OK, I seriously thought this was, like, a satire or something but it’s not!
Wyoming Representative Slaughterhouse Sue Goes Totally Postal
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For real! They actually put out a list of celebrities that people should boycott because they like animals!
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OMG!
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WHO are supposed to be the extremist wackjobs? US? Yeah, right. Do I tell you not to watch Halle’s movies ’cause her two year old was on a horse without a helmet? No. I just hope someone in Halle’s life will educate her a bit about what was unsafe in that picture, and I hope someday little Nahla gets a pony, a helmet, and a quality instructor and has loads of fun.Â
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So you heard it from ol’ crazy Slaughterhouse Sue: No more 30 Rock for you or you’re supporting animal rights extremism. Put down that Cathy comic strip right now! No more watching Bill Maher, no matter how funny you think he is – he is actually PRO spay/neuter – OMG what an EXTREME position! And all you Betty White fans? Uh-uh no more. She is the Face of Evil as far as these folks are concerned. She actually thinks you should wear faux fur, can you imagine the nerve? Who does Grandma think she is?Â
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Anyway, pretty hilarious coming from a bunch of people who say folks like me are the extremists, just because I think that you should treat your horses the way a good boss treats his employees – reasonable work hours, good conditions, health care and of course not just shipping them off to slaughter when they can’t work anymore!  Come ON, hardly anyone on that list even remotely resembles an extremist. MOST Americans don’t wear fur these days and MOST Americans spay/neuter their animals.  Most of those people are not vegan or even vegetarian!Â
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I’m providing the link so that those of you who don’t feel any need to wear what used to be a mink on your back know which celebrities to support. 
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Sue’s facebook profile is quite interesting. Look, she’s friends with Julie Goodnight. Is Julie Goodnight pro-slaughter? Hmmm, interesting. Maybe we should start our own boycott, but a more targeted, sensible and appropriate one – of horse professionals who support Sue Wallis and the mentality that it’s perfectly ok to throw horses away like a used Kleenex after you are done with them/lame them up/fry their brains or they were born the wrong color or some other lame excuse.
Oh, and then there are Sue’s other friends who have status updates like – I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP! “Ricco(Frenchmans Ricco Suave’) must be going to be a good one! Checked mares last night and he was thrugh the 5 strands of barbed wire and playing on the county road! got him back through…with very minor cuts……” GAWD! Birds of a feather, flocking together, that is for damn sure.
 
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Who in their right mind posts a status update bragging about how a horse went through five strands of barbed wire? Why don’t you just post “Hey! I’m an idiot – see, I have proof!”
That’s probably why the horse went through the 5 strands of barbed wire, so he could get to someone with half a brain and get away from loco boy wonder there. My brain hurts from trying to figure out what in the hell they were thinking anyways. I keep trying but there is just nothing, absolutely nothing I can come up with.
Wow, what a nutjob! Thanks for posting that Cathy.
I think my favorite on her list is Bill Goldberg- who wants to raise awareness about illegal animal fighting.
Apparently illegal pitbull and cockfighting rings are a *good* thing? I missed that memo, thank God she is here to clue me in as to how important those things are for… the ranching industry? Agriculture? What? Huh?
Did she even think before she released this list?
ROFL!
“Ron Burns (Artist in Residence)”
Don’t you just hate those artists that draw animals?????!!!
Good Lord. I’m honestly giggling. Did you notice Dave Dorkette has his name there as a contact? Poor guy– he must have run out of animal abusers to support so he threw his weight behind a politician. Not sure that’s an improvement.
I’m surprised they don’t list people who have opened rescues, along with anyone else who ever wanted to save an animal. Or own one? Sheesh, even Robin Williams made the list for trying to help prevent dolphin killing. I see their point there, of course. After all, why wouldn’t WYOMING (ahem.. all that coastline….) support fishermen who use nets?
Folks who support slaughtering horses, you have my sincere sympathies. I don’t think I honestly realized what piss poor material you have to work with in your fellow pro-slaughter buddies. It’s hard to take a position on such a hot topic issue when the people trying to speak for you sound so incredibly stupid. I can honestly say there are some solid arguments for slaughtering excess horses. I don’t buy them, mind you, but there ARE a few decent pro arguments. Pretty hard to sound intelligent as a group, though, when your politician is ranting about artists and people who donate to charities.
And little miss Sue? The reason people in Wyoming don’t want a slaughterhouse is because they don’t want the mess. Instead of creating more drama, how about you look for a solution to their objections? Or does that require some research and thought that you aren’t prepared to do?
Well said!!
The list is a little extreme, and I know these celebrities really do mean well and I don’t think they should be boycotted. However, I have trouble supporting anyone who supports PETA or HSUS (or MFA, or most other “AR” groups). The harm these groups have done to good, hard-working, caring people who do take fabulous care of their animals (often targeted: show dogs, hello? are you joking?) and do humanely raise/slaughter food animals for meat is just awful. Animal welfare campaigns are awesome and people should always strive to improve the lives of animals as best they can; animal rights are extreme and ridiculous in most cases. I continue to read this blog because I think calling people out does a lot of good for the education of the general horse owner population, but sometimes it’s hard to stomach all of the AR support here.
Haha, I don’t think the celebrities give a rats ass if they get boycotted- they have plenty o’ money!
I am all for the boycott of pro-slaughter trainers. Sing me up.
SIGN me up, LOL.
Very considerate of this nutjob to make a list of people for us to like. Even if some of them are, as noted, dead.
Well, that was interesting. Her list is too short however and leaves off a lot of people who have spoken for animals in one way or another.
I see that that was posted back in late January, so it’s been kicking around for a while.
And I would not get too excited about Julie Goodknight being a Facebook friend. Sue has 586 friends to her “credit” and I am sure that Goodknight has 1000′s of friends (far too many to take the time to screen). It is way too easy to accumulate lots of “friends” on Facebook.
What concerns me more is that she was voted into her office. That means a bunch of folks voted for her. Wow
It’s a very interesting article. It’s amazing how many Whack jobs are in government! Yes, unfortunately people voted her into office, but people also voted in Obama, and look where that’s gotten us. Hopefully, enough “normal” people will vote her out next election! The government officials, don’t really seem to have any morals or ethics anymore, and I blame a lot of that on people accepting Clinton, when he was proven to be a liar and a sleaze. If that was acceptable, why shouldn’t everything else our “dually” elected officials do, raise any eyebrows? Yes, most are whack jobs…. Makes me very sad.
I think you summed up what is going wrong in the United States today—a lack of moral standings, too much “acceptance” of things that are immoral or flat-out wrong (Clinton’s lies and the quick forgiveness—don’t we expect better from our presidents?) and a fear of criticizing the current presidential administration for fear of being labeled racist.
I am worse off today than I was on January 19, 2009.
If I’m worse off, I know the animals (except for mine) are too. My pets are fed when I am not …
I admire people unafraid to tell it like it is!
Spot on Fug; you wacked-out, decent, horse hugging, law abiding citizen you. Her more recent comments center around the fact that folks like Willie Nelson, Pat Parelli, you and me are lining our pockets with kick-back money from HSUS for being pro-horse. Don’t know about everyone here but I have been in the horse rescue business since my ole buddy Jerry Finch dragged me out of a bar in Galveston after tangling with a hooker who called my horse ugly back in the ’90s…and I think the rotund Wyoming Rep has it all ass-backwards as the money always flows OUT of the wallet and never INTO the wallet when you are an equine advocate. Me think that either her happy mushrooms have gone bad or that’s something other than whacky week she is smoking.
There’s more, this week she was interviewed by David Sparks, Ph.D. of Aginfo.net about why she felt that her idea of opening a federally unlawful horse slaughter plant has met so much opposition. “DOINKâ€Â In a halting, disjointed reply “Slaughterhouseâ€, once again, fell off the reality wagon with her pat comment,
“I think what we are seeing here is a quite successful campaign by the major animal rights activists who are working toward enforcing a vegan diet on the whole nationâ€.
Good God I can’t believe how much misinformation that husky heifer can pack into one sentence…get it right “Slaughterhouse”, we evil normal people are Animal Welfare Advocates you stupid…hell, I don’t even have any “rights” anymore and sure my dog is not going to sue me if I am 30 minutes late with dinner, STEAK I might add, nice and rare just like we Texans like it.
So before I go over the edge, she has that effect on several of us, I simply want to tip my hat to the world famous Fug for the epiphany that you have shared, that is: “Slaughterhouse” Sue is the best thing to happen to the Pro-Horse movement as every time she opens her mouth she sticks her size 13 foot into it.!!! “Veganphobia Forever!”
R.T.
It’s the truth, isn’t it? She is helping our side because she’s SUCH A NUT. Most of the people she’s attacking are nowhere near vegan. MOST people who support ending horse slaughter are NOT vegan. Good lord, vegans are only .02% of Americans…if they’re trying to take over, they’re failing.
Hoo boy, I was a bit confused going down the list exactly WHAT the point of their group WAS, as the list and their supposed concern for helping “horse owners” made no sense whatsoever. I started A-HA-ing when I was reading the last paragraph in the left hand column:
“If you are a member or a leader of a horse related organization, please make sure that everyone in your organization receives an invitation to participate in this very important survey about the effect of the plants closing on your life.”
Yes, yes, PLEASE if you are a SANE (or as they might label you, an wealthy radical activist :^) member of the equine industry in Wyoming please let them know how you feel about the plants closing. Take their survey, and shove your opinion in their face since they are asking for it. The fact that she is a member of the governor’s cabinet is disgusting. Those who are for the closing of processing plants in the US and are against the transportation of horses across international lines for slaughter need to continually support the laws already passed so that they are not changed in hard economic times, and to back them up with further laws and regulations to meet a moral goal.
Well, look on the bright side. It was a long list of just a few celebs who are probably more influential and have more fans than Sue. And an incomplete list, no less. Also, they have already been paid enough for their past performances so I wouldn’t worry about Dave Matthews changing his mind about the issues because someone in Wyoming isn’t downloading his music. I’m not sure it’s possible to effectively boycott the products of celebrities. I haven’t heard one word from Toby Keith about the fact my friends and I don’t listen to his music.
We should all boycott the Cathy comic strip – because it sucks. Get Fuzzy, Pearls Before Swine, Calvin and Hobbes, and webcomics (Lackadaisy Cats, Penny Arcade, Non Sequitur, etc) FTW.
That is a random ass list, and obviously a petty attempt to do a boycott list like animal rights orgs. Alec Baldwin is on there like three times – padding much?
/Peta could save 2000 pets a year by not killing them. At least the other orgs do rescue and rehab.
Sue is pretty wierd that’s for sure. Julie Goodnight was a surprise to me – I unfriended her when I saw an article where she advocated the use of shock collars in training horses. Wierd for someone who I was told was a very well respected trainer…. and I don’t even like shock collars for dogs unless you’ve been well trained in how to use them!
Yeah, I blogged on that. I really do not think you are much of a trainer if you cannot resolve things without electricity.
That was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. She should add Bob Barker to the list. Even though he is not alive anymore. He wanted people to spay and nueter their pets. That would surely affect Wyomings argicluture. I’m sorry for the poor spelling.
Bob Barker is still alive. He’s late 80s but still kicking. Just retired from Price Is Right.
Who was I thinking of that died and was really a big advocate of spay and nueter projects?
Bob’s still with us
He was quite active in trying to better the life of an elephant in the LA Zoo last year.
Wow. This really smacks of McCarthyism.
Since when have animal rights become evil? Narrow minded politicians like this nutbag really, really frighten me.
On a similar note, here are some noted pro slaughter people [from the United Organization of the Horse web site]:
Tom Arens, UOH Treasurer
Fairview Equine Center, Markleville, Indiana
Baxter Black, Cowboy Poet, former large animal veterinarian
Buster Black, Attorney
Tennessee Walking Horses
Frank Bowman, Illinois Horse Council
American Horse Council—State Horse Council Advisory Committee, Springfield, Illinois
Dave & Stephanie Duquette, United Horsemen’s Front
Dr. Patricia Evans, Equine Specialist—Utah State University
Katherine Minthorn Good Luck, National Tribal Horse Coalition, Intertribal Agriculture Council
Wylie Gustafson, Singer, Songwriter, Rancher, Horseman, Lacross, Washington
David Howell, Indiana Horse Council, American Horse Council—State Horse Council Advisory Committee
Trent Loos, Faces of Ag, Loos Tales, Loup City, Nebraska
Sharon Marohl, Missouri Equine Council, Clark, Missouri
Rod McQueary, Recluse, Wyoming
Carolyn Orr, State Ag and Rural Leaders,
Council of State Governments—Midwest, Council of State Governments—East
Bill & Jann Parker, Parker Horse Company
Billings Livestock Commission, Billings, Montana
John Radosevich, Veterinarian, Wheatland, Wyoming
Nancy Robinson, Livestock Marketing Association, Kansas City, Missouri
Charlie Stenholm, Livestock Marketing Association
Sue Wallis, UOH President & CEO, Recluse, Wyoming
Jacqueline Wells, Austin, Texas
Johnny Zamrzla, California Horse Council, Palmdale, California
I also see Holy Cow Performance Horses and Ted Robinson (yeah, that Ted Robinson) are advertising on the pro slaughter United Organizations of the Horse site. That probably holds more water than Julie Goodnight being a Facebook “friend” of Sue Wallis. (Though that doesn’t necessarily mean Julie Goodnight isn’t pro-slaughter, either. And if she is, well, she can KMA too.)
Likewise, now I know who to boycot. That boycot shit is a two way street, and I can easily go through the remainder of my horsey life without supporting any of these people. And, FWIW, I’d rather smoke weed with Willie Nelson than listen to two seconds of that worn-out uberdouche Baxter Black. I don’t need to be a horse killer to be a real cowgirl, a real reiner, or a real anything else.
Notice the difference in those lists though….seriously, who the hell are their people? I haven’t heard of most of them.
Tennessee Walking Horses
Take them off your list. I just went out and asked both of my walking horses, the registered mare AND the unregistered gelding. Neither of them supports slaughter.
*high-fives you*
Livestock marketing commission people, auctioneers, darlings of the AQHA, folksy folks (aka “real Americans”), and one past Texan congress critter. I recognize a lot of those names as being in the pro-slaughter game for several years, now. Trent Loos, Chuck Stenholm, Frank Bowman – they’ve been pimping horse slaughter forever. Livestock marketing commissioners, in particular, with the backing of several big auction barns (also on the list), have used all kinds of disinformation to try to keep horse slaughter alive and well in the US. So, while they’re not household celebrity names like Betty White or Bob Barker, these people have been in the trenches, pushing their slaughter agenda, and rubbing elbows with policy makers. When they need to put a down-home, folksy, horsey face to their message they can defer to horse slaughter supporters like Baxter Black, who, until a few years back, was in the closet about his horse slaughter advocacy. (You know, sort of like finding out Santa Claus is actually into kiddie pr0n when he isn’t delivering presents to boys and girls.)
All along, they’ve tried to shape the horse slaughter debate as the voice of reason (livestock commissions, cattle ranchers, kill buyers) vs. tree huggers. Fortunately, a lot of those people they’ve labeled tree huggers also happen to be horse owners and breeders, not just celebrity activists. Frankly, anyone conscious of animal rights at any level will be branded a tree hugger or extremist by those who see it as a non-issue. All, the same, I’m grateful for the celebrities who have educated themselves about horse slaughter, and have given their time, their voices, and donations to the cause.
When did “recluse” become an occupation? ‘Cause I think I could totally do that if I were paid to do so!
Yeah, that jumped out at me too!
You forgot to add the American Horse Council AND THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF EQUINE PRACTITIONERS. Yup. Your friendly local veterinarian who is an AAEP member (and most vets in the US are members) is most likely supporting the political position of his professional association.
Now why would veterinarians, who supposedly chose their profession to HELP animals support a political/economic concept which does exactly the opposite? Follow the money….
So let me get this straight. Sue wants slaughterhouses in Montana, that didn’t happen so now she’s anti ANYONE who likes animals.
Even writing it out, I can’t get my head around this.
Not surprisingly for a person of this type ( if you catch my drift ), but she left off “persons of color” from her “hit list”.
Snoop Dog, for one! =)
Thank you, Slaughterhouse Sue, for such a comprehensive list of celebrities whom I should whole-heartedly support. You have done the animal world a great service, keep up the crazy.
My sentiments exactly! I hope I get to congratulate some of those folks in person.
How utterly idiotic. I mean, really, I don’t even know what to say to that kind of crap. Just because someone has compassion for another living creature and likes animals doesn’t make them extremist. Extremist would be doing *extreme* things, not doing rational and sensible things about something you are passionate about.
Ugh. I’m at a loss for words here, what can I say.
Off topic, I have a small horsey celebration today! My pony mastered trot shoulder-in today – I am SO proud. Doubly so because this pony spent 15 years as a trail horse with no real training in any specific discipline until last summer…he has just excelled, and what can I say? I’m just a super proud mama right now!
Yay for you and your pony!
Ed Asner is an extremist wackjob because he supports Providing for Your Pet’s Future? Really?
she’s a f’n idiot if you want my opinion.
I am pro-slaughter. I realize I am in the minority here. It’s crazy people/rescues that prolong the inevitable. I do take back any of my own horses as well as any pups (all achieved their AKC CH. before having been dams/studs).
Personally, I see no reason to waste good meat.
I do understand that a beloved equine maybe shouldn’t go this way, but for others I fail to see the problem. Yes, double deck trucks should be defininatly outlawed. After that, I don’t have a problem.
I wouldn’t have a problem with using the meat if it could be used after a quick, stressfree end of life at the horse’s home.
It’s not using the meat I have issues with – it’s the assembly line slaughter process (as well as transport) – we have plenty of proof that there is no way to make that humane for horses. They’re too sensitive and they move too quickly. It’d be like trying to assembly line process deer.
There’s also the problem of money. Whenever there’s a monetary incentive to destroy an animal, you’re going to see crooked people stealing animals. That’s one important reason we don’t eat dogs and cats here, even though they are killed daily at shelters. You don’t want to give thieves a reason to steal your companion animal, be it dog, cat, or horse. It’s a shame to waste good meat, but honestly, did you really want to eat something full of bute anyway?
Yeah, that’s one of my biggest issues with slaughter as it currently exists – a cash reward for crap ownership. After all, the meat still has a value even if the feet have never been done.
Not to mention all the drugs we give horses that are NOT supposed to be used on food animals.
Exactly! That’s what I’ve been arguing elsewhere too. It’s not humane. If it WAS humane… well, then I could probably accept it. It would sadden me, but I wouldn’t fight so hard to end slaughter… just maybe inappropriate breeding practices. Why supply them for meat if you don’t have to?
It’s like Cathy said.
I totally get that slaughter for animals is often part of life. I’ve put animals to sleep many times, and I’ve taken animals to slaughter. The difference is that I took them to a local butcher shop, which killed them RIGHT THERE, hours/minutes after I dropped them off, fed, watered, and more or less not too stressed.
When we ship horses cross country, think of all the questions we have and need to answer. Where will we stop to rest their legs? Where will we water them? How much hay do we take for the trip? Are they going to need a little dash of something to keep them calm? Have we left enough time between the haul and whatever we need them for there to recover from the trip?
Horses off to slaughter don’t get treated like that. It’s more than a double decker trailer. That’s just a symptom of the problem. The issue is that horses bound for slaughter get treated like pigs or cattle, and frankly, pigs and cattle don’t even get treated like they should. Slaughter has become big bucks, and animals aren’t just a source of income– they are a numbered commodity.
That’s probably fine for the large portion of people who don’t believe that animals have souls or feelings. For those of us who think their comfort does matter, we just can’t stomach knowing how slaughter animals are treated. It’s how we are.
Shrugs~
“It’s crazy people/rescues that prolong the inevitable.”
Wrong.
The reason rescues exist is because uneducated and/or irresponsible horse owners have created a surplus of unwanted fugly horses.
Stop creating the surplus of unwanted fugly horses and this solves the problem.
Very simple.
http://www.washingtonhobbyfarm.com
Supply needs to be = Demand.
If supply is < Demand, even better – prices go up and animals are more valued and live better lives.
It’s not brain surgery or quantum physics! I SUCK at math and can understand these concepts.
Almost OT, but indirectly relevant:
http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/grd/1777347551.html
Free to good home. 17 year old gelding. Would make good comapnion horse. Must be kept in own paddock. Light riding ok. this is not a trail horse. Call 303-598-1299 Melody
Husband says hes going to shoot him by Wednesday
so, obviously the owner doesn’t care if he goes to slaughter. Currently I can’t rescue any.
But do you think it’s legal to threaten to shoot him? Is there someone this could be reported to? Melody posted her phone number, so I wonder what kind of calls she’s expecting.
He’s a “companion horse” who “must be kept in his own paddock.”
lol Ya I caught that right away to. He’s a companion but needs to be kept away in his own space. ???? WTF
“Husband says hes going to shoot him by Wednesday”
Geez, what a jack*ss.
http://www.washingtonhobbyfarm.com
Because the U.S. Equestrian Federation and the Humane Society of the United States are crazy, radical orginazations “eyes roll”.
Oh, Wyoming is such a beautiful state. They should vote her out of the state. She can go down and work in the slaughterhouses since she seems to think they are a good idea.
I see she also has Bob Barker on her list, which I am happy to say didn’t stop him from donating FIVE MILLION dollars to help stop the whale slaughter.
How sad that an elected offical would go to such extremes to get votes, or attention or whatever she is trying to do. Wouldn’t it be fun to run against her and do a commercial with her and pictures of horse slaughter…..slam that all over TV, see what the caring souls of her state think then.
And Bob has been such a great proponent of spay/neuter. There is no telling how many lives were saved because he always plugged it on The Price is Right – sending a responsible animal ownership message to millions of people for years and years.
No problem with bad fencing here…they don’t have any. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Q9Wp_CSLI
Of course she has to post a list of people to boycott (dear or alive) there is no comparable list of supporters!
This is brilliant. http://rtfitch.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/wyoming-rep-slaughterhouse-sue-wallis-building-a-horse-slaughter-plant/
Watch the video.
She is not a smart woman
After reading this I looked up the United Organizations of the Horse and found their blog. One of the comments on the blog reccomeded building a slaughter plant in Haiti. I read over it three times, and I think the commenter was serious. Which makes me think that, YES, all of these people must be crazy. How in the world is that a good idea? Did the commenter not think at all before they wrote that? Haiti???
To read her list of “bad guys”, I can just imagine who she thinks are the “good guys”. I can just see her list now…
1.) Jane Doe – cat kicker. 2.) John Smith – dog starver. 3.) Mary Jones – drives her horse nuts playing the “seven games”.
Don’t forget Doug Sphincter horse lover…name pretty much says it all
ROFL too. I have an app from Seafood Watch to help me remember what fish I shouldn’t eat. Maybe Slaughterhouse Sue could put this on an app, as there are too many people for me to remember who I shouldn’t watch, vote for, listen to, view, support or not support. I’m confused. Help me Sue!!
I never could understand how anyone can hate all animals of any sort and why they make it their business to try to harm animals. I mean, if you don’t like animals, fine, just don’t make them a pert of your life. Live and let live. I don’t like babies and I choose not to have one of my own, but I’m not going out of my way to make sure that all babies suffer and announcing that anyone who likes babies is a whackjob. As far as the “animal rights/PETA people are fringe lunatics who don’t want people to have any contact with animals” view, I am a walking example that this is not true. I don’t eat meat, I don’t kill animals for fun, and I don’t support backyard breeding, rodeo, circuses, or animal testing. I do, however, have pets and I do make my living training horses. We PETA people are involved in animal rights because we enjoy and love animals and we don’t want to see them suffer or be treated irresponsibly.
One answer for you: Money.
Julie Goodnight is pro slaughter – says slaughter helps establish a baseline dollar value for horses. We gots plenty folks local to here who quote her and agree including a Krazy Kolor Breeder of anything crossed with anything as long as it’s gaited and KolorFull and that Krazy Kolor BYB is the head of the state horsemen’s lobbying group trying to bring back horse slaughter to this state.
Note the Aginfo people mentioned above support Conklin Dairy – remember the dairy cow cruelty case posted here.
Government wackos decided according to local newspaper in 2001 that “everyone with a zip code in this geographic area was automatically on the Homeland Security watchlist” because supposedly so many EFA, ELF and various other anarchists, revivalists, recidivists, revolutionaries and recalcitrant minorities reside here.
Don’ wanna say where cuz don’ wanna be on anyone’s list. Except maybe for Sue’s – that would be an honor!
What IS that baseline dollar value, given that they’re going to the kill buyer these days for ten bucks?
Real effective.
“slaughter helps establish a baseline dollar value for horses. ”
Ah, the joys of the English language. Slaughter helps to establish a HIGHER baseline dollar value for horses per pound.
If you want to quote a fact, Julie, be sure you quote it correctly. All slaughter does is make it easier for people to dump horses that would otherwise be worthless onto a market– any market.
Horses have a baseline value. It’s just lower than it would be if they were valued per pound. Ask any Hereford breeder in the U.S. They make their best money from their blooded, breedable, showable stock. In other words, they may be producing a meat animal, but the ones making real money are the ones producing a top of the line high quality animal. Yes, for livestock breeders, it’s nice that they have a ‘fallback’. Their culls can be sold for meat.
However, a high dollar horse is going to sell for more than a high dollar cow. So given that fact, I suggest people like Julie suck it up, and take their losses when they produce a ‘failed’ product.
A well broke, well bred horse is going to sell for a ‘baseline’ of 2k or more. If you can’t sell your horses for that, then you need to quit making whatever you are making. Go build dog houses for a living, or something. Heck, at 80 cents a pound, whoever raised that animal to 2 years of age is STILL losing money. Unless they are on a government subsidized farm……?
Hmm…………… Suppose there is a way to trace exactly how our tax dollars for government subsidies are ending up in the slaughter horse industry? Talk about a real can of worms…..
I want to thank you for one of the best, logical, succinct summations of the counter debate to the trolls that continue to parrot the shit that is the ridiculous “baseline” argument for horse slaughter. There argument also fails to EVER acknowledge that these animals are not raised as meat livestock (drugs, tracking, etc) and then by virtue of their need to be disposed of, become same. Hypocrites and essentially liars. I’d throw in a ton of dumb too because as you correctly note good and accomplished always will make some money; broken, burned up, kolor krap and irresponsible is stuck with it, yet they want those few bucks for slaughter instread of paying for euth because they don’t breed, train or plan for off-peak sales/demand markets, to include horsemeat.
What they ultimately fail to realize is that the horsemeat demand market is dwindling in those usual markets, emerging markets are doing their own thing, the economy is driving the excelleration of abandonment and neglect of the existing horse population (and other animals for that matter) and those dumped equines are driving the price per pound down. In fact, some of the most sleezy and notorious KBs are contacting rescues first because they play the emotion card and get more for them than the SHs.
To the readers here:
Yep…SS and Doinkette are idiots that unfortunately own animals. The bigger player in this is the likes of Monsanto, Cargil, ADM, etc. They are the layered, covert money folks that feed the abuse trolls because they love the current system. Problem is they hide very well. They contribute to campaigns prolificaly AND regularly. Corporate farming has some pluses, but for the most part they are some of the worst users and abusers of our resources and consumers with a ton of help from DOI, USDA and FDA. In fact, take a look at our meat livestock industry/system. It will make you do home/local grown, organic, free range in an educated heart beat. Cities and Mickey D’s won’t like it, but change is so on the horizon. Not vegan necessarily, but smart livestock management is coming. Besides….anyone know how much of our meat is exported? I do. It’s stunning (no pun intended) as much of it is for export, not domestic. Go check out the numbers at US Meat Export Federation.
Well, thanks for clearing that up. Then it’s no surprise Goodnight’s a feature on Really Fucking Dumb TV. They’ll pimp anyone; eighteen to eighty, blind, crippled, or crazy, so long as they’re “folksy”.
Training with electricity, a fan of horse-killing, and can take credit for the ugliest trainer-endorsed, trainer-designed, saddle Circle Y ever put out. What a legacy as a trainer.
Fail.
I just found this post today about Julie Goodnight. I was surprised to see her on RFDTV a few weeks ago. I had a personal experience with her some years ago and I , well, I’m no fan. We lent her a nice little gelding for a demo, and gave her ample opportunity to ride the horse before her public appearance. She refused, saying she could make any horse look good and that wouldn’t be necessary. OK … we tried. Well, she ended up looking like an ass and in her attempt to explain to the audience what happened, she made herself look even worse. You see, everyone else in the free world trains their horses wrong and her way is the only correct way. Wow. What a revelation, huh?
There certainly *are* animal rights extremists out there, and some of them are very frightening. Most of the frightening ones are in PETA, but some of the HSUS people are pretty bad too.
On the other hand, I have a friend who is in PETA, and he’s perfectly sane. I wish he would grasp that being in PETA is going to get him lumped in with the sea kitten nutjobs, but he doesn’t see it :/.
Personally, I refuse to support either PETA or HSUS…if I’m going to give money to animals, it will go to a local rescue I can check out and know is doing what *I* feel is right by animals.
Part of the problem, I think, is that the extremists have become SO loud and vocal lately that people who actually support animal welfare get lumped in with them. Kinda like lumping all Christians with Pat Robertson or the Westboro Baptist Church or saying all Muslims are terrorists.
HSUS does some good work, but PETA, as far as I can tell, does nothing but advocate for stupid laws.
In a letter to the ‘United Organizations of the Horse’ board members:
To the Founding Leadership Team of the UOH:
I recently was directed to your organisation’s “Boycott List†posted on the UOH website.
While the rest of the website predictably parrots the same, outrageously flawed ‘pro-horse-slaughter’ arguments that have been repeated to the point of ad-nauseum, the ‘boycott list’ is a refreshing addition that not only serves as badly needed comic relief, but reveals a fascinating level of absurdity as well.
If there was anybody who ever suspected the likes of Betty White or James Cromwell as being menacing subversives, your “Hall of Shame†boycott list effectively removes any doubt. Clearly, these are dangerous people who should by all means be ‘boycotted’ and we as Americans can all be thankful to the “United Organizations of the Horse†for exposing these traitorous radicals.
How appropriate that this work of genius can be attributed to Ms Wallis and her followers. But considering the illustrious members of the UOH “Founding Leadership Teamâ€, one would not expect anything less…
Still laughing,
Yours truly –
Kathleen Gregory
balesema@aol.com
Slaughterhouse Sue gets wackier and wackier the more I read about her. Living proof of my theory that there are none so stupid as those who will not think. In Sue’s case, it seems to be a belligerent and adamant refusal to think. The only good thing to come out of her rantings is that I now have a list of people to support.
Holy crap! What a nutjob!
Meanwhile, here in Florida….
I took a bull and cow to a livestock auction and actually received the highest prices of the day for them. To be clear, this was not a horse auction!! I also need to mention that this took place in OCALA, FLORIDA, the winter show horse mecca of the world. Now, where do you think people would take the horses they want to “disappear”? To the horse auction? NOOOOO!! Dump them at the livestock auction during a goat and hog sale. Here is my report:
1) An older gray gelding with a BSC of 1 1/2 or 2, at the most. The auctioneer started the bidding at $10 and he sold for $15 but only after the auctioneer confirmed, jokingly, that the horse’s halter and lead rope were included and after he complained because someone had paid $70 for three legged billy goat earlier (which was true!!!).
2) Middle aged bay TB gelding missing an eye. Otherwise in good flesh. Sold for $27.
3) Pretty bay gelding, stock horse type, quiet looking. Sold for $50.
According to everyone’s comments, these prices are not unusual. As I was checking out and getting my check, the ladies in the office kept shaking their heads at the price of the horses and talking about how common it was to see them that low. Very, very sad. I could not tell who actually bought the horses. I have a guess though.
This is exactly what happened when the otherwise respectable and prosperous breeder – which is still in business – wanted to ‘disappear’ two 3-year-old Arabian mares that didn’t fit into their breeding program. At that time in SoCal these girls would have brought some nice money, but instead they were sold at a livestock auction, by the pound. Lucky day for them and for me, an AHRN supporter happened to wander in just by chance. Ten years later Lexie (barn name – I did get her papers) is fat, happy, healthy, deservedly full of herself, and the love of everybody at the barn for her cuteness, beauty, charm and personality, as well as her total willingness to learn to do anything novel.
That’s pretty much the fate of the truly down-and-out horses at the Davenport Washington auction. Horses on their last leg are dumped during the cattle auctions. Nobody is there for them.
There’s a supply of unwanted horses for the KB’s so deep and long, most people will never know. Multiply an auction like this thousands of times (in small podunk US towns) and it boggles the mind.
Wait…
What?! O_o’ I’m actually pretty impressed with the fact this lady just raised the bar on my “bat-shit insane” meter.
I see that a Quarter Horse breeding facility in our own Pacific NW is advertising on the UOH horse killers site:
Rhodes River Ranch. Please politely inquire of the owner, Jean Rhodes, as to how and why slaughter would be an acceptable end for her horses:
Jean@rhodesriverranch.com
By the way, Ponykins, I betcha Sue Wallis is looking for a menage’ a trois with Samantha Milbredt and her cat killer/prisoner boyfriend.
Ask around some of the reining barns, and you’ll find out a little bit about RRR. Let’s just say: money doesn’t equal smarts, and sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. If it was a movie, it would be Brewster’s Millions meets Flicka meets Ramtha.
Cathy – this is off topic, but does have to do with a rescue that’s been sliding downhill for quite a while. Serenity Equine Rescue. I’m known there, and can’t go poke around, but I was hoping maybe you could get some information. See these two Twitpics:
This of three yearling geldings(?) in “donated shavings”: http://twitpic.com/1tlm1e
And this of the middle yearling: http://twitpic.com/1tn423
Note the date on the left – June 2009. I was a volunteer at Serenity at that time, and there was only one foal that fits that picture, an oops colt out of Zoe, sired by Eskont(?). Both Arabs owned by Patricia Clark.
Now, here’s the part that interests me. I’ve been following their Twitter page, and am fascinated by these two Tweets:
The first: @CallingDogs I think you’re referring to Faheed – http://twitpic.com/1tn423 – wanna come out & meet him?
The second: @CallingDogs I believe we rescued his mom when she was preggers – she’s been adopted & he’s available now. And he *IS* sweet, a real love!
I’m guessing that “CallingDogs” asked about Faheed. The descriptions strikes me as walking the fine line of fraud. It definitely does from an ethics standpoint, but I’m not sure if it would meet the legal definition of such, but would like to know more before I got to the state Attorney General.
Do you or does anyone here have any more information about this? Thanks!
Oh plenty of people have a lot of information about it. You should look for the previous thread on Sweet Year and read the comments.
Patricia seems FAR more interested in sending out legal threat letters and dragging people into court on trumped-up harrassment charges than, you know, actually managing her rescue properly so that these incidents wouldn’t happen in the first place. Typical.
Oh, and BTW, apparently that was HER fugly Friesian colt behind the barbed wire in the other day’s blog! Yep! She had NO IDEA he had been re-leased without her consent, though. Boy what a clusterfuck. It’s 2 AM, do you know where your stallion is? I have yet to actually lose track of the physical location of mine!
So that was Dante. Poor guy. He needs gelding, training and lots of love. I caught some of the stuff about Sweet Year. I was hoping someone could say for sure if that black yearling is Zoe’s baby, and if Patricia is actually telling people that his mom was a rescue, has “adopted” Zoe out, etc… And, yes, Patricia would do something like tell one person that “his mom was a rescue”, and then in another breath tell them that he was out of her mare Zoe.
Friend of mine lost a horse this Saturday. The vet blamed either West Nile or Eastern Equine Encephalitis. The horse “went blind, wouldn’t eat, could hardly drink due to not hardly being able to work his mouth, he had a fever and was real sweaty, he didn’t really know what was going on around him. (…)he was yellow in the whites of his eyes and his gums. His liver enzymes and bilirubin were elevated. We have heard of 2 other horses with the same some of the same symptoms passing on around the same time Wall-E did so this could be the start of an outbreak.” Needless to say, now is a good time to catch up on WNV vaccinations, especially if you’re anywhere near Ozark or Clarksville, Arkansas.
Ashamed to say I used to live in WY now.
OT, but ain’t this jest the mostest Keeooootieest lil thang ya evur did see? http://www.horsechannel.com/blog/viewbio.aspx?apid=180161
from Webster:
ex·trem·ism:
 –noun
a tendency or disposition to go to extremes or an instance of going to extremes, esp. in political matters: leftist extremism; the extremism of the Nazis.
ex·trem·ist:
n. One who advocates or resorts to measures beyond the norm, especially in politics.
Somehow, I just can’t see Betty White in the same group as the Nazis. Maybe it’s just me…
Oh pls, the slaughter houses are a necessary evil. We all know it. If you dont want them, than by all means, you take all the unwanted horses and use your own money to feed and care for them. Quit whinning, begging for money. Put YOUR money where your mouth is. Good lord, do a reality check.
Saying that if you’re anti-slaughter, you should be responsible for ALL of the unwanted horses is ludicrous. You should be responsible for what YOU own and what YOU bred. That’s it.
I do put MY money where my mouth is. MY horses get euthanized if they have major soundness issues or are so ancient they can’t stay upright.