Okay.I take it they like to buy Draft horses{more per pound}?

Yup. It's why Keeneland minimum bid is $1000. Slaughter buyers won't pay that.

Here (mixed practice, rural around Lexington) farm call, euthanasia $110-$140. Then you use your own backhoe or get the renderer to come out.

I don't know what racetrack vets charge - Chuck?

So your choice is spend 125 or receive 350? Its a 475 dollar decision.

Exactly the choice. Different people make different choices, for different reasons.

Emotionally, I do think it's important to recognize that it is much easier for people uncomfortable with the emotions involved with making the euthanasia decision to put a horse through auction, leave a dog at the pound. It is like having one blank in a round of five firing squad bullets.

Many people, seriously, do not like to "play God" by making an active life or death decision, especially if it is an animal they have a deep emotional attachment to. Many people feel incredible, overwhelming guilt.

That is not my personal viewpoint for my own animals, but it is a viewpoint many people hold, and one has to recognize it exists.

This, obviously, is different from those that really don't give a darn about the animal.

Euthanasia sucks but a trailer ride across the country over the border to a slaughter house in Mexico seems less human?

I would rather kill my animals by my own hand than send them to slaughter. For some people, sending to auction is just an easy way of sliding out of taking the responsibility. That can't be denied.

I dont disagree..Its a tough equation if your 2 kids are sitting at your dinner table with mac and cheese for dinner instead of a hamburger broccoli and potatoe because you dont have the money to buy the ground beef.

I have said this on riding horse boards and been creamed for it but here goes.

I'd rather that there be a slaughterhouse in every county. It is not the killing of the animal I detest, it's what happens to an infirm, sometimes old horse during transport, auction, time in pens etc. Here is an animal that has learned to trust humans. People have tended to it and cared for it, fed it treats and brushed and bathed it. Suddenly he's in a truck without his people, scared, getting kicked, bitten and injured by all manner of creatures. He doesn't understand it. He's abandoned.
If owners had the option of taking their horses to a local slaughterhouse, rubbing their nose and giving them a last treat just as they might before eithanasia the horse's final days and even months are not sheer Hell. Owner gets a few hundred $ and not a bill for a few hundred. To the horse the difference between euth and slaughter is not that great, if done properly.

You have a lot of guts.. Your theory in a perfect world is sensible. You assume the owners are like yourself, not sure that assumption works.. Recently had to put one of my dogs down, "vet asks me are you ready?" I responsed "i'm not she is"..Not every horse owner thinks of his horse's as a pet. I certainly don't, doesnt mean I would ever want them to suffer.

I agree.

This might be a good time to read or re-read the American Horse Council Code of Ethics and support it.
http://www.horsecouncil.org/pressrel...elfareCode.php

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I believe this is a great step by the NYRA and hopefully other tracks will follow suit. We still will need other measures to help save the athletes of the sport.

However the best thing we can all do now is to help your local or favorite horse retirement foundation. So find out who they are and send them a small check to help save a horse and bring you some good karma in 2010.

I agree with this somewhat, though I personally would rather take my horse behind the barn and have someone who is experienced shoot the horse in the head, I unfortunately have had the opportunity to witness the kill pen at a slaughter house, and it took virtually every ounce of self-control I had to not break down and cry in front of the class I was in, the reason is, unlike cattle that did not appear to have any emotion about the atmosphere, the horses were TERRIFIED, they were nickering and calling out in absolute fear, they could see, hear, and smell the death of the prior horses and were just getting worked up with fear as they stood in line, as someone who has had horses for 30 years and knows them inside and out, that was harder to watch than the actual killing, which was bad in and of itself.

I once took the cowards way out and had the stable manager of a stable I was boarding at handle my horse, to be euthanized, I left a check for my Vet and told him I couldn't be there for obvious reasons, later the Vet called me at work and asked why I changed my mind, he told me the stable manager called and cancelled the appt for me. I went down there as quick as I could and as I was getting out of my car, the manager walked up and said he took care of my horse for me with his Vet, he handed me my check. I immediately became suspicious and asked for the Vet's number to verify, at which he began coming up with bullshit excuses, I than went off and demanded to know the whereabouts of my horse, I even called the police, who informed me the horse was at the auction awaiting shipment to slaughter, I recovered my horse and did what I should have in the first place, been there with him to insure a humane death. There are all kinds of money grubbing a-holes involved in the horse industry who will take every opportunity to bilk every dime they can get out of them, even if it's not their horse. :mad:

that is a very sad and disturbing story. what the **** is wrong with people?