As an equestrian and horse-owner, I have
recently been asked on numerous occasions if I support or oppose the calls to re-open
horse slaughter houses in America. I found it was my duty to research the
matter and come to a just conclusion. I began this research paper with neutral
feelings- I could see both the positives and negatives of reopening the
slaughter houses. However, after hours of research and heart-wrenching
articles, I have come to a solid conclusion. Pushing aside my powerful feelings
to drive home and hug my horses this very second, I have found that we must
pick the lesser of two evils when it comes to horse slaughter houses. I support
the re-opening of horse slaughter houses; deciding that heavily regulated
American slaughter houses will provide a better fate and more positive side
effects than allowing horses to be exported over borders and subjecting them to
especially grim fates abroad.
The halt on American horse slaughter
houses began in 2006. Congress no longer allowed federal funds to be used to
inspect horses in transit or slaughter houses by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. In 2007, one year after the new bill provision, the final three
slaughter houses in America closed when their state laws upheld the federal
decision ("Horse Welfare" 7-8). Coinciding with these closings, the number of
horses slaughtered per year in America came to a screeching halt from nearly
105,000 in 2006 to about 30,000 horses in 2007 ("Horse Welfare" 16).
Image from Horse Welfare |
Unwanted horses from all across the
nation are sent to the slaughter houses. Not just old, crippled horses are sent.
Quite literally unwanted and
specifically, uncared for horses.
These may be horses that did not make it on the track, unwanted pasture horses,
or horses that can no longer be taken care of because of individual burdens.
The abuse of the animal begins not in
the selling, but in the transportation to the slaughter houses. Once the horse
is purchased by a “kill buyer” they are loaded into double-deck trailers
generally intended for cattle or other common livestock. The road trip to the
slaughter house may be long and grueling. Often no food, water, or easy rest is
offered for the animals ("Animals' Angels Compilation Report Horse Slaughter"
1). Horses, although herd animals, are not always sociable with one another.
Kicking, biting, and tight quarters cause injuries and suffering for all the
animals in the unsuitable trailers.
Image from Animals' Angels |
Image from Horse Welfare |
The second side effect has been a
decline in horse prices. Opponents of slaughter houses argue the drop in prices
was due to economic conditions. Supporters of slaughter houses insist the
decline in prices was caused by the closing of the facilities. However,
research has shown that it is most likely a mix of these two. Refer to the excellent diagram in the “HorseWelfare” article by the Government Accountability Office on page 22 (or shown below). This
diagram argues that both economic conditions and the closing of the slaughter
houses had an effect on horse prices- with the lowest percentile of priced horses
being affected most by the slaughter house closings. An interview by Courteau
provides the personal account of a horseman and his views of the closings,
“’When they took the kill market away from us, that took the wholesale out of
the deal,’ Palmer, who's spent his entire life around horses, told me. ‘A horse
is worth $500 to kill. If you wanted to take one home, you had to outbid the
killers.’” These dealings allowed for a more competitive buying market.
Image from Horse Welfare |
Lastly, the closing of the slaughter
houses may have caused an upturn in animal abuse. “Horse Welfare” summarizes
this problem best, “Horse welfare in the United States has generally declined
since 2007, as evidenced by a reported increase in horse abandonments and an
increase in investigations for horse abuse and neglect” (23). Because people
have no venue to send their unwanted horse, the horse ends up being neglected
or abandoned.
Image from sixteenhandshorsesanctuary |
Denying that there is an unwanted horse
problem in America is completely naïve. These unwanted horses are what
initially fueled the slaughter houses. Without this venue for getting rid of
the horse (and all the other burdens that occur with it) the animals may be
subject to abuse and even more painful causes of death (Krehbiel). Abuse,
starvation, and untreated wounds are all possibilities with an owner who simply has
no excess funds or a potential buyer for the unwanted horse. This fate is far more
painful for the animal in the long-run than being sent to a slaughter house.
A horse meat sandwhich- image from Rowe |
Supporters of reopening the slaughter
houses do not lack credibility. In conversation over the Prevention of Animal
Cruelty Act of 2009 (prohibits US slaughter houses and exporting/importing for
that purpose), both the American Veterinary Medical Association and the
American Association of Equine Practitioners have said that the Act fails to
take into account the long-term welfare of the horses that are not slaughtered
(Lewis 2). People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has also thrown
in their support to reopen the facilities. Rachael Whitcomb summarizes their
views, “In fact, the group says the suspension of domestic horse slaughter
caused more suffering for horses, not less. The group says the only ban that
would work would be a dual ban on live export and slaughter.” Three well-known
organizations have chosen to support horse slaughter houses. The credibility
that can be assumed with these groups adds to their argument and should cause
readers to also consider these groups' reasoning, which parallels my own.
Image from cartoonstock |
It is ignorant to believe that horse
slaughter would come to a complete end with the banning of domestic slaughter and
exporting horses for slaughter. It is because of this that I have come to the
personal conclusion that American slaughter houses should be re-opened. However,
only under tighter regulations and more humane practices should they be allowed.
A new method of slaughter needs to be introduced- one adapted to the anatomy
and nature of the horse. Along with this new method, workers need to be thoroughly
trained on proper and humane methods of treatment towards these animals. While
they are destined for slaughter, proper treatment must always be maintained. It
is with the realization that the horses’ welfare is in jeopardy if exported to
our neighboring countries or allowed to be neglected by an incapable owner that
I support the re-openings. By practicing responsible animal treatment and
introducing more equine-adapted slaughter methods, I believe America can not
only pave a new road in humane treatment, but also find a solution to the
unwanted horse issue and the declined economic value of the horse in our
country.
Print Works Cited
Courteau,
Darcy. "They Kill Horses, Don't They?." Atlantic Monthly
(10727825) 309.2
(2012): 17-18. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Apr. 2013.
(2012): 17-18. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Apr. 2013.
Lewis,
James M. "Big Battle Shaping Over Horse Slaughter." DVM: The
Newsmagazine Of
Veterinary Medicine
40.4 (2009): 1-69. Academic Search Premier. Web.
1 Apr. 2013.
1 Apr. 2013.
Whitcomb,
Rachael. "Horse Slaughter For Meat Could Return To The United
States."
DVM:
The Newsmagazine Of Veterinary Medicine 43.1 (2012): 30-32. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 1 Apr. 2013.