Arla Ruggles photo.
I've heard the argument that horses sent to slaughter are humanely put down before their meat is processed.
But are they really HUMANELY put down? Do those tazers really knock them out--or better yet, kill them so then they can be processed? Or are they still alive when their throats are cut, they're skinned and bled out. Do they have to stand in long lines understanding what is happening to the horse in front of them and what might happen to them next?
From all I've witnessed and heard, I believe the horses know exactly what is going to happen to them.
I believe double decker trailers are now illegal, but still the horses are crammed into trucks, where anything can happen to them on route to the slaughter houses. There's no discrimination with stallions, mares, geldings and worst of all foals all slammed in a space big enough for six horses, maybe. Horses are kicked, bitten and knocked to the ground to be stepped on by the other animals.
If a bullet was used to kill the animal, in a separate room where other horses can't see them, then maybe I wouldn't mind quite as much. The HUMANE way to put a horse down is with a lethal injection given by a veterinarian. I had to have a horse put down, and my horse was compassionately put down with loving people around. And he was suffering from colic (that's another story) But, because of the drugs, you couldn't process the horse for meat. I believe the renderers use their carcasses for fertilizer.
I went to THE Shipshewanna (sp?) Auction in Indiana. The "back lot" horses, or those to be sold to the meat people were packed into small pens with numbers on their hips. Each lot went through one by one. The only horse that was saved was by a girl who wanted a particular horse. That horse was pulled from the herd.
The scene was awful. These horses all appeared healthy to me. If they weren't, I wouldn't want to eat their meat. (even if I did want to eat horse meat, which I don't)
I hate mass slaughter of horses. But yet, I eat beef, pork and chicken. So why the difference? I guess because they are raised for food, they are not companion animals. Horses have a different relationship with us. (although there are folks who raise chickens for their eggs and farmers who raise cows for their milk. Female cows at any rate. And might keep a prize bull)
Now, we find horsemeat in packaging labelled "beef". Around the world, horsemeat is found to contain drugs from horses imported from the United States. The result? Our mustangs and wild horses, who have not been on drugs, are heliocoptered into pens and hauled off to slaughter. They're our national heritage our treasure. They're on THEIR lands. And soon, there won't be any of these magnificent animals left to eat. Except the poor domestic horses with drugs in their system. Hmmm. Bute raised children. I wonder what that will be like.
I've been meaning to write about this for a while. You might not agree with my sentements. I can listen to your point of view. Please respect mine.
Pat
2 comments:
Good article Pat. My only correction...there won't be any Bute raised children....they will be dead.
I think it's atrocious and we are also having donkey meat slipped into our beef. I remember as a young girl, my mother bought chopped horsemeat from the supermarket but it was for dog food, not human consumption. We did eat rabbit now and then also from the stores. It's true that we don't bond with cows and pigs(although many pigs are pets now) and a chucken isn't a great pet, but horses are like dogs in that they have been domesticated as friends and pets of humans. it seems barbaric to eat them--although china seems to like cat and dog meat. Okay so we are not being logical about this--but I am very close to being a complete vegitarian as I think cows and deer have beautiful eyes. Culling herds of wild horses shore be illegal--it is not necessary as they are not overbreeding like deer and the black bears often do-and even that should not be allowed. As you say, they were here first. Sorry so long but this is a pet--pardon the pun-peeve with me.
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