You have to be careful who you sell your horse to these days. Be particularly careful if your horse is going to auction. The “kill” buyers are out there in force and they will not identify themselves as such. They buy ‘em, load ‘em up, and transport ‘em to slaughter.
All the horse slaughter plants in the U.S. closed after passage of a federal law banned USDA inspections of those facilities in 2006. Its purpose... to stop the slaughter of horses for human consumption. But that hasn’t stopped The rapidly growing and often illegal business. Many U.S. slaughter plants simply moved their facilities over the border.
The number of of horse slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico more than doubled after 2006. Companies based in those countries distribute horse meat for human consumption in Europe and Asia. USDA statistics show that 134,000 horses were exported to Canada and Mexico last year alone.
If Montana Rep. Ed Butcher has his way, kill buyers won’t have to leave the country at all. A new state law to encourage construction of a horse slaughter plant in Montana takes effect this week. Not only did Mr. Butcher sponsor this law but he is proudly courting Chinese and South Korean investors to make the project a reality. With China using 160,000 tons of horse meat a year, horse slaughter can be quite profitable. The “Missoulan”, a Montana newspaper, quotes Mr. Butcher as saying,
"Only about four to six horses out of every 10 born actually become usable animals...
This is the thing the animal rights people don't understand: Every horse that's born
doesn't turn into a Trigger or a Black Beauty. They're animals. Some of them are
usable and some of them are not”
Let's back up a bit here. He said " only 4 to 6 out of every 10 born actually become useable" ????? "They're just animals" ????? What are they, sheets of toitet paper you can just throw away? By inference, this means we should kill 40% to 60% of all horses ever born. Why not. They're just animals. Apparently Mr. Butcher was born to be in the business.
The supply of live animals to slaughter houses comes from irresponsible breeding in the racing and other performance horse industries, wild horses illegally taken from the range or sold at auction by managing agencies, and from unsuspecting private owners who believe their four-legged friend is going to a good home. This meat is often tainted with disease or medications that stay in the animals system for up to 6 months.
Tough new European regulations on importing horse meat will take effect in the spring of next year. And the U.S. has bills currently awaiting Congressional approval that will institute further restrictions and penalties for those dealing in the trade of equine steaks. But two facts remain:
- the bills may not be approved.
- Human consumption is not the only profit making use for horse meat.
Would you send your horse to slaughter?
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1 comments:
Great post. Someday, Butcher will understand the law and he will realize that he cannot operate a horse slaughter plant for human consumption legally in the US. The funding for inspections was once again removed sending a clear message that American horses are not food animals.
There is also the drug issue. The majority of horses that have been going to slaughter receive meds that are prohibited for food animals. Come April, those horses cannot enter the food chain.
As an FYI, one of the plants in Texas stayed open to slaughter for non-human consumption and closed after two months. No profit.
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