Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
- Posted by Robert Laurence
Last year I stopped by my neighbors’ place to see their new foal. They run a small Quarter Horse operation, and I like seeing the newborns. When I asked about the sale prices for horses, I heard this: “Lousy. If PETA hadn’t closed down the killer plants, things would be better.”
Ah, PETA. With their plastic shoes and video cameras, they are the people we love to hate. Gotta problem? Blame PETA. However, for the record, the Texas horse slaughter plants were closed by the Tarrant County District Attorney, a Republican, enforcing a decades-old law. Attributing the closures to PETA is like attributing the Defense of Marriage Act to the Taliban–sure, they liked the result, but they are hardly the ones who got it done. As long as members of the horse industry delude themselves into thinking that the slaughterhouses were closed by the animal rights movement, they will never understand why the plants closed.
So, who should get the credit–or blame, depending on one’s perspective–for the closings? Start with the horse industry itself and its heroic, romantic image of the horse. We do revel in that image, like a mare rolling in a thick patch of clover. (There. I just did it myself.) We sell horses with it. We use it to sell fly masks, tail extenders, and everything in between. We use it to lobby Congress for subsidies and tax breaks. The image is everywhere: Horses as teachers of life’s lessons to children; as friends and confidants to “tween” girls; as silent pals to roping boys; as companions into retirement; as gallant warriors and proud athletes. Name another animal that shares Olympic gold with its human.
Hollywood, too, gets some of the credit: Seabiscuit, The Black Stallion, Pilgrim, Soñ, The Pie, Flicka. Sure, the image can be fake; most stallions (and even some mares) are played by geldings. Stallion behavior in reality is R-rated. Sometimes Hollywood plays it straight: When Seabiscuit is sent off to begin his racing career, that’s a foal being separated from his actual mother, and they aren’t acting. You might have seen a hundred actual weanings, but the scene is still effective and touching
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Written by:
Robert Laurence
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68 Responses
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
what a bunch of hooey—horses have been food since time immemorial and should be classified as livestock and then if you wish to make them into pets you would be free to do so. People have gained too many opinions and found a way of
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
It’s funny how quick we were all jumping on the "lets Feel Good" Horse slaughter plants being closed, we like the US Government did it with no clear cut plan on how to handle the horse’s left behind (by the plants closure). We need to blame o
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
This has been a great thread! So many of you have made so many important and thought-provoking statements. One person so far has mentioned how tax codes affect the overpopulation issue, which leads to the slaughter question.
If someone is a hor
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
This is obviously a subject which creates a great deal of passion and I suggest that we all seem to be in agreement that horses (and other creatures) deserve better. We are just having a hard time defining better. Yes, horses are expensive.
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
I would like to repeat that I am not pro slaughter, this problem has been brewing long before slaughter was banned. I would like to see the arguing and blame game stopped and some real solutions put forth. You can bash me all you like……
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
@Julie;
The closure of the US slaughterhouses coincided with the downturn in the economy — cases of animal neglect, not just horses, increased across the board. You are attempting to blame the increase of horse neglect on the US slaughterhouse
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
kmg….have seen tons of credible news reports to the contrary, neglect and starvation has increased since slaughter options were removed. Slaughter is not convenient here, I don’t like to see slaughter anymore than you do but if you are not find
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
@Julie;
The presence and/or availability of horse slaughter plants DOES NOT PREVENT neglect. All US horse owners still have the option to sell their animal for slaughter — yet neglect continues, as it does in Canada where slaughter is le
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Suzanne, if you had read my post completely, you would have noticed that I’m not one you needed to educate. I’m against equine slaughter–by any method.
As a ranch operator who does produce beef for the purpose of meat, I am very much aware of
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Suzanne …..would love to see your info on the suffering of starving neglected horses which lasts much longer than slaughter. I am not pro slaughter but pro reducing the # of unwanted neglected animals. Remember if your not part of the sol
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Suzanne …..would love to see your info on the suffering of starving neglected horses which lasts much longer than slaughter. I am not pro slaughter but pro reducing the # of unwanted neglected animals. Remember if your not part of the sol
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
One more time, Grace, the traditional food animals plants that were designed for them and similar others. Horses are completely different from all the others. They are prey animals and have a deep rooted, hair trigger flight response that the others DO
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
If horses are treated so badly in slaughterhouses, it makes me wonder if the same people against the slaughtering of horses will still eat beef… cattle who are also not treated like royalty. In any case, I do eat beef and will never eat a horse
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
There needs to be some clarification between a breeder and producer. As a ranch owner/operator of both cattle and horses, I can only share from my own experience… A producer is obvious by the use of all females as a production center, indiscrim
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Siringo .. we would love for the BLM to leave the quality stallions on the range but their policy is to grab as many as they can, as fast as they can, during the roundups and haul them off to short term holding. Very few ever get released. One of the m
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Did all I could to close down the slaughterhouses, and am damn proud of it.
And if commodities, like your friend’s quarterhorses are to him, have suffered at market, take a look at the Bush-bred economy.
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
There are huge tax breaks for those who become horse owners this year. A person buying horses this year gets to deduct 100% bonus depreciation with no limit if he meets certain conditions. One can spend millions and deduct every penny this year. It als
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Well, KMG you missed Vet Jessica’s Point. She’s saying Yes, abusive people don’t care if they hurt&starve animals, but for any equines that ARE slh.bound for whatever reason, they deserve to have it done in a usa outlet!
 
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Jessica;
As an equine veterinarian you should know that owner neglect has NOTHING to do with the availability (or not) of horse slaughter.
It is shown time and again that people who starve or neglect their animals do so regardless of thei
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
The sad reality is that slaughter is a necessary evil for those spoiled, self-entitled Americans that think owning a horse/animal is a constitutional right. The simple fact is this: don’t own a horse if you can’t afford to treat it when it
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Thank you NATIVE 67. I agree. And I agree with the blog Author. S1176 must pass this Congress, then all of the animal advocates and rescues, and defenders of the Mustangs MUST do their best to alleviate the problem in the best way possible
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
To the person who commented geld the mustangs ,hello are you mental there are no longer enough mustangs on the open range for them to be a part of the problem ,maybe it is people like you who are the problem!For the poor lil person complaining of the e
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Dear Robert;
Well put. As a horse owner and breeder for over 40 years I find it tiresome to continually be accused of having a "PETA" or "HSUS" agenda or being an "AR" (Animal Rights) "terrorist" bec
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
i have been reading and i have 2 things that we need to look at. PMU farms have a bad reputaction but i have visited many pmu farms and have purchased my next show horse from them. the mare is not breed right away and they are kept in better cleaner ba
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Anyone that has not oewned a horse and had to deal with the expense and responsibility should have nothing to say about the matter.
It is $600.00 to put one down by the way- vet plus dead truck fee, and for those that have lost their farms in t
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Interestingly, the slaughter plant closure has made no difference n US horse slaughter. A recent government report has measured the number currently shipped to Mexico/ Canada as exactly equal to what used to go through the US plants
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Which came 1st: the chicken or its’ egg?
i went to a lg. SW auction every sat. for 20 yrs. and watched a parade of sick, Unwanted, crippled, vicious and/or terribly-conformed equines head for slaughter. So it’s obvious: people bre
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Reprehensible article that should never have been published in The Horse. I nearly vomited while reading it and am thinking of cancelling my subscription. Treating horses as disposeable shows that many horse breeders and others in th
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
This is a very interesting issue. When I bought my horses it was in the same state of mind as when I bought my dog. "You are with me till your last breath." Among my herd I have 4 horses that I do not ride because of their age or physical con
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Susan- when you own a horse you assume the responsibility so I don’t by into the can’t euthanize my horse crap because I can’t afford it – easy excuse to put the responsibility on someone else. Vaccinations, farrier, dentist, last peppermint – its a de
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
If horse owners want to dispose of their animals they should put them down humanely with a vet. A horse is never humanely slaughtered. Their back is broken they are hung by rear legs upside down then their throats slit to bleed out which ca
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
The point about the widgets is simply, why would people continue to make widgets if they can’t sell them for profit? It relates to the horse industry as the consensus is that current prices for slaughter horses do not come close to the time and e
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Well, I’m glad I can still be enthusiastic about anything at my age, but I did quote lots of facts/statistics, many of which are available through the USDA website and have been collected and collated by other groups. The auction data has been collecte
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Natalya, in response to your comments: "3) Euthanasia is not simple in some places and disposal is a MAJOR problem. Sure, in the rural west, you can pay the vet $150 bucks and the backhoe guy $75 to dig a hole — and if you don’t
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
This is the other Don (comments at 10:01). Much is made about "humane euthanasia". Any form of euthanasia is only as effective as the person applying it. Most people think that chemical euthanasia is the most humane form. Horses are individua
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Lisa,
Your enthusiasm is delightful even if you don’t seem to know the difference between fact and opinion. For the record, I am not a “pro-slaughter” advocate. I am a private property enthusiast with a need for actual facts and not mere opinio
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Lisa,
The video attributed to the Texas facility was NOT shot there. During the supposed time it was produced, I was intimately familiar with that facility and I can assure you that the video was not shot there. The stun box, etc. was not the s
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Don, all of my comments are based in reality. The horse industry of today has its head firmly planted in the sand if they think their business can be saved by a barbaric, 18th century method.
The fact is the number of horses doubled from around
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Another way to stop unwanted breedings is to put all the PMU mares at bay "STOP" PMU Breeding! The mare is kept pregnant so their urine can be used to make hormone replacement drugs for WOMEN during menopaulse!! The mares go through horrible
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
I totally agree with Natalya’s response to Liz. Owning ANY animal is expensive and needs to be address BEFORE you decide to get one. Food, shelter, vet care, farrier, time and effort even just for the ‘backyard’ pony or horse MUST be considered otherwi
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Lisa,
My comments above revolved around what is, not what ought to be. My discussion about the term “unwanted” was about the word usage, not the life and times of an animal anywhere at anytime so long as treatment remains humane. If there are in
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
The fact is, is that it is expensive to keep horses, even if you do have a good job. I yearn for the days, before the eighties when there were tax breaks for horse owners. The tax laws were changed not by the bleeding heart liberals, but a
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
The fact is, is that it is expensive to keep horses, even if you do have a good job. I yearn for the days, before the eighties when there were tax breaks for horse owners. The tax laws were changed not by the bleeding heart liberals, but a
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
I’m probably going to draw a lot of flack, but there is something to be said about the rigid controls of some European countries on just who can breed a mare, and what constitues a breeding stallion. This would take care of the backyard breedings, the
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Don,
estimates are that nearly 10% of the domestic horse population dies every year. Say there are 9,000,000 horses. That’s nearly a million horses per year. Even at a death rate half that, you would lose nearly half a million horses per year fr
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
There are three aspects that seem to be missed here and need some thought.
1) Meat processing in general is viewed as pretty repugnant by the general population, should they think about it much– even though most of us eat meat and wear le
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
My reply is to Liz.If you have no financial support to euthanised and disposed your horse you should think twise before buy one, they are not a toys! they are large anymals with tons of entellegance(somitimes even smarter then many humans)and personali
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Fact #1: I truly wish that we could lose the video of the poor gray horse. That video is over 20 years old and was made in a Mexican facility. Horse slaughter can be humane. I have been inside of 2 slaughter plants numerous times, before they were clos
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Gosh, Betty, is that the bill of goods you sold the Arkansas Legislators a few years back?
You might not be aware that Sue Wallis’ claims that if she is able to bring horse slaughter plants back to American soil, that it would create nearly 1,00
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
As Brenda said, it is not humane the way horses are processed in those plants, and that video you watched is typical of how most of the animals we consume are killed. It’s very sad, but chickens, pigs, cattle are all slaughtered in the same or si
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
This is for those of you who seem to believe the domestic horse slaughter plants were better regulated and more humane than those in Canada and Mexico. NO way.
I saw Dallas Crown in Kaufman, TX when I was helping some of my friends search for th
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Dear Bloggers,
Unwanted what? Let’s take a step back and consider:
Today, the attitude of “Live and let live,” when applied to the environment, just doesn’t work. Human population growth, urban sprawl, and natural resource development hav
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
They didn’t close people….They just moved acrosss the state lines !! So we took away the protection ,Good job there !! Geld the wild stallions HELLO – guess its to simple !!!
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
I could not have said it better myself Robert. I have spent years trying to get people to wake up and look at the realities of the industry. THANK YOU for having the guts to put it down on paper (or electrons). Euthanasia is always a
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Sorry, but Sue Wallis’ United Horsemen’s solution is nothing more than a few dressed up names for horse slaughter. Equine recycling, processing and a myriad of other "special" words, Wallis uses just to misinform. Why is there never mention o
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
In the past two weeks I have received over 2 dozen requests for donations to help mostly the wild and domestice unwanted horses. I also am now receiving requests for lions and tigers. Being an equine lover, owning two of my own, I try to co
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Another comment, we have a boarding stable, Little Wing Stable in Dixon Ca and we offer retirement care as well as rehab. Owners are not only welcome but encouraged to participate in their horses care. We welcome visitors as well and will explain our s
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
My problem with the government closing the slaughter houses was simply, they left the horse owners with little or no options as to their right to dispose of their horse. No slaughter house in the US can be as bad as the trip in crowded trailors across
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
I think this is a good thing but it will cause many years of heartache before the benefit is seen. What benefit? Stopping breeders from breeding worthless horses! the comment above about the QH breeder says it all. When breeders know that they can get
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Jeanne – Not all retirement boarding facilities are bad. I run a small (5-acre) equine retirement facility where I follow the AAEP Rescue and Retirement Guidelines. This is important to ask about when looking for a facility. Also, I allow owners to com
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
I think everyone including the author has missed the point. There is no credit or blame needed but a system of responsible breeding for the available market. That won’t happen either, so until then I prefer to think of a few days of sufferi
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Watch a video on you tube of a horse being processed at a slaughter plant and then try to tell me how humane this is. I watched as they used that bolt gun on a gray horse six times before they knocked him out. He was not dead when they moved him on to
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Well try this one
I have been searching for a decent place to board my gelding and I have visited endless farms and stables.
What I discovered is that people hoard horses and provide poor care for these animals but they are making money u
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
I believe the slaughterhouses created their own demise. They would not allow owners to look in their lots for their stolen horses, they would not allow their employees to assist owners looking for their stolen horses, they would not cooperate wit
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
My horses will never go to that "recycling" center. I’ll shoot them first. What you really mean Betty is slaughter plant. Wallis and the UOH are not fooling anyone.
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Thanks to the United Horsemen (United Organizations of the Horse) we will soon have equine re-cycling centers where the last option will be processing. Horses will first be evaluated and those not needing immediate euthanasia will be reconditione
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Owners accepting responsibility for the animal is the key. This is true of dogs, cats, and equine (as well as others). This includes care and feeding, breeding and end of life issues. Owners who assume control of their animals are the
re: Whose Credit, Whose Blame?
Dear Robert,
I think you have left out the real reason that gave the activists the public energy to close the processing plants.
Prior to the enacting of the FY2005 Omnibus spending bill Hollywood, PETA and the Animal Rights advocacy, Fun