Anti-slaughter legislation gearing up again
 

https://secure.humanesociety.org/sit...Action&id=4351

I just got sent this on Twitter by the Humane Society and here's a link to the press release about the news conference for H.R. 503/S. 727 http://www.humanesociety.org/news/pr...ce_012610.html They're also working to deal differently with the wild horse roundups by the Bureau of Land Management, but I think ending transportation of American horses for slaughter is the primary objective.

I know many of us follow this kind of thing from many sides of the issue so I thought I'd give everybody a heads up. I didn't see a thread so I hope this isn't repetitive.

Are you oppossed to people farming horses for meat?

Why cows, lamb, goat, and chicken and not horses?

Horse meat is low in fat and full of healthy protein. I wouldnt wish to eat them but from what I understand the meat is lean and when cooked well it can be great?

That doesn't mean that slaughtering racehorses is something I wouldn't fight to stop BUT if you raised a horse for the purpose of it growing and then it was going to feed your family and you respected the animal and treated it well during its life, what is really the difference if its a horse cow pig or lamb. A pig is a hell of a lot smarter then a horse and can become very domesticated.

Goat meat? What are you Jamician?

Curry Goat Pak Hallal

The buyers and sellers of horses have already prepared for this.I know of one horse company in particular that purchased land along the North Dakota/Canada border.They don't need to transport them,they just walk them across.I have heard of the same happening in the southern bordering states.So making a law against transport is futility.And what will this do for states that are already gearing up with their own plants?Nothing.And the ones going up on S.D. Indian territory?Notta,they are a sovereign nation.So it's all a bunch of nonsense spending time on making laws that will do nothing anyway.

you're right. the last law passed to ban slaughter here only made the trip that much longer, and more hellish, for the horses. i understand the intent-but we live in a real world, not a utopian one. i doubt one horse was saved by the legislation they passed. it would have been better to regulate what was happening. yeah, pols enjoy being able to say i helped horses, but it's not really the case at all.

It's a gross subject.

The issues with the law are a few- I looked it up and it bans the transport of horses for slaughter for human consumption- it doesn't say anything about transport for other kinds of uses. Right now, most pet food doesn't use horsemeat because it's more profitable to sell it for overseas human consumption. If that market dries up, what's to stop sellers from from selling it (cheaper) for pet food? Better to get some money than none.

In addition, I still see no attempt to deal with the overpopulation of horses. Just as banning slaughter for human consumption in the US just led to horses being transported long distances to unregulated slaughter houses (i.e., an even crueler fate), what is to stop owners from abandoning animals to starve slowly to death? I somehow doubt they'll suddenly see the light and pay over $200 to $300 to euthanize and dispose of each animal.

Zoos use horsemeat to feed their larger carnivores- as Freddymo said, it's a lean meat and pretty healthy to eat.

yes it is. and like most complex problems, it requires a complex solution. but humans being the lazy things they are, we want an easy painless solution to this, just like everything else.

michael gill getting out of the business (if he really does this time, we've been here before) might be a bad thing short term for his horses. but long term, wouldn't it be a good thing? less breeders, less demand, less horses, less need for sending slow horses somewhere. the breeders who get left out in the cold won't like it-but the fact remains that right now supply is far ahead of demand. and the horses pay.

There in lies the problem. There is no shortage of breeders, shitty mares, or crappy stallions. One has to ask - Does Indiana really need a breeding program?? Michigan?? Oregon?? etc...

As long as there is a supply and a demand, whether it be peanut butter, heroine, or horse flesh - there will be an economy for the commodity - regardless of the law.

I get it, but ironically, if it wasn't for Indiana's state bred program, our KY, FL, NY breds might not be still running all this year. We stand to make $100K in purses because of one Indiana bred this year. I understand it's ridiculous and I really understand the over breeding issues, but the State Bred programs like IL, IN, PA, etc can support a lot of the supposed "better" bred horses.

There is no doubt that over breeding is a huge problem, but to come down on the regional State-Breds isn't the answer.

The issue isnt the breeder programs its the fact that there are 50k races. IF you cut the racing to 30k a lot of the state bred, racing would be targets.

The question to ask is: Are Statebred programs encouraging the right owners to participate in the sport, or would racing(horses) be better off without the programs?

Do you feel state programs are attracting the types of owners that can help the sport recover?

As an aside, Top Royelle is due to drop Monday...hoping for the best

Where is she dropping Pa?

you know the answer to that...Illinois

good luck, post pics! who's the daddy?

Dehere...hoping for pics myself.