They Slaughter Horses, Don’t They?
Okay so I understand that we raise and slaughter cows, pigs and chickens for our dinner tables. I may not like it but I know it happens. And I am all over the humane treatment of livestock issue. As someone who has not been able to convert to 100% vegetarian, it is an issue I deal with internally and externally every single day.
But horses? Apparently there are people in the world who will pay big bucks for horsemeat and so of course, there are what they call “kill buyers” who skulk around auction houses looking for perfectly healthy horses to purchase and ship overseas to slaughter. I am shocked to learn that horses from Canada are imported into the US for this purpose as well. I will pursue this issue further after I’ve researched it. It is much like the dog/cat meat issue in Asia isn’t it?
But I digress.
Most horse slaughterhouses in the US were closed in 2007 and now those in the horsemeat business have invented an “unwanted horses” problem. Lawmakers from Nebraska are convening to pass legislation to deal with the problem that isn’t really a problem.
What really bothers me about this picture is the horse down on his back. That is not a natural position for a horse and I really would like to know what the hell is going on with that!
Picture credit: Animal Law Coalition
In 2008, 133,000 horses were sent to slaughter. The average number of horses that die every year in the US is 920,000. These horses have died for a number reasons including humane euthanasia. If instead of slaughter, the 133,000 were added to the 920,000, we would be talking about a 14.5% increase in the number of horses that would require humane euthanasia and carcass disposal. Since this method of disposing of sick and old horses is widely available and inexpensive, horse slaughter opponents are arguing that there is NOT an unwanted horse issue and the current infrastructure is more then enough to handle the current numbers of horses requiring humane euthanasia and carcass disposal.
The point made in the article linked to below that convinced me there was something fishy going on was this: People who eat horsemeat are not going to want to eat old and sick horsemeat. They want young and healthy horsemeat of course! So where are the horses coming from that are being shipped overseas to slaughterhouses for European dinner tables? What possible reason could there be to re-open US horse slaughterhouses if we’re talking about a mere 133,000 unwanted or abandoned horses. That’s certainly not enough to keep even one slaughterhouse operating profitably.
Along the same line of thought, shipping live horses overseas has to be immensely expensive while shipping only already processed horsemeat overseas would be substantially cheaper. 
So there is an ulterior motive for those who are campaigning to have the US slaughterhouses re-opened. Since this is a US state by state issue, it is up to you to contact your state representative and let your thoughts be known about why this should not be allowed to happen.
For more information on this subject and contact information for Nebraska legislatures click here: Tell Nebraska Lawmakers No to Horse Slaughter
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Why is the slaughter of horses any different that the slaughter of cows or pigs. All are sentient, all are intelligent and all should have the right to life a full live.
Thank you for your comment and you are right, of course. Except for the minor difference in that we “raise” cows, pigs and chickens to be livestock, whereas horses are mainly taken from the wild or are certainly not bred to be eaten. Yes it’s a weak argument I know but nonetheless, to me it makes a difference.
I salute you for being able to tow the vegan line.