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We try not to rip our shows directly from the headlines of the papers we read, but some stories — like Saturday's Oregonian article about efforts to bring back the slaughter of horses — are simply too juicy to pass up. So, with a grateful tip of the hat to our print cousins, here we go.
At issue is how to deal with what some people see as a glut of horses. Tribal groups, who say that wild horses are hurting salmon habitat, are considering slaughtering horses for pet food. And some horse owners, who warn about an unmanageable glut of unwanted horses, want Congress to once again let the USDA inspect horsemeat for human consumption. (Most likely the meat would then be sold overseas.) At the same time, animal rights activists say that the real problem on public lands in the west is cattle, not horses — and that public sentiment, as evidenced by a recent House vote, is squarely against equine killing.
This isn't the first time that the local eating (or killing) of horses was part of national story. A Time Magazine article from 1951 pointed out that horsemeat was on the rise in Portland:
Horsemeat, hitherto eaten as a stunt or only as a last resort, was becoming an important item on Portland tables. Now there were three times as many horse butchers, selling three times as much meat. In the Portland markets, horse sirloins are 35¢ a pound, while beef is $1.14; horse tenderloins 45¢, compared to $1.95-$2.15 for beef. People who used to pretend that it was for the dog now came right out and said it was going on the table.
Times have obviously changed, and the most likely markets for horsemeat are overseas, but does this 50-year-old economic rationale still hold sway? Would you serve your family a horse pot roast (add more onions and fewer carrots, cautions Time, because the meet is naturally sweeter) if you could save real money at the grocery store?
If you eat other meat, but blanch at the prospect of horse, what's behind your disgust?
If you're a rancher, or a rider, or a horse enthusiast, what's the best way to handle horses — on public or private land — that no one seems to want?
Tagged as: food · horses · tribe
Photo credit: Paco Calvino / Flickr / Creative Commons
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Tom D Ford:
Well said!
Paul.
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EXCUSE ME? Unless you a Native American, YOU are the invasive species who doesnt belong on public lands. What goes around, comes around - good luck in your next life. What a loving person.
While my grandparents were immigrants, I was born and raised in Oregon and the wild horses are the spirit of Oregon's magnicent high desert.
What a loving person.
--- Thank you to the US and local Humane Societys for their wonderful work and to whisperingwinds ---
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Sorry...even "the natives" walked here from somewhere else. They just got here a lot sooner than our relatives. Man is the invasive species....who is trying to grow into responsibility for his actions.
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This is too late but what was in the back of my mind and I left out, is that there are native animals who need to have their range back, antelope, deer, sage grouse, rabbits, lizards, and every other animal and bird that naturally ranges over that land.
Around 1900 Eastern Oregon was grasslands all the way from the east side of the Cascades to well past the Idaho border and very little sagebrush and junipers. Then the settlers came in and overgrazed it and put out the range fires that kept the sagebrush and junipers at bay. And so all of the native animals that could have been shown in delightful documentaries just like the feral horses got to star in, well, all those native animals were essentially wiped out. Just imagine high desert native grasses, anywhere from a foot to three feet high, instead of sage and juniper, all over that land, gently waving in the winds and breezes and supporting wild animals that belong there. That was what was on my mind when I wrote about getting rid of the invasive feral horses.
Wild horses are beautiful in their native habitats, but the US public lands are not where they belong, antelope, deer and the rest of the native animals belong there and deserve to have some of their range back.
Respect for the native animals, that's what I'd like to see. I don't hate horses, I just think they ought to be kept out of places where they don't belong.
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That is the most ridiculous comment I have ever seen, Mr Ford. First, we don't raise our horses for food. Times have changed. Second, it has been proven over & over again that the horse is indigenous to this land - America. Prehistoric bones can be dated back centuries.
As a large horse rescue facility we see the increase ONLY because of the economic times. Thanks to our wondeful government and the stimulus packages that were suppose to create jobs, more people are losing them. As they lose their jobs they have to make decisions, and eating horsemeat isn't one of them. Only a soul-less person would say that.
Third -- The Federated Tribes aren't above the federal law, despite claims. To open a slaughterhouse they need federal inspectors and that is currently illegal. They can get around that for pet food, but there is no demand for horsemeat by the pet food industry. The plant in Texas tried to stay open for that, but was unable after only a couple of months. If this tribe currently wanted to sell horses off for slaughter they could run them to a currently operating killer buyer tomorrow. A very pro-slaughter vet, Doug Corey from the "Unwanted Horse Coalition" is from this area and stirring up the fear.
And, finally, one of the major contributors to this situation are the backyard breeders and the big ranches. Economic hardships are controlling whether someone can afford the extra expense of a horse. Breeders hoping to make a living in this market are closing down their ranches. Perhaps if people quit breeding for a while things would be a little better.
As for the wild horses -- here your ignorance shines through. If you had educated yourself in anyway, rather than listening to media propoganda, you would find that there are not as many wild horses on the range as stated. There is documentation to prove this, but fighting the government is a constant battle.
Mr Ford, if you are so pro the French and their tastes, I suggest a move in your near future
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Whisperingwinds,
Thanks for your passionate comments.
You mention in response to Tom D. Ford that only a "soul-less person" would eat horsemeat as a way to deal with hard times. Setting aside the other questions you brought up — like federal law, and the number of horses in the wild — how is eating a horse different from eating a cow, a pig, or a chicken?
In other words: is someone who eats such "standard" American livestock equally soulless?
Dave
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People make their choices as to whether they want to eat flesh or not. However, there is a huge difference - we raise cattle, pigs, chickens, etc., for consumption. Horses are the foundation of this country. They were used to deliver mail, pull wagons and stagecoaches across America, took soldiers in to battle. They are America. We continue to destroy all that is heritage and foundation. We have lost sight of too many of our traditions, ethics, and morals. I'm sorry, but eating a horse is like eating our dog, or our cat. We regard them as companions, and raise them as such. If you are so inclined, check out our current petition. You can hear the voices from people around the world.
This petition is only a few days old, but you'll get the idea. It's not just wild horses, but horses in general. Read the comments.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/speak-up-for-the-wild-horses
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Yes, horses were on this land thousands of years ago. Isn't it fun to study history--many of the found bones show tool work, so one could conclude that the reason horse were missing between 10,000 years ago and when the Spanish let some go is that they were all hunted and then eaten for food. There is no continuous record of horses in North America for thousands of years.
Then there was the rise of the people who walked when horses came to the Plains. The males were culled, as one kept the best to bred or ride and when they couldn't work, they were food.
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Horse slaughter is nothing but cruelty. The fear and stress alone that horses experience is terrible. Many are injured and killed just being transported to slaughter plants.
There is no excess population of wild horses on our public lands. The BLM has not done an accurate count . There is an excess of cattle ,however ,with at least 6 million allowed to over-graze and ruin riparian areas as proven by a Government Accounting Office study done in 1990.
I imagine it's cattle and sheep on Native American land that have done the damage there as well. If they have an excess of horses it's because they have allowed this to happen and are not being responsible horse owners. They could get help from the Humane Society of the United States to give mares PZP. As much as horses have done for Native Americans I am very disappointed that any of them would consider killing their horses . This is surely against their culture and only for greed by some who are being used by white men once again.
Horses have helped settle this country , gone to wars and continue helping people in many ways . Lately they are being used for physical and mental therapy. They are classed as companion animals by the FDA even. They are not livestock and are very sensitive and intelligent.
Horses are a native species that were reintroduced by the Spanish. This can be proven by DNA studies that trace horses back 57 million years in America. Equus orginated on this continent.
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Barbwire:
Is all slaughter cruelty? We have standards for animal handling and transport, and many horses are used to being hauled around.
Do you know about the incredible damage being done by horses to western rangelands?
This damage is not being done by sheep or cattle, but horses. The sheep and cattle are managed, the horses are not.
The US spends a lot of money each year feeding horses untile they die. My taxes pay for that. meanwhile, people go without meat because it is too expensive.
I suggest you do some research and use logic instead of emotion in your commentary.
Sincerely,
Paul.
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I'm a horse lover and owner but I do not believe we should support feral horses (which is what they are) on public lands. While I don't believe we need to wipe them out, we need to greatly reduce the number on public lands and manage them. Every horse rider knows what horses do to land--breaking down soil and causing erosion, fouling streams, etc.--you can't have a lot of them in the mostly arid west without destructive consequences. We need to support the real native species of wild sheep, elk and other grazers who cannot compete with aggressive horse and burro herds. Additionally, those who think it is inhumane to kill and cull feral horses--take a look at the BLM horse facility outside Reno NV. Hundreds of miserable, hot horses standing in the dust, crushed together, with nothing to do, waiting for owners to step in, which mostly doesn't happen. It is a hideous way to treat living things, looking more like a concentration camp than anything else. This is not the BLM's fault--they are following the law. We manage the wildlands, we manage deer, elk and other large herbivores. We cannot afford overgrazing, habitat destruction and making horses suffer by rounding them up and putting them in pens. Yes, horsemeat is useful, particularly to people who are in desperate need of protein. Stop the sentimentality and start really caring and thinking! Mary Frances Campana, Corvallis OR
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Wouldn't the easiest solution be to reintroduce predators like wolf and cougar to reestablish an overall balanced system?
On the other side, I'm sorry but, if a person eats meat, then horse is a reasonable food source as long as the slaughter is managed humanely. The mongols are a horse-centric culture, and they eat their horses. If people want to make a distinction between cows, sheep, chickens and horses because horses are not raised as food, then, what if they were raised solely for food? Would it be OK then?
The "pet" status, and therefore the food taboo is recent and cultural. For thousands, if not tens of thousands of years, horses were a primary food source for human hunter gatherers world wide. If we want to be sentimental and historic then we SHOULD eat them with reverence and thanks.
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I have eaten horse meat in France and it was great. I would buy it from the supermarket and would actually feel better about saving the environment by eating an unwanted animal that can destruct rangelands than one that was raised just for meat.
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Portland once had great horse meat markets. I raised beef and horses then when I read the classic Reed College cookbook "The Starving Student" which gave addresses of horse meat markets. Lewis and Clark ate horse. It isn't just the French! Folks that say we don't eat horses haven't really known their own history!
The meat tastes much like elk.
I consider all the animals I raise as pets. But they are meat animals. The culls are eaten. Yes, I sell goats (a smarter animals and more pet like as they can live in a house) and sheep, plus have chickens. Horse is a missing element in my diet that I once used extensively as a nornal Oregonian.
The logic is do you eat any animal or all...there is little to dance between them. I'm an omnivore--as are we all--with a large garden and I eat meat at least five meals a week. That is moderation. I want horse back as an option.
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Hey if your a meat eater what should it matter what kind of meat your eating. A slaughter house is a slaughter house in my opinion whether it's cow, poultry or horse. I think it is all sick.
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Any process done for you--banking, investing, slaughter, sushi preparation, cooking of rice--that is not done in a caring manner can make you sick. We need care in processes, not marginalization to the "unclean" to do such work no matter what it is in our life. When we separate ourselves from production of goods, we get sweat shops and all that. Caring and knowing what is done in our names is our responsibility, not something we can hide from. On all topics, not just food.
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@ FarmerMike — Tue July 21st 9:45a.m.
"Any process done for you-..."
Hear hear!
A rare and very wise post.
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If conservation biologists take a look at this issue and recommend that horses be killed, then it is probably worth trying. If horses are killed it would be a shame to not eat this truly local, pasture raised and healthful source of protein. Burgerville should get a contract to sell locally raised horse burgers.
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Right on!
After all, horse biscuits and road apples are widely available, just watch any parade after the horses pass.
So why not offer lean meat horse burgers, as a healthier choice than fat laden beef burgers.
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As far as the suggestion that the wild horses be slaughtered and sold for meat...when gelding the stallions to control the population would be far more cost effective and humane, I cannot fathom where that line of thinking begins and ends. Let's not forget we share the planet with other species who have decreasing domain. It is in stewardship and respect that we thrive and evolve. There are those of us who care for rescue horses who would gladly donate time and effort in the round-ups required to do the geldings. Horses are highly sensitive creatures that are not a reasonable food choice for evolved societies where agriculture and education exist. They willingly bend to our requests and tasks when asked with kindness and are truly clean transportation, would that there were avenues still available and time for such a way of life. Difficult for a fast driving, pollution-spewing nation to consider... Why not add horse slaughtering to the proud list of American cultural legacies...
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"They willingly bend to our requests and tasks when asked with kindness and are truly clean transportation,..."
Yeah, just imagine NYC before automobiles were invented, the sights the sounds, the smells, the watching where you step because of all the road apples and horse urine in the streets in the hot summer weather. There's your "clean".
And I've camped in the mountains where horses have devastated the camping areas with poop, such that you have to be very careful where to pitch your tent and filter your water. I say no thanks, to horses in wilderness areas, I prefer "shanks mares", walking on my own two legs.
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Come on people! There are other options. There is not just the to slaughter or not to slaughter line. There needs to be more stringent guidelines for breeding--so not every person who wants to be a backyard breeder gets to do so. We are so obsessed about losing our personal rights that we are unwilling to inact laws that will protect animal welfare and in the long run are better for people too. I live next to a backyard breeder and those horses are not responsibly bred.
In some European countries--there are more strict breeding guidelines. They are dealing with less space to deal with horses and want to make sure the horses that do come into the world are wanted and have a good conformation. I think we need to apply spay/neuther laws to dogs, cats & horses, then it won't come to this where the innocent ones are euthanized.
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That's why I agree with the lady from the horse farm. She' advocating giving lots of different options. Breeding controls are also a great way. But it still doesn't address the problem of too many horses now - or what to do with feral horses (yes - also different issues)
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There are several realities here. One, horses still go to slaughter, they just get hauled a lot farther than they need to and they go to slaughterhouses that are not regulated by us.
We have an overabundance of horses, both domestic and feral, and rescues simply can't keep up with them all. We can euthanize all of them, but that's going to be introducing more chemicals into the environment than we need to, as rendered, euth'ed horses are turned into fertilizer and other products.
Why not have slaughter here in the US, in well-regulated plants, and rather than get paid to drop your animals off, you pay a small fee? If you need assistance, then perhaps have vouchers or pickup available to you. Implemented properly, this can help reduce the number of BLM horses unwanted in pens, it can reduce the number of horses set loose because they can't be cared for anymore, and can reduce the horses that end up starving in their pastures because their owners can't feed them anymore.
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This won't affect us in the Oregon Kosher community at all I can tell you that! Even if it is legal to sell horse meat in the US I do not think it will catch on like in France, etc. It's just something that most Americans would not buy.
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I would eat horse meat, for sure. It is leaner and sweeter in flavor.
As to the argument that horses are America is a bit of oversimplification. I think we can all agree oxen was the burden animal of choice for pulling wagons. And the US Army FED horses to the troops, in several different conflicts in our past. As recently as the 60's horses WERE raised for food.
I grew up on a farm and I had horses and rode them for work. I cared a great deal for my horses and yes, I would eat one that I rode if the horse became unusable.
Just my opinion. I would rather see horses be utilized rather than starved and reported on the evening news.
BTW - scientifically speaking the pig is smarter than the horse. Just sayin'.
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"BTW - scientifically speaking the pig is smarter than the horse. Just sayin'."
So are mules. Mules are smart enough to refuse to go into danger and that's why many mule owners ride them.
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Too many horses are bred each year. Over 50,000 thoroughbreds are bred each year and probably just as many quarter horses and then add in all the other breeds. Breeders should be required to pay a small fee ($300.00 or so) which would go to a state administred fund. When a horse is no longer wanted the current owner could have a vet out to humanely put down the horse and the state fund could reimburse the vet and pay for disposal.
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What currently happens to foals that don't make it through the sorting process for race horses?
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The problem with allowing the slaughter of horses for meat, is that you develop a market for horsemeat. Then you end up raising them for meat. I want to hear more about birth control for both wild and domestic horses.
Apple
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There already is a horse meat market in Europe where I was told horse meat is a delicacy. In the late 90's I worked as a cargo handler for a European airline at O'Hare Airport. Every weekend we shipped tons of horse meat to Belgium. I heard there was a farm/slaughter house near Chicago that just raised horses for meat. A year or two after I left the job, the airline laid us all off, I read an article in the Chicago Tribune about how neighbors of a horse farm complained and it was closed.
Those horses were specifically bred and raised to be meat that was highly valued. I don't know if wild, elderly or ill horses would produce the same quality of meat.
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It's "un-American" to eat horses? That's an argument? Seems a bit flimsy to me. We eat other barn yard animals and I see no reason why a horse can't be consumed also. It is a cultural stigma such as being "un-American" that prevents a logical approach to this situation that may include slaughter for consumption. I'd rather see something go to use than wasted.
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Oh for goodness sakes! This Humane Society fellow is making up his history as he goes.
And by the way, the so-called Humane Society is anti-Nature, they advocate catching feral domestic cats, spaying them and then turning them loose again to hunt Federally protected songbirds and other lawfully protected small animals. And now they are advocating the anti-Nature practice of keeping the invasive and destructive feral horses on public lands where they absolutely do not belong and where they cost the public many millions of taxpayers dollars.
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What are the other options? Horse rescues are full.
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I think that people ought to be able to raise horses specifically for human consumption, breeding them for quality of meat just like any other food animal. I imagine fattened up and well marbled meat, filet mignons, veal equivalents, and all the rest of the cuts available in other types of meats. Horse jerky ought to do well as they say it is lean meat anyway, so that is an option.
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It is logically fallacious to argue from positions of cultural norms, sentimentality, etc. It is also logically fallacious to argue about the methods of slaughter, the mental stress on the horse, etc.
So, please stop it. It does not matter what France does, it does not matter if horses helped build America, and it does not matter if you think all Americans should eat apple pie on the back of a horse on the way to a baseball game. It does not matter if horses can be equated with dogs.
Arguing that some slaughter houses are awful is ridiculous. Some does not mean all or that slaughter houses must be awful.
Arguing that horses are equatable with dogs is ridiculous. We do kill dogs. A lot of them. Humanely, but do nothing with them.
The only real question is: are there really too many horses? If there are, then you have to manage them the same way, for instance, deer, dogs, and cats have to be managed.
Everything else comes out in the wash. We will kill them humanely, and if no one wants to eat them, fine. We will just throw the bodies away like we do with dogs.
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To say eating horsemeat is unAmerican is a strongly elitist statement. Eating horsemeat has usually been an issue of poverty. I ate horsemeat as a child in the late 1950's. Sometimes it was the only protein in addition to eggs we could afford. I don't want to return to this practice myself, but I do understand it might supplement meager diets for some. Gingere
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Oh my goodness! I can't believe the one commenters (Chris?) statements about the 'offal' building up in the community in Texas with the horse processing plant and where they couldn't take care of it. What happens with all of the beef/ pig / lamb / etc. processing plants all thoughout this country? Somehow we manage without 'blood coming up through the toilets'!
We are not talking about anything new. This is something that can be managed humanely in the US. Definitely much more humanely than cramming horses into trucks going to Canada & Mexico without food and water. How humane is that?!?!
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Seperate out the emotionalism and take lessons from 4-H and FFA programs where kids hand raise animals to show in County and State Fairs with the full knowledge that those animals will be sold at auction to be used for human food.
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While I love horses - I have eaten horse - in Italy. While on the farms in rural areas there - it was my impression that it is a relatively common practice when the horse reaches the end of its life.
I don't agree with your representative from the human department on a couple points - but mostly in his comparison of horses in the same category as pets. Horses haven't been traditionally companion animals in the same way that a cat or dog have been. Traditionally, they were companion *work* animals that helped us settle the US. Growing up on a midwest farm, my memories are of horses was as work and transportation animals - as well as great animals. But they were not the same exactly the same as a dog/cat - even traditionally.
Also, I don't agree with him that just because there isn't an adequate infrastructure now, or that cities like Kaufman ran into trouble because of poor waste practices, is an argument against allowing slaughter as an option. Those horror stories are failure of individual regulatory and owners - not the practice. I can always find ways in which any system has failed over time due to individual neglegence.
As for slaughter houses, I would argue it's far more likely an animal will get hurt being trucked thousands of miles than just a few hundred. Also, he discounts the fact that we *can* create these kinds of humane systems. Does he really believe it's not possible in our modern world for us to properly address the humane concerns and that we're somehow incapable of doing a study and implementing good practices?
Finally, there needs to be a method to handle unwanted animals - especially overpopulated horses or those roaming free/wild as our native Americans are pointing out. When many unwanted animals, or animals with no natural preditors begin to grown in population uncontrollably - then you can end up habitat distruction, disease becomes much more likely - and that spreads in those animals and to other animals (such as what's happening to the wild goat population in eastern oregon). I was witness to this kind of overpopulation in the midwest with the deer population - and ultimately it was hunting that had to put that in check.
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Forgot to add - and isn't both PETA and humane department the largest euthenizers of these cats/dogs in the US?
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Speciesism. What makes horse slaughter any different than cow slaughter? Neigh?
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There is something going weird in the OPB signal over here in Bend, the signal changes from side to side and sounds clear and then echo-like. This has gone on for several days, so Dave, will you tell the OPB Engineers about it, please? Obviously I don't know if it is just from the Bend transmitter or originating in Portland.
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Will do. Thanks for the heads-up.
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Thanks.
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I'd add that I thought it was my receiver but KLCC doesn't do it, so I figure it must be the OPB signal.
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Maybe horses should be getting social security benefits just like humans.
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The questions really seem to be how can we humanely, responsibly terminate a beloved horses life and what are the sensible, most useful disposal possibilities.
'Surplus' horses often find useful roles and good lives. Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Bend, OR has rescued many horses and young human lives by pairing them in meaningful manners...there are possiblities, if you look.
Dedicating more BLM lands to the wild horses is absolutely feasible, however gelding the population is also necessary.
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Please ask the BLM guy how many feral horse lovers actually come out and look at them? How many take one home and take personal responsibility for it and take it off the public tax rolls?
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Why not consider setting up a private corporation like Public Broadcasting and let feral horse lovers donate as much as they want to house and care for feral horses? Then they will have to put up or shut up, and my tax dollars will not be confiscated to support their bad habits.
Hmm, good idea. The Public Feral Horse Corporation, PFHC. Yeah, I like it. Each state can have their own version. They can ask for horse industry Corporate advertisers to "underwrite". And they can ask for money in PSAs in horse lovers magazines.
That would put the responsibility where it belongs, in the hands of feral horse lovers.
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Humane slaughter houses can be built and Temple Grandin can be consulted for how to do it.
This Humane Society guy is just fear-mongering!
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Anyone who has seen a slaughter house knows it is far from a humane place. I horrible painful and frightening end for an animal that was once a faithful companion, worker and your responsibility. Horse owners need to take responsibility for their animals as parents must for their children. Slaughter is an inappropriate way to end their lives. When our horses get too old to be useful and and otherwise unable to live comfortably we have them euthanized and bury them on our property. The barbiturates used are not poisonous. The death is quick and painless. It costs little for a farm call and a backhoe to dig a hole the whole thing is a $100! I would never send any horse to slaughter. There are better humane ways to handle their deaths.
Mark Yerby
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Euthanized?
A .22 Long Rifle Hollow Point in the forehead just off center provides instant death and is the well worn method used on cattle. So, a quarter for the bullet and then the backhoe or the slaughter truck, your choice.
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If someone can't afford to do the right thing by their pet, which includes the animal's entire life, (yes, it's a commitment!) then they shouldn't have the pet in the first place. I've seen dogs and cats at the Oregon Humane Society that have been brought in for many reasons, and one of the worst is "too many animals in the house". DUH, why did they get more then? I think it's all a matter of follow through. I can't believe that lady (Jackie?) saying that she had three horses, one of which she reared from a baby, and she can't afford to have them humanely euthanized and cremated properly. In my opinion, there is NO excuse for that. What are these people thinking?
Can't afford to take care of aging parents or sick children? Next we'll have Soylent Green!
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I think Kelley is right, all slaughterhouses are sick. If someone thinks they need to eat the horses because of the economy, they should really try vegetables and quit raising animals they can't afford to take care of properly.
Having a pet is a lifetime commitment. If you can't make that commitment, which includes the end of life (humane euthansia and cremation in this case) then you shouldn't have the pet. The woman with the three "beloved" horses she'd had all their lives but is going to send them off to a slaughter house because it's too expensive to have them cremated is shirking her responsibility.
If you can't afford to take care of your elderly parents or buy medicine for your sick child, what's next? Soylent Green?
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David and Emily, thank you very much for the opportunity to be a part of the on-air discussion of this important issue. I live and breathe horses, and understand the the emotions that drive the anti-slaughter movement.
However, what the HSUS/PETA folks fail to offer are humane and responsible alternatives and options for unwanted horses throughout the U.S. and here in our state. The dedicated Oregonians who operate horse rescues are full to overflowing and crying out for financial support. If the Humane Society of the United States contributed just $1 million of its approximately $125 million in donor dollars to horse rescues in Oregon, imagine what a difference it could make!
Unfortunately, we didn't have time or opportunity during the program to ask Mr. Beckstead about the resources available through HSUS in Oregon for horse owners who need help feeding, caring for or re-homing their animals. Perhaps he will read some of the comments on this forum and post a hotline number or a link to some paperwork that folks can use if they're having a tough time caring for their horses properly. A great starting point is the Oregon Horse Welfare Coalition--but sadly, it appears that most of the 10 rescue facilities listed there are full, some with a waiting list. Two of the rescues say they can only take in new horses if they get some more funding, or if they can locate additional foster situations.
This morning's on-air meeting was a great opportunity for the horse industry and the HSUS to start working together to address the unwanted horse issue. The biggest problem for some folks in the industry is the lack of funding. The HSUS is a huge funding resource. Hopefully, today's Think Out Loud discussion will shed some light on areas and angles where the HSUS can support the horse industry in Oregon, and do the things it says it is willing to do!
Respectfully,
Stephanie Duquette, Hermiston, OR
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I appreciate your contribution on this and I wish you well with getting it resolved in the best way for all concerned, you and your industry, feral horse lovers, taxpayers, nature lovers, horse meat lovers, etc. It is a hard thing to love something and be realistic about it and I believe that you have a realistic caring view about what you love, live, and breathe. So, thanks.
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I was a little disturbed listening to this conversation on OPB this morning. After hearing the latest news that Califonia, due to its budget crisis, is cutting billions of dollars on education and medical services and even letting many inmates out of prison early, we are arguing about horses's rights and whether it is okay for us to eat the horse meat.
When even the basic human rights and needs are not met, can we seriously spend our energy, money and time on animal rights? I am an animal lover but don't think they are equal to or above us.
And, unless you are a vegetarian, how is a horse different from cow, pig, chicken or other farm animals that are eaten?
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I recently had the opportunity to travel in Iceland where they eat almost anything that moves out of necessity. While politically sensitive to whaling pressures (most Icelanders justify the whale they're eating by saying it was caught in a net) there is absolutely no problem at all with eating horse meat. it struck me how culturally embedded this whole discussion is.
But, I think the discussion is being mischaracterized by appealing to euthanasia, old horses, and so forth. I really believe we should look for humane ways to help these animals out of misery much as we would any pet.
But make no mistake about it, when it comes to consumption of horse, based on my read of the menu in Iceland, it's not a grizzled old arthritic mare on the menu. It's young foal being cooked up and served on a plate for all of its youthful, fleshy tenderness.
If Americans realized that allowing horse consumption would lead to raising young horses for slaughter like veal, would we be okay with it?
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I personally would not eat horse meat. However i dont see the a difference between eating cow meat and horse meat. We also train bulls for rodeos but nobody says we should not eat cow meat. Yes horses are seen to a certain degree as man's 2nd best friend, but in other countries people eat dogs.
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Using horses for food: If Mr. Ford would like to eat horse meat, I believe it's legal for him to kill his own horse and use it for meat. One well-placed shot to the head is infinitely more humane than sending a horse to a slaughter house. Horses have a very high flight reaction compared to cows, and often end up being severely injured before finally being killed. You can easily find videos on line of horses being slaughtered.
I agree with one of the writer's that we are too removed from where anything we consume comes from. All the factory farming we do of chickens and hogs ensures that the animals suffer long before they are slaugtered for food. Slaughterhouse violations are not uncommon in this country either - I was disgusted by the slaughterhouse in western oregon a few years ago that kept cutting cattle up while they were still alive. Horse slaughter is big business - it is not done with 'care'.
I own 2 horses and also care for 30+ horses at a boarding stable. These animals are all certainly companion animals. Horses are kind animals and will try really hard to get along with humans. We teach them to overcome their natural fear as prey animals and trust us. My horses are my responsibility; I would never send them to slaughter in order to make a couple hundred bucks (or sell them at auction where they may end up in the same place).
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Horses are not raised in the US for slaughter, the slaughter industry has previously benefited from the equine world because of a need to dispose of unwanted horses. Hundreds of thousands. Many of these horses are the product of racing, Premarin farming, specialized breeding, and backyard breeding. I am without question opposed to horse slaughter. As a country, it seems, many feel the same way. This issue has plenty of emotion and arguements on both sides. If, with the elimination of horse slaughter in the US, created a large amount of unwanted horses, we should not seek the easiest option, but perhaps the better option. If we look to industries (and this applies to many beyond horses) to be more thoughtful about their breeding practices or that animals are not by products of a pharmaceutical company's drug creation, there would be fewer unwanted animals. Despite slaughter houses claims that they can offer humane slaughter, they are not set up to handle equine processing, which is more specialized with a longer necked, skittish animal. I do not place judgement on those that wish to consume different types of meat, but using the logic that if other countries are consuming it, we should benefit , perhaps we should turn our animal shelters into slaughter houses. I know there are countries that consume all animals we consider domestic.
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Horses are a mankind induced invasive species in the US and don't belong on public lands, so I suggest letting the hunters hunt those feral horses to extinction.
Sell hunting permits and let the meat hunters eliminate the problem.
Then, their use of wild horse meat as human food will lead to horse meat generally being acceptable to the public as food and the problem of privately owned and unwanted and abandoned horses will be taken care of by sellling the meat to the public.
There will always be people who fall in love with horses as some sort of idealized companion animal but they need to requit their love by owning and taking care of their own horses and not putting a burden on the public by misusing public lands and not preventing privately owned surplus horses from being sold to the slaughter houses for butchering for either human or pet food, depending on the quality of the meat.
I considered leaving some token number of wild horses out there but could not come up with a reason why, so I just let that idea go.
I understand that the French eat horse meat, so we ought to learn what we can from them; let's bring over experts and recipes and build a market here in the US.