Sorry about making two post but I had a thought about the pharmacital in the meat how is any different then any other species of animals, if the withdraw time is followed, right on the medicine bottles it say how long takes until it is safe to slaughter the animal for human consumption.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

In some countries it is wrong to eat cattle or pork and ok to eat a horse. Hear it is wrong to eat a horse but not a cow or pig so what country is right? The American government says this drug is bad for you and this pesticide wount hurt you and some other country says something different again who is right? It is just a horse. I have some older ones that I am going to sell in a year or 2 that I have had for 20 years. I don't have the ground to keep an old team and a young team so the old team needs to go. If my neighbor would buy them and eat them I would be ok with that it is just an animal and not a person.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

I see the proposed bill as an interim step, a compromise, as it is rather clear that as with many other issues, perfect solutions are not attainable , when so many divergent interests are at play. The de-centralization of packing plants is a long term goal, since it would mean a restructuring within our industrialized agricultural system. But meanwhile we have to try to alleviate the suffering of as many horses as possible. The suggested solution doesn't solve the problem for all horse owners, as there might be those, who can't or don't want to spend the money for euthanizing, but I really think even a quick bullet is more humane than long transports without feed and water, apart from the often terrorizing end in slaughter houses.
I have called my representative in support, urge the readers to do the same, and will also call my senators.
In addition, I believe, that more education is necessary about the responsibilities and consequences of animal ownership, and that is a place where we all can help when we talk with people who plan on getting themselves a horse, mule etc.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

My last comment on this topic. I think the thought process is quite different in the west here where many head of horses are in use on a ranch or business verses a 200-300 acre farm in the east that has 2-3 teams of horses.

One example. Sombrero Ranch in northern Colorado run about 2000 head of horses. These are rented out to dude ranches, outfitters, Do it yourself hunters in the fall, and day rides by tourist. Mostly they are turned out to pasture in the winter.
I suspect that maybe 5% of those horses are not useable after the seasons every year. A lot of it is hard work . In the fall, maybe 45-60 days of heavy use that breaks them down.

So that may be 100 horses that needs to be disposed of each year. Maybe a little less. After few years, you have a pretty big herd of horse that are of no value and can't be used. Running a business, you just can't say to turn them out to pasture for the rest of their lives. Pasture is a commodity that must be managed also. Some may be crippled, some may be unsound so they can't be adopted out. Killing them and putting them under ground is not an option. Even big ranches that run several hundred head of horse face the same problem.

With the closure of all the slaughter houses in the US, shipping them outside is the only option. No matter if they have had chemicals used on them or not. This is the real world


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Why not use the meat from humanely slaughtered horses in dog food? Or export meat to France and other countries where it is culturally common place for it to be consumed by humans? When it was time for my old thoroughbred to be put down I very much wanted for him to go to the hunt for food for the hounds. He had enjoyed a long career as a staff horse with them. His happiest years, from what I could tell. So it seemed fitting. More importantly, I prefer my horses put down via a bullet. Grazing peacefully and never knowing what hit them.

I live in Virginia Hunt Country. A mind-boggling churn of horses go through here with folks chasing dreams of racing or FEI glory and its attendant dollars. Steeplechase trainer I know told me he's $20K into a horse before it even sets foot on a practice track. The bulk of those horses don't pan out. Some get lucky and find alternative careers. But a lot get dumped by owners that had no business doing what they were trying to do. What do you think those people do with a long yearling with a broken pedal bone, for example? It costs $500+ to euthanize a horse here. These people don't spend that money. The horses fall into disgusting neglect and suffering. Or they get sold at New Holland and face a trailer ride from hell. I'd rather see those animals become Alpo in a regulated US slaughterhouse than what I see happen to them now.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Growing up on a different continent gives me maybe a different view on this horse slaughter/ horse meat topic.
In Europe I have never seen so many starved, crippled horses, not looked after and with overgrown hooves than in North America.
Reminds me of India with their sacred cows: they don't eat them, but don't care for them either.
Here in Alberta we have a problem with feral horses and feral hogs (Russian boar). On the pigs is a bounty, even their number is very small. The feral horses are protected, even they outnumber the elks big time and destroy their habitat. Looks like the feral horses have the better Lobby in the city then the hogs.
It is disturbing me how much meat gets poisoned and wasted by euthanizing horses, knowing that a big part of the global population is starving.
Every kind of livestock deserves good care and treatment and stress free handling.
There should be a small slaughterhouse every 50 miles, for the sake of animal welfare and to keep the risks low. Not that a plant has to shut down after a e-coli outbreak and 40% of the production of the whole province is down.
An other thing I don't understand: drugs are labeled with their withdrawal time for cattle and hogs, but then the labels reads "not for use in horses for human consumption" Is there a scientific reason or is it just for keeping the manufacturer from getting nasty letters from angry pet horse owners???


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Just a side note, in the news 20 million people face starvation in 4 countries. 14 million alone in Yemen. I will say no more.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Hans , I agree with you, but then in regards to the number of horses, there are of course a lot more horses in the USA and Canada in proportion to the human population than for example in Germany. In Germany we have about 1 horse per 160 inhabitants, in the USA that is closer to 1 per 40 or even 35. With the higher number there is the probability of more neglect.
Where are you from originally? I am from the southeast corner of Bavaria.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Klaus, I agree, the number of horses per capita is not the same. But then again, animal welfare standards are here lower then in western Europe.

By the way, I'm originally from Switzerland, close to the German border.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Hans, according to the picture you seem to have brought Swiss collars to Canada. I sometimes wish that I had brought one of my Bavarian harnesses when I came here.
The overall standards of animal welfare are higher in Western Europe, but that unfortunately doesn't completely translate to animals, especially horses, having it better in all respects. Access to year round pasture, for example, is much less common .
But in regards to slaughter facilities, they are more strictly regulated, and the public overall is more watchful.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum