Kari Fuchs Fuchs 1
English
Professor D. Micer
April 29, 2011
Horse Slaughter
What do you think of when you hear the word slaughter? To me it sounds like a harsh word and that not much good would come from it. I believe it was two years ago, that I went with my mom to the Shipshewana horse auction. It was a cold day, but there were many people there. There were two barns filled to the brim with horses. Many looked in great health, but then there were some that looked emaciated and sick. In the back barn, there was one pen that was isolated from the others. The horses inside varied in breeds, but they all seemed to have one main thing in common; they all looked sick. They were probably once some one’s prized animals, but then they got old and were worthless to them. The horses were thin and all of their heads hung down low. It looked like the life had been sucked out of them. My mom and I were both upset by their conditions, and it finally dawned on me that these horses had been sold and were headed to a terrible end. They were in the so called “kill pen”. They were going to be hauled off to slaughter to Mexico or Canada.
Horse slaughter became illegal in 2008, and that’s when Americans felt some relief. They thought that now their once loved horses would have a second chance. Little did they know that their horses were being purchased by killers who planned to transport their horses across the border in double-decker trailers, in some of the most deplorable conditions. The world of horse slaughter may have come to an end in the States, but it still poses a threat in our
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neighboring countries. The way that these horses are treated is beyond inhumane, and their last days could prove to be the worst of their lives. This could have easily been prevented by a lethal injection by a veterinarian, but owners chose the easier way out. Because of this choice, horses are faced with much abuse, and are beaten until they fall to the ground. Horse slaughter is so inhumane and needs to come to a stop. Too many lives are jeopardized and it’s not right. Those that continue to slaughter these magnificent animals could at least try to improve the way they go about it. They could start by providing the horses with a safer and less crowded transport on trailers meant for them, offer them proper nutrition at the facilities, and overall, be more humane about the way they euthanize these animals.
Most horses that are destined to go to the slaughter house are purchased at auctions. According to the AAEP, which is the American Association of Equine Practitioners, “these horses are most often sent to a processing facility because they are no longer serviceable, are infirm, dangerous, or their owners are no longer able to care for them” (AAEP). This might be true for some of the horses, but others are in perfect health and are able to be ridden by just about anyone. After these horses are picked up, they are then loaded into a double decker trailer that is meant for cattle. According to an article titled “Horse Slaughter Prevention” written by the Animal Welfare Institute,
Conditions of transport are appalling, with horses regularly hauled to our domestic borders on journeys lasting more than 24 hours. Deprived of food, water or rest, the horses are forced onto double-decker cattle trailers with ceilings so low that they injure
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their heads. Not only are these double-deckers inhumane, but they are dangerous and have been involved in a number of tragic accidents” (Horse Slaughter Prevention).
One of the other bad parts about the trailering is that the double-deckers are overcrowded, and many horse fall and are then stood upon for the rest of the trip. In the article by the Animal Welfare Institute from earlier, it also said that federal regulations allow transportation of blind horses, horses with broken legs, and those that are heavily pregnant which is unacceptable (Horse Slaughter Prevention). There is no reason for this and it needs a stop put to it. A second problem that is occurring with horse slaughter is the care that the horses receive at the facility.
When the horses arrive, they are exhausted from the ride and more than likely hungry and thirsty. In the article by the Animal Welfare Institute it describes this further and goes to say, “Upon arrival at the slaughterhouse, the suffering continues unabated. Horses can be left for long periods in tightly packed trailers, subjected to further extremes of heat and cold. In hot weather, their thirst is acute. Downed animals are unable to rise, and horses are offloaded using excessive force” (Horse Slaughter Prevention). The animals can’t really do anything to help them and are scared. Once the horses are finally unloaded, many are placed into paddocks with little, if any; food or water, or they are sent straight to slaughter. Their next destination is the kill pen, where the cruelest events take place.
The way that slaughter houses go about euthanizing is cruel and very inhumane. The horses are beaten, scared, and then killed. The most helpful article so far has been the one by the Animal Welfare Institute, and they go into detail about the final hours of their life. They
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said, “When the horses are herded through the plant to slaughter, callous workers use fiberglass rods to poke and beat their faces, necks, backs, and legs as the animals are shoved through the facility and into the kill box. Subjected to overcrowding, deafening sounds and the smell of blood, the horses become more and more desperate, exhibiting fear typical of ‘flight’ behavior – pacing in prance-like movements with their ears pinned back against their heads and eyes wide open” (Horse Slaughter Prevention). In any video that shows the horses before slaughter, these behaviors are evident and no animal should be treated that poorly. Another article that described the process was a little more detailed, and it was written by the Equine Protection Network. The article was titled “Horse Slaughter – An American Disgrace, Not a Necessary Evil” and it said,
Horses are slaughtered by the use of the captive bolt, a four inch retractable nail. The horses are hit repeatedly in the forehead with the captive bolt which is supposed to render the horse unconscious. One hind leg is then shackled and the horse is lifted into the air upside down to have its throat cut and be bled out. Undercover investigators have shown that horses have been hoisted into the air while still conscious. The terrified horses can smell the blood, can hear the horses in front of them being killed and see other horses in the air. Horses shake violently in the knockbox from fear and try desperately to avoid the captive bolt, scrambling and falling on the blood and urine soaked floor of the knockbox (Equine Protective Network).
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There is also mention that in other countries like Mexico and Canada, they use a knife to stab the horses in the back of the head, or to shoot them in the head with a shotgun. Every option that they offer is beyond being humane, but thankfully the US has banned slaughter, so fewer horses have to suffer. With this ban though, people are still trying to find a way around it.
The problems involved with horse slaughter are abusive and cruel. There is a way for everything to be changed and for the process to be rectified. I will never be pro-slaughter, but I can try to help. When the horses are initially purchased, they should be evaluated by a veterinarian. They could check to see that the horse was even capable of the ride, or if they would need to be euthanized right there. A while ago I read an article stating that almost all of the vaccinations are not FDA approved, that would give me the idea that they would not be safe for human consumption. Some of the common vaccinations are the West Nile Vaccination, the EPM vaccination and just about every other vaccination. I have a horse of my own and I worm him on a regular basis. On the packaging it says that it is not for use in horses intended for human consumption. It is mandatory that an owner worm their horses on a regular basis so that they stay in good health. Well, if these vaccinations and wormers are not meant for human consumption, why do people think it’s okay to eat them? Therefore, the vets could also run some form of test or get records for that horse if any are available. By just doing these few steps, the numbers could be decreased greatly right there. Some others may say that these animals have been treated with these vaccinations and the meat has been just fine. Well if the box containing the vaccine says that it is not intended for animals destined for slaughter, you’d
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think you’d follow that. Seeing as not all horse owners vaccinate their horses, some may also argue and say that these are the kind of people that are willing to give up their horses to slaughter. The next thing that they could change would be the way the horses are transported.
The horses picked up at these auctions or sales are usually forced to ride in a double-decker trailer meant for cattle. The trailer is too short for them to be able to stand up straight and they are forced to have their face to the ground the whole trip. Many fall and are stood on for the majority of the long trip and suffer the whole way. This is such a huge problem, and I feel that this really needs to be changed. First of all, if the foreign countries want their meat, they should have to provide the proper trailers no matter the cost. They should have regulations to buy they largest trailers made for horses and fill them to the proper filling point. This may cost more, but if that’s what they want, they need to do it the right way. They could also improve this situation by stopping frequently to give the animals a break. This would help make the animals more comfortable and fewer injuries would occur. Once the horses arrive at the facilities, they should still have to be taken care of.
I have seen videos where horses are deprived of food and water, and many are downed or dead. This could be solved so easily by just providing the animals with food and water. Placing a certain number of horses with some round bales would work wonders. The government should also make it a rule that when the horses arrive onto the property, they should be checked and assessed by a veterinarian. If the horses are injured or downed on the property, they should have to be humanely euthanized. It is also said that when there are
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downed horses, the meat is of a lower quality, just like a deer hit on the side of the road would have a lesser quality meat. The animals need to be treated with care and just because they are meant for slaughter does not mean that they have to starve and become dehydrated. The biggest problem that needs to be fixed is the way that the horses are euthanized.
Horse’s last minutes are thought to be some of the worst of their lives at a slaughterhouse. They are beaten and abused repeatedly. They are forced into the kill box and are terrifying for the animals. They are then killed in some of the most horrible and inhumane ways possible. This is what I have the biggest problem with and I feel that it needs to be regulated in the slaughterhouses wanting to continue their business. They need to just have a veterinarian on the premise and use a shot to humanely euthanize the horses. They could also start practicing less abusive treatment towards the horses. They should hire more professional and civil workers to carry on the procedures. By having the horses humanely euthanized, the chance that the animals are actually dead is at its greatest and that when they carry out the rest of the process, they won’t be opening up a conscious animal. Although not all of this is possible because of the lack of some people’s hearts, it’s always worth a try to make a difference.
I feel that horse slaughter is looked poorly upon because of the inhumane ways it is conducted. With simple changes, it might be represented slightly differently. With the added costs of the conducting the slaughtering, the killers could raise the cost of the meat to pay for the extra expenses. With the increase in the price of the meat, the consumers would be less
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likely to purchase it. Less restaurants would provide the dish, and possibly horse slaughtering would cease to exist. Although this may upset the consumers, maybe they can find a different animal to kill and eat.
Slaughter has never been a nice sounding word, and when it is applied to a horse, it sounds even worse. Taking some simple, very necessary steps, would better the outlook on slaughter. People that could help to improve this, could be Veterinarians that could help by donating their time to help euthanize, also the president could make a law so making it illegal to transport horses intended for slaughter across the borders, and the people that take their sick horses to slaughter could actually help everything by humanely euthanizing their animals. I hope that some time in my life this big problem is resolved and that horse slaughter meets its end. All I can wish for is one day it comes true.
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Works Cited
“An Equine Veterinary View of H.R. 857 and Horse Slaughter in the United States.” AAEP. Web. 1 April
2011.
“Horse Slaughter – An American Disgrace, Not a Necessary Evil.” Equine Protection Network. 12 July
2004. Web. 1 April 2011.
“Horse Slaughter Prevention.” Animal Welfare Institute. Web. 1 April 2011.
“US Horses Slaughtered (yearly 1989-2010).” Equine Welfare Alliance. Web. 1 April 2011.
