Horse abuse... kinda confused..?

Question

now if u knew me or asked someone i knew. and said. does she like horses. everyone would say she is the biggest horse lover i no! i love them dearly. having owned and schooled many. i recently saw a video on youtube. something about horse slaughter. sayin it was wrong ect..... and i was thinking.. these horses that go to slaughter would be worse off if they didnt.*with bad owners...bad enviroment* and they get slaughtered for meat, like pigs, chickens, cows ect... if u feed your cats or dogs tinned food that has horse in it. and my dog loves it. now my question.. if the horses that went for slaughter got travelled in a better way ..*ie.proper trailers and were confortable* what is wrong with it? its just like any other meat we eat. what do other askers think??

Answer 1

If people notice, the horses going to the slaughter are (sorry if this seems mean and all) broken down things that no one wants anyway.  What a lot of people don't realize is that if we stop horse slaughter, we will just have a bunch (a bunch?  More like TONS!) of neglected horses laying around that are suffering.  Your not going to see olympic horses going to slaughter.  Why?  Because those horses are of real value, the horses in slaughter, well, they don't even do anything.  In a sense, slaughter is keeping the horse population level.  One of the problems is that people keep on breeding and breeding and breeding horses for no purpose what so ever, just because they can.  A lot of these horses are just going to go to slaughter.  If you have a real reason to breed a horse, then do it, if you are just breeding just to be breeding, don't.  You'll save so horse's life.  Then again, out other pets need to eat.  I'm not going to make my dog and cat gourmet dishes every morning and night.  I think maybe if they were slaughtered in a not so grusome fashion, people might start changing their minds horse slaughter.  I understand it's hard to think about them being slaughtered, but maybe it's for the best in a way.  I own horses, so I will admit I am kind of bothered by it.  Horses are my life, but somewhere along the line we are going to have to get realistic.  I think it would be terrible to have horses just standing around with no purpose in life, eventually we will run out of room for them all.  Once agian, sorry if this got to some of you people, but we have to face the facts at some point or another...

Answer 2

i personally believe that both of these things are indescribably inhumane, and whilst you might believe that it is a necessary evil, i really don't it's my opinion and i really can't change it. also, my pony, whom i produced myself, was at a national event 2 weeks ago with me. he almost went for slaughter, so think twice! read horse and hound news 31st august if you want more reliable information. and you might disagree with me, but i can tell you that the travelling is destroying the planet we walk on, as the horses are travelling for 22hrs. this in itself is horse abuse and many of these horses are stolen. i also know that producing ANY MEAT wastes resources and is contributing to killing the planet. if you cared about the next generation of people, you wouldn't be eating meat unless it was necessary (i.e. for pets) and by the way, not all dog and cat food contains horses - my does has chicken in pig gelatin! their owners wouldn't be as bad if there was not a practise, as to them this is their only way of coping at present. also, there are more people than there are horses, so each horse will be able to find a home. and how can a horse or any animal for that matter be comfortable when it can hear shots from a gun; a sound it has never before heard. if it was you there i ask you how could you be comfortable? humans are destroying the planet, so if people want to do the right thing - slaughter humans. or stop the slaughter of animals for humans.  

Answer 3

Humans would not have evolved to where we are without the help of horses so we owe it to them to give them a good life. Yes we have always used the unwanted animals for meat, but I see no point to breed horses specifically for the meat trade. I'm not against horses being slaughtered if it is the best option, not an easy way out. Also I am definitely against transporting any animal a long distance to its death, regardless of the conditions, its unnecessary.

Answer 4

It is fine only if the horses are in good care and comfort and humanely killed. If not it is abuse it is wrong and it is sickening. I don't have a problem with people eating horse meat as long as that horse was comfortable and cared for.  

Answer 5

well to be honist no cos ok they might have had a nice trailer but if you have ever seen a horse slaughters conditions which i had and was crieing my eyes out you would think differently cos they are kept in theses thin long paddocks so badly cramped they can hardly lift there heads they smack them and kick them if they get panicked and when theyve done a horse they hang it up right infront of the horses and you might think horses are stupid and dont know its there friends but they are smarter than us and can sense these things

also if it had a nice life and the owners loved it why would they give it to a slaighter factory its just unrealistic so think about it there is around 99% chance that a horse in a horse factory has had a horrible life so i dont mean to be rude but your not a true horse lover if you really loved even the ugliest of horses you would think differently

:(

Answer 6

i see where you are coming at but the horses are not ever travelled in a nice way because the people selling them cannot be bothered no matter what the law says and to be honest it would be hard to give a horse who is going to be slaughtered a nice life because the a made so fat they are uncomfortable pretty much from square one and they also often get lame because they are so over weight and don't get sorted because the are going for slaugter but i do see your point of veiw

Answer 7

Time for an eye opener folks.

Many many horses that are 100% healthy and well trained are sent to slaughter.

Thousands of 3 - 5 month old foals were sent to slaughter auctions...many of them are even papered!

A champion TB ex racer was saved IN the slaughter house because he was tatooed (name escapes me at the moment)



Horse meat is a delicacy in some countries - For enough $$ you could go and select the LIVE horse YOU want for dinner. Like we do here with Lobsters. Apparently Belgians and drafts are the tastiest...

Horses live 30+ years...people outgrow them, get bored of them, had no idea they would cost so much or be so much work, people buy unsuitable mounts for kids, horse stops winning / producing $$ , owner dies or gets sick, horse gets sick and owner dumps it -

Heck there are still morons breeding back yard foals that will be UNwanted and improperly trained "bad horses" - and end up at an auction where the meat dealers are the only ones that don't care if the horse is "bad".

Basically lil Sally beginner got thrown from the 16hh 4 year old greenbroke TB Mommy bought her - then the horse gets labled as "vicious" and "unrideable" then it ends up in a dog food can or on a dinner plate.

No way will I believe that a horse is NOT upset and stressed in a "proper trailer" - or a slaughter yard - they can smell death.

They want to go home and can be heard calling for the people that dumped them..

It is a disgusting end to a life - that could have been prevented.

You won't find me feeding my friends to my dogs.

***There is a huge difference between euthanasia (what we do for a beloved animal as our last gift to them) with a needle that crosses the blood brain barrier and they die with us holding their head in our laps - no stress except for the human. And (the cowards way) sending the animal to slaughter where he is transported away from home - kept in tiny pens with other horses that are all trying to sort out herd dynamics in chaos - stood up - packed in - can't move - scared and then shot in the brain with a metal spike.

Let's not confuse the two.

Answer 8

Meat is meat!

It's your choice!

Answer 9

Once we are dead, human or animal - we are just `dead meat`.

So regarding horse meat, it is just another commodity.

We kill and eat chickens, pigs, cows, - and some nations of course eat dog and many other animals.

As long as we  treat them well while they are alive, and kill them humanely, I can`t see any problem.

Answer 10

I think that horse slaughter is a disgusting practice, and truly, if it was up to me, anybody who supports horse slaughter is a disgusting, terrible person, who will end up in h**l. Why would you support the slaughter of such a beautiful animal? How are you a horse lover if you feed your dog horse meat? Your supporting slaughter, without realizing it.  The only reason they are in such terrible condition at slaughter is because people want the money, so they care for them terribly, then send them to slaughter.  There is nothing humane about slaughter

Answer 11

The horse meat industry is cruel - no doubt. To all of those who think that all meat cases are old and broken down - first it isn' t true - there are plenty of pregnant mares and foals and youngsters in there too and also old horses are only those who have been good working horses and then dumped by someone because they won't care for them in their old age and that is something that every horse owner should consider.

Transport conditions are diabolical - animals are often already dead when they arrive and slaughter houses disgusting. There are regulations but they are not enforced.

If anyone wishes to farm equines then that is their choice, but it should be done humanely to the same standards that you would expect for any other animal.

Answer 12

Being a horse lover myself and being involved in them all my life.. That is such a good point. Its not people moaning about horses going for meat..it is about the way they travel and get transported from country to country. There isnt any laws against horse slaughter and the way they are travelled compared to cows or pigs. Its totally different.

I dont think theres anythin wrong with horse laughter because its just like pigs and cows & other animals. Its a way of life x

Answer 13

This is a very good point. I do believe that if there weren't a knackers as a last resort there would be more horses on the street being sold for nothing and being abused and mistreated. Ok so it is horrible to think of what they go through for half an hour or so and this should be improved but isn't that better than a lifetime being sold from pillar to post with problems all along the way? When an animal is dead it is dead (This will apply to me too in time) and feels no more pain. There are far too many horses that don't come up to scratch and not everybody wants a horse with conformation or behavioral problems. One of my pet hates is breeding from a mare when she becomes unmanageable or unrideable from bad conformation and so perpetuating the problem. I have seen a stallion in a back shed with crooked legs being used to breed with. This is blind madness. Why not leave it to the experts to breed a good horse for what people want and leave the difficult mare in the field alone!

P.S. I am a veggie and HATE any form of transporting live animals of any kind long distance for meat.

Answer 14

Pigs, chickens, cow's, ect. are livestock animals produced for meat and human consumption. Horse slaughter is wrong. I did an entire project about it, its the most horrible thing i have ever learned about. I was crying about it for hours, i am the biggest horse lover too. They are my life, but horse slaughter is unacceptable. Horse's are people's pets. Take your dog that loves this canned food with horse in it, Imagine your dog being in your horses food. Take your dog chop him up and serve him to everyone. It's not right! It's not just the traveling that is the worst part!!!! Horses are travelled on double decker busses which are to small for a horse to stretch it's neck and be comfortable, the horses often break bones and kill each other in panic. Then the horses are lined up in a small narrow passage way to be slaughtered. The horses are put unconscious with a bat with a metal stake at the end of it which is bashed into their head until they are unconscious and then the horses are hung by their legs in the air and their throats are cut to let the blood drain. These horses are being inhumanely slaughtered in front of the other horses about to be killed. The horses waiting for their death watch their fellow horses be killed, and smell the fear and the blood in the air. everything is wrong with it! Millions of horses are being killed! it's not right.... how would you like it for your horse to go to a slaughter house to be bashed unconscious. More than have the time the horses are still conscious when they are being raised into the air and have their throat slit. It's wrong! Do some research!  

Answer 15

I do not like the thought of horses going to slaughter.  Most are abused and have turned out the way they do because of idiot human beings.  

The horses we learned to shoe were horses who were going to slaughter.  

Lots of them were really sweet but mistreated badly.  I felt that they should be given another chance.  After all, they were not born that way.

Answer 16

The transport is part of the abusive process and should be addressed.  the treatment once they reach the slaughterhouse is also abominable and would need to be regulated far better than it was.  There is nothing wrong with slaughter when it is performed as euthanasia....painless, sudden death without hours or days of torture leading up to it.

Answer 17

Horse slaughter, unfortunately, is a necessary evil.  Mainly because people breed horses willy-nilly not thinking about whether the mare or stud is actually suitable for breeding.  I've seen it too many times where a person brings an ugly, unshown, badly conformed, bad tempered mare to breed to a stallion, only because they "want to raise a baby out of her cuz they love her so much".  Or people stand a stud because someone "told" them he'd be a good one to stand.  I've seen big name studs that should never have been bred to anything because they don't have good conformation or good attitudes, the only reason they were left studs was because of a well known bloodline.  I've worked with some world champion horses that should never have been bred because of their attitudes, but since they won at shows, they were kept for breeding.  

  I heard a story once, unconfirmed, about a big time halter horse stud that had to have 5 people to handle him while breeding, 4 to hold on to him, and one standing outside the fence with a rifle"just in case" he was so nasty, but he kept breeding.  

Answer 18

well vids ive seen of horse's being slaughtered isnt nice. they pack them into small lorrys so they cant stand correctly. and the person who is supposed to put the bolt in their head, isnt trained correctly so they have to do it 3 or 4 times before its in.

just think of all the things horses have done for us. they were with us in battle, they carried us on their backs, the pulled wagons with supplies in. they carried the food we killed across their backs, and they get repayed by being killed

Answer 19

well I'm a BIG horse lover- and i think if the slaughter horses had a nice,comfortable life before the slaughter it wld be kinda ok (if killed humanly) and the end of the day dogs n cats gotta eat!it wld only be duck,rabbit or a chicken otherwise!

Answer 20

You know, i have often thaught about that myself.

Yes they are beautiful animals but so are cattle, chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, sheep, pigs etc

It doesnt make a difference and alot of horses that go to slaughter are in such bad health anyway it is crule to let them carry on a life of pain.

They are transported in horrible ways but alot of them are gassed like other meat wheras alot of people think they put them into a massive grinder alive! which they dont.

to be perfectly honest, i would never support it, but i shoot and hunt to im not going to be a judge of other people because i know how it feels to be judged.

For some, it is a way of making money, for others it is a way of life but for me, it is neither and I dont feed my dogs or cats tinned food because of all the sh*t that they out in it.

Did you know they put cancerous tumors in there after they have removed them from animals? it is appauling so i never go near it.

Anything my dogs eat, i should be able to eat and they dont get that rubbish.

Anyway, good question and it is only the yuppies, chavs and veggies that will go "oooohhhhh its crule, anyone that does that should be killed and tortured" etc, that is crule.

Now i dont agree with horse abuse, like beating etc, that is crule but putting down an animal that is in excrutiating pain anyway and putting the carcus to goo use, i have no problem with that - if anything, its kind!!

Answer 21

well, while I would not want to eat horse meat, this has been a difficult few years in the horse business.  There is a shelter for Horses in Pueblo CO called Dreamscape or dream something anyway that has a lot of horses that were turned loose on the highway.  . because the owner couldn't feed them?  Didn't want them?  who knows but I heard they had several hundred there now.  

I have seen where people on the arabads list on yahoo groups are literally giving horses away because they cannot afford to feed them.  

So I would rather see them killed -humanely- and used for something useful rather than starving to death or meeting a semi-truck on the highway (imagine the fear and pain of that?)  Also if a horse is old and/or crippled to be useless then again, I'd rather see it put down humanely then starve to death or be abused over a long period.

While I am a huge animal lover, I think animal owners all have a responsibility to make sure that the animals they own do not suffer or suffer the least they can.  Dumping dogs, cats, horses because they are expensive or because they no longer want the responsibility is totally wrong.  I think there is a special place in h**l for those people.

Also, as an example, my daugher in law had an Akita - she got to the point she could not control her bladder, had seizures, had one leg that had been broken at one point that had almost no pulse in it and was generally just stumbling around in misery.  She kept her til she was 15 and this started when she was 14.  I felt she was SO wrong to prolong this dog's misery.  Her meds were $100/mo.  She had to be hand fed.  She stank.  They started keeping her totally outside when she'd always been an inside house pet because she cldn't control her bladder and when she laid and slept she would wake up in a pool of pee.  Can you imagine that dog wondering Why she had to be outside now - did they not care for her anymore?  It was awful.  She should have taken the responsibility and put her down before she suffered for that whole year.

So no, there is nothing wrong with putting an animal down rather than having it suffer and prolonging the misery.

Answer 22

I am with you on this.  If the horse has a long term injury or is unrideable for some other reason why prolong its suffering?  Not only is there the suffering of the animal physically, but many cannot cope with retirement and become sad or morose.  (I think of my own horse who was stabled for 6 months due to a leg injury, which thankfully he recovered from) Shoeing and hoof trimming is still a necessity and so are long term drugs - which eventually, like paracetomol for humans, becomes less effective and the horse is in pain again and all this is not cheap.

These videos are made by well meaning, but unhinged people who are trying to shock.  If it is done correctly euthanasia is quick and need not be scarey.