An Epidemic of Abandoned Horses

[Inkpen]

From Time.com,.....I found this to be so very sad...and there does not seen to be an easy answer to stop them from dying.

Wednesday, May. 28, 2008
An Epidemic of Abandoned Horses
By Pat Dawson

The global food and fuel crisis is resulting in more than just people going hungry. Rising grain and gas prices, as well as the closure of American slaughterhouses, have contributed to a virtual stampede of horses being abandoned — some starving — and turned loose into the deserts and plains of the West to die cruel and lonesome deaths. Horse rescue projects, which are mostly small, volunteer operations with limited land and resources, are feeling the consequences of this convergence of events. In the meantime, many now unaffordable horses are being sold to abbatoirs south of the border where inhumane methods of slaughter are practiced.

"It's a growing problem. Basically, it's the economy," says Brent Glover, who has run Idaho's Orphan Acres since 1975, and has found new homes for 1,600 rescued horses. "We're getting calls constantly." With more horses coming onto his 50-acre refuge, he is feeling the pinch of a hay bill that has risen from $28,000 to $80,000 this year, not to mention rising transportation and grain costs. "It's a horrible mess of bad consequences," says Colorado State University animal sciences Professor Temple Grandin. "People are turning them loose because of the decline in discretionary spending."

Outside Pueblo, Colorado, 101 rescued horses graze on 850 acres at Dreamcatchers Equine Sanctuary, and more are on the way. "It's a very scary situation right now," explains manager Julie DeMuesy. "Everybody's stressed to the max. It exploded for us at the end of 2007." Some horses are coming from people who have had their mortgages foreclosed, and can't afford to feed their steeds. "We're trying desperately to reduce our herd [by sending horses] to good homes. It's become a revolving door — They're coming in as fast as they are going out to new homes."

And the problem isn't limited to the West. Earlier this week, nearly 120 starving horses (along with some ponies and donkeys) were taken from a ranch of a Central Florida woman who had become overwhelmed by the demands of caring for the rescued animals.

Another reason for the rise of numbers, in addition to economics, is the absence of U.S. slaughterhouses. (The last three were shut in 2007 after several court rulings came down against horse slaughter for human consumption.) Says DeMusey: "We're seeing a lot of elderly horses and horses with special needs that normally would be sent to slaughter." Says Montana livestock transporter John Chaffee: "What can you do with all these horses? You can't bury 'em all. I have nothing against eating horse meat. I wouldn't eat it, but millions of people in the world do." Chaffee says he has stopped hauling horses to a plant in southern Alberta, Canada, because of costlier trucking restrictions and Canadian humane-group pressures at border crossings. "People who protest slaughter ought to have a bunch of these old horses starving to death in their back yards."

Colorado State's Grandin, who helped refine standards for humane livestock slaughter, says Americans have an "ick" factor when it comes to the idea of horseflesh, equating it, she says "killing and eating pets." But, Grandin argues, "the problem is, these are 800 to 1,200-pound pets. When they shut down those plants, I said we've got to avoid alternatives worse than slaughter. But we have not, and all my worse nightmares have come true."

Chaffee says horses that are taken north to Canada are treated humanely. But with the long-distance hauls now being prohibitive, horses in the southern U.S. are being laundered through a series of dealers into Mexico. Says Colorado State's Grandin, who helped refine standards for humane livestock slaughter: "At the Mexican border, they just wave the trucks through. The conditions down there are horrible." Proposed legislation to outlaw U.S. horses for slaughter may get passed, says Grandin, but the law won't be enforceable because Mexican "kill buyers" can circumvent the law by labeling horses as breed stock or for riding purposes. And such a law may not ameliorate the plight of American horses in an economic downturn.

Longtime Montana horse breeder Kathy Thornton says she will cut back on the number of her brood mares producing offspring every year, because of high costs of feed and transportation, plus the sudden drop in value of her well-tempered colts. A three-year-old trained ranch horse that traditionally would bring upwards of $1,500 fetched only $525 at a sale 175 miles away, a transaction that cost her $200 in truck fuel. "I'm open for barter," says Ms.Thornton. "I'm now trading horses for cattle. Personally, I don't send horses to slaughter, but I'm glad if it's available. I sure feel bad for the poor horses left alongside the highway."

What is your solution?

 

[Pasofever]

Reopen the US slaughter houses..

 

[Sonsie]

Reopen the US slaughter houses..

Down here in Texas horses are a dime a dozen right now. Unless your horse is pretty well trained or well bred it's probably heading for a mexican slaughter house. You see a lot of ads like this on Craig's List, that pretty $400 dollar horse is worth more as meat sadly enough. I just bought two beautiful miniature horses from a lady who couldn't afford to feed her pretty babies anymore due to feed costs and was thinning out her herd.

 

[Cowgirl]

What is your solution?

That's easy. People need to stop breeding grade, crap horses. Unless your horse is especially talented (as in, broke and competing and doing well in shows) and registered, it really doesn't need to be bred.

If you have a horse and absolutely can't afford to feed it and cannot find it another good home, then be responsible and put it down.

 

[Pasofever]

That's easy. People need to stop breeding grade, crap horses. Unless your horse is especially talented (as in, broke and competing and doing well in shows) and registered, it really doesn't need to be bred.

If you have a horse and absolutely can't afford to feed it and cannot find it another good home, then be responsible and put it down.

At this point that will not cut it..

 

[Cowgirl]

At this point that will not cut it..

Sure it will. If people quit breeding, then they'd have room to keep that horse they just don't want anymore. I bet a ton of those starving horses are being starved by BYBs.

Besides, if people would just quit being cheap and shell out the money to euthanize, it'd be way more humane for the horse than starving to death.

 

[toppick08]

Reopen the US slaughter houses..

 

[appendixqh]

Sure it will. If people quit breeding, then they'd have room to keep that horse they just don't want anymore. I bet a ton of those starving horses are being starved by BYBs.

Besides, if people would just quit being cheap and shell out the money to euthanize, it'd be way more humane for the horse than starving to death.

The article stated that it isn't booms of BYBs that are dropping off horses at the rescue...it is individuals - many of them- feeling economic pinch that can't feed their animals. It is just more headlines when a person with 30 or more starves them because they can't afford it. I agree...stop breeding CRAP horses. I won't quit breeding my horses, but I am very selective as to what I breed.

Now, as you suggest that if people just quit and euthanize it would solve the problem. and why would someone want to keep something they just don't want? Besides, It wouldn't solve that problem for many many years...unless you are suggesting euthanizing 5 and 6 year olds on up. With a 20 to 30 year life span you have a lot of crap horses waiting to run their lifes course.

I get frustrated when people make it sound like this is such an easy fix...its not. I euthanize, I don't send to slaughter. BUT I don't like the government trying to step into a USDA regulated process, pull the inspectors and close down LIVESTOCK processing plants becuase it wants to regulate personal choice. If you don't believe me that a horse is livestock, go to a townhouse community and try having one on your back porch... And I wonder what all the tree huggers would say to the environmental impact of an additional 100,000 horses a year being euthanized and buried.

 

[fredsaid2]

What is your solution?

No. 1 - Take care of your own. If you bred it; keep it. If you bought it and it develops a debilitating injury; keep it or put it down.

No. 2 - Reopen US slaughter houses w/ more humane methods.

No. 3 - Don't support the BYBs when you decide to purchase a horse/pony. Don't mistake small breeders w/ BYBs. One has a solid plan backed w/ experience, the other breeds with their emotions. I.E. "they're sooo pretty!, it's a rare breed or color, she's injured - what else can I do with her".

None of these will eliminate the over population we now face but it's a start. And you have to start somewhere.

 

[aps45819]

Reopen the US slaughter houses..

Do gooders made it illegal
Now the horses starve

 

[Cowgirl]

The article stated that it isn't booms of BYBs that are dropping off horses at the rescue...it is individuals - many of them- feeling economic pinch that can't feed their animals. It is just more headlines when a person with 30 or more starves them because they can't afford it. I agree...stop breeding CRAP horses. I won't quit breeding my horses, but I am very selective as to what I breed.

Now, as you suggest that if people just quit and euthanize it would solve the problem. and why would someone want to keep something they just don't want? Besides, It wouldn't solve that problem for many many years...unless you are suggesting euthanizing 5 and 6 year olds on up. With a 20 to 30 year life span you have a lot of crap horses waiting to run their lifes course.

I get frustrated when people make it sound like this is such an easy fix...its not. I euthanize, I don't send to slaughter. BUT I don't like the government trying to step into a USDA regulated process, pull the inspectors and close down LIVESTOCK processing plants becuase it wants to regulate personal choice. If you don't believe me that a horse is livestock, go to a townhouse community and try having one on your back porch... And I wonder what all the tree huggers would say to the environmental impact of an additional 100,000 horses a year being euthanized and buried.

I agree with you on just about everything. However, BYBs quit breeding, there would be fewer horses out there to begin with.

Also, I do think they should re-open slaughter with humane standards. Horses are still going to get slaughtered, they're just shipped out to Canada or Mexico. Which is more humane? To slaughter here in the US with strict welfare guidelines, or to make a horse spend god knows how many hours on a trailer bound for the border to get slaughtered god knows how?

 

[Spicober]

.

Also, I do think they should re-open slaughter with humane standards. Horses are still going to get slaughtered, they're just shipped out to Canada or Mexico. Which is more humane? To slaughter here in the US with strict welfare guidelines, or to make a horse spend god knows how many hours on a trailer bound for the border to get slaughtered god knows how? [/QUOTE]

So sad but so very true

 

[Pasofever]

We are talking about people that can not afford to feed their animals not peeps like us that are paying $4 bale of hay and $12-14 per bag of grain..I still throw grain to my chickens and still put hay in Wees bed..so I am not feeling it THAT bad or I would stop using extra food..I tend to over feed my horses which most peeps do....

So that said I have an old horse I really like..did me well...and needs to be "put down" (say broken hip like my mare I had for 20 yrs) I pay the vet to come and put her down..pay someone to bury her under our huge oak tree..

Peeps that can not feed do not have an extra $400 to put one down...

Next case..buy something to resell..crazy and going to hurt someone..do I put $400 into laying it down..Hell no he goes to the sale to get $65 cents per pound...

I would never send one of "mine" to the slaughter just for the $...."mine" I like and would rest them here...now like I said...there is a place for slaughter..so do we send to Mexico where they are killing them by hand with a knife after how many hours on a truck?? No we should USDA regulate US slaughter plants and keep it here in the US...Its going to be done..just needs to be done right..

The thought of one of "mine" going there KILLS me....but I have had a few that I would send there in a heart beat...the first reason would be dangerous..not unsoundness but when I think "This horse could kill someone I think this horse needs to be ALPO"

 

[appendixqh]

I agree with you on just about everything. However, BYBs quit breeding, there would be fewer horses out there to begin with.

I am rather impressed with this entire thread...usually it turns hateful by now, but this has been a good discussion!

On the BYB thing...I think FS2 said it best. And I think this is beyond BYB. There are huge "production" farms out west, they breed for color etc. And when you see their stock, its CRAP. I think everyone needs to take a look at what is being bred and stop breeding CRAP!

 

[Elmer]

I found this to be so very sad...and there does not seen to be an easy answer to stop them from dying.




What is your solution?

 

[Cowgirl]

I am rather impressed with this entire thread...usually it turns hateful by now, but this has been a good discussion!

On the BYB thing...I think FS2 said it best. And I think this is beyond BYB. There are huge "production" farms out west, they breed for color etc. And when you see their stock, its CRAP. I think everyone needs to take a look at what is being bred and stop breeding CRAP!

Oh, I know there are large farms producing...but think of how many people have to breed their mare because she's cute or nice or a pretty color. Multiply that by 50 states....it's a huge problem.

 

[Robin]

Oh, I know there are large farms producing...but think of how many people have to breed their mare because she's cute or nice or a pretty color. Multiply that by 50 states....it's a huge problem.

Dont forget the PMU foals and breeding farms for nurse mares.

 

[itsbob]

That's easy. People need to stop breeding grade, crap horses. Unless your horse is especially talented (as in, broke and competing and doing well in shows) and registered, it really doesn't need to be bred.

If you have a horse and absolutely can't afford to feed it and cannot find it another good home, then be responsible and put it down.

Using Eugenics on horses??

If the horse isn't smart enough or talented enough it won't be allowed to breed, even though there is no guarantee that a talented horse will beget a talented horse?

Re-open the slaughterhouses. Let horse owners breed as much as they want and we can feed a good portion of the hungry world population with the cast offs.

 

[happyappygirl]

Dont forget the PMU foals and breeding farms for nurse mares.

Do they still do that? I thought premarin was synthetic now.

 

[Cowgirl]

Using Eugenics on horses??

If the horse isn't smart enough or talented enough it won't be allowed to breed, even though there is no guarantee that a talented horse will beget a talented horse?

Re-open the slaughterhouses. Let horse owners breed as much as they want and we can feed a good portion of the hungry world population with the cast offs.

No, the point is breeding for the market. Who wants an unbroke 8 year old stud with horrible conformation? Who wants an ugly yearling sired by an ugly stud with no proof he's actually athletic or able to perform? With the market like it is (slow) you need to make sure people will want to buy your horse. That means having good bloodlines (or making sure the sire and dam have actually accomplished something in their lifetime), and having papers (because sometimes that can make all the difference).

It's not a guarantee that a talented horse will beget a talented horse, but there's a really good chance it will.