Ending horse slaughter? Not so fast...

The topic of ending horse slaughter is a huge debate inside the horse-owning community, and beyond. Some discussion boards even forbid mentioning it due to the deep division it causes amongst the members.

Many people favor a ban, because horses, unlike cows and pigs, are not raised for meat, and should be given a more suitable end to their days. We wouldn't ship our dogs or cats off to slaughter, would we?

But even among horse lovers, there are also many who are against the ban on horse slaughter. They raise important points that need to be addressed.

Estimates show around 90,000 horses were killed each year in American slaughterhouses in recent years.

In 2006, 105,000 horses were slaughtered in the USA, roughly 2,000 a week. *

What was wrong with these horses, that they ended up in kill pens?

Sometimes, nothing. There are too many people breeding indiscriminately, and supply has exceeded demand for many types. Others are "culled" from the herd for being the wrong color or gender, too short or too tall, not fast enough.

By the slaughter houses' own records, only 10% of horses processed are old, injured, sick, or otherwise unusable. *

But there are other horses that end up in the kill pen: dangerous horses that rear and flip, the unsound and lame, chronic biters and buckers, aggressive or simply unhandled.

Sadly, many horses in kill pens are aged horses who have given many miles of first rides to beginners and brought home many show ring ribbons and trophies, but somehow fell through the cracks when the rider moved up to a bigger challenge, or moved on to college, or simply lost interest.

Many people seek to rescue these unfortunate souls who deserve to retire with dignity, and it used to be that good hearted people would "outbid" the meat man for them, which essentially drove up the prices for all.

The meat man was the low bidder, and seemed to usually leave with the wild and unsafe, the lame and deformed, the ones that no one would outbid him for.

But now the bottom has fallen out of the market.

There is no more need to know the going price-per-pound in order to change an auction horse's fate. Horses that would once fetch $500 to keep them from being someone's steak dinner are now selling for as little as $25 to $50. A horse that cost you $5,000 just a few years ago, will fetch around $1,200 at auction today, if you're lucky.

In this region, at least, the market is terrible. The foreclosure rate is at record highs, along with unemployment.

Some people who were living a fine middle class life just a year or two ago, are now trying to choose between paying the utility bill or buying horse feed.

Locally, hay prices are double or triple what they were just last year, and other feedstuffs are likewise affected.

People can't sell their horses for a fraction of what they've got invested in them. The incoming auction reports are dismal.

While some have resorted to giving horses away, others may be worried that their animals might end up in an even worse situation, and be unwilling to give up. Maybe this is a lean month, but next month should be better, and we'll stock up on hay then. But as the months pass, and the horses begin to show physical signs of malnourishment, it may already be too late to save them.

I've turned down several offers of a free horse, even though we have been looking for something for the kids to ride for many months ... I'm looking for just the right horse, not the first "deal" to come along.

While not widespread, there is a disturbing number of reported cases of people simply turning their horses loose to fend for themselves. While this has been routinely done with dogs and cats, causing a huge feral pet problem, it is tragic and quite hazardous to have a loose horse herd in most communities, even the most rural ones.

The BLM used to adopt out "wild" horses that it captured, to anyone who met (or claimed to meet) certain requirements, for $125 a head. There were concerns among the domestic horse community then, of these inexpensive horses affecting the market for breeders and sellers.

Eventually BLM went to an auction-style process of accepting bids starting at $125 to sell these "mustangs" with some success.

However, these feral horses (often only a generation or two removed from the domestic life rather than descended from ancient Spanish blood) aged 6 or older are less frequently adopted than their younger herdmates, and go into long-term holding in government lots, at the taxpayers substantial expense.

Over 100,000 horses were being slaughtered in the United States and processed for human consumption. *

Until recently, three horse slaughter facilities existed in the U.S. to meet the demand for horsemeat, a delicacy in some countries.

The two Texas facilities shut down after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit Court upheld a 1949 Texas law that prohibits the sale of horsemeat. *

We've lost American jobs. We've negatively impacted the value of the horse in this country, and we've removed an option for controlling the surplus of horses without replacing it.

The state of Illinois enacted a ban on horse slaughter, shutting down Cavel International, the last operating plant in the country. *

We closed three government-inspected facilities, responsible for humanely killing approximately 2,000 horses per week.

But we did not end the slaughter of American horses.

Instead, the horses suffer days-longer journeys toward Mexico or Canada, where slaughter is not only still legal, but done without many of the regulations that provided the most humane treatment reasonably available for horses bound for the plate.

Now, tens of thousands of live horses are transported across the border to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. Horses are still being crowded into trucks, enduring hours without food, water and rest. *

By current estimates, around 1,700 American horses cross the borders into Mexico or Canada bound for slaughter EVERY WEEK.

My (often unpopular) opinion is that horse slaughter for human consumption should be legal.

After these horses are killed, their flesh is shipped to Europe and Asia for human consumption. *

Personally, I don't want to eat horsemeat on a regular basis. I'm not really even hankering to try it.

However, there is an international market for it. What the USA does not provide, will come from other sources. Banning slaughter here does not end horse slaughter -- it simply takes away our ability to make sure it is being done humanely.

The biggest consumers of horsemeat are France, Italy, Belgium, and Japan. Horsemeat, considered a delicacy, is used as an alternative to beef. *

I'm not against the concept of another person eating horsemeat. It isn't my place to judge them, and I am in support of personal freedom of choice in most instances.

Would I want to be told by another country, that we can no longer eat pork, or beef, or poultry, or fish?

Unlike the more reasonable options available for respectfully saying goodbye to a loved dog or cat, horses are not routinely euthanized due to old age.

It's a reality that stares him and others in the equine industry in the face every day: what to do with sick, disabled, or elderly horses. *

Euthanasia is not always the most difficult or expensive part.

Disposal of a 1,000 lb. animal is not simple. Many owners choose to rent or hire an excavator and bury the horse. However, some areas do not allow burial, and the costs involved may be prohibitive.

Another option is a crematorium. If you can find one within reasonable driving distance, you still have to arrange for transportation of the animal.

In our region, the costs involved in euthanasia and disposal are often in excess of $400-500.

People who cannot afford to buy hay, often cannot afford to humanely destroy their horses. With the rising prices of fuel, and renting transport if necessary, even taking a horse to auction could cost more than the horse will bring.

"First time in my life I've seen livestock that has no value," said Devin Mullet, owner of Kalona Sales Barn in southeastern Iowa. After his monthly auction in October, Mr. Mullet said, he shot 28 horses that had failed to fetch any bids. Since then, he has monitored horses coming in for sale, turning away those he thinks are worthless - often yearlings and the aged, which tend to yield less meat.

As alarming as that is, he spared them a grueling trip to a foreign slaughterhouse, or the suffering of starvation in a climate of too many unwanted horses and rising neglect cases.

* according to HSUS.org and/or other online sources