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Here's a story about rising horse neglect in Nebraska, with mention of relation to horse slaughter ban, and the new 2009 legislation making it illegal to transport horses for slaughter.

Howdy
I am glad some one brought this up again. I have an old quarter horse mare that I think I will take on a one way trip to the back forty. Just wonder what every one else is doing with there old horses that can not be sold for slaughter. Not meant to start an argument. By the way my horse is not in as bad of shape as the one in the picture and I will not let her get that bad!

I have an old, crippled gelding that's headed for the bone pile. I hope I can get somebody to shoot him for me, seems like I have to do it for all my neighbors. Me and old Monte go back a long way, rode him lot's of calving seasons and on lots of pack trips. He's so stove up now he's not enjoying retirement.

Well I live in Nebraska. About 4 months ago there was 6 hd of horses that just showed up at the Halsey National Forst. Nobody knows where they came from. I did not find out about it in time or I would have took them as they all were mares and in good shape.

Jim

Ms Beaune summed up the situation exactly in the article. The issue really isn't slaughterhouses but the economic realities many of us are dealing with. Those realities are just exacerbated in Nebraska. They have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and close to the highest foreclosure rates(1 in 10 homes I think).

I've a hunch there are ALOT of tears over decisions some owners are making about their horses. Desperate situations can be overwhelming...

One of my Amish neighbors asked if wanted a free horse and just thought he was joking. It turned out someone dropped off a good riding horse in their yard. They kept the horse for a month and no one ever showed up to claim it.They offered it to me like I said and didn't pay much attention, thinking he was just joking about giving away a horse. He gave it to a horse dealer up the road who took it to sale and probably got 50 buck or so.

Try contacting a Veterinary College in your area, they may take donations. I took a mare to Iowa State University in July '08. I have a gelding, her half brother, with an OCD lession and could have taken him a few weeks ago. Just couldn't bring myself to do it yet.

My husband and I were riding in a state forest, and found a horse skeleton off the trail with a single bullet hole in the skull. Evidently one person's solution was to feed the wolves.

The problem absolutely has everything to do with banning horse slaughter. Since slaugher was banned the cull horse market tanked. Sending horses to MX or CN is not replacing more local plants. There is no market anymore where there used to be a very active meat market. Like it or not, horse slaughter provided a bottom to the horse market, so when one could no longer afford to feed their animals at least there was some where to go.

Janet

A Humane Society person explained that horses are basicaly considered luxeries in this day and age, like dogs, cats, and other pets. Furthermore one of the costs of keeping such animals is disposing of them in a humane manner at the end. Would you take old Shep to slaughter when he got too old to hunt. So if you cant't afford to provide for an animal in the end, either put him down or turn him out to pasture indefinitely, you can't afford him in the first place. I kind of agree. I like to mess around with a team but realize they are really in the same catagory as playing golf, fishing, etc. They are my toys but when they are too old to play with, they are still my responsability and I have to take care of them, not just stick 'em on a truck and send them off for someone else to dispose of. Remember, this is the year 2010, not 1910, and these animals we all enjoy are only luxeries, not necessities, in most cases. I personally think I will have a vet put my horses down when they get too old. Whwn you figure the vet bill plus the cost of digging a grave that's about 300 bucks which is a lot of money but still just one of the expenses you have to calculate into the cost of buying the critter in the first place.

Well the way that I see it. Yes it is because they closed the slaughter plants. Because if people could get a little money out of the hors they would just sell it. But when it costs more to take the horse to the sale barn then you know you will get then that throws a different light on it. Now when I goto a sale I put a chain and padlock on my trailer. Because people that I know have came out to go home after the sale and had 1-5 horses in their trailer. They didnt buy a horse at that sale. I have had people that I know call me, "if you come and get this horse you can have him". So no I can see it no outher way then loosing the slaughter market is causing not all but 99% of this. Now we need to streighten out this mess and send the bill to the groups that were pushing to close the slaughter plants "We have to be responsable for our actions, so should they" If we collected the cost of closing the slaughter plants from thease groups I bet they would take a long hard look befor they did things again.


Jim

Somehow we need to get this situation to the attention of the non-farm PUBLIC. Most have been moved by the emotionally manipulative ads of the HSUS and anti-slaughter groups, but they have never thought this through.

More neglect and suffering because the horses cannot be humanely slaughtered, and surely more suffering for the owners too, who have nothing to do when their situation turns around and they can't keep the horses anymore. Surely a quick slaughter is better than a slow starved fading away.

Horses are livestock. Not pets. No matter what you use them for, or don't use them for.

This is a case of left wingers don't really want what they are whining for. Imagine all of a sudden all that derives fron oil disappears, everything to do with cutting timber, gone,no food because can't plow and raise any, can't kill any animals. nothing to eat, no heat, no transportation. By the way we have about 8" of snow in North Ark this morning.

"A Humane Society person explained that horses are basicaly considered luxeries in this day and age, like dogs, cats, and other pets. Furthermore one of the costs of keeping such animals is disposing of them in a humane manner at the end."

Funny that a humane society person should spread that pov...because it was people like that who FORCED that to be the situation by banning slaughter.

I personally would not send a good working/companion animal to an auction. But that does not mean that there are not people out there that do, or that need that outlet. And not every horse walking this earth is a companion or pet. Whether you agree with the reasons or not, we had an economic system that was working, and it was destroyed by a few imposing their will on the whole industry, and now the victem is all those neglected horses that have no place to go.


Janet

Dead is dead! Whether you spend a bunch of money and have your vet do it or shoot 'em yourself or have someone else do it - they all end up the same -dead. So what's the problem with letting them go for slaughter? I hate to tell y'all but I worked for years at a small animal clinic where we euthanised plenty of pets for some real dumbass reasons (like I'm going on vacation and don't want to pay to board Fluffy) - every week I hauled those carcasses to a facility that renders them just like livestock - goes into cosmetics and the like. So the old Humane Society crew needs to face the facts - playing on people's heart strings about sending old or unwanted horses to slaughter has in reality resulted in more mistreatment of these animals through neglect and underfeeding than sending them to slaughter ever did. Those cats and dogs that we put down look just as scared, confused and pathetic as any animal being sent to slaughter. Don't blame the left or right for this - it's just stupid nosey people acting without being aware of the real consequences of their actions.