Re: Horse slaughter

["Sandy Bolinger" <bolinger@bigsky.net>]

Seems more humane to have the vet come out to the sick horse's place of
residence..put him to sleep...and if burial there is not an option...have
the rendering plant come and pick up the body...
----- Original Message -----
From: Susan <smw@sos.net>
To: <Ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2000 6:24 PM
Subject: RC: Horse slaughter


> I had hoped to avoid this thread since it is not
> really endurance related, but it seems it is a
> passionate issue with many.
>
> I'd like to share a recent first hand experience
> with you.
>
> At a local sale yard there were the usual 30 or so
> horses being offered for sale. There were also the
> half dozen already condemned to die - kept in a
> feedlot until the day they would be shipped to the
> packing house. They were well fed and cared for,
> although they were just tossed into a strange
> environment with strange animals.  At least half
> of these horses had no 'visible' defect.........in
> fact, one was a very striking bay, tall, athletic
> looking, kind of eye and alert.
>
> A mother and her two children were discussing
> these horses, unaware that they were not being
> offered in the regular sale. They were seriously
> considering bidding on the 'gorgeous bay'. As a
> kindness, I informed them that these horses were
> all unsound and would not be going up for sale -
> they were to be sent for slaughter. You would have
> thought I had murdered the woman's children on the
> spot! She went into hysterics - screaming for
> anyone that was near - trying to marshall a group
> to 'storm the office' and stop them from
> destroying these beautiful animals.......
>
> You see, her heart saw but her mind did not
> comprehend. She did not (could not) know that the
> bay suffered from incurable navicular - and that
> any movement at all caused him excruciating
> pain.....and the owners had opted to put him out
> of his misery rather than prolong it with drugs or
> nerving.
>
> She could not know that the two of the other
> horses had incurable illness'......her untrained
> eye could not even tell that one of the horses was
> so arthritic his hocks no longer functioned......
>
> Should she have been 'allowed' to rescue these
> horses? Should anyone have the right (uninformed
> and uneducated) to step in and override the
> decisions that had been made after numerous hours
> of heartbreak and in many cases the expenditure of
> large amounts of cash for veterinary treatment
> that is unsuccessful?
>
> Perhaps there is a more humane way to deal with
> this - it would be wonderful if we could all have
> our animals peacefully put to sleep and buried on
> the home farm - but that is unrealistic for the
> majority.  And I personally don't have a problem
> with providing a meat source to foreign countries
> - its no different than our consumption of beef in
> America! In India cows are sacred......whats the
> difference?
>
> Sorry this got so lengthy - but its important that
> people understand BOTH sides......
>
>
>
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