Posted 2009-12-29 11:22 PM (#114654 - in reply to #114627) Subject: RE: horse survey
Location: KY
oops, my mistake on the closing date. It was in the January 2010 issue of Equus......trying to get some statistics on the horse industry....and it appeared to me that it might help those of us who feel that the slaughter industry is necessary. There was an article on a thorobred who was moved (rescued) from Kansas to a retirement home in Ky recently. He was part of an assembly of horses headed to Mexico or Canada for slaughter. Just my opinion, but I do believe that humane slaughter facilities in the United States are a better alternative than shipping horses to Mexico or Canada.
Posted 2009-12-30 12:35 PM (#114663 - in reply to #114627) Subject: RE: horse survey
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385
Location: high desert, CA.
Hmmm...
You might have a point there. If the facilities were here in the U.S. , we could be sure they were humane and clean By legislation to enforce standards. Also that the treatment of the animals being transported and kept for slaughter, were fed and watered and not crowded into trailers 10 abreast and dying of suffocation.
Some good debates have come from this subject, and more will probably follow. I for one don't want my animals to suffer if they have lived out their lives serving me and my purposes.
Posted 2009-12-30 7:13 PM (#114673 - in reply to #114627) Subject: RE: horse survey
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1069
Location: MI.
Slaughter is illegal in the US.....It should be illegal to ship horses from the US to other countries for slaughter, period. Irresponsible/overbreeding, and the current economy contributed to the large amounts of unwanted horses. I personally am against slaughter. Horses have paid tremendous dues in order for man to progress, and they suffered dearly. We owe them respect. As far as being humanely put down, there is nothing humane about it. I couldn't put my horse in that situation because he/she is no longer useable, how selfish of me.......NO
Posted 2009-12-30 8:24 PM (#114677 - in reply to #114627) Subject: RE: horse survey
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 447
Location: cedar rapids iowa
One thing I liked about the survey was you could express your thoughts on how to solve the issue of unwanted horses. It also had questions pertaining to if you were adding to your herd or going to spend more or less on the sport. It got me thinking of ways to curb irresponsible breeding.
Posted 2010-01-01 8:08 PM (#114744 - in reply to #114627) Subject: RE: horse survey
Veteran
Posts: 186
Yes it is within the law to ship horses to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. I know a vet who was hired to ride on a ship to Japan (this was about 10 years ago) anyway from Canada they shipped 500 2 and 3 year old horses live over to Japan. They hired the vet to ride along to assure the horses were kept healthy and in Good Weight....Happens all the time people.
Posted 2010-01-01 8:13 PM (#114745 - in reply to #114627) Subject: RE: horse survey
Veteran
Posts: 186
I have ofen wondered if it wasn't the horse eating counties that were behind breeding the Quarterhorse and Appys to have tiny little bones and feet with lots of muscle ...meat. all of us who have been around know that a fine boned well muscled horse brings much more in the auction, the old fashion quarter horses used to have way smaller rumps and much bigger bones (I own Walkers now wont ever go back to square wheels again I quit quarter horses in the early 80's cause they were breeding the foot off of em.) But as far as numbers go I would be courious to know how many registered Quarterhorses are eaten every year since they have been bred to be so juicy.