Trailing
the horse slaughter debate
Sara Muri, posted Dec. 4, 2006
Brenda Humphrey has never called her senator before. She has
never taken a stand on anything - until now. Humphrey, of
Leslie, Mo., is the president of the Missouri Equine Council
and is one of the many horse enthusiasts across the country
trying to keep horse-slaughtering facilities open in the United
States.
It may seem strange that horse-lovers approve of horses being
slaughtered; but to her, the other options are much worse.
At this time, a bill is making its way through Congress to
outlaw horse slaughter in the U.S. The bill outlaws slaughter
within the county’s borders and the exportation of live
horses for slaughter. On Sept. 9, the U.S. House of Representatives
approved the bill, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention
Act, by a vote of 263-146.
“I really feel if the Senate were to follow the House’s
lead, it would cause more troubles for horses in the future,”
Humphrey said.
Early in November, CNN published a letter scribed by country
music singer Willie Nelson telling his views on horse slaughter.
His feelings and words were also published by USA Today, the
Kansas City Star and even, Rolling Stone.
“With no disrespect to the eagle, I’ve always
thought that the horse should be our national emblem,”
Nelson wrote. “When horse accepted man onto his back
and chose to carry his burden, it changed the world.”
Nelson is using his celebrity to help end horse slaughter
in the U. S. He said people have a lot to learn from horses
and they should not be slaughtered.
Nelson’s admiration for horses is mirrored across our
country, according to Trent Loos, a national public speaker
and radio broadcaster. “We have a love affair going
on with horses,” he said. “But, we cannot love
these horses to death.” He says too many generations
have watched Disney movies and are looking for a happy ending.
The American Horse Council says the U. S. is home to 9.2 million
horses, with 3.9 million targeted for recreation. An estimated
75,000 to 100,000 horses become unwanted annually, and these
horses have to be disposed of in some way.
Currently, three horse-slaughtering facilities operate in
the U.S. – one in Illinois and two in Texas. In 2005,
94,037 horses were slaughtered, according to the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. The horse meat is sold to European food markets,
to zoos for animal feed and to companies to be processed into
dog food, gelatin and other products.
“What are we going to do with 75,000 to 100,000 unwanted
horses every year?” asked Humphrey, who said she would
love to see fewer animals slaughtered. She said she has seen
too many horses that people didn’t take care of due
to financial limitations or lack of education. “These
horses were left to fend for themselves,” she said.
“That is the least humane way of all.”
Loos agreed. “It is absurd to talk about banning horse
slaughter when 100,000 unwanted horses need a place to go,”
he said.
The option of euthanasia and disposal of horses is also limited.
Humphrey said that in many states, a person cannot bury a
horse due to ground water regulations. Other solutions include
large-animal incinerators, but there are none in Missouri.
She says this will be a costly endeavor for the country if
the bill passes. “Everyone will be an owner of a horse
because the taxpayers are going to be paying for the care
of these horses,” she predicted.
She said passing this bill would take away options for horse
owners. “American citizens should have a choice for
their animal’s end-of-life options,” she said.
“As an American citizen, I really hate to have Congress
tell me what I can and cannot do with my private property.”
This bill also has the potential to affect other areas of
agriculture. Loos said horse slaughter is a very emotional
and political issue – not science-based. He said the
implications go beyond the horse industry. “This will
be the first nail in the coffin of all animal agriculture,”
he said.
For more information on the American Horse Slaughter Prevention
Act, Senate Bill 1915, visit the Library
of Congress Web site and key “S1915” into
the Bill search.
