Thanks Troy for the false stories but the American People that oppose horse slaughter will once again unite to fight big business that profit off the flesh of our American Icon the horse. We dont sellout to foreigners that dont pay gross income Taxes nor export taxes or support illegal aliens such as the other ag dept do secretly. Thank goodness for ICE.. Hey Troy why dont you tell the people that Texas Plants operated illegal for years until exposed or tell them the Southwestern cattle association was getting $3.00 per head slaughtered at the plants. Oh Troy tell them that these plants never paid any of there violations by OHSA and other city violations. Did Troy mention that AQHA and APHA support horse slaughter why because there promoting more horses for papers to make more money and never setting funds aside for them. Hey Troy did you know our Tax dollars were supporting the USDA to inspect horse meat for foreigners. Did you also know that troy never mention that pregant mares were slaughtered and young foals to the age of 8 months were slaughtered too. Troy also never mention that the AVMA and the AAEP support horse slaughter too. Yet they took an Oath in office to protect animals yet turn the head when horses were hauled in Double Deckers even as many rolled over in accidents because of over crowding and that horses are not suitible to be hauled that way. Nor did the AVMA or AAEP did nothing while horses were going to slaughter in Mexico for year facing a far more worse slaughtered by being stabbed in the neck several times to split the sinal cord. Shame on you all for believing these big business sellouts including you Troy boy...... for more facts visit our site above..

The assertion that banning the butchering of horses for human consumption is only the first step and that cattle, pigs, sheep, etc. will be next is COMPLETELY FALSE. Many if not most of us in the anti-horse-slaughter movement eat meat. We have no other agenda item besides horses. We are speaking from inside the horse industry -- we are not talking about any other industry. I have to wonder, do you really believe this first-step business? If not, you are spreading lies. If you do, please open your eyes and see the truth. Horses are not raised for human consumption in this country -- they are raised for other purposes, which generally include working with humans and doing our bidding, learning to trust us and seeking to please. Their brutal butchering to satisfy the "gourmet" palates of Europeans is a cruel betrayal. Your use of the word "harvest" to refer to horse slaughter is a disgusting euphemism, by the way.

Banning horse slaughter is IN NO WAY leading to the ban of slaughtering other animals. This is the dumbest statement yet. This is an Assault on the WILL of the people is more like it. Americans don't eat horse and horse slaughter in our country should stop for good. We don't eat dogs and cats and we do not slaughter them to be shipped over seas for people who do eat them! We should NOT ship horse meat over seas either!!!!!!!

Horses are not raised to be eaten in the USA. They have helped pioneers settle this country, worked in fields and gone to war with our soldiers. They now are companion animals and are used for sports, pleasure and therapy. You don't harvest livestock--you harvest crops like wheat and corn. You slaughter livestock that are raised toi be eaten. My family goes back over 200 years as farmers and I live on a farm. I have been a 4-H leader with the horse program and have seen how horses teach children responsibilty, patience, compassion and equitation. Too bad this young farmer did not learn any of these lessons and does not know anything about horses or how they suffer when they go to slaughter. The young farmers I know care for their horses and would never send them to such a cruel death .

I will be contacting my rep to vote for this bill. You have something against animal cruelty?

I inturn urge everyone to support HR6598 and HR503 and S311. Horses have always been our pets and companions. They also hold a special place in the history of our country. We as Americans do not consume horsemeat, yet each day thousands are transported across the border into Mexico and Canada in the most inhumane and cruel of fashions. Healthy, young horses are literally assasinated to please the elite overseas. Please I ask if you have not seen the videos of horse slaughter, then please do. I am sure this will be an eye opener. Horse slaughter has long been a dirty little secret and it must stop NOW! We can not dictate what others do in their own countries, but we surely can protect our heritage, our ideals and our values. HORSES ARE NOT HUMAN FOOD...THEY NEVER WERE AND NEVER WILL BE!!!!! They are not livestock!!

Mr. Hadrick said: "Stopping our ability to harvest horses is a stepping stone to banning the harvesting of other types of livestock." Horsemeat has never been offered, nor raised, for consumption in the U.S. Even when there were 3 horse slaughter plants in the U.S., horsemeat was not a choice in the meat departments of American grocery stores. The horses that you are sending to "harvest" (the word "slaughter" must be too violent for you to verbalize) from the U.S. weren't raised for human consumption. They are full of wormer, bute, steroids and veterinary presciption drugs that are clearly labled "Not To Be Used in Food Animals." They also carry many diseases that are NOT tested for in the slaughter plants. The Europeans and Asians are eating a steady diet of toxic drug waste when they eat American horsemeat. The passage of HR 6598 has nothing to do with anything other than stopping the torture of horses. It's plain and simple. It has nothing to do with stopping American farmers from ethically, morally and legally harvesting and selling their products. Please learn about the barbaric torutre of horses that begins with the moment they are offloaded on a feedlot and ends with their very painful and cruel butchering, many while still alive. I implore you to do your research and then to stand up like a real man and say you think horse slaughter is right. No one who knows the truth and still believes that horse slaughter is right deserves anything other than what our American horses are going through when they are slaughtered. It's nothing but animal cruelty.

I will state this plane and simple. I eat meat. I do NOT eat horsemeat. This ban is NOT about any other animal and is NOT an avenue to ban the slaughter of any other animal. THIS BAN IS ONLY ABOUT THE HORSES. PERIOD. So please, get the facts before you make a statement to the such.

The people trying to ban the transport of horses out of the country to be slaughtered for human consumption in Eoropean countries have no desire to try and ban the "harvesting" of other species. We are trying to protect our horses which are companion animals, not livestock. We do not raise them to eat, we raise them and train them and try to teach them to trust us, to betray that trust so people can enjoy a horse steak at twenty something a pound is disgusting. They deserve a humane to their lives, and if you think slaughtering horses is humane, watch a video, and then tell us what you think.

Don't be foolish. Horses are not food source animals. This is NOT a stepping stone to prevent food source animal slaughter. Apparently you are breeding horses to benefit from slaughter?

Troy, You're getting your undies in a bundle for no good reason. Even the AVMA now classifies horses as pets, NOT livestock. We don't slaughter our homeless dogs and cats and transport their meat to China, do we? I eat beef, pork, chicken, eggs, and drink milk, but not from factory farms. I buy locally. However, I would never eat dog, cat or horse meat. These are companion animals who have served mankind for eons. Paul Revere did not ride a cow; cows did not serve humans in battle, nor were they ever used to pull a cassion with a riderless horse (with boots turned in reverse) as a tribute to a fallen war hero (or president), nor made into a bronze statue with a general on its back. Cows, pigs and sheep are not used for human therapeutic purposes; whereas, horses offer both healing of the body and mind. Get a grip!

Don't understand why we are so against the horses. The bill is only horses. Not cattle and sheep. What's the problem. I dont send my horses to slaughter. Dont think its right.

We've been in the cattle industry for years. Guess you could say I've been a farmers wife for along time. I don't understand why you are sending this out. You must assume ALL agriculture people are pro-slaughter! Well, maybe I'm just a farmers wife, and you men out there will laugh at me, but maybe some of you are thinking what I'm thinking, but you're just afraid to write that you disagree! We've NEVER sold our horses to slaughter! I've always told my husband that it was just plain wrong. We've always done right by them, had the vet out, or yes, at least shot them. They deserve better than that. Why do you think we are all pro-slaughter? It's just not right, and I'm not afraid to say so!

I just read about this. The neighbor sent it over. I thought slaughter was over. Guess I need to read about it. We always just have the vet out, then grab the backho. $50 bucks. With the cost of gas, it's cheaper than hauling them. Don't know what the fuss is all about. But we've always butchered all the animals we raise for food. We don't eat the horses, so we don't butcher them. Makes sense. What does this have to do with cattle? Guess I need to read up about it.

Jeez, when will ranchers and farmers get it. Horses are different from regular livestock. They bring immense entertainment and enjoyment to the lives of millions of people and will serve as hardworking business partners in the agriculture business. However, the ag business does not want to accept responsbility for ensuring a compassionate and safe retirement for these loyal and dedicated animals. Shame on them for making the stupid argument that other livestock will become targets. While that may be PETA's mission, it is not the mission of most equine advocates. We simply do not want horses subject to the unusually cruel process. Buck up and own you responsbility to ensure the horses that serve your business are adopted out, sold to good homes, go to sanctuaries or are humanely euthanized. Show some humanity for crying out loud.

Jeez, when will ranchers and farmers get it. Horses are different from regular livestock. They bring immense entertainment and enjoyment to the lives of millions of people and will serve as hardworking business partners in the agriculture business. However, the ag business does not want to accept responsbility for ensuring a compassionate and safe retirement for these loyal and dedicated animals. Shame on them for making the stupid argument that other livestock will become targets. While that may be PETA's mission, it is not the mission of most equine advocates. We simply do not want horses subject to the unusually cruel process of horse slaughter. Buck up and own you responsbility to ensure the horses that serve your business are adopted out, sold to good homes, go to sanctuaries or are humanely euthanized. Show some humanity for crying out loud.

First of all, my family has been in both the dairy and beef cattle business for 4 generations. For anyone to confuse horse rescue with the ongoing importance of dairy products and beef in our food chain is asinine. I don't think anyone thinks that eating one of the horses exported from a race track with the chemicals injected into them is a very wise choice. Japan is using the "mad cow" strategy, while eating our thoroughbred and quarterhorses as well as parts of Europe. I certainly don't plan to stop enjoying my steaks and burgers, along with the host of dairy products that also provide food for our zoos, pet foods etc. There is a middle ground we share, and a heritage as well. Think of that when you urge your colleagues to oppose this legislation or go to a horse auction with the kill buyers. Do any of you remember what it's like to try to pull a calf when it's legs come off because the cow can't give birth? We're on the same team, let's remember our horses and give them the chances they deserve.

"Harvesting of Horses"! Horses are not consumed in the U.S. for their meat, only in other countries do they end up on the dinner plate. This has nothing to do with 'livestock' that is raised for their meat, rather to save the lives of innocent horses in this country that are overbread and irresponsibly owned, sold, traded, etc. There is an overwhelming need to make horse owners responsible for their herds, to stop breeding and do the right thing by your horse when the time comes that you can't take care of it any longer. Slaughter should never be an option! There are many cats and dogs in this country and we would NEVER allow their owners to send them off to China for slaughter just because they are unwanted!

At approximately 12:30 pm, 29 July 08 you (the FB) posted a call to action against/non-support of HR 6598. Since that time, you have rec'vd multiple comments and still have not allowed them to be viewed. Why? Are you just disorganized, on vacation or is it that the majority of comments are anti-slaughter? I know what it is, FB is against the First Amendment too. Pathetic attempt to control this debate and ignore the horrific reality that is horse slaughter from auction house to the kill floor. Shame on you.

harveting horses,what the hell,you harvest corn,sqaush,and so on not a horse!horse are to be loved,treated with respect,such as the honorable animal they are!there the ones in the old days,and still some today thatdid the work to harvest your fields,lets put that plow on ypur back then when you can't do it we will sell you to a kill buyer to be sent to a gruesome death,not set out to pasture to retire with dignity and respect!sya yes to H.R. 6598

Mr. Hadrick, how have you determined that banning horse slaughter (let’s call it what it is, crops are harvested, not horses) is a stepping stone to banning livestock? Horses are not livestock. Livestock are food animals. Horses are not and serve many purposes, including herding livestock, that livestock cannot perform. Please show us one article, one comment or one statement from equine welfare advocates that indicates this effort is for the banning of slaughter for any animal but horses? The slippery slope argument is nothing but a scare tactic. If you consider horses livestock and want them treated as livestock, what animal will you use to herd your cattle? After all, if they’re livestock, you wouldn’t be able to give your horses the necessary medications they need to maintain their health because they are prohibited for livestock. Are you prepared to shut down the racing industry and all the service sectors, including law enforcement that use horses? They all require sound, healthy horses and would be prohibited from receiving medications currently given to maintain a healthy horse if they are livestock. It is the Ag and Cattle associations that are on a slippery slope. Be careful of what you are asking for. If you want horses treated like livestock, then you’ll need to treat them as livestock from birth as you do with all livestock. Or did you think you would be able to treat horses as horses to use them for numerous purposes and then wave a pro slaughter wand and they become livestock so you can have them slaughtered? Think again. Please let us know when you deliver your message to the racing industry that they are racing livestock and can no longer give their horses medication. We’ll all buy tickets to that. It is sure to be a Kodak moment.

Anyone who cares about the well being of animals should be concerned about the ban on horse slaughter because it creates a large number of unwanted horses in the U.S. These horses are much more likely to be subject to neglect and abuse. Often, these horses are often abandoned. There needs to be a safe, legal option for disposing of these horses (i.e. horse slaughter).

There are over 100,000 horses currently abandoned or neglected in the U.S. today. Farmers and ranchers are routinely finding abandoned horses on their land, as well as federal and state parks. How humane is it to abandon your horse and leave it to die slowly of starvation? This piece of legislation doesn't even address the unintended consequence of these horses being abandoned. I've read the above comments and see many say the bill is intended to prevent cruelty - isn't abandoning your horse cruel? While many of you may dispose of your animal the humane way by calling the vet, this is not the norm, the 100,000+ abandoned horses in this country right now prove that. There are currently not enough "sanctuaries" in this country to properly care for these abandoned horses, and these "sanctuaries" standards of care or not regulated by the USDA. To maintain these abandoned animals, we currently need over 2,000 more "sanctuaries" with the ability to properly care for these horses, but who will pay for this level of care and to maintain these horses? The estimated cost per year to house and feed each abandoned horse is $1,900. Multiply $1,900 by the growing number of abandoned horses in this country and you will have an astonishing bill (100,000 horses x $1,900) to care for these animals each year.

As a side note, horses are still used for agricultural purposes by the Amish and Mennonite communities in this country, not to mention the thousands of ranchers who use them daily to care for their livestock. And, many pieces of legislation that were only INTENDED to stop one agricutlure practice, end up being the foundation to regulating the rest of agriculture. The banning of gestation stalls for swine is a perfect example, they are now trying to ban the use of laying hen cages and veal stalls as well. So when Troy says he fears this will carry over to livestock, he has just cause to believe that.

Has the cattle industry ever thought about the fact that WITHOUT horses you and your large ranches would never have come into being? For decades it was the horse that worked the ranches small or large and in many places still do today.Slaughter is a hell of a way for cattlemen to say thank you! We do not harvest horses nor will that happen anytime soon. Paranoia does not suit your industry well ....

As a rancher, I use horses. They are a very important part of the ranching business. And because I am a rancher I am very concerned about the welfare of animals.

Just recently, we had some neighbors that took in two more horses from a person that could no longer afford to feed them or the costs of euthanizing and burial of these animals. Our neighbors do not have enough land to sustain these extra animals for long.

I feel that it is extremely important to have an outlet for these animals that have nowhere else to go. Nobody has ever been forced to sell their animals for harvesting and that decision should be left up to the individual owner. But taking away the option to legally dispose of these unwanted animals affects the welfare of the entire horse population.

I am a horse owner and animal lover and I eat meat but I DO NOT and never will eat horsemeat and I am in no way looking at this as a stepping stone to stop the slaughter of all animals. My horses are part of my family they are not meant to be eaten any more than my cats are. So just stop once and for all with the nonsense. Let us get these bills passed and you will see we are not going after the cows, pigs and chickens next.

"Regardless of which day the hearing is, everyone of us needs to contact our officials in Washington D.C. and urge them not to pass this bill. Stopping our ability to harvest horses is a stepping stone to banning the harvesting of other types of livestock. Even if you don't raise horses or use them in your operation, you need to consider this an assault on agriculture's ability to manage its resources" Troy, with all due respect, this is erroneous and extremely ill advised. If you are going to "caution" anyone, caution the horse breeders who believe that they can irresponsibly & persistently breed animals into an ecomony that is hard pressed to support them. Your caution should be directed to the breeders, and reworded to say that part of our effots to end horse slaughter, by seeing to the passages of HR6598 and bills 311 and 503, the impetus will be to regulate breeding and the abominal practice of culling of "imperfect" horses. Upir caution should be directed to the "backyard breeders", to educate them that their irresponsible glutting of the markets with crossbreeds and unregistered animals will no longer be lucrative. Your caution should be directed to the major horse industries, like racing and performance, that we WILL see to it that regulations are put in place to allow for ersponsible care of horses who are not "productive" any longer. C'mon Troy. Redirect. Slaughter of horses is in no way similar to agriculture production, and no one in the US eats horses, just in case you haven't noticed

This is a note to Chris. There are NOT 100,000+ horses abandoned or neglected in this country. Please do some research on this topic before posting. As the info you have in your post is not fact. The horses that go thru the slaughter pipeline usually end up there because they are sold at auction by people that simply have no sense of responsibility and are more interested in the easy out and a couple of bucks than in doing what is right, I know this because I have attended these auctions and talked to people that bring their horses there. This is a person whose childhood horse that they have had for 20 yrs is no longer needed cause the child has now gone off to college. This is the race horse that just can't quite cut it, this is the breeder who has a horse whose confirmation just isn't good enough. This is the rancher that has gotten alot of years out of a good horse and now its just too old and instead of turning it out to pasture in return for its years of service, it gets the horrors of slaughter. Are there abandoned and neglected horses in this country? Absolutely but that is a whole different issue and is not what passing these bills is about.

Troy once again...misdirected. "legal disposition" is not synonymous with slaughter. There should be alternatives afforded to those who cannot afford humane euthanasia, but that is in no way similar to loading them into overpacked trailers with no food or water for hours and hours, particularly if the animal is already ill, debilitated or extremely elderly. That is no way to treat an animal that has served you well as a part of your working farm or ranch, even if you had no emotional ties to the animal. It's a matter of being humane and having a moral obligation to do the right thing

Everyone here against horse slaughter, please call the Capitol TODAY and tell you state's reps to vote YES on this bill to end the horrific abuse of transporting horses and slaughtering them for meat to be eaten by humans. America please know there are people who are concerned about horses being abandoned and are working on the issues of getting horses adopted and helping to bring the changes needed to stop the flow of horses being exploited and then "dumped" to be slaughtered. We have to all be responsible for the humane treatment of animals. Please call today!

Below is a link to a TIME Magazine article which supports much of what is being said about the thousands of horses being abandoned and the cost of caring for them. I don't think Chris is mistaken as Lenny implies! http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1809950,00.html

Isn't it funny how the amount of "horse neglect" cases have risen substantially lately?
I grew up in rural America, and have had horses in my life as long as I can remember. Recently, I have moved to a more urban location on a job transfer, and NEVER have I seen as many mal-nourished, suffering horses. Why? Talk with owners, and they simply can't afford to provide the upkeep needed. These are backyard horse owners, not some big industry trying to make it rich! Without having an outlet, they have two choices....continue to feed them what the owner can afford (not nearly enough), or take them out of town and kick them loose.
Is this "my" problem? No. Is it fair to let that horse suffer for the rest of its life in a small pen, being able to count every rib? Doesn't quite seem logical, does it. Euthanize it? Ask the BLM how much of their budget is spent on hay, and if this has become a problem for them. I'm not saying that we all should eat horse meat, but aren't there millions of starving people in this world?? If you've got all of this time and money to devote to this cause, why not solve two problems and feed the starving children too? Someday when you're really hungry with nothing to eat, you can chomp on your COMPUTER while you blog away. Maybe you can do it next to the starving horses, & pet them to make them feel better.....kind of like the bears; sometimes I think society forgets there's a RAAAARRRR part too. All I'm saying is look at it from the horses perspective as well... I'd rather be used as a resource then to sit in a little pen half my life. The majority of horses today are confined, not running freely through the pasture like we see in the movies.

Horse slaughter is a disgusting money making business and horses are being bred on feed lots owned by the slaughter house companies in Canada.Then we have ones being bred on pmu farms(by products of premarin) mixed with ones being dropped off at auctions. These horses are not unwanted. The majority are being bred to get butchered. The horse is a companion demesticated pet, they are not cows....the day someone teaches a cow to carry a human, teaches to pick up handicap people, go on patrol with police officers, competes in shows is the day I'll keep my mouth shut...stop the slaughter and save our horses. And by the way I do not sit there crying over a steak.

Horse slaughter? I think it is a good thing here is why. Without it some people are neglecting and abandoning their horses. Some just can’t feed them anymore, some have grown bored of their new hobby, some just don’t know how to properly care for their horses, and some have had their horses grow so old on them that they just don't know what to do with them. I can’t say how terrible it makes me feel to watch these animals be neglected, or dropped of in our desert because they do not have an auction to take them to. I think having them suffer to death is way more CRUEL than having them go to a slaughter house. I love our horses. They are part of our family. I am so saddened to watch someone’s unwanted pet starving to death out in a neglected field with hooves cracked, needing a clean drink of water, and with a sickness that could have been taken care of with a vaccine. The sad reality is without the choice to take these animals to an auction or slaughter, people are choosing this path. Yes, when they went to auction they were slaughtered, but, that is a better way to go then suffering to death.

Oh the slippery slope (again). Farm Bureau, you need to stop with that hog wash! Thanks to the farmers who spoke up against horse slaughter. This has nothing to do with "meat animals" and if you think about it, it is direct competition to your own industry. Horses are not and have not been raised for food. Ownership of horses comes with responsibility when an end of life decision comes around but horse slaughter is NOT the answer. Another thing, as so many people have written, many of the medications that we give our horses state clearly that they are NOT to be used on animals intended for human consumption. I disagree with the use of the terms, "processing", "harvesting" because it is just a way to "pretty up" the actual act of slaughtering/butchering these animals. I disagree with all of the propaganda that has been put out by the Farm Bureau and other horse slaughter industry promoters. It's just not right to lie to the people to scare them into thinking their way. I'm sure that most of the farmers disagree with the slaughter of the horses and I certainly hope that they know that this isn't about their livestock.

To Becky, I cannot tell you how many of these articles about abandoned horses when the writer is contacted or there is an attempt to verify the info written, that its either completely false or blown way out of proportion. The statement that there are 100,000+ horses abandoned or neglected is simply not true. As I stated, yes there are abandoned horses but do not try to use that as are reason to allow slaughter to continue as that is not the root cause of so many horses going to slaughter. That is my point.

I'm curious why everyone who is in favor of this bill is not volunteering their facts to support their arguements? It appears to me you are going off of emotion while the rest of the people participating are offering evidence of their arguement. Of course, no evidence provided will satisfy you guys, you accuse everyone of lying. I think we would all be better served to stick to the facts and leave the emotion out. By the way, FB is not participating in this conversation, it is members of FB and many may not even be members, like me.

http://www.horsewelfarecommittee.com/ This site also will help educate readers about the growing problem of unwanted horses being abandoned. And so you know, I also own horses and even though I may not send my horse to slaughter because it is my preference to have the vet put the horse down, I should have the choice to decide that. I don't like the government telling me what to do!

Here you go Lenny, here are the facts to support my comment that there are over 100,000 abandonded horses. According to the AVMA: "We do know that 90,000 to 100,000 unwanted horses have been sent to slaughter annually, and that the total number of unwanted horses is substantially greater than this." http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/unwanted_horses_faq.asp Here is another good link to view as well: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/13/nation/na-horses13 Thanks for your participation.

Susan, thank you for sharing that website information. My family owns horses and we should be able to make the decision on what to do with them. Not everyone has the resources to dig a hole and dispose of the carcass. I see horses in our area being mistreated just like Cody referred to. It's time that we stop pretending that this is not happening and neglecting these animals. Horse owners need to have choices on how to dispose of their animals.

Horses are livestock. Stating otherwise could be detrimental to the farmers in this country whose horses represent an important part of the rural economy. A horse being considered livestock is beneficial in many ways, including the fact that the Farm Bureau is able to address the treatment of horses. Additionally, the livelihood of many farmers is dependent upon a definition of agriculture which correctly includes equines as livestock. While this is a complicated issue, we need to seriously consider what will happen to unwanted horses within our country. In light of the current economy, many people are faced with the unfortunate reality of not being able to afford their horses. There have been cases of domesticated horses being abandoned into the wild where they are incapable of surviving. Animal cruelty is always unacceptable. It is our responsibility to carefully consider the problem in its entirety rather than attack or address one portion of this issue.

I am very disappointed by many of the comments made by people that said they would vote for HR6598 and HR503 and S311. I think the direction of focus has gone the wrong direction. This is a matter of taking away individuals rights. Who are we to say that someone cannot do with their property as they wish. Not everyone has the luxury of owning horses for pets, and being able to afford what it costs to feed and house them. For those people horses are a tool which assists in maintaining a living. Once that person sees that the horse is no longer able to assist what are they suppose to do? Take a loss of thousands of dollars? For some of those farmers and ranchers, who spend their lives producing meat and grain to feed you and me, that is not an option.

Lin, I would like to share a few things with you. According to the Alberta Horse Welfare Report (www.afac.ab.ca), most of the horses that are used for human consumption are classified as generally unwanted horses ( i.e. owners can't/don't want to keep them), not specifically bred for consumption. Also, these animals are tested for drug residue that some have been concerned about during this discussion. If there are people trying to harvest these animals after using drugs that are prohibited in animals going for human consumption then they are not following labeling guidelines, which is against the law. Just as in the harvesting of other animals, humane treatment is our priority. Those of us in agriculture demand it. According to Temple Grandin, during her observations 100% of the horses were rendered insensible before processing. And by the way, you can train a cow to be ridden (I've done it) and they compete in shows all over the United States (done that too).

I just wanted to point out a few things to the people on this blog that thinks horse slaughter is just fine. What if the horses early ancestors had went extinct? There were many extinction events over many millions of years. Your lives would be very different. This whole planet would look very different than it does now. You would not have had the horse to pull the plow, you would have had to use oxen. Early in our history you would have had to walk to a battle because there was no animal to carry you into it, although that would have saved many lives. The camel would have been the replacement for the horse. If you were lucky enough to own one. All or most of the heavy lifting you would have had to do yourself. Keep in mind that with the horse extinct there is no mule and no donkey. You farmers and ranchers that want to keep sending horses to slaughter would not be where you are today if it were not for these animals. Your farms and ranches would be very tiny, only as large as something you could handle without the help of the horse. Your herds would be very small, on the scale of the poor farmers and herders in Africa. It would be many years before the tractor was invented. Once Henry Ford came along with the invention of the car things would very slowly change. Most of the USA would still be wilderness. Because you would have to walk every place you wanted to go unless you went by river. Life would be hard. You would have to carry your own packs, no pack horses to do it for you. Is my point getting through to you? These animals have been the major reason this country was opened up to settlement. They were the reason most of the world was opened up to settlement. And now you think its ok to send them off to a slaughter house? Get real, we are going to stop the slaughter of these animals if it takes a thousand years.

Becky, you need to get together with Chris and do some research. That article was investigated and proven false. Just as the Jeff McMurray (AP) article was proven false and with rare exception, just about every article we’ve investigated. The facts with the statements from the law enforcement officials are available on-line. Just search for Deleting the Fiction. There are two lengthy reports available with the articles and the facts of the investigations. Don’t think that because you read something in a thought-to-be reputable publication that it’s true. BTW, slaughter is still very much available – at the same auctions with the same kill buyers. So you’ve already shot down your own argument that slaughter will prevent abandonment. If you’re seeing abandoned horses, it’s has nothing to do with horse slaughter. You might want to check the articles and research further and you will discovers that not only have horses been abandoned but all their animals and their homes/farms. Surely you can’t associate that with horse slaughter. You see, the pro slaughter articles will only mention the horses because they feel that will scare people over to their side. When you investigate, you will discover the real facts and that’s something the pro slaughter advocates won’t do. They would rather keep pumping out false information to support their stance. Just as this blog has done by using the over-worked slippery slope argument that has absolutely no basis. Stacy, you have several options on disposal. Horse slaughter is not a disposal of a carcass. Horses were mistreated when the domestic kill houses were open. Since slaughter is currently available, those owners are going to mistreat their animals with or without the availability of slaughter. History has proven this over and over again and if you're seeing it now, that proves our point.

Troy, with all due respect sir, For 50 yrs, slaughter has not gotten rid of excess horses but perpetuated same....no horse deserves to be slaughtered.. the TRUTH is out! America knows it now and the facts FAR outweigh the lies, propaganda and spin that pro-slaughter groups and folks such as yourself have dedicated yourselves to spreading in lieu of your greedy profits! Many Thousands of our nation's horses have already been executed "slaughtered" and in the MOST inhumane methods anyone could imagine and then butchered up like hogs to be sent overseas to cater to the wealthy's taste buds while you and your fellow profiteers were laughing all the way to the bank! This is AMERICA, my fine fellow and her people have fully educated themselves on this atrocity and have and are speaking loud and clear AGAINST it! Americans from ALL walks of life and locations, INCLUDING YOUR OWN! Horse Slaughter is MERELY the economic underpinning for indiscriminate over breeding by the big horse industries such as AQHA, PMU factory farming of horses and its by-product foal genocide, consumer fraud, horse theft, the extermination of our wild mustangs, and irresponsible horse ownership in general.Horse slaughter is contrary to American values! That's WHY it was kept such a secret!! The horse slaughter industry defends its position under the guise of 'waste management' or euthanasia for the poor, citing that horses not slaughtered might be starved or abused. Not so. Animal cruelty and horse slaughter are two different pathologies. Anyone who would neglect or abuse a horse is breaking existing cruelty laws and is a criminal. Why would we keep an industry in operation that 80% of Americans oppose, just to accommodate criminals? Why does the industry fight to maintain the lowest common denominator, keeping in place a conduit that encourages and perpetuates the worst of irresponsible horsemanship? And speaking of slaughtering horses in this country, Listen to what Lester Friedlander, former Chief Inspector for the USDA has to say. He is a veterinarian and worked as a slaughter line inspector for more than 10 years for the USDA. He received repeated certificates of merit and commendation from the USDA, and was USDA Veterinary Trainer of the Year. He was asked to do a study on whether the captive bolt method of slaughtering horses was humane and his official conclusion was that it was not humane. 1) The bolt was designed for cattle and pigs and not long enough to stun horses whose brains are further back in their skulls. 2) Horses are flight animals and would require head restraint for stunning, which was not supplied. It is not unusual for horses to be shot with the captive bolt several times. It does not kill them but merely stuns them. 3) The horses regain consciousness after 30 seconds and are aware and sensitive to pain as they are hoisted into the air by one rear leg and bled out while their heart is still beating. Horse slaughter is a demand and supply industry! Has NOTHING to do with UNWANTED horses!! If so, WHY were were we IMPORTING horses from canada for slaughter?? Over 90% of the horses slaughtered are young, healthy, meaty, and not lame according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's documents. The horse slaughter industry is obviously NOT a public service to rid the country of skinny, sick horses. They are butchers and pay by they pound when their kill buyers aggressively bid against private buyers at horse auctions. *Horses are not raised, medicated, or classified as food source animals in America. Over 90% of the horse meat and over 90% of the profits of the foreign owned slaughter industry is sent overseas. They are plundering the American horse population for blood money profits and laughing at how naive the Americans are for letting them do it. Laughing all the way to the bank! The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life. ~Theodore Roosevelt

Troy, your information is not correct. Horses WERE not and ARE not treated as livestock when it pertains to slaughter. There is no drug checking, no health papers and no chain of ownership. TBs go right from the track to the kill houses and they are loaded with drugs – bute, wormers, etc., not to mention those on steroids. Oh, please. Quoting Temple Grandin. She consulted on the design of the kill houses and she is not going to dismiss her own work. If she is saying there was a 100% success rate, she must have only witnessed one horse. We have an affidavit from a former USDA chief inspector and interviews with plant workers that say otherwise. There is no way to humanely slaughter a horse because there is no way to restrain their heads. The head must be restrained so there is a direct hit with the bolt and that is just not possible with horses. Go to YouTube and view but one of the videos. They are from all three kill houses with different horses and you can see the repeated hits. Troy, why do you call slaughter, harvesting?

Horses are livestock. There is no difference between slaughtering horses and slaughtering cows, pigs, etc. And there is no logical reason why we should ban horse slaughter or slaughter of any other livestock. It's very disturbing to me that the majority of Americans are so far removed from agriculture that they don't understand this basic concept.

Chris, read this (there is an answer to the quote you posted) http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/features/horseslaughter-132.shtml and then go to http://www.vetsforequinewelfare.org/ and read what the paying membership of the AVMA have to say.

Just a few thoughts for those who are supporting the ban on processing of horses for human consumption.

You have every right to insure that any horse you own never goes to slaughter, you can take personal responsibility for this horse by letting those you sell it you will always buy it back if they want to sell it so it never goes to slaughter.

Please support the many reputable rescues that are trying to save horses, please use your resources to help the horses. This is a way to work towards solutions,which is what is needed at this time.

Maybe some of those on those on this site don't want to ban the slaughter and consumption of all animals, but you can bet that the major groups supporting this do, they have a vegan agenda and want to stop all animal agriculture in the U.S.

Here are some quotes for you to consider:

"My goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture."- HSUS grassroots coordinator John "J.P." Goodwin

"We have no ethical obligation to preserve the different breeds of livestock produced through selective breeding ...One generation and out. We have no problems with the extinction
of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding."
- Wayne Pacelle, Animal People Magazine, 1993

Please just use your energies towards helping horses in need.

Animal rights activists are using this issue to divide the horse and ag industry and we need to stand strong for the industry and for the livestock involved.

You can see written testimony here. http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_073108.html Preserve a choice, a safe alternative to increased neglect of unwanted horses.

Troy I am in total agreement with you. As a rancher who has had unwanted horses dropped off in the dead of night in our sheep pasture I feel that slaughter is just one of many options we should keep open. When all the unwanted horse start turning up on peoples places and the state and federal government is forced to pay for their care, people will start to see the benefits of this. Way to stand up for your beleifs and I hope that this bill fails. Keep up the good work!!!

Troy, your comments about horse slaughter are right on! Those of you who think harvesting horses is inhumane should think about taking care of all the neglected horses who are malnurished and starving because their owners have abandonded them. These owners have lost a perfectly legitimate option to dispose of unwanted horses. It doesn't matter if most of you don't eat horse meat, why ruin it for the people who do. For the rest of you who don't think the ban on horse slaughter will affect other livestock, you are sadley mistaken. Cattle and hog producers are alreadly dealing with the inability to harvest animals that are lame or fatigued. The majority of these lame or fatigued animals have nothing wrong with their meat, they just might be too tired from transport to walk. If they had 30 minutes to rest, they would be perfectly OK. However, inspectors immediately euthenize these animals decreasing our food supply and costing the livestock industry thousands of dollars. If there are starving people in this world, we should focus on treating them humanely by not letting all this product go to waste.

Thank you Mike for shedding some light on this situation. Another thing to consider is what is the horses alternative. Many horses are being turned loose into the "wild" where their domestic skills will only allow them to suffer because their owner can no longer feed them a healthy diet. The taking of horses for meat feeds hungry people. There is no reason for there to be hungry people and hungry horses, two wrongs never make a right.

Here is a statement that was released by the American Association of Equine Practioneers. They are a sub group of the American Veterinary Medical Association that only deal with equine issues. "Unwanted horses in the United States are facing a crisis. Horses that are considered at-risk in the equine population are being severely impacted by a struggling economy, high grain and hay prices, and the closure last year of the U.S.'s three remaining processing plants. The result has been increased equine cruelty in the form of abuse, neglect and abandonment. In the state of Colorado alone, equine cruelty investigations increased by 40 percent in 2007. Because of the large population of unwanted horses in this country, the AAEP believes that the processing of unwanted horses is currently a necessary end-of-life option. We oppose H.R. 6598 not because the AAEP believes that sending a horse to a processing plant is the best option for reducing the unwanted horse population, but because the bill does not help address the long-term care and funding that will be necessary to help the tens of thousands of horses that will be affected by a ban. Given the current factors causing an increase in the unwanted horse population, we feel this legislation is premature. The AAEP has not visited processing plants in Canada or Mexico, so we have not observed the euthanasia of horses at those facilities. The AAEP supports only the three humane methods of euthanasia for horses as designated by the American Veterinary Medical Association." For those of you that have claimed that ranchers like myself only want horse slaughter to make money, here is a group of people that would stand to make money from the ban but have opposed it because they have the best interest of the animals in mind. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Troy, do a bit of research and you’ll discover who is behind that start-up of the AAEP and why they have that stance. They are not for the welfare of equines. They are not a good choice to quote and try to convince the anti side to support your argument for slaughter. BTW-the AVMA states in all their brochures and communications to horse owners that when it’s time to say good-bye, the horse should be humanely euthanized by a shot administered by a vet. Nowhere does it mention using a captive bolt. The only time they support the bolt is when they are in front of Congress. That is the organizations stance, not the paying members. They were never polled and why they formed Veterinarians for Equine Welfare. One of the vets testified at the hearing yesterday.

I am appalled at these comments. Horses are not /harvested/ they are slaughtered. The dictionary's description of slaughter is: killing of many humans and animals in a cruel and barbaric way. Please take a look at what you call harvesting: Our horses are being sent to Mexico, for what you call "harvesting": http://www.hsus.org/video_clips/horse_slaughter_cruelty.html And this is what went on in the United States: http://www.saplonline.org/Legislation/slaughtervhumaneeuth.htm As for the person who says without this outlet, the horses will be abandoned or starved. There are laws in place for animal cruelty and they are getting more severe. Those people who abuse their animals will go to jail, where they belong. If you can't afford to keep you horse until his or her natural death, don't own one! It's the same with any animal, if you can't properly care for it, then don't own the animal. Btw, Americans don't eat horse meat and don't for one second think horse meat is feeding the poor. It sells in France for about $20 per lb. Please stop with the lies and propaganda, you are only making yourselves look very stupid. And yes, we are taking away your right to be cruel and barbaric. We don't slaughter dogs, why would we slaughter horses? Dogs and horses serve us in the same ways: therapy, police, military, entertainment, companions, etc. This is all about greed, nothing else. Please, find your conscience.

MJNYC: You have just confirmed what Troy and others have been saying, HSUS wants to end the processing of all animals for meat consumtion. Horses are considered livestock, even in the farm bill. Once horses are no longer able to be processed in the US for food, they will move on to cows and pigs. While we do not eat horse meat in the US, we do eat beef and pork, and many Americans value safe food produced here at home. This bill will only help drive agriculture out of this country and into the arms of Brazil, China, Argentina and others who are starving for the chance to boost their local economies. And if you think for one minute they will take care of their animals in a humane way, you are sadly mistaken. American Farmers and Ranchers care about their livestock and take great pride in producing safe food for everyone. And for the other comments here about how horse owners should care for their horses until they die, many states (especially out East) will NOT ALLOW you to bury a horse in their state, the horse owner has to PAY heftily to send the horse out of state to be disposed of. This is why the horses are being abandoned and neglected, no one can afford to send a dead horse thousands of miles away to be disposed of. Let's put some common sense back into this debate and stop with the rhetoric from HSUS and other anti-agriculture groups. One of these days when you finally succeed in running agriculture to foreign lands, you will be crying because you ate tainted meat and you are sick. Then who will you have to blame?

To Kea: You are completely missing the point, because you probably have a monetary interest in the continuation of this barbarism. Horses are not food and they never have been food, nor will they ever be food in the United States. We are not talking about cattle or pigs or any other animal that you use for food. We are talking about horses, who are trained to trust human beings. Don't you have any feelings at all? How do you ride your horse, pat him on the neck and say "goodbye", now you are going to travel thousands of miles and then someone is going to stab you to death? How do you sleep at night? Horse slaughter is not only barbaric, it is the ultimate betrayal. Horse slaughter will end, because there are more moral people in this country than not. I'm sorry to say, you seem to fit in the latter category.

Kea, if horses are livestock, why is their feed taxed but livestock feed isn't? If horses are considered livestock, why don't they follow any of the regulations for livestock? Your argument about banning livestock is utterly ridiculous. Beef is an accepted food source in this country. I am a staunch anti slaughter advocate and a meat eater as are most of the anti slaughter advocates. We are not advocating banning livestock slaughter and have never once mentioned moving on to cattle. That is nothing more than a scare tactic that was dreamt up by the pro slaughter side. Just another ridiculous argument without a basis. We are advocating banning horse slaughter. The slaughter of an animal that is not livestock in this country. They are not raised or bred as a food animal. Livestock are food animals. The functions horses perform cannot and are not performed by livestock. Do you see cows running in the Derby? Do you see mounted police riding cows? Do you see cows used in therapy? Do you see cows performing dressage? How can you even compare the two? As far as your comments on burial, Isn't that something that an owner should be prepared for before they take ownership? Why is that 800,000 horses die of natural causes or are humanely euthanized each year and their owners don't have a problem with disposal? The only people that have issues are those that are irresponsible and don’t take responsibility for their animals. Stop with the drama. Nobody is running agriculture into foreign land. The kill houses are doing that and people like you are allowing it. Nobody is condemning the Europeans for eating horsemeat. That is their culture and if they want to eat horsemeat, they can butcher their own horses. Our horses are viewed as companion animals and they should not be slaughtered just as our dogs and cats are not slaughtered. There is a market for their meat as well. Do you propose letting Asia set up shop here to butcher them, as well? By continually calling horses, livestock and insisting they are no different than cattle, perhaps we should rethink our approach. Is that what it's going to take to end horse slaughter? What will it take to make the pro slaughter advocates understand that this is about horses? We have said it every way possible and have never mentioned livestock. Look at everything the anti slaughter advocates have published. Read the legislation. Read the articles. Read the blogs. Read the websites. Just where are you getting your information that we want to ban all slaughter?

Horses have been my companions and partners for my entire life. I commend Troy for standing up and speaking the truth about a subject that has been grossly misrepresented and distorted by so-called "animal lovers." Horses are now dying slow, miserable deaths from starvation and disease. MJNYC suggests simply calling local authorities to deal with abusers of animals. What if your county has no extra money to feed and care for unwanted horses? Will MJNYC start financially supporting hundreds of horses? What does MJNYC think we should do with the overpopulated and inbred wild horse herds that are now overgrazing and destroying the natural environment? The adoption program has not worked and now our federal government is wasting our tax dollars by trying to keep unwanted animals around. It would make more sense to reduce the horse population by allowing our government to process unwanted animals, there by generating revenue rather than the current structure that is draining our federeal budget. The comment that processing horses is a violent slaughter, is also grossly inacurate. The U.S. has the most humane processing facilities in the world and to suggest otherwise shows complete ignorance of the truth.

For all of you who have sited the HSUS video here is some food for thought. The ultimate goal of the HSUS is to make everyone a vegan. For those of you who like to have a hamburger or a steak, an egg and a piece of bacon think on this. This is only the first step for the HSUS. Once horses are classified as unable to slaughter they will move on to cattle and pigs and sheep and chickens, and any other animal that we may deem as a food source. I find it hard to beleive that any of you would be foolish enough to beleive that this isn't just a first step. This is exactly what the HSUS wants - for all of you to be up in arms and protesting the slaughter of these animals. Maybe you should instead concentrate on the slaughtering methods. If you want something more humane then lets work together to come up with a solution for this, not ban our rights to dispose of an animal in this or any other way we see fit. Keep in mind that banning the slaughter of one animal just makes it that much easier to move on to the banning of the next animal. What will be taken off you breakfast, lunch, or dinner plate next.

The animal rights groups are nothing more than terrorist's that have been allowed to slowly chip away at our rights as Americans to eat what ever we want to, go hunting if we please, and choose whatever occupation in life we want. My family has raised livestock for many generations and we are very proud of that. We take better care of our pigs than we do of ourselves. Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." My interpretation of that is that animals were put on this earth to feed man. Horsemeat may not be consumed in this country, but don't think for a minute this will stop at horse "harvesting". HSUS and other groups like them want to take away your freedom of choice and it starts with things like this. Why don't we worry about abused children this much? Did anyone know that 5 children die each day from abuse/neglect. Child Protective Services recieve 50000 reports each week of suspected child abuse or neglect. To me this is very disturbing that this country is more concerned about animal welfare than the welfare of our own children!

Everyone should read this peer-reviewed article. Even though it was written in 2006, it does a great job of oulting the facts of this very emotional issue. If anyone has updates on this article or the figures used in it I would love to see them (but only if they are relevant scientific facts with credible references). The bottom line is humane treatment (not rights) of livestock. There is no other group who cares more for our animals or our land than the people who make their living from it. What is the most humane treatment for horses? What is the most prudent, judicious and best avenue to dispose of horses? Federally inspected, regulated and dedicated facilities to harvest horses. Not forcing people to turn horses out to starve, donating them to public intstitutions, or worst of all, shipping them to foreign countries like Mexico where we have no assurance of their handling practices or treatment.

I think that it is amazing that people think that the only ones hurt by horse slaughter's being banned are big greedy corporations. I Just wanna say thanks to all of yall that voted to ban horse slaughter because it put my family out of business.Now the money I had saved for college is going towards paying to keep our horses that we cant sell from starving.We weren't selling for slaughter but without the meat man at the sales there are no bidding wars anymore.Noone wants to pay much for a horse and now they don't have to.I can remember when a green broke colt would cost at least $200 now you are lucky if you get $50.So again Thankyou for taking away our jobs in an economy that makes it impossible to find another one.

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