Will this complicate his plans to free up the stables used by the Central Park horse-drawn carriage operators so that a campaign contributor can develop the real estate?
Posted on 01/19/2014 2:34:06 PM PST by nickcarraway
This is a letter from Paula Bacon who was Mayor in Kaufman, Texas during the time a horse slaughter plant was in operation there. It outlines the negative economic impact the plant had on her town.
http://www.kaufmanzoning.net/mayorpaulabaconletter.pdf
That is all well and good. It is a difficult situation.
That said, why don’t you send a copy of that article to the President of Mexico where hundreds if not thousands of Horses, both local or sent from America are slaughtered every day without any Government oversight.
I was also responding to others who outlined the horrific deaths that Wild Horses experience when left to roam free.
Do you have an answer to solve that problem?
Will this complicate his plans to free up the stables used by the Central Park horse-drawn carriage operators so that a campaign contributor can develop the real estate?
I’ve seen them, back in around Virginia City. They are quite a sight, running wild as they do but most people don’t realize that when you cut through all the mystery and romance about these animals you’ll find that they live a pretty rough life. That’s the trouble with letting emotions, especially from no-nothings, make the rules instead of common sense.
my father, a farm boy that was born in 1901 on a farm in the michigan thumb said his mother fixed great chicken feet and they were delicious...back in those days, you ate every part of the animal you butchered. waste not, want not..
If they stop the slaughter of the unborn for convenience, I might be a bit impressed...
Stricter rules banning the interstate and international transport of horses for slaughter must be enacted. I have no problem with the humane euthanasia of horses even the feral bands descended from the mustang and other breeds. I have read where birth control for the feral horses has shown some success.
I don’t think we can or even should intervene too much in how wild/feral animals die. I don’t expect nature to always be sweet and gentle. But and mind this is a but if the numbers of an animal are kept artificially high because we either reduce their predators or keep the ratio of healthy to non healthy artificially unbalanced or otherwise interfere I see nothing wrong with culling the herd and killing the animal in a humane manner. But that does not mean sending them to a slaughter house. A gun shot to the head is much more humane. The meat could be used by zoos
Most of the horses sent for slaughter are not from the feral bands. If you can stomach it find the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition’s study “From Pasture to Plate” (I will not watch the videos) the majority of horses in that report were draft breeds followed by standard size domestic horses. One thing in the report by Paula Bacon was that horse thefts went down by about 34% after the Kaufman plant closed. Wasted, emaciated horses are not what killers buy for slaughter if the meat is to be used for human consumption.
The domestic horse is not a food livestock. They have been companion animals for many generations. They have daily interactions with humans which involve establishing trust and communication which enables us to train them and use them for both work and pleasure. They also have a very heightened fight or flight response and the terror they feel at slaughterhouses has been documented. I am not anthropomorphizing the horse when I write this. Vocalization as witnessed at slaughterhouses is a sign of distress in horses.
My horse had a good death and it broke my heart to see her last moments. But I was told by the vet that before I had arrived my horses heart beat had been very fast and she was showing other signs of distress. But after I got there and was soothing her she calmed down and it showed in her vital signs. My horse was given a tranquilizer before she was euthanized so she went down very easily. She was not afraid and she knew I was with her. I would no more have sent her to a kill buyer then I would send my dogs.
My input on this thread was prompted by the fact that Wild Horses suffer miserable Deaths and many Domestic Horses are sent to Mexico for Slaughter.
Personally, I have no desire to eat Horse meat or to see the Animals suffer needlessly. The reality is that people cannot afford to keep older Horses and there has to be a solution outside of abandoning the Animals to die or sending them off to Mexico.
I grew up riding Horses and owned a Palomino that had been abused by a previous owner, so I am fully understand what we are dealing with here. I am not an advocate for opening Horse Slaughterhouses in America, but the reality is that something needs to be done. Out of sight, out of mind doesn't solve a growing problem nor dies it increase the chances that these poor Animals are treated Humanely.
Oh I did not mean to zero in on you and I apologize for giving that impression. I only meant to explain my position. I agree something does need to be done. For one it would help if more people who want a horse had a realistic idea of the commitment in time and money that horse ownership involves before getting one.
I appreciate your response.
No need to apologize, this issue wasn’t even on my radar until I clicked on the Thread a few days ago.
Back in the 70’s when we had our Horse it wasn’t cheap, but it was affordable. I have no idea what it runs nowadays if you have to Board at a Stable you don’t own.
Food and Vet fees must be outrageous. Heck, our Dog needs a monthly injection and daily medication that runs us $100 a Month.
But in a cataclysm they might feed my human family
If someone did not tell you....you would think its beef...lean beef
I have eaten horsemeat from boucheries chevalines in Petionville Haiti.....it was fine.....reminded me of a longer grain elk meat.......the french of course can make it taste quite good
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