Obama Legalizes Horse Slaughter for Human Consumption
Horse slaughter plants are legal again in the United States. Restrictions on horse meat processing for human consumption have been lifted.
In a bipartisan effort, the House of Representatives and the United States Senate approved the Conference Committee report on spending bill H2112, which among other things, funds the United States Department of Agriculture. On November 18th, as the country was celebrating Thanksgiving, President Obama signed a law, allowing Americans to kill and eat horses. Essentially, one turkey was pardoned in the presence of worldwide media while in the shadows, buried under pages of fiscal regulation, millions of horses were sentenced to death.
Horse slaughter has been prohibited in the United States as funding for inspections of horses in transit and at slaughter houses was non-existent. This worked because the horse meat cannot be sold for human consumption without such inspections. The House version of the bill retained the de-funding language and the Senate version did not. The conference committee charged with reconciling the two opted to not include it. The result is that it is now legal to slaughter horses for humans to eat.
Notwithstanding that 70% of Americans oppose horse slaughter, that President Obama made a campaign promise to permanently ban horse slaughter and exports of horses for human consumption (horses can be sent to Mexico and Canada), that documentation of animal cruelty, slaughterhouse stench, fluid runoff and negative community impact exists, it is taxpayers that will bear the costs!
Wyoming state representative Sue Wallis and her pro-slaughter group estimate that between 120,000 and 200,000 horses will be killed for human consumption per year and that Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Georgia and Missouri, are considering opening slaughter plants.
During these trying times, is the only thing that Democrats and Republicans can agree on is that Americans need to eat horses?
I wish it were as simple as being "for" or "against." Being very close to the "unwanted horse problem" (intensified by banning horses from U.S. slaughter houses), I can testify to the horror stories that abound because people can no longer afford to care for their horses or have a vet put their horses down (much less pay for a backhoe to bury them or a rendering company to haul the body away), so the horses suffer neglect and slow starvation or are turned loose "fend for themselves" (in other words, starve, or get hit by vehicles, often killing people in the process). No one likes to think of horses hauled off to slaughter, but there ARE fates worse than death, and untold numbers have been suffering those fates with the closure of all U.S. slaughter houses to horses. The horses that are shipped to Mexico are enduring far more inhumane handling than they would receive here in the U.S. (as per undercover reporting), and even Canada is a long, exhausting haul that could be shortened by having slaughter houses open to horses within the U.S.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'm a vegetarian in part because I can't stomach the thought of subjecting ANY animal to a slaughter house when I can be nourished less expensively and more healthfully on a plant-based diet. But as long as people have the freedom to breed animals indiscriminately, there will be more dogs, cats, horses and other animals than there are people with resources (owners, rescue facilities) to adequately care for them, and many - too, too many - will have to be destroyed. One solution is for the government, in Big Brother fashion, to ban all animal breeding except for those with licenses to do so, and requiring the rest of us to spay/neuter everything, including horses, sheep, etc.
Bottom line for me is that opening U.S. slaughter houses to horses is a necessary evil given all other realities.
I agree with Michelle. I have seen way, way too many horses that have been neglected, starved and abused because there was no other option.
ReplyDeleteI've seen a lot of facebook posts about this lately (I have a number of friends who I grew up riding horses with on there, so they all have opinions). It seems like a very complex issue, either way.
ReplyDeleteI see in your profile that you raise goats for both fiber and meat.
ReplyDeleteI'm confused, are horses more worthy than goats?
Ramona, I did not post that to take sides one way or the other. I do think there is a need for some kind of alternative for unsellable horses, I just don't know if there will be a big demand for horse meat. I don't think any one animal is more "worthy" than another. I happen to live in a area where there is a high ethnic demand for goat meat, yet you don't find it in a grocery store. Goat meat cooked right can be delicious.
ReplyDeleteGood post~ and I agree with your last statement- it's a shame the Dems and Pubs cannot agree on anything else other than this. *JEEZ*
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about this and don't know what to think. I agree with Michelle that our slaughter houses are deplorable, which is why so many of us are turning toward raising our own meat in a healthy and humane matter. Part if my thoughts are feelings actually, because I never considered eating horse meat!
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful you wrote this post...I am catching up on my reading and just joined your blog...thanks also for visiting me and for making your comments, I always get to smile!
ReplyDeleteAs for this blog, I am beyond mortified. I am from Texas and had no idea about this change in legislation. What is Obama thinking? What is the perk behind backing this change? It makes you wonder, what "friend" was he having to please for this piece of work?
Augh.
Disgusting. Americans just aren't into horse meat, for good reason...just as we aren't into eating dogs. Horses and dogs have been our working companions...so senseless.
Lana
Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog ... Popped in and found this! Not many know about this as you said ...
Me and hubby were just talking about this the other day ...
It is gonna be crazy now in KY. people will be stealing horses just to sell them for slaughter ... to get money ... KY. is over run with irresponsible breeders ... they over breed everything here ... and then realize they can't feed it. So they are just leaving horses out in the rural areas to fend for themselves, how awful for these most beautiful creatures!
Well, I won't get on my soap box. Thanks again for stopping by.
And I love you cute BIG lamb.
Teri
Right now Fresno County SPCA is over run with horses, there have been at least 3 incidents in the last month of horses starving. These are not just one or two but like 11 - 16, some so bad they had to be put down. Since we have had no rain for all of December, and over one half the month freezing temperatures overnight there is no grass. One owner was believed to be in Mexico, and was not providing supplemental feed, others just cannot afford to feed large herds of horses when hay is $15-17 a bale for hay.
ReplyDelete