Featured, Wildlife - Written by JD Rucker on Monday, December 8, 2008 3:41 - 108 Comments
Budget “Mishap”: Thousands of Wild Horses to be Slaughtered
UPDATE: The horses have been SAVED! New Story coming soon.
Editor’s Note: This is a feature column by TL Daniel.
Recently the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) announced plans to kill tens of thousands of America’s wild horses.
The proposal “is killing pure and simple to balance the books for an agency whose reckless management has caused immeasurable harm to a national treasure at considerable cost to the American taxpayer,” said Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute based in Washington, D.C.
BLM claims it can no longer afford to round up wild horses and confine them until it finds people to adopt them, and the agency wants to euthanize these majestic wild beauties or sell them to the highest bidder “without limitation” - meaning sell them to anyone, even if the bidder also plans to kill these horses. The BLM claims that the agency can’t “allow horses to multiply unchecked on the range without causing an environmental disaster.”
This has many people outraged. The fact that our own government recognizes these magnificent creatures as an important symbol of the American spirit, and that we need them, whether it be for labor or for presence, means that we must do all that we can to protect them.
The government issued a statement in 1971 stating: “Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; (and) that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people …”(Public Law 92-195, December 15, 1971). It isn’t surprising that once again, the government isn’t standing by the law they put in place for our wild horses.
Currently there is an online petition posted at care2 with almost 38k signatures. The goal is 50k, and it seems they may achieve their goal. However, petitioning isn’t enough. We must get the word out and make more people aware of what will take place if these animals are not adopted out. We can no longer trust the government to protect what they claimed was under their protection.
There is a land issue involving cattle ranchers and wild horses. More and more land is being bought for cows to graze, thereby giving wild horses diminishing land to roam on. So, who wins in this case? Is the government going to fight for the rights of the farmers to own whatever land they need for their cattle, or are they going to stand by a law, which they made, that allows wild horses to roam on open land freely? It seems like a no brainer to me. And because the land available to the wild horses is becoming more scarce, so will the population of this wonderful creature. We are the only ones that can save them. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame this problem solely on cattle ranchers, however, it is a growing problem and one example of the reason for their demise.
When visiting the BLM website on this issue, it appears that they are doing all they can to get these animals adopted. It has posted the next internet auction to be held in January 2009. This is good news for those who are not able to catch the auctions held in different states. The big issue, however, is WHO is actually buying these wild horses and what are their intentions? Some will say it doesn’t really matter, as long as they are taken off the lands and have a chance to live.
Others who are more aware of the potential fate of these animals say that it’s the perfect opportunity for those who want buy these horses for slaughter or for fighting, and they can buy many at a time, for a relatively cheap price with no questions asked.
Horses have never been slaughtered for human consumption in America, however, foreign-owned slaughter houses recently operated in Texas and Illinois, where some 100k horses a year were killed for foreign interests. Horses are consumed in parts of Europe and Asia, and while Americans won’t consume horse meat, we are okay with killing them for that reason.
If you ask the average American how they felt about it, they wouldn’t be aware of such practice that takes place right here in our own country. There is a reason why most Americans don’t know.
The failure of Congress to pass the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act into law means that horses are still being slaughtered for human consumption abroad, right here at home. Tens of thousands are shipped to Mexico and Canada annually, where they are killed under barbaric conditions so their meat can continue to satisfy the palates of overseas diners in countries such as Italy, France, Belgium and Japan. Additionally, without the federal law, there remains the threat that horse slaughter plants may set up shop in states that have no laws against the practice.
In 2007, the slaughter of horses on US soil came to an end when a court ruling upheld a Texas law banning horse slaughter, and similar legislation was passed in Illinois. However, in the beginning of 2008, unsuccessful attempts were made to open a horse slaughterhouse in South Dakota and overturn the Illinois ban. It is likely that pro-horse slaughter organizations will try again elsewhere in the United States, including Texas and Illinois.
While a handful of horses are purposely sold into slaughter by irresponsible owners, most arrive at the slaughterhouse via livestock auction, where unsuspecting owners sell the animals to slaughterhouse middlemen known as “killer buyers.” Despite the fact that the US plants are no longer in operation, killer buyers continue to purchase and haul as many horses as possible from livestock auctions around the country to the slaughterhouses that have now relocated to Mexico and Canada.
The suffering begins long before our horses even reach the slaughterhouse. Conditions of transport are appalling, with horses regularly hauled to our domestic borders on journeys lasting more than 24 hours. Deprived of food, water or rest, the horses are forced onto double-decked cattle trailers with ceilings so low that they injure their heads. Not only are these double-deckers inhumane, but they are also dangerous and have been involved in a number of tragic accidents.
Although awareness has grown exponentially in recent years, the horse meat trade is still relatively hidden from most Americans, and the industry wants to keep it that way. Until the US Congress passes the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act into law, show horses, racehorses, foals born as “byproducts” of the Premarin© (a female hormone replacement drug) industry, wild horses, burros and family horses will all continue to fall prey to this detestable foreign-driven industry.
(Research Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Read more about animal cruelty at We Heart World.
108 Comments
Shaan
John Woods
Wow, that is SO sad!
Alan
Sad. Yet another beast to fall to our bludgeon. I’m to blame as much as any other. But that doesn’t make it any less sad. Only with our unprecedented wealth are we afforded the luxury to feel pity for such things, and due to that same wealth are there so many things to pity.
John
I love horses. But what do you propose to do with all these horses? Them starving to death in the wild, that isn’t exactly a humane way to go either.
John
well, the budget mishap was that they did not cull the population sooner and allowed it to grow out of control. Articles like this never really get to the reason behind saving horses at all costs - there are just too many of them, like deer.
As long as the industry can find a way to make a profit by sending horses to slaughter they will continue to breed horses. What we need to do is to make it illegal to ship horses to Mexico or Canada for slaughtering purposes.
Shaan - you have no problem with slaughtering/processing these horses here as “meat” because people in other countries consume their flesh… Would you feel the same with cats and dogs as people in Asia eat them?
The crux is why are we breeding and killing animals at all? We do not need their bodies for “food” we live fine on a plant based diet. Animal agriculture is destroying the planet and is a ruination for human health. It’s time we awaken ourselves to the perils associated with animal agriculture and meat diets… better for the animals too to adapt a vegan diet.
Bea Elliotts last blog post..UNLUCKY IRISH PIGS GET TO DIE TWICE - WASTEFUL & POISONOUS ANIMAL AGRICULTURE
Nate
I agree, Shaan. Culturally, we’re in a tight spot. Our daughters have grown up asking for ponies every Christmas, and likewise, our movies have anthropomorphized horses into celebrity status. (Mr. Ed, Black Beauty, Hidalgo anyone?)
Its time to go big and go vegetarian, or go horse.
Henry Birdseye
Too bad the care2 site won’t let me sign. “Can’t connect to web page”
Chris
While the fate of horse being sold for slaughter is gruesome, what happens now that congress did ban horse slaughter houses from operations in the US? People started abandoning horses, or simply quit feeding them as they no longer had the money. Which fate is worse? Also I state this fact, the AQHA, APHA, and many other horse organizations OPPOSED CONGRESS in the legislation that banned the horse slaughterhouses……why? Just look at what is happening now. PETA DID NOT THINK ABOUT THAT, but then again PETA would want us all to be vegans and allow animals to run free.
I agree Shaan. Here in Canada the horse industry is generally supportive of horse slaughter. Horses certainly can be livestock. Generally the kind of people that argue against is are vegetarians who find they get a better reaction from “don’t kill the horses” than “don’t kill the cows”.
T
@Shaan
Do you think it’s okay for us to kill the Bald Eagle? The reason there are laws in place to protect this animal is because of what they mean to this country. We don’t eat horse meat here in American because it would be like eating dogs, and we are not hurting for meat. We don’t do it because they are a symbol of America, and America’s past. Not only are they a symbol of freedom and beauty, but they are used still today for labor and in some cases therapy, among many other reasons. We didn’t outlaw horses to be slaughtered in all over the U.S., it can still happen, and that is what this article is pointing out. It was only last year that these slaughterhouses were in use. It isn’t illegal in Canada or Mexico, so there would be no black market for horse meat, they would simply get their supply somewhere else.
There are other options for these animals. Just because someone doesn’t see a use for cats, does it mean that it is okay to kill them because someone is going to do it anyway somewhere else in the world? That is absurd to think like that. True, horses will be slaughtered for foreign interests, and if America doesn’t do it, then some other country will. But, that does not give us justification for doing it in the least bit, especially since these beautiful animals serve us to this day, and have served us throughout history, which rules out for idealogical reasons as you said. They deserve a special place in America, and it isn’t the slaughterhouse my friend.
Shaan,
Your analogy to the war on drugs is an epic failure of an analogy. Ideological reasons are more worthwhile than your shallow understanding of economics and public policy. Our American market has trivialized food acquisition for many decades now, it is completely unnecessary to destroy these wild animals, who very clearly experience a limited range of emotions, or to desensitize fellow men and women by forcing them to take jobs at the slaughter house.
PS - Why don’t you take a second to do some picture-browsing for American meat industry pictures to see what our “good regulations” have brought us. Until then keep your uninformed and spineless position to yourself.
T
I would also like to point out that the reason this happened was poor management. Poor management that led to an imbalance of population? Yes, among other things. It also led to lands being used more for cattle, and poor auction availability. BLM says that an ideal population of wild horses in Nevada is about 27k, there are currently around 33k. Now, that isn’t too much of an imbalance if you ask me, but the problem isn’t that there are way too many horses roaming free, it’s that they have over 30k in holding and cannot afford to hold anymore because of poor auction turnout and so forth. They are spending our tax dollars to hold these animals, yet they don’t have proper adoption methods by now?? That is why they are doing the online adoption program. However, it’s too late for these animals now. Currently horses over the age of 10, and horses that have went up for adoption three times or more, and have failed to be adopted, will be killed. The rest are being taken to the auction and will be sold to anyone who will buy them, with no questions asked.
There are other options as Lacy Dalton stated. If the population is out of control and the government cannot invest in proper adoption programs, then they need to think about birth control that can be used to gain control of the population, at least until they figure out land issues and so forth. That is only one option, and if the government acted on this appropriately, then the population and holding issues would have never happened. The existence of these animals are very important to human beings, and the way it’s going, wild horses will become extinct in America. This is an outrage because of the government’s poor management. There needs to be regulation across the board, not just in congress and on Wall Street etc.
Nothing new here
I agree that horses are like deer and need to be kept in check. What I see in those pictures is no different than lining cattle up and killing them one by one. Cows have the same fear in there eyes as the picture but since we eat cow, it’s ok. I am not a fan of horse meat but if there is a market for it then it should be considered.
There is also a lot of nonsense here about being vegetarian and references to pets.
There is also unfair attacks to Shaun, his opinion is very reasonable unlike angry rants from people who obviously don;t understand the world they live in. This stuff happens everyday and YOUR money supports it when you buy all kinds of daily necessities.
Wow, that is SO sad!!!
Susie
Looking at these pictures brings tears to my eyes. It is very sad to see what is becoming of the Mustang in this country. Horses are my life. I have 7 horses, one which is a personal rescue, one that I adopted through an equine rescue, and one that I bought because I was afraid where she might end up if I didn’t purchase her. The other four I purchased because they are nice gaited trail horses. I personally care for each and every one of my precious equine friends. When I see these pictures and read this article, I am more than aware that anyone of my horses could have been one of these had they fallen into wrong hands. Being a member of a equine rescue here in Texas, I am aware too of what ignorant people are doing with unwanted horses. Nearly every week I get an email asking if anyone has room to foster some horses because more are being seized because of neglect and abuse. It is all just very sad to me. And then I hear someone talk about breeding a mare and I just cringe. There are responsible horse breeders out there, but then there are the irresponsible ones who just think that if they have a mare they have to breed it. And what is to become of that life, when so many horses are already suffering at the hands of irresponible people. I fear that we have become a society with a disposable mentality. If you don’t want it anymore, just throw it away, no matter if it has a heart beat or not. I fear that we are not being good stewards of this great land that our creator has entrusted to us. We will reap what we sow.
Dan Gambiera
Horses are an invasive non-native species. They routinely overrun their food supply which means starvation or culling. Since we have eliminated all of their possible predators it means they starve or we do the job.
And what is wrong with slaughtering them? We slaughter chicken, pigs, cows, sheep, fish and turkeys. Horses are no different. They’re just considered cuter. Their meat is tasty. Their hides are useful.
I’m writing from Canada, where environmentalists are convinced excess numbers of horses or buffalo will affect ecological balance.
A military base in southern Alberta ( north of Montana ) is the largest in the western world : culls were made there several years ago after running a protection program for years.
There is some awareness as to the root of the problem here. To use what could be taken as a racist analogy - though I’m trying to concentrate on the practical effects of power politics -the largest disadvantage to effective polical power for the American Indian has been his removal from participation from the feeding frenzy of organized graft and corruption. There are exceptions, of course, but they are more of shysters using them as pawns.
Wildlife is in the same pickle : no economic ‘leverage’ to protect it.
What do you think the practical effect of economic collapse will be on any program to try and fix this ? Can you spell ‘money shortage’ ?
Horses came fom Spain with the conquistadores. They are not part of native ecology.
The system is broken : but it always was.
Susie
I just got an email from another horse loving friend. Good news for the mustangs. I am hoping that I can paste this link for anyone interested to go an see. Madeleine Pickens as in T Bone Pickens wife, is in the process of purchasing land to make a sanctuary for these mustangs. http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=10784099
ILove MYTWH
I cant believe that some of u ppl can be so heartless. Horse are exteremely smart animals . it has been tested they can reconize colors shapes. i do believe that the wild horse need to be keep in check. but not by murdering them. there a alots of horse rescue organiaztions out there that would be willing to take them in and train them and adpoted them out. and if the blm cannt afford the round ups. how to they propose getting the horse to murder them. they will still have to be rounded up. why not just have a adpotion day the same day that they do the round up. kind of like they do on Chincoteague island. there are lots of kind hearted ppl out there that would be willing to help these wonderful animals. yes i am a horse owner and i couldnt imagine killing one of my horses. they are wondrful animals. ppl use the for thearpy in childern with disables. so y kill something that u dont have to. something that can help so many and make a difference in someones life.
Its not right! PIG<SHEEPstupid animals.Horse,not.
Horses should not be kiiled like this.They are not dumb animals.Pigs,Cows and sheep are.A horse? I don’t think so!! I live in Dekalb,Illinois.There was a horse killing plant here,but it was stopped! I think all of them should be banned! Its wrong!
Eco Links to Green your Weekend 12-12-08 | EcoSalon - The Green Gathering
[...] deeply distressing expose of the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed cull of tens of thousands of America’s wild [...]
Too bad the care2 site won’t let me sign. “Can’t connect to web page”…
Rebecca Parsler
I know that horses are kind of like livestock, I dont personally think that way as I own hores, I think of them as pets, but hey. What gets me is we have tons upon tons of regulations and laws about transport, care and slaughter of cows and pigs, but no one noticed that people were dragging horses up in horrible conditions and then just stabbing inexpertly till they died, or hanging them upside down and shooting them. It would be slightly more acceptable if there were humane ways of slaughter, rather than the murder we have now. I am not saying it is acceptable, but it will not stop all at once so we should at least try to improve matters.
Wow, that is SO sad!!!!
Eriks last blog post..Binimelis House in Chile: Overcoming Challenges of Geometry in Style
Angela Theiss
I think it’s terrible to slaughter a horse and eat it the way I think is that God gave us cows, pigs and chickens to eat why kill a beautiful animal like a horse to eat? And why not let them die where they were born and raised it’s were they belong! Yes I love horses and I love riding, but if you have ever seen a herd of wild horses you know that it’s were they belong! They don’t belong in a stall or in our stomachs they belong free in the wild where they won’t get harmed!
meg
i think slaughtering horses is bull crap!!! i might only be 14, but i think that slaughtering horses is cruel and unjust!!! i dont care what people are killing them for!!! it is not cool!!
emma
thats the bigges bull :::: ever , i for onelove horses and dont understand how that could be over looked.
art
im a rodeo cowboy and this is so rong of these people to kill thes horses that why i have just picked up 5 of them you all should do the same thanks
Horses are a non-native species here? What exactly are humans?
The ecosystems of the planet do not need humans to try and fix them, don’t fool yourselves, this is about money. Ecosystems balance themselves out. The more that we mess with them, the worse it gets. The destruction of these horses is on our hands, not theirs. They are not overpopulated, WE are overpopulated, they used to be in the millions and humans invaded with our sick system of unnecessary livestock. Now we are mad at the remaining fraction of horses for trying to live their lives on the land that we claim to unnecessarily raise cattle? And the HORSES are the problem?
Don’t feel like you can’t make a difference, you can. In today’s society where we can easily be vegan and healthy and thriving (just research vegan sources of B12, iron, protein, calcium, etc, it’s not what you’ve been taught)… it’s not reasonable any more to not be. If I can get superior complete protein and omega 3’s and 6’s and iron all from hemp seeds, quinoa, etc, why would I support this extremist prison-style industry that causes so much suffering… to all animals, including horses, AND humans? With the immense amount of resources and land (for feed) that we devote to livestock, we could feed the entire world.
So go vegan, for horses and starving children and the water systems and your own health and any and every animal who does not deserve to be harmed by a species (humans) who should use our mental gifts to know better… instead of this futile pretend dominance.
By going vegan, you save per year:
over 1.3 million gallons of water
more energy/emissions than if you stopped driving a truck and flying in a plane
a full acre of trees (millions of pieces of paper)
an unbelievable amount of toxic excrement that harms the land and especially is killing the oceans, destroying topsoil, contaminating air.
the ocean
starving humans
your health
wild animals like HORSES.
Mandy
Whoever shall compare horses to cows, sheep, chickens, etc. does not know the emotional and majestic ways of these animals. Horses are what so many people go to when they may need help or guidance and they give so much more than meat. They carry such an emotional connection with them, told through their eyes and they definitely have a mind of their own. Cows, sheep, chickens, etc. are all animals that have always been used for meat and most likely always will. If horses need to be kept in check, I believe murdering is not the correct answer. Horses carry so many more traits with them then the other livestock do and do not deserve to be treated this way. Those of you who believe otherwise, please reconsider. If you do not find or see the majestic traits that these beautiful animals carry and the many positive uses they can be used for, that is fine but I strongly believe this abusive murdering is not the right answer.
i am in the military and seen many animals slaughtered, i own a horse and there is no way in hell i would send them to a murder house, there are people over populated all over the world , such as third world countrys , that are starving, should we kill them because there is not enough food?!?! Think about that next time you want to kill something!
this is just sick why would you do such a vile thing a beatiful amazing creature such as a horse should never be treated like this!!! i am only 11 years old and seeing this has made me heart broken and apauled i am joining blue cross and animal rescue
i go to a horse when i need reasuring the people who slaaughter horses should spend a real day with a horse and experiance this life changing experiance
CARRIE
YOU PEOPLE NEED TO GET THE HECK AWAY FROM HORSES BECAUSE THE WAY U TREAT THEM I FEEL LIKE TREATING U THAT WAY
A GUN TO A HORSES HEAD WHY DON’T U PUT THE GUN TO UR HEAD IDIOT
YOU PEOPLE ARE DISGUSTING
marissa
i think that we need this but not so painful cause if this wouldn’t happen we would have messed up horses that u can do nuttin with and we prob. have horses on roads and places we dont need them!! and what bout the little kids starvin in Africa that could be food for them!!!
rebekah
this is so sad and i cant belive people acutally do this kind of stuff this is horrible it needs to stop. and people like you need to die yourself or you need to feel the same pain of the horses and other animals.
bill
omg i love horse soo much i have 1 question how would u fell if some one shoot u hu or lkilld u i pretty shur u wouldnt like it would u hu? this is amimal curaltity and this makes me fell to do thje same to the ppl now u htin about this abd whats the point is because it looks fun ya wel NOT RELLYY!!
David Osteen
This is so sad..and so stupid. I think we should do something about what they are doing to those horses. I love horses, and if i had the chance i would put all of those people to jail for what they are doing.
jennifer
Well people I beleive your all the ones in for the rude awakining killing & slaughtering any animal is not right you all need a taste of what it freakin feels like to be strung up by your back feet and pretty much tortured alive. you freakin people dont know how to think about anyone but your selves and i think its pretty freakiing disgusting of you all to say the crap youve said .oh well their just another object in our way to skrewing the world over even more ,the horses,deer,or anyother animals are not the reason the world is going to hell its you people ofso called “wealth&luxrury” and the ones who just like to kill for the fun of it thats destroying this earth.
someone thats mad!
WTF!! how can u people hurt horses like that! is there a reason for this , whatever it is , its fucken stupid! how would u like to be killed for no reason . you probably wont like it huh! but ill tell you what i’d rather the people killing the horses die . rather than the horses , the world would be a better place!
Birdy Twohy
I hate how people can even think about doing this….I currently own tow wild mustangs my self and I love them both so much I could never ever in my life do such a thing to them or any of my horses. My dad and I are planing to move and open a rescue ranch pretty soon and then I can save as many horses as I can. I love horses and if I was a horse they would not like me if any one touched me like that I would make shur I kick the crap out of them and make shur they wont be able to get up fpr about a month. Well this stuf just makes me so mad that I just cant think when I see it. Well I think we should leave them alone and let the wild horse run free like they have for many years and we didnt have a problem then with them. Now there only mad cuz there city folk who think that just cuz there animals they dont have feelings. My thought is that they are saying that they are over populating just cuz they want to start taking out the animals and start putting up buldings and houses. Heres a thought how about you guys buy an old sturdy house and stop stilling the land from the animals. I know Im just 16 but I sware any smart person would relize how all this new crap in the world is going to destroy the world and its not going to be pretty when it happens.
katie
if these horses don’t get saved it will cause the horse to be an endanged species and the inmates in nevada could work with them as part of a community service thing “SAVE THE HORSES”
birtnee
WTF!!! you fucking stupid dumb shits.
your fucking disscust me !
you pigs.
your the ones that fucking desser to
be at gun point and fucking torchered.
FUCK YOU!
( to everyone who is hurting horses)
some needs to be done now
not later now!!
Erin
What the hell is their problem letting horses die like that their beautiful creatures and the people who do this are sick ,wrong,and god forsaken fucken crazy to kill them.the ones who do this should think about how the horses feel and they do have feel. I wonder how the fucken idiots who do this would feel to be killed and these people should be killed for doing this SCREW THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
Karla Wong
i love horses
it’s sad whats happenning we people use to use horses for transport until cars came
the horses should be able to be free while some other horses can be pets and
do sports like show jumping and cross country riding etc
trail riding could be a special moment with people and horses
The horses haven’t done anything
they couldn’t stop themself breeding so u people are slaughting them
horses are beautiful creatures why can’t those people just set up a big national for those horses and sell them to people who want to care for them as pets
Karla
Bleu Aiden
We, us humans, are some of the most discu.. Wait, we ARE the most discusting animals on Earth. We think we are so smart.. Most of the animals do the thinking, and, we wouldnt be here if it wasnt for animals!
This is a horrible and unnessary situation. There are programs throughout the world for various species (including elephants) for sterilizing (through timed food drops) wild species in certain areas to prevent overpopulation. They do food “drug” drops for the wild ponies of Sable Island to prevent human contact, but ensure the horses don’t get rabies and a couple of other sicknesses and it’s the same idea for a limited sterility program. The money would probably not come near what all the gov’t “studies” cost and the horses get to stay free. For anyone worrying about them starving, that’s part and parcel of being wild and free; it’s part of nature, which is sad, but real and realistic - it’s a cycle. For all those yakkers out there who claim to love horses and don’t want to see them slaughtered, how many are willing/capable of adopting even one? It’s an expensive hobby in our country with sponsorship that’s a joke compared to any other “sport’. You want to save wild horses? Get on board for more land preserves and actually do something like making these so-called growing cities re-use current buildings/sites which have lain vacant/unused for decades sometimes, or tear them down to re-use the land instead of tearing up more farm/wild land in the easy way out so typical today. And yes, I AM A HORSE LOVER/OWNER/RIDER/SPONSOR for about 40 years now - but I’m one voice, I just wish I had more money. But all the money in the world can’t fix it’s problems and sometimes we seem to care more about animals than humans.
Anne
This is a horrible and unnessary situation. There are programs throughout the world for various species (including elephants) for sterilizing (through timed food drops) wild species in certain areas to prevent overpopulation. They do food “drug” drops for the wild ponies of Sable Island (USA) to prevent human contact, but ensure the horses don’t get rabies and a couple of other sicknesses and it’s the same idea for a limited sterility program. The money would probably not come near what all the gov’t “studies” cost and the horses get to stay free. For anyone worrying about them starving, that’s part and parcel of being wild and free; it’s part of nature, which is sad, but real and realistic - it’s a cycle. For all those yakkers out there who claim to love horses and don’t want to see them slaughtered, how many are willing/capable of adopting even one? It’s an expensive hobby in our country with sponsorship that’s a joke compared to any other “sport’. You want to save wild horses? Get on board for more land preserves and actually do something like making these so-called growing cities re-use current buildings/sites which have lain vacant/unused for decades sometimes, or tear them down to re-use the land instead of tearing up more farm/wild land to build on in the easy way out so typical today. Look around your city/town - How many acres are being wasted by these buildings? For how long? What new land is being torn up for expansion? Why? Red tape and politics…Can’t we change this one bad habit? For each old building site we could re-use, there would be that many more forests/land left still. Think about this on a world wide scale and imagine how much more healthy air we might have, not to mention our wildlife would be so appreciative. My city of 49,000 has over the last 10 or 15 years built two huge mall sites, closing huge buildings in town as the businesses that were big enough had to move to the new mall site to survive. Now the two biggest businesses of the mall are building “superstores” and each one is tearing up about 15 to 40 acres of land and heavy old forest. There are no businesses big enough to take over their old stores so they’ll just sit vacant, but who cares? Do we need all these “superstores”? Who cares? Our construction/contractors guys need to be kept in work, so tear up some more area…and more…and more…let’s not find a better solution! I’m a country gal born and bred in the wilds of Georgian Bay Ontario and I’m sick of seeing green replaced by grey concrete and stinky black ashphalt. And yes, I AM A HORSE LOVER/OWNER/RIDER/SPONSOR for about 40 years now - but I’m one voice, I just wish I had more money. But all the money in the world can’t fix it’s problems and sometimes we seem to care more about animals than humans.
P.S. Sheep/cows can be cute too, they just are’t usually wild and symbolic.
RealisticallySpeaking
What is sad is the ignorance almost all of you are spouting. Government lands are not being sold to private landowners for cattle grazing, like this article implies. There are a variety of reasons the orginal 19M acres has been reduced to 10M…but selling the land is not one of them. Even at the time of the 1971 act, cattle and sheep ranchers had the right to PAY to lease grazing rights for BLM land.
The BLM has made many, many mistakes when it comes to managing these wild horse herds. The one that has brought them to this point has been trying to appease the special interest Animal Rights groups, NOT the ranchers. According to the act, the BLM was obligated to destroy horses that had been put up for adoption three times and were not adopted. Also, lame, old or crippled horses that were pulled off the range were supposed to be destroyed. To appease the special interest animal rights groups, the BLM avoided putting any of the horses to sleep and now find themselves with 30,000 head of horses that one wants. That is just the 30,000 that are still in holding pens. Are any of you aware that there are several large ranches that are being paid by the government to house another 10-20,000 head.
No matter what the BLM does to make these horses more attractive for adoption, there are not enough people who want them. Period!! There are more horses than horse owners. What the heck are they supposed to do with them? Humane Euthanasia is the only option. I think the BLM made a mistake when they said they might auction some of these horses off. That never should have been an option. But realistically speaking, with the US slaughter plants closed and the domestic horse market in the toilet…it wasn’t much of a viable option anyway.
Rescues cannot handle horses like these. These are wild horses. Fences that work for domestic horses, just don’t work for wild horses. And for that matter, the rescues are overflowing with the masses of domestic horses that people are dumping because they cannot afford them. Do you think they have the time or resources to worry about government owned horses that are not already starving to death.
Oh and for those of you who think that horses are just sooooo much smarter and better than cows and pigs? In the chain of intellegience…Pigs are near the top and cattle are smarter than horses. The reason that horses have adopted well for domestic use is because they animals that respond to repetitive training. The romantic misconception that the west was built by wild horses? The West was built on the backs of domesticated horses and although no one wants to remember this…for the most part by OXEN! Horses had difficulty surviving long enough in the westward expansion, so for the most part oxen teams is how the wagon trains made their way from the east to the west. Guess if most of you actually took the time to learn anything about what you weep and wring your hands over, you might have the same opinion as most of the real horsepeople left in this world.
Is this what we've become?
why do we do this? is there some reason people have the mind to kill horses that have been domesticating the wild open ranges for themselves, who have done nothing to this world. well we have. we have created world wide problems. they have went on with their peacefull lives living happily in the wild. but we have been selfish to take them adn slaughter them. it is wrong. they are not cattle to be bred to eat. or kill because there are to many of them. there is so many more humans on this planet than horses and we are not being slaughtered because there is to many of us. we can not afford the wild horses any more. what do you mean? we make the effort to afford out own expences, see we are selfish, well atleast im not i love the wild horses they are beautiful and are a true meaning to freedom, people who slaughter horses need to be shut down and the people who allow it have to be shut down as well! we need to do something before to many precious lives are taken. if that was your horse, what would you do?
they have never hurt us, so why are we hurting them?
Ella Gomez
WHO WOULD BE SUCH AN IDIOT TO SLAUGHTER THESE HORSES. THESE ARE JUST INNOSENT HORSES WHO GETTING KILLED EVERYDAY AND WHY DONT PEOPLE DO ANYTHING THIS IS JUST PLAIN DUMB. WHAT DID THESE HORSES EVER DO TO US NOTHING SO WHY SHOULD WE BE DOING ANYTHING THEM ITS LIKE SEIRECLY LOOK AT HOW HURT THESE HORSES ARE SO WHY DONT WE JUST STOP THIS HORSE SLAUGHTER. THESE HORSES DESERVE TO LIVE NOT TO DIE. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OTHER ANIMALS THAT GET SLAUGHTERED. THESE HORSES DESERVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO LIVE. HUNDREDS AND THIOUSANDS OF HORSES GET SLAUGHTERED EACH AND EVERY DAY. THESE HORSES SUFFER SO MUCH RIGHT BEFORE THEY DIE THEY DONT EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY GO AND WHEN THE HORSES GET INTO THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE THEY DO ONE THING WHICH IS THAT THEY PANIC. WHEN THESE HORSES SEE OTHER HORSES GET SLAUGHTERED THEY JUST WANT TO GET OUT OF THAT PLACE. BUT OUT OF ALL THE HORSES THAT RUN AWAY DONT MAKE IT AND END UP GETTING CAUGHT AGAIN AND USUALLY MOST OF THEM DONT MAKE IT OUT OF THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE ALIVE.
desyy
we should never harm inasent animals just because they think it is right they never did anything that bad to us. we have the right to do this but it’s not fair to them if we do. i mean how would you liked to be killed in this manner if you think that it is right you will never be enough to live in the right way. i will say this though STOP KILLING INASENT ANIMALS BECAUSE YOU’RE TOLD TO IT’S NOT RIGHT IT’S WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anna
yuo @$@#%# how can you do that to poor innocent creatuers you all can go @!#$ yourselves how bout we do the same to yuo and see how yuo like didnt think so leve them alone yuo sick bastards
i cant belive this!!!! who would do such a things people who belive in this can go #$!# themselves you assholes
yuo assholes how can yuo do this dosent it kill you to go to bed at night knowing that yuor job is killing animals how can yuo live with yuorselfs what if we do that to you yeah didnt think so you !@#$ asshole go @$@#$ yourselves
Bethany-kate
why would they even round up wild horses any way just let them roam free
imagin if we were horses and we were free and then all of a sudden you were being killed and you knew it.
what did the poor horses ever do to us
it how they kill them like we kill cow deer for meat we kill them fast they kill them slow so the horses are at a slow deathso how would you like us to kill you at a slow death an see how you feel an then feed you to dogs an other meat eaters
the horses suffer
I love horses. I think wild horses should be treated with dignity. They should have the right to live. Yeah sure know they are fine but wait a couple months more and they are going to be on their way to extingsion. Also if farmers don,t have the space to build a farm or have a land to build one they shouldn’t deal with it by killing horses that is just like killing for money. I think they should take a piece of the land but not all of it.
jennie
why whould people do this to the most beautiful animal their is? =(
T
It’s one thing to kill the animals that we put on our dinner tables, but it’s another to kill an animal that was not put here for that purpose. Horses are a gift, plain and simple. If you disagree, ask yourself how they have been used in the past and are currently being used. There is no question as to the importance of these animals in our society.
The question is, should they be killed to balance population? The problem here isn’t that they are effecting the environment because there are too many, the problem is that the land that they are given is taken by ranchers for their cattle to graze. It would be one thing to dispose of these animals if their population had exploded and were devastating crops etc. However, this is not the case. These animals are on land specifically for them by the government, but then the government also allowed the land to be used by the ranchers. The priority then changed and caused a huge problem. The horses that were in the way of the land they were given, and then later granted to ranchers, had to be gathered up and removed. They were not removed because they were hurting the land or over populating, they were removed because their land was being taken away.
So, for those of you confused by the issue here, they were not overpopulating and were on land granted to them by the government. They were not hurting anyone or effecting anything. But, the market changed and larger dairies/ranches were being built. The government gave away that land to those wanting to expand their cattle ranches. This is not right, not fair, and completely stupid that now we are having to clean up the mistakes of the government as we always do. These animals are paying for it, and so are we.
someone who is outraged
i love wild horses and anyone who says they have no puposs their wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that person wouldnt like to be treated like them horses. taken from their home and starved, KILLED, or sold to be KILLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!so i hope you changed your mind. if not you are so wrong their poor animals they dont understad how the world works. so you stop and think would you do that to your children if you have any. would you starve them then hurt them and sell them????????????????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!you stop and think
someone who is outraged
OMG! who mest thos peoplle in the head that is just wrong and not right so you needd to stop that is the most mest up thing i have ever seen who ever kills horses is sereclyl mest up and need s help and you are heering this from the most loving people who actually care un like you people who kill for a living you MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS GO TO FUCKIN JAIL
Ann Ray
I have two horses and never thought that America would treat them like so in tis article. I am appalled at how the America government isn’t taking a stand in what has been happening. Horses are meant to be enjoyed and a friend, but not to be enjoyed this way! We, as Americans should bring this up to our leaders becasue its up o us to save these wild horses.!!
sorry about this... when you are reading this dont stop or something bad will happen! My name is summer i am 15 years old i have blonde hair,many scars no nose or ears..i am dead. if you dont copy this just like from the ring, on 5 more sites.. or..i will appear one dark quiet night when your not expecting it by your bed with a knife and kill you. this is no joke something good will happen to you if uoi post this on 5 more pages
notsayings last blog post..Taylor Swift
sorry about this... when you are reading this dont stop or something bad will happen! My name is summer i am 15 years old i have blonde hair,many scars no nose or ears..i am dead. if you dont copy this just like from the ring, on 5 more sites.. or..i will
appear one dark quiet night when your not expecting it by your bed with a knife and kill you. this is no joke something good will happen to you if uoi post this on 5 more pages
notsayings last blog post..Taylor Swift
Annie
This is completly unacceptable! Slaughtering horses for food is outrageous and useless. Being a vegetarian myself, I don’t mind that other people eat meat, as long as the process is humane and free range. People have been eating chicken, cows and fish for hundreds of years, and it will take a while for them to change, however, we can survive very easily without eating meat, or just eating limited amounts of meat. Therefore there is no need to add animals to the list of foods. Horses and man have been working togewther for as long as we have been eating meat. Why encourage the slaughter of hundreds of beautiful horses simply for a different meat flavour. It would be ideal if we only consumed the amount of meat that is needed, and did not endanger another species that have and continue to do so much for us. It is completely unecessary to kill horses for meat, and if we all take action and express our opinions we can stop this!
Mitch
Are you kidding me! How would you like it shaan if i chopped you up, or shot you in the head and made you into food?! inhumane!! Horses are beautiful creatures who were put on this earth to show us how dumb we can be. as strange as it sounds they teach us to think more of the important things in life. If i’m upset or pissed off, i go and spend time with my horse. Horses have personalities and feelings. Maybe they cant talk to us but you learn to communicate through actions and just the simple look in their eyes. all of you mother fuckers who are for this should be ashamed and praying to god that you wont go to hell!
lauryn
dont kill horses
lauryn
My friend Vanessa says what did the horses do to you
lauryn
most people love horses why are you killing horses wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
chelly
u stick how could u kill something so cute u merderer
someone who has a brain
I was born on a ranch and have been around horses all my life. I love riding and trainning them, But if you have a horse that is lame, deformed, or otherwise unusabel, there is no reason to let that horse suffer. Putting horses down in a slaughter house is quick, painless and the horse is dead before it knows what hit them. If some of you people had a brain, you would relize that when a 22 slugg is fired stright into a skull it instantly kills all nerve ending and the censors in the brain that trigger pain reaction are destroyed. The horses are then hug up to be bled out but they are already dead. They are not tourtured and those horible pictures you see are taken our of context and are ment to make people who don’t have a clue whats going on angry at the slaughterhouse. Settin up reservations for horses to roam free is idotic because most breeds of horses can’t survive in the wild and the cost the tax payers tons of money that we don’t have.
My last point, if any one has ever eaten a McDonnalds burgger or ever in their life eaten a hot dog, what do you think goes into that meat? we shure as hell don’t cry about the slaughter of cows like all the winny people who have posted a comment on this page have done about horse.
I agree that horses are a gift to be used wisly and taken care of, but there is a place for everything on this planet and I am positive that if we lived in Pre Historc times NOBODY would complain about the slaughter of the t-rex
Think about it.
Horse lover
I’m a proud member of PETA…
… People For Eating Tasty Animals.
No really i love horses but their animals and really peopl come on every thing dies eventually its a part of life. I have no problen eating horse meat. I own and love to ride horses. I also have goats, sheep and pigs and all are born on our property and we butcher them on our property and they tast delichisious. People ask me all the time “how can your raise an anima from a baby then eat it” simple, its called a food chain and they are lower on it.
My last word: Vegitarians are crule and unusual people, they eat things that can’t run and hide.
At least the deer have a chance to hide on the bumper of your car at 70 mph.
I hope you vegitarians have good insursance covrage.
Grace H
the problem is that most of the meat isn’t for food. well in Australia anyway. they are just slaughtering these poor animals for no reason, and having no were to dump them they ship them of in truck loads to the dog food factory. Its not a joke! Horses all over the world are being turned into DOG FOOD because people don’t want them. if they were ill or old then i have no problem with it what so ever, as long as it’s done humainly. why put them through more pain when its not needed? well a blast in the head don’t cut it!! and i mean, horse fighting, what idiot even thinks thats funny or entertaining? how would you like it if we put you in a ring with an other man of approximately the same size and gave you both knives and told you that only one of you would leave the ring, making you fight for your lives! well its pretty much the same thing for the horses, only their acting on INSTINCTS! its the same for dogs and any other animals that IDIOTS make fight each other. there should be laws in place to stop this kind of thing happening. i mean, what about animal cruelty! there are laws for that but some how these jerks are getting away with it and keep doing it! its wrong and something needs to be done about it!
i am shocked at this ! ! ! ! !!
this behavour is not right if i new eho these people were doing this i wud meake sure they were hurt a million times worse than the horses were
u lot are fucking murderes
i ahve 4 horses of my own n if i new this was gna happen to mine i wud let no fucker else near dem
i hope some dat some 1 will put a stop to this murdere act
all u lot who do this i hope u FUCKING ROT IN HELL
actually i dnt evan think hell wud take u in u scum bags
Short sighted
I can’t believe how short sighted this paper is. I’m never for the killing of innocent animals but the BLM is doing this for the greater good. How is that you might ask. They have to remove twice as many horses each year compared to how many horses are adopted. All the areas of wild horse habitat are exceeding their population limits and that means they are eating too much and degrading their habitat. If we don’t control the population somehow then all the populations are going to crash and you are going to have massive die offs from starvation. I don’t want them killed but we do need to find a better way to control the population. The only thing is no one wants to adopt a horse that is more expensive than it is good. The only thing they have giong for them is in nevada where prisoners are breaking in the horses before they are sold and thats why it has the highest adoption rate. So the real question is what else is there that we can do to control the population so that those living on the ranges don’t starve to death??????????????????
kate
that is messed up
Love it!
Really love this blog mate
Berts last blog post..Castle clout - Return of the King
Stefani Simmons
There is a bug problem with the slaughter of horses. What if someone went into your house and slaughtered one of your dogs and send its meet to another country. Have you ever seen horse meet sold in a supermarket? Well, I haven’t. The thing is that horses have the right to be free, don’t allow them to be slaughtered by men or women who want to send the meet to other countries. If horses are meant to die then they will die out in the wild or because of other natural causes. Did you know a race horse will be put down if it cannot race anymore? Well just because it can’t race any longer, it is still a beautiful animal that can be looked at and taken care of. Most race horses are only one or two years of age…no horse should be slaughtered, no animal for that matter.
chloe
i think that horses should never be slaughtered as my mom got me a horse when i was 7 called buck and we had to sell him cause he wasnt ridable and that made me so upset and i am 11 now and even the thought of what could of happened to buck disturds me and the thought how they murder the horses as i would say.now try and put yourself in that situation.imagine bine boxed up living your last moments away from your friends alone and scared no one to talk to and bine held while and bolt goes through your head and take your lats breath and you cant help it and you have no other choice but to die we can help that
Es
This is so cruel!People that do this are mean and cruel!Just the thought of it makes me cry so hard=[
Stop killing all our horses for the love of money.. what has this world come to.. its bad , and very sad to see what there doing to these beautiful animals.. man people will do just about anything for money… we have never eaten horse meat so why should we kill our horses and send them to other countys ,hmmm . let them get there own not ours………. I dont know how they can sleep at nite knowing they are killers… and some people go right alone with it… dumb I love horses..
Shelby
People are crul and discusting. people who think this is funny and do this for fun need to rot in He^%!
it is not nice how they hurt the horses! I nerver want to see anthor horse hurt again!please dont hurt them again! DONT DO IT AGAIN OR ILL TELL EVERY BODY TO LOOK IT UP AGAIN!
This is very sad,…
rosey
i think you are discusting for slaughtering horses when horses are the ones who gave us the idea for travelling moving on with vechiels if there was no horses we proberly wouldn’t of even thought to make cars to get us around. this world is a discarace and i hate the way they treat people and animal!! fair enough if you cant help the animal put it down and get it out of its missarry but not like this it should be done in a clean healthy enviorment, not in discusting small cages and small metal bins how would you like it if that was done to you and you didn’t know what to do! it does happen to people and they also dont like it as i say why do it to the animal if you wouldn’t like it done to you…… think about that! would you like to be put in a bloody! metal! smelly! sickly! dark! small! box and die there….. i sure wouldn’t, i think every animal has a right! to live their life to the full like we do! slaughter is not the way to go! ill tell you that now!
nature is cruel, people are more cruel. poor horseys ![]()
my God, i thought you were going to chip in with some decisive insght at the end there, not leave it with
That’s so wrong! What’s wrong with you people! You don’t kill innocent horses! what if I came up with a gun and shot you?Who ever kills innocent horses I am really going to pound you! You who do this stuff are cold blooded killers! And I hate that about people! People like you are mean and careless! You do what’s best for you instead of others or other animals!!!!!!! Anyway why would you want to kill God’s creation just for fun?!
I’m really unhappy about this and I’m to complain about it until it is stopped and I mean it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You people are idiots!!!!!!! You people…….wait, no you ITS are selfish,stupid,careless,mean,cruel,neglecting,no good,downright BAD people.You shouldn’t be able to be called people if you do such things to horse!!!!!!!you are big fat blockheads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are big fat turds which are full of waste like you. I’m going to beat the snot out of you if i see you!
A great Pet blog you have here. Now frankly I am not much into pets, I am trying to train my Little Pomerian House Breaking… and Not really sure how to train her. She looks cute but she going down on the bed is worse.!
natalie
its absoloutly DISGUTING :O
how can people do this i know it happens to all th eother animals that we eat but for the sake of it it or for pleasure i suppose the only time its ok is when you are going to eat it all and when its necessary
and in that contion
omg im crying thats how bad i love horses….
Abby
i think its wrong for doin it to tha inisent ones.. i think its alite for ones that are bout to die any way and for realy mean ones but for ones that could be pets and a good workin hand thats crul! i have my horse and hes my friend and wiling to work if he got killed i dont know wat id do.. i love him! but these horses in tha pics could probaly trained for good horses if someone couldv gave a chace!
STOP KILLING HORSES FOR MONEY IT’S SO CRUEL WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF SOMEBODY KILLED YOU I BET YOU WOUDN’T!
YOU PEOPLE ARE IDIOTS HOW COULD YOU KILL SUCH BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS I HOPE THE HORSES KILL YOU YOU GUYS ARE BARSTADS!
tegan
this is discusting people that do this or agree with this are sick ….. !!!!
erica
IM GOING TO KILL EVERY ONE WHO DOSE THIS TO HORSES!
mary
how would you if i put a gun to your head and shot you it would be painfull would it. Think about it how do you think your family would feel if you were gone forever or even for being free. man you peop;e are soo stupid. i love horses. If were a horse i would stomp on your ass before i die. just as long as i teach you a lesson for killing horses. YOU FUCKING ASS HOLES!!!! STOP KILLING HORSES IT WELL GET BACK TO YOU WORSE FOR ALL THOSE LIVES YOU’VE KILLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Leessliiee
OKAY STOP STOP STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have been obbsessed with horses since i was a little girl. now killing horses is just cruel i dont care if the goverment is tryin to control the grass problemor whatever i just dont care. stop killing the horses for dog food also they diserve to live too justl ike all of gods creatures and i mean look how pretty and majestic they are STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! would you like to be killed for animal food no i didnt think so. now if you dont want to be killed for food then what makes you feel like the horses do too? think about these questions, and seriously i mean think does god want us going around killing his creatures like they are something that doesnt matter?NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s insanity, not a mishap.
Jessica
That is the most horrible thing I have seen and read about killing horses. I agree with anwen because they are beautiful animals that can be usefull in many ways and to do something like that makes me want to fight fist and fist for them to stop. Hell even people in Germany would be mad at this because they think horse meat is a delicacy, not trying to say I would do that and is very horrible for me to even believe that some where people eat horses. I think they should have put land aside for them or try and sell a couple. Atleast they would be alive and taken care of!!! Man I just want to kick you guys asses for even not trying to think of a better way to handle the situation at hand. You took the easy way out of it. You fucking lazy, money huging, bastards! Hell, I would die to have a wild horse!!! My family never had enough land or money for them, but some people do and you could have made money off of them, because some of those horses could have been trained to be GREAT horses!
I don’t see why they can’t let the horses graze with the cows? Just put a fence up like you do for a deer feeder fence and leave one side a little lower. It might and might not work but it’s something to try for all of us horse lovers so ya’ll don’t have an upprising on your hands.
millie
i think his is sooooooooooooo sad and that horses shouldnt be treated like this
W.T. Hawkes
Horses are beautiful animals, one of my favorites. If we are to euthinize them, don’t ya think it should be in a clean facility, not like where we are sending them now? It’s not just the wild horses, but the domestic ones too. Because we now don’t have slaughter plants here. I agree with euthinizing a horse if you have NO ONTHER OPTION. As for the mustangs, why euthinize them? Over 50% of the land in the US, can’t be used for anything else but grazing. Why not put them there? We really need to look at ALL the other options before uthinizing these beautiful creatures.
Seriously, we not uthinize people because there are “too many”, so why animals, especially horses. Horses are a big part of our history. Without them we wouldn’t even be here.
deaona
that so so mean. you real do not need do this. what some one kill you like this. do not care how some one look on this but this real real mean and i do not like it
Tamara
For those of you basically saying, “Who cares” in regard to the protection of our wild horses, maybe you should take the time to read back in our history. OR maybe you should sit and listen to the wisdom in the tales of the American Indian. To you “Who cares” sayers, seeing that you don’t see the symbolic reasoning for protecting our nation’s history, maybe you should move yourselves to Canada or Mexico. It is people like this who have created the nation we have today. Should we have taken the time to respect the land and its creatures for nature’s intents and purposes … the horse to carry us into hunt, travel and harvest … the deer to provide us with nourishment … this land would be far better than what it is today. Horses don’t contribute to the pollution of our environment. How much waste in our landfills is produced by our equine friends? As a greedy society we need big fancy homes, more roads and faster cars to produce more pollution. Thus taking away from what this land should truly sustain. Instead of protecting what rightfully belongs to the Earth, you want to take it away. Ah, the “American” way and, if it lies within the hands, hearts and minds of the ignorent society we have become, our children’s children will only know our history through reading and not seeing. What a day it would be if we had an American Indian for president. This country would be so much different and maybe learn something about respect for what you all take for granted without a care. So, if your family dog runs out in the road in front of my fast car and I happen to run it over and kill it … I can say “Who cares. It’s just a dog.” Right or wrong?
farrah
its really upsetting and disgusting to think that people can kill these animals. imagining any horse being put through this is really disturbing. when i saw the pictures and read above it made me think of my horses and ponies….. never gonna happen to them and im 100% behind anyone else who thinks this is wrong and wants to do something about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks xx
Kym
The comment that “Horses have never been slaughtered for human consumption in America” is completely false. As little as 30 years ago (maybe less in some places) you could go into any bucher shop and buy horse meat. Many did buy it, including my mother when we lived in Oregon, who craved it during her pregnancies. And our older neighbor and friend who lives out here in “liberal, animal rights activist” California.
I remember eating horse steaks as a child. How is eating horses any different than eating cows or pigs?
If slaughtering horses is wrong, then slaughtering any animal is wrong. And following that reasoning, we need to educate all the wolves, cougars, eagles, etc, etc, etc, about their chosen diet and how they need to abstein from their bloodlust.
And before you say I’m cruel, I own and love horses. My life revolves around my horses. BUT, being around horses, I will tell you, not all horses are the “angels” or noble creatures you try to paint the entire population to be, and many WITHOUT any event in their past to justify their agressive nature. Something is just wrong, developmentally wise, in their brain. And there are horses who are phisically defective as well.
So what? Do we turn these goofy/agressive/developmentally challenged horses out into the wild away from people so they can “just be horses.” I will tell you from my own observations, horses who are not “all there” in their head are outcasts in a herd. Their own herdmates wil chase the defected animal out where, you guessed it, he becomes mountain lion food.
Horses who are lame or ill are, you guessed it again, mountain lion food.
I’ve seen herd stallions drive defected foals from the heard, or even kill them himself.
Eating other living things is a part of life. Wolves do it, bears do it, fish do it, even herbavores/vegetarians do it. Who says plants are not living life forms?
And what makes horses deserve to be taken out of the food chain? Above cows, above pigs, above chickens (speaking of which, I had a pet chicken who was very sweet and affectionate, but I still eat chicken). horses are apart of this earth and it’s foodchain, just like everything else.
alex parrotta
Oh my god what is wrong with all you people, horse slaughter is a problem most people don’t care of what happens to them they make them suffer and then they just shot them the horse doesn’t know what the heck is going on and what the horse has done wrong, it wouldn’t be so bad if they just put them to sleep and not shoot them in the head or cut them open…Most slaughter companies kill up to 370-390 horses a day.. That’s a lot of horses and what have these horses done?? that made you decide they should be killed?? If they were traumatized or have something wrong with them it isn’t the last hope for them send that horse to me and I would be greatful to cure that horse for you. I can help any horse with any problem just email me. ali18_2007_12@hotmail.com
Thank you:)
And maybe most of you should rehink your opinion about this…
Think about it. This is just my opinion i would love to help with any sort of problem you are haveing with your horse.
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Protecting horses for ideological reasons doesn’t stick with me. Saving these animals would be nice, but unless we were a country of vegetarians, what’s wrong with slaughtering horses for food? I’m not saying that the way it’s currently being done is what should be accepted–it shouldn’t. But if we legalize it in the US, and establish as good regulations as we have for other meat industries (which yes have their problems I know), at least it could be done more humanely and safely for all involved. Outlawing horse slaughtering altogether is what led to the current situation in the first place, and if such a law was created as the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act would be, a black and unregulated market in Mexico or Canada or wherever would thrive. Just like the War on Drugs, and we all know what a success that has been.