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Key issues to consider in the issue of the slaughter of Horses in America of horses in america.

A hot item in legislature at this time, the issue of horse slaughter is more complicated than one may think. The closing of the slaughter facilities has created a surplus of unwanted horses. In the news, one can find many examples of horses being allowed to starve, being turned out into the desert, or tied to the freeway. Many factions of society are pleading their own cases depending on their personal views. As a horse lover and enthusiast, I have put together some thoughts to ponder.

1. Horses who are slaughtered for meat are most often in that situation due to man's irresponsible behavior. These creatures are often used until they are lame or crippled, have aged or are no longer winning at the shows and races. Many are the results of irresponsible breeding of horses that there is no market for, just because one has a mare.

2. Many of the animals headed for the slaughterhouses are the results of irresponsible breeding of horses that there is no market for. Many people who have a mare breed her just because they can. Not much thought goes into the end result and not every horse owner is prepared for the commitment needed to raise a foal into a nice horse or to pay the vet bills if everything does not go smoothly.

3. Horses are not and have not been raised for food as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats have been. Horses are the most inefficient and wasteful grazers of all and therefore, by the acre, not a wise investment. When one speaks of a horse who has served him well, it is beyond any words he might use for a good milking cow or a bovine with superior muscling for beef.

4. American horsemeat is not sent to starving children. Horsemeat is a lean and treasured meat in some countries and feeds those who are more likely to dine in higher level restaurants. (Not in America.) Otherwise, the meat from the older animals is likely to be used in sausages and dog food.

5. Another large group of throw-away horses come from those who purchase a horse with all of the best intentions but with not enough knowledge to actually manage these large animals. Many horses in the killer pens are there because people have allowed them to become to pushy or neglected them and they have become spoiled or unmanageable by these folks.

6. Lumping horses with cattle, sheep, pigs and other livestock is a poor argument for slaughter. A man who raises food animals is, of course, going to do his best to

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