. Bute, Clenbuterol, PBZ (horse aspirin, widely used for Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds) Stereoids and Banamine… are not a cocktail to be fed to unsuspecting humans. Also the risk of a potential Trichinosis outbreak is unsconscionable. People do not eat horses in America, period.
If Wallis’ bloody lust for horse flesh would indeed be initiated by a concern for the “welfare” of horses…, one can wonder why the country so vehemently opposes such ideas. There are alternative solutions, horses need no slaughter plant, only a second chance.
Hay banks, special programs within rescues, cost-reduced humane euthanasia (administered by a licensed vet) or programs such as the Arizona Dept of Agriculture’s Equine Rescue Registry -
http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2010/10/26/state-agriculture-department-launches-registry-to-help-abandoned-horses/
are available.
Wallis is nothing but a self-appointed, grotesque entrepreneur, who is using people’s naivete and economic pressures for personal gain. http://www.vetsforequinewelfare.org/medications.php
It is the strong position of VEW members that absent any formal regulation or structure by the United States with regard to medications and food safety withdrawal schedules for equines entering the food chain, horsemeat derived from any U.S. horse can never be regarded as safe for human consumption.
Furthermore, VEW member veterinarians strongly object to the AVMA and AAEP position in favor of horse slaughter for human consumption. For the AVMA and AAEP to condone the human consumption of meat derived from equines that have not been raised or medicated in a manner consistent with food safety regulations is, in our opinion, unethical, disingenuous, and dangerous.
So Wyoming is on America’s map for national outrage, tourist boycotts, contamination and sanitary hazards, ignominy and shame, brainwashing a new diet of horse carcass/meat/product which is unfit for human food, misbranded or adulterated (laced w. ingredients not approved for food safety standards) and Wallis’ view on wholesomeness a total insult to our intelligence and health, so join the rest of us with sane minds and say no, hell no !!
http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2010/06/09/opinion/staff_editorials/ourview291.txt
Interesting that this is open for public comment. Horses ARE classified as livestock and private property. As you comment soulfully, take a moment to substitute other livestock.
This issue goes deeper than heartfelt sentiment about the majesty of equines. No one can apply reason to pure sentiment. The issue is private property rights. Our country is regulating industry based on uneducated emotion, led by uninterested parties.
Of you: How many own horses? Generate a portion of your income from them? Have been to the sale barns to “rescue”? Put money where your mouths are? Made strides to provide a solution (which involves the participation of ALL sides)? I HAVE. I DO.
I do not choose to slaughter my horses. I DO respect and will protect the right of owners to develop measures to properly manage, maintain, and apply sound business principles to their industry. Humane slaughter (yes, there is such a thing or don’t you dare put another piece of food in your mouth) has its place in this complex industry. Unless you are in it, you cannot meaningfully comment upon it. It is like outlawing gas stations to prevent another oil spill in the Gulf.
I encourage you to visit a horse sale, talk to the people you condemn, see that we are all the same souls. We’re not in the industry because we hate horses, we’re in it because we love them. We strive to create a vibrant, sustainable business that has a valuable place in the economy. We strive to perfect our business and our passion: horses. We protect them, maintain them, and provide for them 24-hrs a day. We love them. We know them and the industry better than anyone. We are the best people to turn to when there is an issue that grabs the hearts of Americans like this.
As you comment on issues that do not directly affect you, you speak from well-intentioned hearts. Destruction of another will eventually reap the same results upon you.
Come talk to us. We’re not the enemy, we are the solution.
Wow – such rationalization, facts tipped this way and that. Lots of fun. The facts are this – the horse is a spiritual SENTIENT being. Its nerve receptors for anxiety (or fear) and pain are EXACTLY the same as humans. This simply means they feel pain as we do. They become fearful at the same perception of danger as we do. The horse is not property, to do as you wish. The world is wrong to feed on its flesh as we would be. America is the shining light to which all nations look for safety and freedom. We must not destroy our compassionate and empathic relationship with our horses. Look we did in California – it works. And despite slaughter proponents describing slaughterhouses on American soil as US slaughterhouses, the fact is they were ALL owned by foreign companies. These companies now own and run the Canadian and Mexican plants. Canada has fairly modern pollution laws and still problems have caused a number to close and revamp. God knows what the surrounding country is like near the Mexican plants. Don’t be fooled, the problems with caring for all horses is before us – and embraces vitality and life. We all know this.
pro-horse slaughter obsessed people do not care what country their beloved horses are slaughtered in. they don’t care whether their suffering lasts for 5 minutes or 5 days. They don’t care about horses period. All they care about is that the money from slaughtering their beloved horses is going into the pockets of foreigners. And they want that money in their own pockets. Because they have bred themselves right out of business. and now they are blaming their stupidity on the horses and the people who truly love the horses, the people who would never ever support horse slaughter. If you support horse slaughter, if you take horses to salebarns without a care what happens to them then, you do not love horses. You love yourself and you love money. But you do not love horses.
I keep hearing people being labeled as horse haters because they are not anti-slaughter. I see it differently. Those that were so adamant to get horse slaughter stopped here, which means they are getting slaughtered elsewhere, must be the true horse haters. Obviously they don’t care about the welfare of the horse that they can’t “see”. The attitude of it’s not being done here so it’s OK now is total BS.
The argument of America’s horses not being fit for human consumption makes me wonder … not only have WE as Americans eaten horse meat from here, people from all over the world have been too. I must have missed the news stories about all the people getting sick and dying from eating horse meat.
Did you know as recently as 1993, horse meat was on the menu at Harvard?
If you eat meat, then to say horse slaughter is inhumane is to be a hypocrite. The designs by Temple Grandin to make a slaughter house specifically for horses will make certain the horse is treated humanely and with respect in it’s final minutes, as it should be. But to say it’s inhumane to slaughter a horse while you are eating that Big Mac is just too much hypocrisy for me.
I don’t think people need some foundation or organization telling them what they can and can not eat. If someone wants to eat horse meat then it is not our place to tell them they can not. That doesn’t mean I am going to send my 40 head of working partners to the meat shop.l
Why does the second choice, NO also include the statement that AMERICANS will not go for it. THAT may be true, but does NOT mean that people of other cultures who value the unique flavor and nutritional value of horse meat abroad should be denied. If we are going to start THAT, deciding for OTHER cultures what they can and cannot eat,then why not allow India to demand that Americans don’t eat beef? Jewish people, that we don’t eat pork? Vegans, that we don’t eat ANY meat?. You’ve already biased the survey. Start over, and ask the TRUE question….do we have the right to tell other cultures not to eat horse meat? Yes, no, or undecided.
I have never seen a blog packed with so many false people. Get to reality. I love my horses as much as the next person but this has nothing to do with horses. It has to do with personal freedom. Get out of my business, my barn and my country.
There is an answer to the problem
If you are so concerned buy all those crippled unwanted horses at a fair market price and feed them yourselves.
Do you really think that these horse rescues, that want horses given to them, then want dontations for their care are not making a living doing it? Wake up. The transport people get paid. the Vets get paid. the farriers get paid. the power and water companies get paid. Someone owning and running it gets paid. This is just a part of the horse industry that has exploded due to the emotional nonsense in this country.
Peoples economic status changes. They are trying to rehome their horses but the horse market is down. Would you like to see herds of feral horses in your cities? because that is where horses used to roam. Horses are feral animals and as pretty as they are they need to be managed in order to maintain healty herds.
Uneducated and Ignorant!!! I can’t even start to take some of these anti-slaughter comments serious! Half of you guys can’t even spell! It seems to me that instead of worrying about what your children may or may not be getting served in the cafeteria you should spend more time worrying about them being able to post a comment online without looking like an idiot!
There is nothing wrong with slaughtering horses! Like everything else in this world…if YOU don’t like it then YOU don’t have to do it!
Nidaho posted:”Suzanne, there must be people dropping dead all over the world from eating horse meat. How come there’s no news of this?”
The effect is cumulative – that means it builds up over time-the more you eat, the more damage, like cigarettes. Not too many dropped dead from their first drag either.
If you had followed the link I posted you would have learned why Canada now has a bill before Parliament to ban horse slaughter there. Hint: It’s the adulterated meat from OUR horses. Belgium has already banned the importation of American horses.
Nidaho posted:”Suzanne, I didn’t realize people were giving bute to our wild horses.”
HOUSTON, (Horseback)–BLM horses are treated with drugs prohibited by the FDA for humans. Last week about 200 proponents of making horse processing legal again in the United States met in a sparsely attended conference in Las Vegas. It was billed at the Summit of the Horse.
The conference opened concurrent with President Obama signing a new law that gives the federal Food and Drug Administration authority over all U.S. food.
Domestic horses are routinely given chemicals dangerous to humans such as phenylbutazone (bute) and chemical wormers as well as a host of other dangerous substances. Some at the conference asserted wild horses could bypass stringent rules against human consumption because they had not been handled by humans or treated with veterinary medicines in the wild.
Not so, says BLM chief Washington Spokesman Tom Gorey.
“All wild horses and burros are routinely de-wormed in BLM short-term holding facilities while being prepared for adoption or transfer to long-term pastures,” Gorey told Horseback Magazine Monday.
“Horses do not routinely receive phenylbutazone (bute) or other anti-inflammatory medications, but may on occasion receive this type of medication when indicated to relieve pain and inflammation,” he said.
The FDA strictly prohibits the use of bute in humans.
http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/5820
Horses are still classified by the IRS as livestock for tax purposes, but even so, livestock does NOT necessarily mean FOOD animal:
Domestic animals, such as cattle or horses, raised for home use or for profit, especially on a farm. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,
ive·stock
/ˈlaɪvˌstɒk/ Show Spelled[lahyv-stok]
–noun ( used with a singular or plural verb )
the horses, cattle, sheep, and other useful animals kept or raised on a farm or ranch.
Origin:
1650–60; live2 + stock
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2011.
See anything there indicating that “livestock” are necessarily food animals? Nope.
Now days however, most horses are in fact companion/recreational animals. And I expect the majority of horses no longer live on “farms” or “ranches.” Mine certainly don’t.
I am tired of radical agriculture parading themselves as the horse industry. Where were any representatives of the thoroughbred industry or English competition sports? Both oppose slaughter. Most of those who attended were cattlemen. If you do not think that horses have a unique status in the United States then read the federal legislation that created DEc 13th as the national day of the horses. Also these constant references to these mythological unwanted horses running free is so much hysteria. They are like wirchedsand unicorns often discussed but rarely seen. For those of you who do not want to tell other countries what to eat, perhaps we should begin the exportation of unwanted dogs and cats to China. Third generation human rights state that cultures have a right to their cultural identity. Americans do not eat horses. Finally, please quit accusing the anti-slaughter people of not being part of the horse industry. Actually the horse industry in the eastern part of the country is big business. We take our responsibility to our horses seriously that is why the biggest area of equine feed research is in the area of aging horses those over 30. The demand for crematoriums for horses is an up and growing business along with pet cemetaries.
Horse are food animals………………the best protein available……..The blleding hearts need to get in the real world…..if you want to same these feral screws…..got adopt them………nuff said!
CANADA HAS NEVER FOUND ANY DRUG RESIDUE IN ANY OF THE HORSES THEY HAVE PROCESSED in a Horse Processing Facility !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What is the problem???
Equation to omit over-population, hence halt horse slaughter is paying taxes. The government must stop enabling the major horse breeders.
Horses as National Treasure. Make Horse Slaughter History with Fair Taxes and
Committees. Petition and addresses on website.
https://sites.google.com/site/horsesasnationaltreasure/
Doing nothing invites evil.
First of all, I ate horse meat only because I wanted to see what the big deal was. I liked it , even better than beef because it was not so greasy and fatty. The taste was very good.
However, I would not make it my primary diet, I am in strong favor of bringing back horse meat for pet food use. I don’t know what idiot made it a law to remove it from pet food in the 70’s but since then the pet food we see know is crap, unless you pay over 1.00 a pound which is ridiculous! I have four dogs, so I make my own…but to see alpo back on the shelf would be the best thing for my pets and for me as well !! Horsemeat is low fat and high protein, the hydrolyzed chicken -by -products in our pet food is boiled down beaks and feathers…what dog would want to eat that ??