horse slaughter

[SilverCharm]

What are your opinions on horse slaughter? For it or against it?

 

[Scotty]

For. I hate to see anything bad happen to horses but some need to be put down. Put down because it is the only humane thing to do. I feel that if they stop all slaughter you will see lons of poor looking horses that are in more missery than they deserve.

 

[Alan]

For, to me horse slaughter serves the same purpose as the humane society, too many dogs and cats and horses, because idiots can't control the urge to breed their animals.

Blame the owner, not the horse.

Alan

 

[Bez?]

Millions of folks around the world eat horse.

Try it - I found it to be very good.

I guess that tells you what my answer is.

Bez?

 

[Oldtimer]

If horse slaughter is stopped many horses will suffer from neglect, abuse, and abandonment...At least the slaughter houses give people an option to get rid of an unwanted animal and still pay for the cost of doing so...What else is a crooked legged, foundered, or crippled horse good for?

I've never ate horse, but I knew an elderly Basque gentleman that used to slaughter 2 or 3 a year from his horse herd and really enjoyed it- even tho he ran several hundred head of cows...

 

[IluvABbeef]

I read and re-read this thread and still can't decide yes or no. I realize that there's two sides of this argument on horse slaughter, and neither is right nor wrong.

For-there's horses that are crippled, old, so abused to the point that that behaviour can't be fixed, among other things, that the slaughter plants are useful for. They're also used for exporting horse meat to places like France and Belgium where it is a popular dish, a good source of income.

And yet...

Against-to some folks, if not most, horses are not meant to be raised as slaughter animals, like that of cattle. They are sources of enjoyment, relaxation, recreation, work, and they can also be a bit of a hobby. I've found that there are horses that are sold to these plants that are perfectly healthy, in mind, body, and disposition, that are slaughtered. All because of money. And the carelessness of the bloody owner. That part, the horses being slaughtered just to get more money, doesn't really agree with me. If the horse-slaughter plants get shut down, then those type of people would have to find some other way of getting rid of their unwanted critters. But even then those people don't deserve to own a horse (or any other animal) at all...

I could go on and on, but that's what's running through my gray-matter this time of night...

 

[ffscj]

Against-to some folks, if not most, horses are not meant to be raised as slaughter animals, like that of cattle. They are sources of enjoyment, relaxation, recreation, work, and they can also be a bit of a hobby. I've found that there are horses that are sold to these plants that are perfectly healthy, in mind, body, and disposition, that are slaughtered. All because of money.

A lot of people are against the slaughter of cows for food also. So should we stop the slaughter of cattle to appease these people. I love my horses and us them for enjoyment, relaxation. work, etc.. but don't feel it is right to impose my beliefs on someone who enjoys eating horse, dog, cat, etc. just as I don't want them imposing their beliefs on me.

That said, I feel that the way the horses are transported to slaughter needs to be addressed. There are some that grossly mistreat the animals during transport to the slaughterhouses and that is wrong.

Chris

 

[Stepper]

Do they sale horse meat here in the U.S. ? And do they slaughter alot of horses in the U.S. ?

 

[msscamp]

I am for horse slaughter. There are currently 90,000 unwanted horses that are slaughtered in the U.S. each year (according to an article in - I believe it was Friday's - Western Livestock Journal). What is going to happen to all those horses now? Who is going to feed them and take care of them? A lot of states have laws prohibiting burying animals on your land, and not all pet food manufacturers will accept horses - so that goes quite a ways towards eliminating shooting them as an option, and the shelters are full. Assuming the bill passes, next year there will be 180,000, the year after that there will be 270,000. The bottom line is that horses are agricultural animals - just like cows, sheep, hogs, chickens, and goats - they are not pets. When they are past the point of being useful they are liquidated - just like any other agricultural animal - because very, very few people can afford the feed/care for a non-producing horse, and because - depending on why they are no longer useful/setup of the place in question - it is not fair to the animal. That is my .02 on the subject.

 

[SilverCharm]

Horse meat is not sold in the U.S., it's sold in places like Belgium and France. The three plants in the U.S. are foreign-owned.

I don't think the plants should be shut down because, as mentioned before, what would we do with all of the unwanted horses? Plus, if they were shut down, cattle and pig slaughter houses would have to be too. It's the same thing.

 

[Stepper]

Silvercharm,

Could you tell me a little more about the three processing plants here in the U.S. that process horses ? What state or states are they located in. I always thought that they used horses to make dog food etc......, here in the U.S. ?

I am sure horse meat would be a good meat. I personally dont think i could eat one since i have some as pets. Now if i was hungry that would be a different story.

 

[msscamp]

The three plants in the U.S. are foreign-owned.

I can't say it for a fact, but I don't think the plants in the US are foreign owned, based on what I've read.


Plus, if they were shut down, cattle and pig slaughter houses would have to be too. It's the same thing.

No, they wouldn't because it a matter of 'perception' - people are 'conditioned' to cattle and hogs being slaughtered for meat (American families all over the US start their day eating bacon, end it by eating steak or roast, and enjoy a lunch of hamburgers or whatever - but no one eats horse meat in this country. Horses are seen as pets, status symbols, whatever - anything but food.

Stepper, I believe 2 of the plants are located in Texas and the 3rd is in Pennsylvania.

 

[cypressfarms]

The three plants in the U.S. are foreign-owned.

I can't say it for a fact, but I don't think the plants in the US are foreign owned, based on what I've read.


Plus, if they were shut down, cattle and pig slaughter houses would have to be too. It's the same thing.

No, they wouldn't because it a matter of 'perception' - people are 'conditioned' to cattle and hogs being slaughtered for meat (American families all over the US start their day eating bacon, end it by eating steak or roast, and enjoy a lunch of hamburgers or whatever - but no one eats horse meat in this country. Horses are seen as pets, status symbols, whatever - anything but food.

Good insight, as always, Msscamp. Do you think the perception of horses is because they are more "personable" or from some sort of bond that we have formed with them from hundreds of years of depending on them? Or perhaps something else?

 

[ffscj]

The three plants in the U.S. are foreign-owned.

I can't say it for a fact, but I don't think the plants in the US are foreign owned, based on what I've read.


Plus, if they were shut down, cattle and pig slaughter houses would have to be too. It's the same thing.

No, they wouldn't because it a matter of 'perception' - people are 'conditioned' to cattle and hogs being slaughtered for meat (American families all over the US start their day eating bacon, end it by eating steak or roast, and enjoy a lunch of hamburgers or whatever - but no one eats horse meat in this country. Horses are seen as pets, status symbols, whatever - anything but food.

Stepper, I believe 2 of the plants are located in Texas and the 3rd is in Pennsylvania.

msscamp, you have a rosier outlook than I. I feel that anytime we allow animal rights activist to win any battles then we lose a little more of the war. First its the horse slaughter, then its not too far of a step to outlaw the next thing and before you know it we're eating vegiburgers.

Chris

 

[msscamp]

The three plants in the U.S. are foreign-owned.

I can't say it for a fact, but I don't think the plants in the US are foreign owned, based on what I've read.


Plus, if they were shut down, cattle and pig slaughter houses would have to be too. It's the same thing.

No, they wouldn't because it a matter of 'perception' - people are 'conditioned' to cattle and hogs being slaughtered for meat (American families all over the US start their day eating bacon, end it by eating steak or roast, and enjoy a lunch of hamburgers or whatever - but no one eats horse meat in this country. Horses are seen as pets, status symbols, whatever - anything but food.

Good insight, as always, Msscamp. Do you think the perception of horses is because they are more "personable" or from some sort of bond that we have formed with them from hundreds of years of depending on them? Or perhaps something else?

I think it has to do with the personable thing as well as the bond that has been formed between horse and man over the years. There is not a cowboy on this planet that does not depend on his horse when working cattle, getting caught in a snowstorm, or in unfamiliar territory. That horse always knows his way home - I know that for a fact, because I've had the 'opportunity' (for lack of a better word) to put it to the test on several occasions over the years - even with young horses that were equally unfamiliar with the surroundings.

 

[msscamp]

msscamp, you have a rosier outlook than I. I feel that anytime we allow animal rights activist to win any battles then we lose a little more of the war. First its the horse slaughter, then its not too far of a step to outlaw the next thing and before you know it we're eating vegiburgers.

Chris

No, I don't have a 'rosier' outlook than you do, I'm simply aware of the number of people that enjoy steak dinners, roast beef sandwiches for lunch, and hamburger cook-outs and - believe it or not - quite a few of those people actually know where their meal comes from. You are absolutely right that the animal activists will be working on the beef industry once the horse slaughter industry has been won - one of the major forces behind the drive for the illegalization of horse slaughter has flat out stated (Western Livestock Journal - I believe it was Friday's issue - http://www.wlj.com is the website I think) that his goal is the shutdown of all agriculture meat sources (that is not exactly right, but it's pretty close), but I honestly believe they will run into a lot more resistance with the beef, pork, and chicken industry because of the previously mentioned reasons. All it takes on our part is a little education on the part of Madame Housewife.

 

[ffscj]

quite a few of those people actually know where their meal comes from.

You mean they don't just come from the store??? ;-)


Chris

 

[msscamp]

[

:lol: :lol: :lol: I know, it defies logic! :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[SilverCharm]

msscamp, you have a rosier outlook than I. I feel that anytime we allow animal rights activist to win any battles then we lose a little more of the war. First its the horse slaughter, then its not too far of a step to outlaw the next thing and before you know it we're eating vegiburgers.

Chris[/quote]

That's what I meant.

I was looking up how many horses are slaughtered each year and the page from the Humane Society said the plants were foreign-owned...

The third plant is in Illinois.

 

[3MR]

You can buy horse meat in the US. Its just not a common staple in the grocery store.

I've eaten horse, it was in the states too; wasnt great, wasnt bad, sort of like bologna.