In November, federal lawmakers gave the racing industry a unique opportunity to step into the national spotlight and settle the score on where it stands in relation to the welfare of horses with the passage of HB 2112. The bill, which declined to defund USDA inspections at plants that process horsemeat for human consumption, effectively opened the door for slaughterhouses to resume operations in the United States. And, as the pro-slaughter advocates began championing the economic advantages of horse slaughter in the national media, one key group fell silent – the racing industry.
Rather than seeing any major racing industry figure or association condemn the slaughter of horses and promote the idea of exploring no-kill solutions to overpopulation and welfare-related concerns, I saw a different character representing “horsemen” in the media. It was Wyoming State Rep. Sue Wallis, who also serves as Vice-President of United Horsemen, a pro-slaughter group that is working to open horse meat processing plants in the United States.
As the racing industry stood silent, Wallis took the national media spotlight, referring to horse meat as “tasty,” while the less-than “tasty” issue of phenylbutazone (“Bute”) contamination in racehorse meat was swept under the rug. And, when bute contamination is ignored to promote the tasteless agenda of pro-slaughter advocates, a dangerous toxin enters the food chain that can go undetected and cause serious health consequences to human beings, including the development of aplastic anemia in children who probably did not request for a racehorse for dinner.
But, then again, we can overlook the dangers to children and overall food safety, right? Cross out anemic children and slaughtered racehorses as problems to fuss over in the future. The slaughter business is about money, not morality.
Yet, for some horse lovers, slaughter is more than a money-making business in the equine world. There are good-intentioned horse people that believe that overpopulation has made slaughter a necessary evil to ensure the welfare of horses in North America. I don’t fault them for considering it from a welfare standpoint. However, in my view, the focus should shift to providing a humane lifestyle rather than a humane death. Because, simply put, slaughter simply perpetuates more slaughter when the population of unwanted horses dwindles during the death march. And, as sad as it may seem, when the slaughterhouses lose the unwanted horse population, they don’t simply shut their doors. They begin breeding horses for the sole purpose of slaughter.
In Canada, the Alberta Equine Welfare Group commissioned a Report in 2008 on horse slaughter in their country. In that Report, it describes the “feedlots” where the horses designated for slaughter are held. As the Report states, “These horses are purpose-bred and strictly raised for meat production. They have never been someone’s riding pony, sport animal or draft horse.” And, as the Report boasts, this is no small population. According to the Report, 1/3 of the horses slaughtered at the Alberta plant were “purpose-raised” for slaughter. They were never unwanted. Rather, they bred for the killing.
But, then again, the major players in racing didn’t get on CNN and show a concern to help provide funding to improve the quality of life for the existing unwanted equine population in North America as a counter-approach to slaughter. Nor did they point out that slaughterhouses breed for slaughter when they are done extinguishing the “unwanted” population. However, they should have done it. Because, mainstream media would have finally broadcast the long-overdue message that most people in racing love horses, they are concerned for the welfare of the horses and they would travel to the end of the earth to provide the best care for them.
Yes, travel to the end of the earth and you will find that roughly 138,000 horses were shipped for slaughter last year from the United States. And, if you travel into Sue Wallis’ world, she estimates that between 120,000 to 200,000 horses would be killed for human consumption on an annual basis if slaughterhouses resume operations in this country. Then, travel beyond the idea that slaughter is a necessary evil to ensure the welfare of horses.
The horse racing industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that should spearhead the campaign to raise funding to provide safe homes for unwanted horses so that slaughter in our country is a sad practice that we regret ever existed. This is an industry that offers millions of dollars in purse money on an annual basis, while wealthy buyers spend millions at prestigious sales in hopes of finding that “one” horse. And, as for the gambling aspect, 100 million dollars is bet on Kentucky Derby day alone. Yes, there is plenty of money that filters through this sport. But somehow, the industry is penniless when it comes to saving horses from slaughter.
So, here we are. With slaughter in the national spotlight, the racing industry can begin to speak out against slaughter, promote funding initiatives to care for the existing unwanted horses and create a plan to provide continuous and realistic funding to rescues in the long-term to prevent, if not eliminate, the potential for any future slaughter on U.S. soil. And, instead, the racing industry is letting Sue Wallis serve as the media spokesperson for “horse people.”
As the pro-slaughter media spokesperson for “horse people” Wallis has assured the media that “everyone in the horse world is so excited [that] we might have the opportunity to turn the whole equine market around.” Everyone of her slaughterhouse investors, that is. Yet, in failing to counter Wallis’ remarks in the national media, everyone in the “horse racing world” has been painted as being a part of her pro-slaughter supporters in the national spotlight.
What would the “horse world” look like in mainstream media if prominent trainers, high-profile owners and celebrity jockeys publicly opposed slaughter and called for the passage of the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act?
What if our industry began to brainstorm long-term funding initiatives to ensure the humane treatment of “unwanted” horses throughout their natural lives?
And, what kind of money could be raised to provide for “unwanted” horses this year if we cancelled the races for one single day at every track in this nation and donated the scheduled purse money toward rescue efforts?
I’m certain the racehorses wouldn’t mind a day without racing. I’m sure the rest of us could live without it just fine as well. Because, in the end, a few more horses would live because of that day. And, that’s a big start in the race to prevent slaughter in this country.
To sign the Petition to End Slaughter for the White House, please click this link. If you would like to call the White House to voice your opposition to horse slaughter, you can reach their comment line at 202.456.1111.
well said by remaining silent they give the impression that they support the slaughter industry!!! They need to stand up and voice their opinion and hopefully it it against the slaughter industry instead of being like the AQHA and supporting it!!!
Well said and very true. The racing industry is a multi-million dollar business. There is a solution if owners, trainers, and breeders stepped up to the plate. Breeders want the “Zenyatta” that comes once in a lifetime. They constantly breed without any major concern with regard to the lives of these beautiful animals when they are injured or don’t make it as a race horse. It is the responsibility of breeders, owners, and trainers to protect these animals. It is also the responsibility of race tracks and jockeys. STEP TO THE PLATE PEOPLE!!!!!
Amen. Thank you for saving what everyone is feeling. I have been around racing all my life and I am so disappointed that not one major player has not stepped forward to speak up on behalf of the great horses that go out day in and day out and risk their lives for their entertainment. This is how they repay them? Cowards.
I will stand strong. I will fight. And I have been fighting. This Sue Wallis does not speak fro me. She is hideous and should be ashamed of herself. There are so many other humane alternatives to horse slaughter.
Thank you for writing this article.
You are absolutely correct. If someone has enough money to buy a thoroughbred race horse, with all the money & responsibility that it entails, they certainly must make sure the horse is taken care of for the rest of his or her life. Animals are not to be tossed out after they outlive their “usefulness”. They are living beings.
Thanks for writing this, you’ve expanded on the article I wrote for my advanced reporting class in journalism school. I wrote only about Canadian horse slaughter, where I’m from, and the dangers of consuming horse meat because of the drugs many of them are given. Great piece, thanks for writing!
The issue very well stated.
My hope prayer from the beginning of the discussion of this issue is that the owners and trainers of integrety and influence would be strong and couragious in speaking out what they personally do and believe about the welfare of horses and slaughter. Maybe these words in the article will help them.
Many years ago I was involved in the harness horses. It was really not spoken of much, but everyone knew what happened to the horses after they reached their limit. They went to the glue factory…..Claimers who had an owner who did not own their own farm and lived like gypsies going from track to track. People like Sue Wallis who justify the slaughter of animals as if they are doing a service for them should be ashamed of themselves.
It`s sad that horses have to pay for human error and indulgences such as overbreeding and irresponsible horse ownership.
The racing industry is NOT the leading contributor of horses for slaughter. We are just the easiest target. BYB’s are the greatest contributor.
As for meds used in racing, it all has a “shelf life.” A withdrawl time when the substance is out of the body. Bute has a very short life in the body.
I AM pro slaughter. I work in racing. I breed one mare. I AM responsible for the horses I have bred and will breed. I will not contribute to slaughter personally. BUT it IS a needed venue. And all of the bleeding hearys need to realize that just because slaughter has not been an issue in the US for the last 5 years, horses are still going to slaughter BUT they have to endure horrific rides in trailers to unregulated houses in Mexico. I would much rather petition for heavily regulated slaughter in the US than what the horses are being subjected to now. It’s far more horrific in Mexico than it will ever be on US soil.
Thank you for writing this. It would be awesome if the racing community would not just stand up and voice opposition to slaughter, but also throw in some money to help fight against the AQHA.
While I agree more people in the racing industry should speak up against slaughter, I feel this article puts all the blame into racing alone. Like Joanne said the racing industry is not the top contributor to the number of horses slaughtered. Being in the business myself, this article made me alittle upset. There are many jockeys, trainers, owners, etc that are greatly involved in OTTB retirement, Mike Smith is the best example of this! Many racing site, such as NTRA on facebook post OTTB rescues and OTTBs in need. It seems that every time the racing industry does something good rather it be simply posting a racer needing a new home to a large fundraiser like the one Mike Smith had recently seem to go unnoticed by the public. But god forbid something bad rather big or small happen and the racing industry gets dogged out. Most tracks work with local OTTB rescues and usually host a fundraiser or benefit for them.
As for the bute thing, bute is a widespread drug used in every aspect of the horse world, name one barn/trainer that has not used bute at one point or another.
While slaughter is a very important issue to talk about isn’t the retirement of the racers just as important? I just can’t understand how any of you are saying that NO ONE in the racing industry does anything for the horses afterwards, it’s all a bunch of bs. I’m personally a member of TROTT in California and Louisiana Horse Rescue Assosiation and I also donate to TROTT in Tampa,FL and Canter in AZ. My grandfather, he’s a trainer and his boss, owner of the horses he trains give a portion or there purse winnings to Canter East and TROTT in Tampa,FL
Joanne and Britney ~ I am a racehorse owner and love this sport. In no way am I blaming racing or saying that this is a Thoroughbred problem only. This is a equine welfare issue and I am suggesting that racing come out and offer to help.
On Bute - Bute doesn’t show up after roughly 48 hours in a blood test. That is why blood tests for horse meat can’t test for contamination. The research suggests that no amount or lifespan of that drug is safe for human consumption. (Click the bold links in the article to see the research I am citing.)
Hope that helps clarify that point - I just wish racing would show its love for horses at this moment by helping unwanted horses in general to avoid slaughter as what some consider a “necessary evil.” I do not want to see ANY horses slaughtered for any reason.
Ms. Wirth, Thank you for writing this article. Our organization, R.A.C.E. Fund has been advocating for a percentage of the gross purse money to fund racehorse retirement and rehabilitation since 2004. We have also educated many horsemen about the horrific journey to slaughter and its brutality and cruelty. A percentage of the gross purse money at every racetrack that conducts live racing plus substantial contributions from racetrack management and breeders would fund racehorse retirement. Thoroughbreds needs to go directly from the track to a safe facility when their racing careers have ended. Owners that have the resources and facilities to retire their own should do so. The thoroughbred racing industry is a mult-billion dollar business nationally and the horses must be a part of that equation to ensure there is a safety net in place for them. It is doable. There is so much that could be done to ensure that a good retirement and rehabiliation program is in place at every racetrack if the thoroughbred racing industry would do the right thing and put the horses as a priority instead of viewing them as a liability. The answer has always been that there needs to be manadatory substantial perpetual funding and that funding is there in the purse money. It is a disgrace based on the purse money that is allotted each year and very little of it is going to the horses. That mindset must change. There are 3 kinds of horses when their racing careers have ended, those sound enough to go into another career, those pasture sound that can live out comfortable lives long term and those that have such catastrophic injuries and in constant pain and suffering that warrant euthanasia. The pasture sound horses have always been an especially sticking point for the industry because they do not want to pay long term care. Well it is a reality whether they want to face it or not. With substantial perpetual funding, endowments could be created as well to ensure long term funding for long term retirees. The thoroughbred racing industry can no longer bury their head in the sand about this issue and their responsibility. There are still far too many thoroughbreds ending up in kill pens across America. It is an injustice to the horses and a disgrace to the industry. Thoroughbred racing is suppose to be called the Sport of Kings but most people view it as the Sport of Shame. That viewpoint would change if the industry would step up and take care of the very fiber of the industry, the horses.
Once again the horse kissers rise to the for front without having knowledge about the true problem of excess horses both in the domestic area and the feral horse problem with the BLM mismanegment over the last twenty years. The director of the BLM is adamant about no slaughter, adoption without restrictions, (no paper work), and the placing of young horses in sanctuaries where they will spend the rest of their life in jail. 30,000 at last count. Will some one tell my why we should waste horse meat that provides good protein, free of fat, and no known diseases while millions of babies starve to death on a daily basis.I have tried to do business with the horse rescue operations that only see love, but no operating cash in the bank.Horse slaughter under federal inspection is going to happen so I say get over it.drjohn
Bute would he the least of my worries, the clenbuterol mixture being used & imported from mexico would concern me more, but then again,the feed lots feed basically the same chemical (Ractompamine, Zilpaterol)to speed up growth and weight gain. We’ve been eatingt this beef for years and nobodys saying anything about that?? People need to know what they are eating these days. Also most slaughter plants are owned by foreign countries, and those consumers will never know what they are buying by the time meat gets to their dinner plates. Just some thoughts.
Since the closure of the US horse slaughtering plants the pro slaughter groups have spent millions of dollars on paid lobbyists and propaganda in an effort to re-open slaughter facilities. They achieved a small victory last month when a few politicians held a closed door session and removed language from the 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill that would have continued to ban funding for USDA inspectors in horse slaughtering plants. This decision was based on misinformation provided by various pro slaughter and special interest groups.
Due to economic conditions every small animal rescue in this country has experienced a significant increase in abandonment and neglect cases. However, pro horse slaughter articles cite the closure of the US slaughter plants as the sole reason for equine cases. Horse owners still have the option to sell and ship to slaughter but approximately the same number of American horses have been slaughtered each year since the US plants were closed as when the plants were open. Since the slaughter option is still available, it’s ridiculous to assume that owners are starving and abandoning horses because of the location of slaughter plants. If a true relationship existed between slaughter and the number of abuse/neglect cases, the number of horses slaughtered would have significantly increased while the number of abandonment and abuse cases would have decreased.
Pro slaughter groups claim that opening plants in the US will create jobs and increase tax revenue. The last three plants in the US, all foreign owned, employed less than 200 people in low-paying positions with the majority of the workers proven to be undocumented. In one year the Beltex plant in Texas generated millions in income but paid a total of $5 in federal income taxes. This was largely due to the tax benefits offered to foreign owned corporations which is why they operated plants in the US as opposed to their own countries. The cost to the communities in which these plants resided was astronomical. Regardless of EPA oversight, regulations continued to be ignored. The plants were repeatedly charged with wastewater violations. In some areas this illegal activity caused blood products to seep into homes. The same violations take place at the Canadian slaughter plants one of which was recently closed after it was found to be illegally dumping truckloads of blood into a river. In every area in which a horse slaughtering plant existed, increases in crime, including stolen horse cases, and decreases in property values occurred.
Those in favor of slaughtering horses claim that horse flesh is safe to consume. This may have been true in the 1920’s and 1930’s before the widespread use of equine medications became commonplace. Currently, we give our horses numerous medications to keep them healthy and comfortable. One of the most regularly used medications is Phenylbutazone (bute). Bute, an NSAID, is as common to equines as aspirin is to humans. At one time this drug was prescribed to humans but was pulled from the market after causing significant health detriments including deaths due to aplastic anemia. While the US plants tested for bute, of the 140,000 horses slaughtered in 2005 only 318 samples were taken. Of these, 10% were positive for bute. More frightening is the fact that the samples were tested using the ELISA method which is a urine based test. There is no research to show how long bute or its many metabolites remain in muscle tissue which is precisely why the FDA completely bans this product from use in food producing animals. Even pet food manufacturers understand the hazards of bute which is why in the 1970’s they ceased using horse meat in their products.
Other often used arguments claim that domestic slaughter is needed in order to set a minimum value for horses and to provide an outlet for old, sick and crippled horses. These arguments are based on an opinion that some owners, who value quantity over quality, and irresponsibility over doing the right thing, should be rewarded for producing a product which has no real marketable value. In other words, they want a set financial reward for producing an unwanted or unmarketable product instead of having to incur a cost to dispose of the product. Every industry relies on demand to price a product but the pro slaughter minority subset of the equine industry wants a base price set on supply. The ‘old, sick, and crippled’ argument is negated by the consistent reporting by the USDA that nearly 95% of horses slaughtered in the US were young and in good condition.
The last of the most often used pro slaughter arguments relates to the cost of humane euthanasia and disposal of horses. The cost of such averages $350. This amount is less than the monthly cost at a typical boarding facility and is not much more than the cost to euthanize and cremate a canine. Even the cost of a low quality, run of the mill saddle exceeds the cost of euthanasia and disposal.
Slaughter is not a humane death for horses. The USDA provided proof of this when they obliged a FOIA request for documented violations which occurred at the Beltex plant in Texas from January to November of 2005. This report is over 900 pages long and cites violations ranging from issues with transporting and incomplete documentation to the inhumane activities observed throughout the slaughter process which included horses still functioning and able to feel pain when bled out and vivisected.
With animal ownership comes the responsibility to provide food, water, safe shelter, and a humane death. Common sense dictates that the larger the animal, the greater the costs. One cost that none of should have to incur is the cost of providing USDA inspectors in horse slaughtering plants. If the taxpayer funded USDA can spare millions of dollars, this money should be used to inspect facilities that produce or import products that Americans consume, not toxic products sold to unsuspecting foreign markets.
The bute study was poorly designed and does not tell us anythin other than that horses who get bute may end up in slaughter (that was pretty much a no-brainer anyway). Why didn’t they do an actual scientific study where bute concentrations in the muscle are measured after designated periods of time? More research needs to be done before anyone can come to conclusions like those that the author has stated.
i am a TB owner and in favor of slaughter as are 95% of the owners, trainers and vets I run across. We are pro-horse btw.
I am a Thoroughbred Owner and my husband is a trainer. And, neither of us believe in slaughter. I’m happy to be in the “five percent” if you are the 95 Percent. In my 5% of the population, we find homes for our horses at the end of their careers.
TOP OWNERS IN THE SPORT SHOULD Demand that slaughter can not be an option or leave the sport
The top owners in the horse racing industry should take a stand together and demand that the industry in which they participate in to please stop allowing the athletes in this sport from going to slaughter. We are asking them to please form a coalition with one another and demand that this change is made or to walk away from a sport where horses are killed each and everyday.
Last year as I sat and watched Marylou Whitney receive the Award Of Merit at the Eclipse Awards I soon realized as a horse racing fan that what horse advocates as myself have been fighting for is much bigger than we could ever have imagined. It will take the racing industry and people like Marylou Whitney who are involved in this industry to stand up for what is right. The horses in this sport must be recognized as athletes and not just animals or a commodity. There must not be even ONE more horse taken to slaughter or we have failed not only the horses but ourselves and all of those that love this sport.
There are alternatives to slaughter and they MUST be met. Second careers for those that are healthy enough and euthanasia for those that are not. More and more top owners in this industry have started to speak out against the situation that horses are placed in when their careers are over. We should be asking them why they would want to be part of a sport that allows this to go on? These cries and demands can not be ignored any longer.
The racing industry only cares about the top owners that keep this sport strong and alive. The top owners can no longer hide behind the fact that they take care of and make sure their horses are not put in these situations. They are the ones that are responsible when their horses fall into lower level tracks and are sent to slaughter. They are the ones that are responsible when ANY horse that is sent to slaughter. Without the top owners in this industry, the owners that do send horses off every single day would not even exist.
Big talk about programs and surrender stalls at tracks simply don’t get the results needed when horse welfare advocates continue to find horses dumped and on the way to slaughter day after day. The trainer claiming the horse was turned over to a person that he or she thought would give the horse a good home seems to be the number one way to get out of responsibility for the fact that the horse is sent to slaughter and processed for human consumption and sent to other countries. This is NOT acceptable.
What will it take for this situation to be fixed? How many more will die an unimaginable death? Horse slaughter is an ultimate betrayal of those who so trust and love us. Bred over the centuries for speed and strength, they are highly intelligent and sensitive horses who bond quickly to humans. It is this intelligence and bonding that makes them great race horses, but that bond is betrayed on the slaughterhouse floor.
I do still pray and have hope that change is on the way. I beg you to find solutions and reach out to those that can make them happen. I have talked to several owners on this list below that have agreed with me 100% but yet we still wait and in the meantime, the athletes of this sport are disposed of as if they were trash.
If these changes can not be accomplished then we should ask top owners to walk away for a sport that treats these athletes in a way that they do not approve of.
Thank you for writing this article. It has been a rough couple of weeks watching the Sue Wallis/United Horseman killing machine gain momentum. Undercover footage went viral yesterday, captured on July 13 & 14, 2011 at Les Viandes de la Petite-Nation in St. Andre-Avellin, Quebec. It exposes what a “state of the art” facility is all about. You can watch this video on youtube.com, titled pasture to plate. When I watch this and see the horror of slaughter I am proud to be in the 5% of the population. I thank God that I do not have the mindset that thinks slaughter is humane and the only solution. I am also pro-horse by the way but thankfully with a whole different set of eyes and heart.
Thank you so much for this article. I especially liked that you pointed out that if racing had spoken up with the same gusto as pro-slaughter folks, the mainstream media would finally have had to acknowledge that most people in racing do, in fact, love horses, believe strongly in racehorse welfare (which does not include sending them to slaughter, by the way), and work their butts off to do right by their horses when they are done racing. The fellow that suggests horsemeat be provided to starving babies is missing the point of the plants - they profit from the high-end overseas horsemeat market. Plants cannot afford to operate if they send their meat to “starving babies.” There is so much more that can be done to address the excess horse populations - caused by excess breeding by the TB industry, by AQUA, by “backyard breeders” and others, i.e., everyone who puts a foal on the ground that believes he or she has not an iota of responsibility for an end-of-life plan for that foal. If our only solution to the excess horse population is the inhumane solution of the horseslaughter plant, then we just need to work harder on this issue. There are free and low cost euthanasia options in this country and free and low cost gelding options. We need a national database of those places so folks know about them. Thank you again, Jennifer.
The silence from the racing industry is deafening. THESE PEOPLE are the ones who have contributed to the slaughter of thoroughbreds. Remember Deputy Broad? From the racetrack to the dining table in 6 DAYS! Remember No Day Off? Same thing. They sicken me and I will NO LONGER support this industry. That’s too bad because my uncle, years ago, was a trainer. However, with their silence and with them HIDING this issue, I DO NOT SUPPORT THE RACING INDUSTRY any longer! Oh, and yes, I have an OTTB that I rescued. He didn’t make it at the track and the ONLY reason he didn’t end up on some dinner table was that a rescue got him first. I have another throughbred who was on a slaughter-bound feedlot and I found her online and rescued her. ENOUGH is ENOUGH! The racing industry, with all its millions and billions of dollars, NEEDS to be responsible and support these horses who have given their all and sometimes their lives at the tracks! So there.
By the way, thank you, Jennifer, for an excellent article. I commend you and your husband for your stance on this issue. I am just fed up with the indifferent attitude of this industry.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this excellent article. Horses were never bred for human consumption. They are companion animals who contribute so much to our lives. With 92% of the horses transported for slaughter who are healthy animals who can be re-homed and retrained, this is just a travesty.
The lifting of the ban will only open the door wide open for further over-breeding, since there will be a market for those horses that don’t make the grade.
We must get the American Horse Slaughter Prevention act passed quickly. Thanks again.
Dr.john, I did not know France had starving babies or Belgium or Japan. This is where the majority of the horsemeat goes. And by the way, the rescues have no money because the govt would rather pay to slaughter horses than save them. 5 million dollars would go a long way in funding rescues, which are numerous across this country. They would be able to hire as many or more people at the same or higher wages as slaughterhouses. Why not fund rescues with the 5 milion? Oh, maybe they could build a slaughterhouse in your town. You are on the wrong side of this debate.
Look I’m not neccessarily for the slaughtered of horses but I would them be killed and their meat used for starving children then to see a horse starved to death which has happened at several of these rescue operations so it is needed there are too many horses to just feed until they die naturally plus vet bills if the meat can be put too good use then that’s what needs to be done but I don’t believe they should breed soley for slaughter
Beautifully said!
Although it is a multi-million dollar business,most race tracks are struggling. Not all jockeys and trainers are rich and famous either. The buyers(millionaires,Arab Sheiks,Holly-
wood types)should be charged a “retirement” tax for the horses.
Every time I think about it, it turns my stomach. Thank you for speaking out. I hope they don’t just listen, but act, Jennifer.
Great article! Althought there is a ton of Tb people and tracks doing things for the horses. The Jockey Club just put up funds for TB shows, som of the tracks enforce No Kill policys, Three Chimmneys, Nial Brennan, and Adena Springs Farms have rehab, training and placements for there horses. This is good start, but I agree with all the $$$ in racing there should be alot more done. At least we are trying unlike the AQHA!
As far as the comment that 95% of racing people wanting there horses to go to slaughter is complete BULLSHIT. I have been in racing my whole life and never once knew of anyone who felt this way. Besides the person who made that coment was probaly Sue Wallis or one of her supporters. She loves to come on these blogs with fake screen names an post BS, ,She is notorius for it, her and her fans. The Dr’s post is BS too. Not even worth wasting time on….
Yes, we need someone from racing to speak up. I know Nick Zito has spoken for the horses before. Who ever it is, they have to voice over the Fat Lying politician Sue Wallis.. She is a disgrace to society
Thank you, Jennifer, for such a great article.
My organization, South Florida SPCA Horse Rescue, is one of the largest, oldest continuously operating horse rescues in the United States. We are opposed to the slaughter of horses for any reason whatsoever and support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S.1176/HR.2966)for the following reasons:
Slaughter is not a humane end of life option for horses. The only humane, dignified option for end-of-life horses is euthanasia by lethal injection administered by a qualified veterinarian.
The vast majority of horses sent to slaughter are Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. They are not “old and sick.” They are under 3 years old - a product of overbreeding.
When USDA inspected horse slaughter plants were finally closed in the United States in 2007, it was because of public outrage at the horrific transport conditions and suffering of the horses prior to and during the slaughter act itself as amply documented by undercover video and USDA incident reports available through the Freedom of Information Act. In Canada, where horse slaughter is still legal, regulated and inspected by the government, horrendous abuses still occur.
Prior to 2007, when horse slaughter plants closed, horses still had to endure long trips and long periods without food or water in transports designed for cows. By the USDA’s own records, these slaughter bound horses were still deprived of food and water after they arrived at the U.S. slaughter facilities.
Since 2007, South Florida SPCA has seen no increase in the number of horses needing rescue. What we are seeing is that our horses are staying with us longer and at greater cost. This is because the economy is preventing responsible individuals from adopting from us at the rate they had in the past and the increase in feed costs due to the increase in cost of fuel to bring the feed to market and a severe, years-long drought in the Mid-West. Droughts end. The economy will turn around. These are not compelling reasons to re-open the horse slaughter industry in the United States.
Horse slaughter plants were never an economic boon or job creator for local communities. They never employed more than 180 people at their peak and these were low-paying, high turn-over jobs. The local communities received virtually no tax revenues and incurred substantial costs trying to regulate environmental problems caused by these plants.
By contrast, according to the American Horse Council, there are approximately 9.2 million horses in the United States. The horse industry in the United States contributes $39 billion in direct economic impact to the U.S. economy and supports 1.4 million jobs on a full time basis. When indirect and induced spending are included, the industry’s economic impact reaches $120 billion. The horse industry in the United States does not need horse slaughter to be profitable.
Despite the public and the media being misled by half-truths, lies and damn lies being promulgated by the slick, well-financed, pro-slaughter lobby, Americans by a wide margin, do not want their tax dollars to subsidize companies that produce a tainted, toxic product that they find abhorrent.
And, finally, a couple of personal comments. I know many, many people in the TB racing industry - owners, jockeys, trainers, vets. The TB racing industry, Horsemen’s Benevolent Association, the Florida TRAC program all support us. This 95% of TB racing people being pro-horse slaughter is pure and utter fabrication.
And, finally, an admission. I kiss horses!
I very much enjoyed this well written article, I could not have done better … it totally hits home. I will share, thank you.
Thank you for writing this article and as toucan see there are a whole bunch of supporters. I gave been blessed with retired racing athletes (thoroughbreds) through rescue and found the ones who crossed my path to be wonderful companions.withal the money they make for their owners, trainers, jockeys, tracks, vets and everybody affiliated there should be some money given back for retirement and denomination g these great athletes. There are people who may be satellites for rescues, foster homes, etc. Who would help retrain and find homes for these animals. Surely those who could not if.d homes could be euthanized as a last resort but there are plenty of options other than slaughter. And to the so called Dr. Horse meat doesn’t go to feed starving children. Its a high end meat. Thanks to all who support the anti slaughter bill. This bill has facts to back it unlike the pro slaughter campaign. Lets stick to factual information instead of outright lies of the pro slaughter camp.
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