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Re: [RC] Crosspost, please take a look at - Ed & Wendy HauserIf I can believe a series of articles in the Missoulian this spring, this panicky post is a gross exaggeration of what is going on. Anything even remotely related to ranching and beef cows gets a lot of in depth coverage in MT. I think that ranching is an important industry around here. 1. While the possibilities of including horses is under discussion, it is far from a done deal. 2. The proposals specifically mention using various methods that are already in place. All specific rules under discussion right now relate to cows and other meat animals, none read directly on horses. 3. If you think horse owners are concerned about cost, you should talk to a beef cattle producer. They are really concerned about cost. They run a low margin business, and a cost per head that would be an annoyance to horse owners, would put them out of business. If microchiping becomes a standard for large animals, the cost per animal will go way down. Mass production does that. In 1982 I paid $3000.00 for a computer, today I can get a ten times better computer for $400.00 An implant in a beef steer would last only about 24 months. The implant in a horse would last about 24 years. 4. A national instant identification method would be a boon to horse owners. Every year we hear about stolen horses that are hard to trace, or about found and probably stolen horses who's owner can't easily be found. If your horse was stolen and then found could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it is your horse? Would your testimony convince a city jury, confused by Johnny Cochran, to send the thief to jail? Even if you prevailed how many months would it be before you got your horse back? What conditions would your horse live under during that time?. 5. The complaints that horses shouldn't be lumped in with cattle is a smoke screen put up by those who want to prevent horses from being used in athletic events. The same folk that do brand inspection on cows in western states already do horse brand inspection. Regulation of horses is done by the same folk who inspect and regulate cows, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats, mink, etc. 6. Remember the flap on Ridecamp a year or so ago about how people could be entering "ringers" in endurance rides to be able to sell horses and get rich? If this proposal becomes law and all horses that can travel and enter rides are chipped, this possibility goes away. Because he would need to be able to do it for the rest his work, the ride vet would be able to verify the chip in each horse entered. Ed Ed & Wendy Hauser 2994 Mittower Road Victor, MT 59875 ranch@xxxxxxxxxxx 406.642.6490 ============================================================ Of course things aren't perfect, perfect doesn't exist on this earth. Doesn't mean we won't go on trying to get better at what we do. Besides, if everything was perfect today, what would you do tomorrow? Slamming each other doesn't get anything done. ~ Dot Wiggins ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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