Is a horse considered a man’s best friend? Horses have been by our side for over six thousand years helping us and companioning our long days of evolution and work. They have most definitely become as close to us humans as any other pet would be. Other countries, however, don’t appreciate the strong bond that we have built for so long. Foreign countries have come to believe that horse’s meat is tender and delicious enough to serve on their plates! Just last year, over 135,000 horses were slaughtered with their meat being shipped to foreign seas. Horse meat has grown to be in very high demand in foreign countries which results in many slaughterhouses to be popping all over the world. Sadly in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is the main places in the world where these beautiful companion creatures are gathered, slaughtered, butchered and shipped off to foreign countries(Fact Sheet). There is much controversy on whether the slaughtering of horses should be allowed or not because the entire process that they go through is so bad and petrifying to the point where being dead is the best option that they can possibly have(Horse Slaughter-Wikipedia). Even though horse meat is in high demand for human consumption, it is inhuman because slaughterhouses use brutal transportation and killing practices that cause the animal much pain and suffering.
Horse meat is considered a delicacy in many foreign countries and is in very high demand in countries like France, Belgium, Italy,
The benefits are not only felt by horse owners in short supply of money; recently in Europe, the supply of meat from traditional sources, such as cattle, sheep and pigs has dwindled due to epidemics in the herds, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or "mad cow" disease, as well as hoof and mouth disease.
“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
There is a trail down the road in Delaware where I enjoy taking my dog for a walk. It is a beautiful, five-mile loop traversing cornfields, thick patches of forest, steep hills and flowing streams; a wonderful place to escape the hustle and bustle of the suburban lifestyle and spend some time amongst the peacefulness of nature. It is not a complete escape, however, for I am not the only person that knows of the trail- it seems to also be a favorite of horseback riders. Often times I will encounter a rider or two at some point during my walk and, without fail, I will be in awe of the size and majesty of the horse. What an incredible, gentle beast it is. Standing next to a horse, you cannot help but gawk at the bulging, toned muscles and long, agile legs. It is truly an athlete with a rare combination of strength and speed. Yet, they are gentle and kind and have therefore been joined at the hip with humans; today, nearly all horses have been domesticated. So I find myself
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.
Would you kill your best friend after years of hard work together? I believe horse slaughter is a necessary evil due to many different reasons.
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?
During the 1930’s low supply and high cost of pork and beef made horse meat rise in popularity. Again during World War II, people were again in the same predicament. Inflation during the early 1970’s raised the cost of traditional meats; Time Magazine reported from Carlson’s, a butcher shop in Westbrook, CT, that they were selling over 6,000 pounds of horse meat a day. (Weil) In 2006, the House of Representatives voted to end horse slaughter; the bill passed to make the killing and selling American horses for human consumption an illegal practice in the United States.
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.”
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.
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.
Horses have never been raised for human consumption in the United States. However, for decades now, horses have been bought, stolen, or acquired under false pretenses and then sent to the slaughter house all throughout the world- including here on US soil. According to the Humane Society of America, over 100,000 horses are sent to slaughter each year. Horse meat sales rapidly declined for many years, but it has become popular again in overseas countries like France, Belgium, Italy, and Japan. Naturally, as the demand for the horse meat increased, so did the demand for horses to be slaughtered. Horse meat is considered a “clean meat” and a tasty alternative to beef and other traditional meats because of the multiple contamination scares. Those who consume horse flesh (typically in Europe and Asia) are willing to pay extremely high prices for horse meat. Butchers and
Almost everyone loves the sight of animals, or at least one in particular. We do not mean to think down on animals or take superiority over them, but it is the truth, it happens. Even though it should not happen, it does. Animals and humans should be equal in rights and superiority. We should also stop treating them as if all animals are pets because in reality, wild is wild. Feeding animals as if they are pets, just to get close to them, is
Humans have always had a complicated relationship with non-human animals. This relationship has always benefitted the needs of humans, with little consideration for animals’ needs. Some animals are tortured for entertainment, some are butchered for food and others are taken from their habitat and family, and forced to be pets for humans. These are all examples of the ways humans have exploited animals for their own satisfaction. Hal Herzog’s essay “Animals Like Us” describes the complicated relationship that humans and animals have, and how difficult it is to determine what is ethical when dealing with animals. Jonathan Safran Foer makes a similar observation in his essay “The Fruits of Family Trees” of the ethical issues in the
The meat industry today is not what it was nearly a century ago. While improvements are thought to have been made, an ever changing society has brought upon new problems that have been piled on to the previously existing ones. While these problems are not like those found in The Jungle, they do parallel how by exposing what is going on in the meat industry; new regulations would be the answer to the noted problems. The increased demand for meat has made it a rushed mutated production instead of a means to raise livestock for consumers. Taking into consideration the demand for cheap meat that will be used for in quick and high demanded products such as frozen and fast food, this demand of meat has greatly skyrocketed. Animals whose sole
We are a nation of meat eaters. We are socialized from a young age to consume high levels of animal products. This deeply ingrained meat-eating tradition is a big part of the American standard diet. A visit to the local grocery store shows that there is no shortage of animal products. Isle by isle you see a plethora of meats, neatly packed and ready to be cooked, dairy products neatly shelved, and even candies that contain animal by-products. This is an omnivore’s utopia, allowing for a lifestyle that involves the overconsumption of meats and animal by-products. The rampant meat industry has managed to condition people to disassociate the meats in our grocery markets and the animals from which they came. Most people have become unaware omnivores, consuming whatever meats are available to them. This shift of moral degradation is evident in how we process and consume our meats. We have become a selfish society that values our own convenience and affordability of meat rather than the consideration of the animal. This begs the question, is eating meat inherently wrong and should we forbid meat consumption under any and all circumstances? To fully address this issue, we must first define the moral status of animals. So, are animals equal to humans in worth and value and should they receive similar treatment?