So, we went to the Good Friday horse sale in Shipshawana. It was awesome weather, and there were tons of horses there, and most of them were going for cheap.
Like usual, they had their kill horse sale. For those that don't know, the slaughter and processing of horses for human consumption (you can still process them for zoo animal food) has been banned in the US for a couple of years now. However, there is no ban on the sale of horses for slaughter--all you have to do is ship them out of the country live.
If you go according to the numbers at this sale, this ban has not decreased the number of horses sold for slaughter at all. There were just as many horses going through, being sold and herded into separate pens for separate buyers--some destined for Canada and the really unlucky ones headed for Mexico (I won't go into the gory details of what one's last moments in a Mexican slaughter house are like). There USED to be a slaughter house in Illinois that processed horses, meaning that many of these horses' trips (where they generally are not fed or watered) would be a matter of hours rather than days and days. But, thanks to the do-gooders, no more.
Many of these horses have obvious injures of some sort, but many appear completely healthy and sociable. There was what looked like a saddlebred mare that I'm sure was pregnant. The saddest sight was a very young black horse--no more than 6 months to a year old, that was being sold for kill. The horse appeared healthy and was in good weight, although it was caked with mud and feces. it was halter broke and was tied up (and staying tied up) with only baling twine, so it could not have been feral. Unfortunately we have absolutely no room at the inn--otherwise I would have brought him home if only to clean him up and resell him. At least he'd have a shot then...
I just don't get it. 60,000 to 100,000 horses were slaughtered in the US each year--these horses are not being bred for slaughter. They are extra, unwanted horses. What did the anti-slaughter people think was going to happen to those horses--that rescues were going to absorb them? That somehow people were going to suddenly have a change of heart and keep or euth every old, injured, or otherwise damaged horses they came to own? It would be nice but it's just not realistic, especially in this economy. Most horse rescues, at least around here, are filled to the brim. In some places people are just abandoning their horses. There have been ads in the papers for people giving away horses. Decant horses at the sale were going for less than $300.
Yes, the thought of a horse going through a slaughter house makes me very sad, but what is even more sad is the thought of these horses being transported WAY farther than they have to and their suffering only being prolonged.
And for what? So we can all hold hands and feel good and say "Well at least it's not happening on our soil!" Ugh....."The road to Hell......"
Like usual, they had their kill horse sale. For those that don't know, the slaughter and processing of horses for human consumption (you can still process them for zoo animal food) has been banned in the US for a couple of years now. However, there is no ban on the sale of horses for slaughter--all you have to do is ship them out of the country live.
If you go according to the numbers at this sale, this ban has not decreased the number of horses sold for slaughter at all. There were just as many horses going through, being sold and herded into separate pens for separate buyers--some destined for Canada and the really unlucky ones headed for Mexico (I won't go into the gory details of what one's last moments in a Mexican slaughter house are like). There USED to be a slaughter house in Illinois that processed horses, meaning that many of these horses' trips (where they generally are not fed or watered) would be a matter of hours rather than days and days. But, thanks to the do-gooders, no more.
Many of these horses have obvious injures of some sort, but many appear completely healthy and sociable. There was what looked like a saddlebred mare that I'm sure was pregnant. The saddest sight was a very young black horse--no more than 6 months to a year old, that was being sold for kill. The horse appeared healthy and was in good weight, although it was caked with mud and feces. it was halter broke and was tied up (and staying tied up) with only baling twine, so it could not have been feral. Unfortunately we have absolutely no room at the inn--otherwise I would have brought him home if only to clean him up and resell him. At least he'd have a shot then...
I just don't get it. 60,000 to 100,000 horses were slaughtered in the US each year--these horses are not being bred for slaughter. They are extra, unwanted horses. What did the anti-slaughter people think was going to happen to those horses--that rescues were going to absorb them? That somehow people were going to suddenly have a change of heart and keep or euth every old, injured, or otherwise damaged horses they came to own? It would be nice but it's just not realistic, especially in this economy. Most horse rescues, at least around here, are filled to the brim. In some places people are just abandoning their horses. There have been ads in the papers for people giving away horses. Decant horses at the sale were going for less than $300.
Yes, the thought of a horse going through a slaughter house makes me very sad, but what is even more sad is the thought of these horses being transported WAY farther than they have to and their suffering only being prolonged.
And for what? So we can all hold hands and feel good and say "Well at least it's not happening on our soil!" Ugh....."The road to Hell......"
