A responsible horse owner would never keep more horses than he could reasonably care for. Anyone claiming that selling a horse to slaughter because there are no other "humane" options is lying.
But, common sense will tell you that at some point the horse will be sold for slaughter. Or a backhoe rented to bury it after hundreds of dollars in vet costs and time lost.
The prices for slaughter horses usually does not even cover the vet bills and transport, where a backhoe costs even more money.
For most it is not a hobby where financial losses are acceptable.
I don't think anyone wants to front an old horses home either. Like they do with successful retired racing horses.
Common sense is free. It is easy to find.
A responsible horse owner would never keep more horses than he could reasonably care for. Anyone claiming that selling a horse to slaughter because there are no other "humane" options is lying.
Ah, there's the rub. I'm not talking about responsible horse owners here. I'm talking about people who don't take care of their animals. It is more humane for these animals to be taken to slaughter than to be left to starve. Starving horses are common all over this country. It is a major concern for all horse people. We can't take them all in. There are many people doing wonderful work in horse rescue, but lets be honest here, a horse is not a dog or cat. It takes money to keep a horse correctly. Add to the problems of a large animal that has a bad attitude and you can have a real problem. I'd rather see one sent to slaughter than left in an overgrazed pasture with no care. I take care of mine until the time comes and then I put them down. But I have money and I have land to bury them. In a perfect world, everyone would take care of their kids and animals, but this isn't a perfect world and we have to deal with it as it is. Slaughter is the only humane option in some cases.