Horse Slaughter : The Inhumane Murder Of Innocent Horses

It is extremely common to walk into a boarding barn, show stable, or lesson facility and see someone exchange labor for board, lessons, or training. Or see employees being paid in cash, leaving no paper trail, employment record, and no wage reporting to the Internal Revenue Service. While this appears to be a “win win” situation for both parties it has the potential to cause more issues and frustration than what is seen by the average person.

The conditions for animals in modern slaughterhouses are unsanitary and violent. The lack of rules and regulations cause animals to be treated poorly because this industry is focused on mass production and profit rather than finding a more humane alternative to run the meat packing business. The most effective method to stop this cruelty is to learn about where meat comes from, start supporting the organic and family farms which will ultimately lead to the reducing the amount of animals that have to suffer.

The topic of horse slaughter doesn’t usually come up very often in everyday conversation. Horse slaughter is more of an implicit subject, which your everyday person doesn’t know much about. Because it is highly controversial, it has gone through the cycle of being banded and then reinstated twice in the last 5 years. With being involved in the horse industry my entire life, I have witnessed the effects first hand. Some people see it as killing pets, animal cruelty, and morally wrong. However, I see it as a source of income, a way to stop the starvation and abuse of horses, an export industry for the United States, as well as a quality meal for in times of despair.

A question often thought about is whether or not horse slaughter is humane. If you ask many people, they will say no. Why isn’t it humane?

Thousands of horse owners have to drive miles upon miles to either Canada or Mexico to slaughter their horses. People will argue that slaughtering a horse is the “humane way” to relieve the unwanted horse population. Since one is responsible for the over population, one should be the one responsible for reducing the numbers. Horse meat can be used for many things, dog food or other bi-products. One can slaughter a cow or a pig without anyone saying anything. Euthanizing a horse can be extremely expensive, a vet has to come administrate the medicine and then one has to dispose of the body because it is against the law to have a dead horse carcass lying around your farm. The cost of this is often why people just leave their horses to just rot away or throw them on to another farm so it is someone else’s responsibility.

“I think using animals for food is an ethical thing to do, but we 've got to do it right. We 've got to give those animals a decent life and we 've got to give them a painless death. We owe the animal respect.” ― Temple Grandin. Temple Grandin brings up a brilliant point, it’s okay to eat meat but it’s not okay to treat these animals throughout their life as just something that you will be killing. They have the right to live healthily and in a property environment. Throughout the novel The Chain by Ted Genoways it brings a light to all the dangerous conditions animals and workers go through and what actually goes into the meat you buy in stores. Although low prices on farm produced meat sound enticing, the abused caused to animals and the dangerous working conditions for workers cause dangerously poor sanitation, and can affect many Americans health.

The horse is a highly respected animal in United States culture. It has been worshipped and paid tribute to through art, books (Misty of Chincoteague, Black Stallion), movies (Black Beauty, Spirit), and television shows (Mr. Ed).  The horse industry is huge in the United States, encompassing everything from rodeos and racing to horses owned for purely pleasure.  There have been statues erected of famous racehorses, as well as museums devoted entirely to equines.  "Horse culture" is a huge part of American culture. The slaughter of horses for human consumption does not seem to fit into that culture.  However, despite initial reservations, many Americans may agree that the slaughter of horses is better than alternatives.

The reason why they bleed them to death is so that the meat is good for human consumption. The governments have imposed a law that the horses, or slaughtered animals, must be made senseless. This is done by stunning or electrifying but it doesn’t always work. In a lot of pictures I have seen, the horses are twisting their legs in pain when they are hoisted and their throats

An ongoing ethical debate in America is whether horse slaughter should be legalized in the United States. This debate grabs the emotions of many individuals and arises many questions. Horses are normally considered companions that are used for labor and events. Isn’t it inhumane to kill a companion? Aren’t there enough homes for our furry companions? In all reality horses are expensive animals and aren’t always used for their breeding purposes. Humane societies/rescues barely have enough room for neglected small animals, bringing in larger mammals is not plausible. Saving every animal will cause an overpopulation problem and increase the rate of neglect. Horses are being neglected, starved, abused, and even shipped across the country, banning slaughter houses is the truly the inhumane route. Slaughtering isn’t an easy alternative, but allowing them to suffer isn’t any better.

Every year, an average American will consume approximately one hundred-twenty six pounds of meat. This meat can be traced back to factory farms where the animals are kept to be tortured to turn into a product for the appetite of humans. The terrible treatment these animals are forced to endure is the outcome of the greed and want for a faster production of their product. The industry of factory farming works to maximize the output of the meat while maintaining low costs,but will sadly always comes at the animals’ expense.

Former Missouri State Senator Matt Bartle, a Republican, stated, “The unintended consequences have been disastrous for horses. We now have horses all over the state that are skin and bones that are suffering tremendously. Some people actually enjoy the taste of horse meat. It feeds dogs. It feeds other animals.”

“Perhaps a less brutal and less violent society will one day exist that will understand that life and earth are more important than products of death and cruelty” (Bond). Their four hooves led us to where we are today. They are every little girl's dream at night. They are a cowboy’s closest friend, always there with a shoulder to lean on. If you ask any horse crazy girl or boy you will be told that a horse is the most amazing creature you will ever meet. In return over 100,000 of these beautiful horses are sent to slaughterhouses yearly in the United States alone (“The Facts About Horse Slaughter”). Though euthanasia is not always financially feasible. Horse slaughter

In October of 2012, a Jack Russell Terrier puppy named Phoenix was set on fire in Buffalo N.Y. The woman who discovered him was attracted by black smoke. She managed to put out the the flames with her sweater and proceeded to rush him to a small animal hospital with severe burns over his whole body and a serious ankle infection. Although he lost 60% off of both of his ears he maintained almost complete mobility of his leg. He still has a slight limp. Judi Bunge, a senior vet technician at Buffalo Small Animal Hospital who had been looking after Phoenix, adopted him soon after he had fully recovered. He now lives with Judi and her two other dogs. "Phoenix will become a therapy dog and continue his work as an ambassador for the

Every little girl dreams of having a horse, but what do you do with that horse when he is too old to be rode and he struggles to come in and eat his grain? Most likely you don’t have the heart to put him down yourself, and to have him euthanized costs so much, but are there any other options? Yes, there is one more option, that is horse slaughter. Don’t be afraid of it just because you hear the word slaughter, the horses are treated well and they are put down humanely. Horse slaughter is a big controversy in the United States, and there are many people that are against it, but I’m here to tell you why everyone should be for horse slaughter. Horse slaughter is something that is needed and not something that is evil. Today I’m going to tell you about why everyone should be for horse slaughter and how it can help to control the horse population, help stimulate the economy and help feed people that are starving.

In the last decade, the views and forms of animal cruelty have changed. Many people have different views of an animal’s rights or purpose. Some people believe that animals have no rights and are a piece of property to be utilized by humans. To others, animals can still be used by humans, but they have emotions as well. A few people consider that only certain animals with high intelligence like chimpanzees or monkeys, should not be used by man, and they should have all the rights that man has currently (“Animal Rights” , 2009). Domestic violence has a correlation with animal abuse. In a survey, 71% of domestic violence victims also reported that their abuser also targeted pets/animals. The most common animals who are abused are cats, dogs, horses,