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It is very easy for most people to be horrified at the idea of horses being slaughtered for human consumption, or for any other reason. However, offensive as it may be, there is a place for it.

Horses in our modern society are often equated with dogs and cats; meaning they're considered basically pets, albeit big ones.

Just as we don't slaughter Fido or Fluffy for food, many think it's wrong to do so to Dobbin. However, horses are a lot different from household pets. They are much larger, and much, much more expensive to keep. For these and other reasons, there is literally a glut of horses on the market. Many of them will find homes, but many others will not, especially in a rough economy.

Often, people will buy a horse or two for the first time, only to find out that they can't handle the physical and financial demands required to keep them healthy. How many times have you heard news stories of horses found starving or otherwise neglected? It happens all the time.

Where are all these excess horses going to go, now that horse slaughter has been made illegal in the United States? Closing down the American slaughter plants only leaves one less option for overwhelmed horse owners. While it may seem like a good thing, in reality it may not be. I believe that in the years to come, we will hear more and more often of horses, ponies, and donkeys being abandoned and otherwise neglected.

Sure, there are rescue groups. But they can only take in so many. Horses take a lot of room. Each animal requires about an acre (at least) of land to be comfortable. Multiple horses means there has to be plenty of land available. Since these types of organizations are usually non-profits, their ability to help unwanted, abused, or abandoned equines is limited.

And what about those that are too old or ill to sell? Simple, you say- euthanize them. True, but that can be fairly pricey for large animals such as horses. Plus, add in the cost of disposal- often several hundred dollars, depending on where you live. If the owners of such animals are struggling financially anyway, how are they going to swing it?

It has recently been made known that despite the ban on horse slaughter in the US, American horses are still being sent to slaughter, often in Mexico where the methods are barbaric. While there was much controversy surrounding the use of captive-bolt guns, which were intended for cattle rather than horses, it can't compare to the horrors that await horses in Mexican slaughterhouses.

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