Victory for America's Horses

I was suprised at the number of Dems voting against this bill....

http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/hsus_praises_senate_vote_horses.html
Click here to see how your senator voted:
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/ensign_amendment2

We did it! The U.S. Senate passed an amendment today by a stunning 68-29 vote that prohibits the use of any federal taxpayer funds to slaughter horses for food exports.

The amendment, introduced by Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), mirrors an amendment that passed the U.S. House of Representatives in June, which was led by Reps. John Sweeney (R-NY), John Spratt (D-SC), Nick Rahall (D-WV), and Ed Whitfield (R-KY). Together, these measures will effectively stop America's horses from being killed in three slaughterhouses in the U.S. that slaughter horses -- two in Texas and one in Illinois. The amendment also stops horses from being shipped to slaughterhouses in Canada or Mexico so that their meat can be exported to foreign countries.

This tremendous victory would not have been possible without your support and action. We received outstanding support for our major lobbying campaign to end horse slaughter and were able to mobilize our grassroots network. Every single Senate office heard from us, and because of your calls and emails they took notice. Click here to find our how your U.S. Senators voted.


"The time has come to put an end to the practice of slaughtering horses in America," said Sen. Ensign. "Horses have an important role in the history of our country, particularly the West, and they deserve our protection. As a senator and a veterinarian I am committed to doing what I can for these magnificent animals. Many of the horses sent to slaughter are perfectly healthy, and turning them over to slaughterhouses is inhumane and unnecessary."

"The market for horsemeat is not an American market," said Sen. Byrd. "Many Americans would be shocked to learn that our animals suffer such a fate, all in order to satisfy the tastes of those living in Europe and Asia."

In another welcome move, the Senate also approved two additional animal welfare amendments introduced by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI). One amendment would ensure that "downed livestock" -- animals too sick or injured to walk -- are not allowed into the human food supply. The second amendment would prohibit tax dollars from being used for research facilities that purchase animals from "Class B dealers" who traffic in family pets for research.

We are so grateful that you stood with us and helped achieve this incredible victory for animals, even as so many of our resources -- and so much of our attention -- has been turned towards helping the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina. Thank you for all you do on behalf of animals.

Sincerely,



Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

Getting rid of him from the Arabian Horse Whatever was probably good for the horses. Unfortunately he went to FEMA next.

Or is it just another ploy to prevent our citizens from having a choice?

I've eaten horsemeat in Europe. I like it. I'd love to be able to purchase it here and I see absolutely no difference in raising horses as a food crop to raising cattle as a food crop.

Deer and rabbits are being farm raised for food, why not horses?

Horses are beautiful, noble creatures that have shaped this continent since the first horses escaped their Spanish masters and transformed the way the people lived. I love horses. I love to ride them, groom them, and train them. I've owned over 15 horses in my life, and have photos and memories of all of them.

That said, horses are just another farm animal and if they are slaughtered for meat, it's not going to ruin my day. I also have photos and memories of all of the grand champion Brangus steers that I raised from calves, showed, and then sold for slaughter. They are no less noble or beautiful than the horse, and a well-trained steer is just as useful. Don't you think most devout Hindus are disgusted that we slaughter and eat cattle? It's all relative.

If you are against the slaughter of horses, but not cattle, you are a hypocrite. When are we going to declare "Victory for America's Cattle?"

I have a question for you. You say you have raised both horses and cattle, so you should know the answer. I have had 5 horses in my life, and to keep them healthy and well fed, it was quite an expense. How do cattle and horses compare cost wise?

I may be wrong, but I always thought that cattle were cheaper to raise - something to do maybe with their stomachs and ability to thrive on lower quality foods. I have been under the impression that most horses used for food came from "killers" buying horses at auction at extremely cheap prices - a couple of hundred dollars at most - much cheaper by the pound than cattle - and mostly because these horses are old or lame and no longer useful for riding. In other words, horses are not usually raised for their meat because it is too expensive.

While I have no desire to eat horse meat, others who want to don't bother me so much. What bothers me is that the horses used for meat have given us humans long years of service, sometimes at great cost to themselves, and they deserve better than being slaughtered for meat. Do you know of any breeders who breed horses solely for meat, similar to cattle?

I guess it's the work them to death and eat them thing that bothers me.

Would be akin to eating one of my dogs or cats. Or at this point, my pet Brahma steer. Horses are COMPANION animals, not raised for meat.
The big problem with any meat operation in this country, be it beef, pork, poultry, is the big corporate takeovers. They have turned into meat factories, with animals on an assembly line. Inhumane treatment, callousness, the animals are just a commodity to serve corporate profit. And the surrounding communities are devastated by the runoff leaching into the water table, etc. Recently it was determined here in Fresno County, that the huge upswing in air pollution was not due to increased vehicle emissions, but the methane produced by the huge corporate dairy farms. They are disgusting in numerous ways.
As a horse owner and lover, one of our greatest fears has always been that someone will look at one of our big 1,500 pound Warmbloods, and start calculating what they could make at .60 a pound.

WASHINGTON -- The country's three horse slaughter plants may no longer be able to sell horse meat for food, based on Senate action Tuesday.

The Senate approved, 68-29, Sen. John Ensign's amendment to the agriculture spending bill aimed at ending all horse slaughter. The amendment bans using tax dollars to pay the Agriculture Department to do inspections of horses destined to be made into food. Without the inspections, the meat cannot be sold.

Ensign, a Nevada Republican, said this is a "very constitutional" way to ban slaughter. He said the country's history with the horse has created an emotional attachment with the animals, so killing them for food to be shipped to other countries is unacceptable.

There are three plants in the United States, one in Illinois and two in Texas, that slaughter horses to be used for human consumption in Italy, France and Japan. Some are also shipped oversees to be killed.


more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-gov/2005/sep/21/519391389.html

Considering how sacred horses are treated around here.

As much as I dislike Ensign, I can't say I disagree with this bill. Although it does beg the question: why are some animals not to be eaten and others are?

Pigs are smarter than dogs, cats, and horses.

Pigs, cows, chickens, sheep, etc. And don't forget they slaughter dogs and cats in Asian countries for consumption.

but a horse is an animal that you have a different kind of relationship to than that of a cow. I am also a vegetarian so I don't see the slaughter of cattle a great thing either but cattle are raised for food. If there were not the consumption of beef or milk there would not be any cows produced for a profit motive. Horses are not raised to be eaten but to be ridden or shown. They are pets like dogs are pets.

The relationship I have with my horses is like no other relationship I have with any other living thing. I ride my horses and the act of partnering up with your horse is not easy for me to explain.

Horses should not be raised for food. That is a negetive motive in my mind.

This item explains what's going on with federally protected wild horses in this country. It predates yesterday's passage of the anti-slaughter bill, but as far as BLM policy towards mustangs on their home turf, it is current - and very disturbing.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deanne-stillman/wild-horses-survived-worl_b_5065.html

No, really. Personally I don't eat animals I consdier intelligent and horses have a function other than for food but really why should we legislate what hungry people eat? Should we lagislate against pork?

and we can restrict what goes into sausage species by species, so "step by step climbs the hill" I guess

I don't want any of my tax dollars going to fund the taste for horsemeat in Europe.

Many horses are stolen for slaughter, btw. I lost a horse as a kid that way. Their treatment on the way to slaughterhouses is inhumane. What happens to them there is horrific.

The fact that cattle are also subject to this doesn't really mean we should just blow it off. That's sort of like saying, oh well, we allow poverty to exist in 3rd world countries, why should we bother to do anything about it at home either?

Common Myths About Horse Slaughter

Crown something or other and is located in Kaufman, Tx. I actually went out with the young man who had been brought over from Belgium to run the place (1998). Hearing the justifications for its' (the slaughterhouse) existence was interesting and enlightening, to say the very least. It may also be worth noting the relationship didn't last very long.

(in my defense, I did not know what he did for a living until after I was at dinner with him, one of those blind date affairs)

It's been a long time coming and I'm glad to see this happen!

About time!!!!

millions of poverty stricken americans? will our elected officials make sure they don't get "slaughtered" by corporate interests?

And we've sent so many American jobs out of the country, why not horse-slaughtering, too?

Hey, maybe I'll invest in a horse-slaughtering plant in Mexico -- no competition from the U.S. Yippee!

But I don't approve of diminishing the world's supply of foodstuffs.

Never mind the "warm fuzzy" reasons for not making Flicka-Burgers out of Mr. Ed, I read that they buy these horses at auction, and there's NO way to determine what kind of drugs and antibiotics they've been on. Some Equine meds are "Not to be used in animals intended for Human Consumption"....