I have been financially fortunate when it came to the ending of 3 of my past horses, I had a choice. I can see points on both sides when looking at the bigger picture even though I prefer not to use slaughter as an end to my horse's life. Again, I have been fortunate but if it came down to rent, food on the table for my family etc., I would hate it but I would send my horse to slaughter but not now, obviously. I don't want my horse shipped to Mexico, suffering. Would opening the houses back up cradle irresponsible owners and breeders?

I don't believe anyone that has posted in this forum likes the idea of slaughter period. If is however essential to control the over breeding that has occurred. This has also occurred in the beef market in past years but slaughter has rectified that. I personally have 8 head that will never go to slaughter period and if they get to the point of either being hurt or suffering from old age I will take care of it myself. As hard as it is to do I feel an obligation to take care of it myself and have in the past. I can also assure you that I have had vets to do it and I have done it myself and a bullet placed in the correct placement is more humane than with a vet. But with all these unwanted horses and some dangerous ones it is the only alternative, While we may not like every joe on the block breeding anything and everything this is the USA and one mans junk is another mans treasure and everyone has different ideas what is junk. There are already Laws on the books to take care of these people for neglect and shirking their responsibility's. Public enforcement would help in this area. Even in this case you get some people in these organizations that feel like a horse needs to be kept in knee deep grass or in shavings in a stall, their is no common sense. we had one turned in because they were in a muddy lot and that spring we had had a vast amount of rain otherwise were being taking care of. A horse is a horse just like any other livestock until you put the time training and trust into that individual animal.

Well, we are beef producers. We know a tremendous amount about what is legal and appropiate for production, handling, preparation and sale, and processing of cattle. Just a note to say there are multiple restrictions on beef being processed, in relation to the medications that are in its system. This is referred to as a withdrawal period. Furthermore, many laws exist for the express purpose of sensible humane handling of these cattle, contrary to many "sources" one cannot even unload a broken-legged or other wise non ambulatory animal at the sale barn or meat processors. There is a great deal of confusion and hysteria by well meaning people who think they understand all this, but are really sadly misinformed. Do I have feelings for our cows, calves, and bulls?  Yes, I have held sick ones in my lap, and have buried some that were good to us and had nothing to look forward to, and were pretty worthless to eat! Have I had horses put to sleep, and properly buried, yes, and to this day I can take you to their graves.

I do know that many animals are dumped to starve, pets of all types, and yes, many horses. I can take you right now to a skeleton in the national forest of a dumped horse. To prosecute these people one has to catch them first, not like the processing plant where government inspectors are present to observe this process. To kill a horse humanely, that is a question, is it not.. Proper bullet placement, captive bolt gun, those animals can be safely eaten by other animals in the food chain, whether the meat eaters are wild animals, zoo animals, or dogs eating Alpo. Do I eat meat? You betchya. Would I eat horse meat......not if I knew it, or could help it......but if it was that or starve, I guess I likely would.  I will say that once the animal has died, if it can be salvaged to feed some other needy animals, that should not be an upsetting thing, this is nature.  HUMANE slaughter is one possible part of that process. 

The wild horse who lives and dies in the wild, well, his likelihood of an easy death is horribly remote....but it's sure natural.  A humane slaughter death is truly more easy than that...

The chemically euthanized horse requires special disposal. For people with money, land, equipment or a combination of those... this can be done. For those without as much means, they must make harder choices. Should these poor people have perhaps researched more of the possible expenses, including end of life......certainly. But often they find this out at the least affordable time, and who am I to say that the modest price this horse might afford them, as it passes to humane slaughter is not needed for the most immediate needs of their family? These are hard subjects, and the answers are not entirely encapsulated in either money or emotion, but in facts, though they are hard to face, and still require common sense and hard work for the common good of man and animal. I remain appreciative of the original post of this thread being written from an especially well informed intelligent viewpoint. That is my final contribution to this thread.

 Horse slaughter, Wikipedia view.... Alot of facts, maybe, a little fiction....  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_slaughter

Thank you Flying H Farm for saying it better that I ever could; I do not think a lot of people realize how bad the horse industry is in. The individual I referred to earlier with the horses on the National Forest is a current Board member on a major national horse assoc and breed registry. He could not even get bids except on 4 or 5 out of 70 head of horses. The only alternative's were: Haul them to a sale and go to slaughter which he did not want to do; Turn them over to a horse rescue which they could not take any more or let them roam the national forest and bide for time hoping something would give, So don't judge him until you have walked in their shoe's. He has not abandoned these horses but due to the drought conditions he felt like it was the only alternative he had, I just think it is a waste that we have this situation with these horse's and there are children in the world dyeing of starvation that would gladly make use of this resource. But then again I guess the horse may rate better than those kids to some.