So we decided to offer our two cents to the investigating reporter.  Last night we sent the following email to Drew Blair.

Dear Ms. Blair,

One of our readers forwarded us a link to your article (http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/neighbor-concerned-over-horses-care-dbl).  Now, I don’t know if anyone has already contacted you about “cribbing” in horses and the erroneous statements made by Ms. Vanover but in case no one has, here are a few facts about horses.

-Cribbing is a behavior associated with boredom (she was correct there), but it is almost exclusively seen in stabled horses.  Horses with grass to eat will not engage in this behavior. 

-I have never, in over 15 years of experience, seen a horse crib on a tree, branch or side of a building.  In fact, I think it may be impossible – here’s a description of cribbing from horse-cribbing.com “Typically when a horse cribs, he sets his upper teeth on an object (usually about chest level), presses down, opens his mouth, arches his neck, and pulls back” while sucking in air (hence why cribbing is also called “wind sucking”).  In fact, if nothing else, it is easier for a horse to crib from a horizontal fence (as seen behind Ms. Vanover – which showed no evidence of cribbing) than a tree, branch or building.  Certainly a horse could chew the trees and the side of the building but they would only do this if grass was not available (as in if they were in a sand enclosure rather than a field) or they’re trying to prevent starvation.

-The trees and branches in your video were stripped of bark – that is not indicative of cribbing – there should have been a groove/indentation for the horse to get a foothold (for lack of a better word) with their teeth, allowing them to pull back and suck in more air.

-If the horses had sufficient food in their field, they wouldn’t be leaning so hard on a fence as to almost collapse it, just to get at a few blades of grass.  If horses have adequate food, they are not concerned with whether or not the “grass is greener on the other side”

Grass alone is not enough to keep a horse at a healthy weight, especially in the winter – and especially if there are too many horses on too small a piece of land (there are other factors to consider, but aren’t strictly relevant here).

I don’t know if you’re familiar with the rescue efforts that recently occurred on a farm in Many, La. – that was a hell of a lot worse than this case but these horses were starving and fed from trees.  Some of them suffered from impaction colic due to the in-digestibility of the bark they ate from trees. 

I don’t know what Ms. Vanover’s education or experience with horses is, but it is clear that she does not have their best interests at heart.  Hopefully this helps clear up her statements. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

COME ON! For once abuse is being reported before the horses reach a Henneke body scale of 1 and they’re going to do nothing?!

Ok, ok, mini outburst done.  We understand that if an animal control officer shows up and the horses have proper food and water there’s probably nothing they can do.  But show a little compassion – or at least pretend to while being video taped – and promise to come back and check up on them.  Otherwise, the next time you hear about these horses (in a few months time) they will be in “grave danger”, or in the grave itself.

First the facts:  On January 6, 2012 approx. 60 horses were seized from O’l Home Place in Many, Louisiana.  Not all of those are still alive and certainly none of them are well.  According to one article, rescuers have so far found the bodies of 25 dead horses on the farm.  The owner of the horses, Charles Ford, was arrested but is already out on bail.

Donna Keen, who took part in the rescue efforts, wrote this account of conditions on her blog:

On January 7th and 8th 2012 Remember Me Racehorse Rescue and the Louisiana Horse Rescue assisted the Sabine Humane Society in conducting a 60 horse seizure at a thoroughbred breeding and training farm in Many, Louisiana. There were originally reported to be about 120 horses on the property but by the time the case was built and the seizure was conducted half of them were either missing or deceased.

Not only were the horses at Charles Ford’s farm in horrid condition there was a large dog kennel full of hungry barking dogs with deceased dogs only feet away. There were also pigs and goats on the property that looked like staggering skeletons.

As this is an ongoing rescue effort, there really aren’t that many facts to report on.  Of the articles we were able to find, they each quoted slightly different numbers.  What is clear is that this was supposed to be professional Thoroughbred breeding and training farm.

O’l Home Farm LLC (Suzanne Ford listed as the owner) was still running horses at Louisiana Downs as recently as this past September.  William R. Young is listed as the trainer in the track’s racing form.  According to Remember Me Horse Rescue Mr. Young was on the property during rescue efforts and was commenting on the condition of some of the horses. In his eyes, the following emaciated grey mare was “not too bad” and  he “laughed when she was being difficult to catch stating she couldn’t be too bad if she could still get away from” the woman trying to catch her.

Grey Mare  (You’ll have to click; it’s refusing to embed.  Grrrr.)

Apparently the trainer also told volunteers that “the owner will try and retain ownership of some of these horses.  The Humane Society representative did tell us that this was his understanding and that in the end the Judge would make the final decision.”  Unfortunately, and here’s where the law sucks, according to this article, Ford “has 15 days to post bond on all animals he wants to retain.”  That bond is set at $1,500 per horse.  Although if he’s hoping to claim multiple horses, than at least that amount is slightly more substantial than what bail was set at for Ford himself.

After all, you might be asking yourself, as we certainly were, how did this monster make bail when he can’t even afford to feed his goddamned horses?  Naturally, we had assumed that since the DA is charging for each horse that bail would somehow reflect the number of charges.  Nope.  It was just $2,500.  That’s it.  The bastard wouldn’t shell out for edible hay, but bail he managed in a heartbeat!  Of course, $2500 doesn’t go far when you’re talking about this many horses, especially in their current condition.  According to the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association it’s going to cost around $450/day to maintain the remaining herd.  That bail is worth just over 5 days to these horses.

From a TB Champions forum: “Louisiana Horse Rescue Association recently posted this list of dead/alive broodmares, given to them by Charles Ford, owner of the farm. Obviously, many yet remain to be verified. I’d heard that previous owners of Crossed Wire were actually going to go to Sabine Parish, LA, hoping to find her alive and to take her into their care. Unfortunately, it appears that that will not be possible.

ALIVE:
Auto B A Pro
Beautiful Lyrics
Beep Beep
Brassie Road
Bunny Cat
Cayla’s Playmate (euthanized during rescue))
Da Vinna
Dance Recital
Daring Tru (found dead horse with this collar)
Dillydalydeed
Fabulous Gamble
Formal Blossom
Galorious
I Dream of Jeanie D
Jewelry Talks
Le Big Time (claims to have given away)
Maggie’s Missy
Monita’s High Stepper (claims to have given away)
Moonlight Mango
Nassau Bound
Radcliff (claims to have given away)
Salty Cowgirl
Sattidy’s Girl
Sheikra
Tactical Vixen

DEAD:
Algebra
Ambitt’s Bullet
Anti Versay
Avie’s Trick
Bemybabytonite
Beyers Fortune
Call Me Eppi
Claudcat
Crossed Wire
Flattermeforever
George Sand
Great Aunt Alice
I Had To Laugh
Invalidate
Lady Di’s Kipper
Lissanisky
Miss Salty Gift
Notice
Ohnoitsmotherinlaw
O’Nora
Party Dreams
Pewter Power
Ralina
Samuri Dancer
Smokin Bonnie
Tiff’s Problem
Winterland”

In case you’re wondering, that’s 27 dead mares that the owner himself admits to.  What possible defense can he come up with?  Money issues aren’t going to cut it, especially considering the farm was still breeding and racing horses within the past year!

There are two things in particular that we find especially disturbing about this case.

The first is the incredible disparity in condition of the horses at this farm.  While the broodmares and the babies were being left to fend for themselves (and dying off as a consequence), the “training” horses were stalled and in relatively good condition.  How can someone knowledgeable enough to get horses in race shape just look on as others starve to death?  Which brings us to the second thing – these guys were supposed to be pros.  As much as we get after the backyard breeders and the irresponsible ammies, it pisses us off that much more when people fuck up at this level.  They’re bloody well supposed to know better.

And just in case you weren’t depressed enough, here’s another abuse story from the southern US.  In this case 16 horses and 2 donkeys were recently seized from a Missouri farm.  According to a neighbor, he’s been complaining about the place for four years and 42 horses had died on the property in that time period.

———-

I fully support horse slaughter.

Horses are livestock. They are marvelous, wonderful animals, but they don’t shit rainbows and they don’t fart butterflies. They are animals.

The first thing I’m going to address is the ridiculous notion that it’s “okay” to slaughter other livestock, ie. cattle, chickens, pigs, goats, but for some reason, it’s NOT OKAY to slaughter horses.

Anyone care to explain this to me?

I’m sorry, but anyone who eats meat but is against horse slaughter is a hypocrite. Slaughter is slaughter, no matter WHAT animal is being killed. You can’t raise one form of life above others. They are all living creatures. If you’re okay eating your cheeseburger or fried chicken, then by all rights you should be okay with horse slaughter.

I’m not saying anyone should be forced to eat horse, of course. I don’t eat fish. Does that mean I’m against commercial fishing or fish raising? Hell no. Eat that fish up! I just don’t like the taste of fish. But I’ll tell you one thing. I do like the taste of horse.

Whoops, was that a Facebook “defriend” I just heard going off?

Then we get the people who stare at your with their jaws hanging like dopes, then manage to stutter out something ridiculous. For example, I had one jackanape tell me that *I* was a hypocrite if I wouldn’t eat *my* horses.

Bullshit.

I keep goats. I love my goats. I am the Goat Whisperer. I prefer not to eat my pet goats. I didn’t eat my pet chickens. I wouldn’t eat my pet horses.

But I sure as heck raised some meat goats, meat chickens for myself, butchered, and ate them. They were delicious. And if I had the room and set up? Sure I’d raise up a foal to eat. Yup, you heard that right.

Meat = meat.

[Quick note: these were originally 2 posts but we've condensed them down to one to reduce the length]

If there’s one thing in the horse world that puzzles me like no other, it’s halter horses.

Huge, overfed, overmuscled horses on tiny little feet, paraded around an arena and judged.

Do you know what halter horses actually are, but no one wants to ADMIT?

Meat.

I look at these halter horses, and I’m talking about halter horses that are good for nothing but showing off with their tiny hooves and posty legs. (There are good balanced halter horses out there who go on to have successful careers being ridden.) You know what I see? I see an animal bred for fast growth, heavy muscling, stocky body. To grow up and EAT.

Good for nothing else except a dinner plate. And yet, hypocrisy of all hypocrisy, the people breeding these freakish looking horses would clutch their chests in horror at the very thought. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that’s where a good many of them end up anyways. Don’t win enough ribbons at the end of a lead rope? Where else is it going to go? You can’t ride them. Very few people have the room or money for a fat pasture puff.

Off to auction they go, and then on a truck to Mexico.

Look halter horse people. Stop screwing around and admit what these horses are for. Open the slaughter houses back up in the United States and start eating horse meat. Then you’ll really see your market boom!

Got a nice stallion that puts out fast growing fat little babies? Just think of all the money you could make in stud fees!

Halter horses. Delicious.

Thanks to Kristina for submitting the above guest post, you can check out her blog at http://www.knsfarm.blogspot.com/

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Versus another guest post, very anti-slaughter (and pro-vegan!)

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What I’ve written might anger you but read my post in its entirety because this comes from a place of truth and compassion for all sentient beings.   First of all, since you’re on this site I’m sure you consider yourself an animal lover, maybe even an animal activist.  But you’re probably not and instead you’re probably a hypocrite.   And what makes you a hypocrite is while you treat your horses and household pets humanely you support an industry which crams animals into cages for their entire lives and pays factory workers to slaughter and abuse what our society deems as food.  And what makes this such an atrocity is that our diet has no need for animal protein but instead we are healthier by not eating animals and this is a proven fact.  This includes meat, dairy and eggs.  Now if you’re a reader and your vegan, then I applaud you!  But if you’re not and you consider yourself a lover of animals then you really need to dig deep and think about the choices you make.  If you know the truth that our diet doesn’t require any animal products and you continue to eat animals from here on out then you’re doing it for selfish reasons, which is what we’re all here fighting against in the first place. 

You might be thinking that horses, dogs and cats are different then cattle, chicken, fish, etc.  But are they?  All sentient beings have hearts that pump blood and oxygen like ours; they all eat, breathe, defecate and procreate.  What makes you think that while all of their organs function as ours do, that their brain doesn’t?  They all feel pain as we do, they value their lives and freedom like we do, they express love for their offspring like we do.  What makes us so different and what gives us the right to oppress them?  No animal should suffer and die for my food because I have no necessity to eat them.  Today slavery of humans is looked at as horrible but do you think that back then many of the slave owners looked at those slaves as equals?  Do you think that today we have the same problem with animals? The truth is that while we protect our horses and household pets we are speciesists.   We discriminate between species and treat some like kings while we torture and kill others.  Unless we wake up and realize this we are still contributing to the problem.  Our society should protect the weakest and most vulnerable but while we call ourselves animal lovers we are not.  This isn’t just about eating animals and abusing animals; it is how we see the animals.  Are they property?  Because if they are property then as their owner we have the right to treat them as we wish and people will always abuse them.  But I know that all of you feel differently, so if they aren’t property what are they? And if we want people to treat horses, dogs and cats as property then what right do we have to treat other animals as property  Until “animal lovers” start to see animals as individuals we can’t get anywhere.  Animals are not our property and that is the bottom line.  

So what does this have to do with the Fugly blog?  This way of looking at all animals expands into what we make our horses do and how we treat them.  At the root of looking for fair treatment of horses is the foundation of compassion for all living beings and unless we address this problem at our core we won’t make change.  I also think that as long as we as humans live selfishly without regard for the consequences of our actions then there will always be abuse.  We can’t fight for the well-being of the animals we love unless we fight for the well-being of all.  This means compassion from everything from our own horses, to livestock to children that aren’t ours. 

Do you really think we could find an end to horse slaughter if we ourselves still support the slaughter of other animals?  Because if we show compassion only toward certain species how can we hold others accountable for not showing compassion towards the species we prefer?

————

Arabian Professional and Amateur Horsemen’s Association Issues Illogical Pro-Slaughter Missive

Those of you who know me from other sites or in real life (and I assume that’s anyone reading this blog, since I don’t promote it outside my other online profiles) know that I own a Thoroughbred gelding and an Arabian mare, both rescued from slaughter, and that they’re one reason I call myself a cowgirl.

I define “cowboy” or “cowgirl” pretty narrowly: A person who lives a lifestyle that includes owning and/or enjoying horses; appreciating wide open spaces; supporting an independent, traditionally “western” lifestyle; and believing in the humane treatment of animals, including those used for food, work, and other purposes. I proudly wear my “cowgirl” label because, to many of those who share my passions and beliefs, it conveys a great deal. It’s also my way of showing respect to the men and women in the equestrian community who have mentored and influenced me throughout my lifetime.

I’ve met some wonderful people who support equine slaughter. I’ve heard some rational arguments in favor, from people I gladly count as fellow cowgirls or as cowboys.

The Arabian Professional and Amateur Horsemen’s Association does not, apparently, employ any real cowgirls/boys in its policy or PR departments. Instead of iterating any reasonable arguments in favor of slaughter, they recently put out an email release giving some of the worst reasons for equine slaughter I’ve heard. The quoted portions are from their email, as posted here. The other bits are my comments.

Dear Friends,
The Arabian Professional and Amateur Horsemen’s Association voted, with unanimous approval, to thank the AHA Board for continuing your support for the re-opening of the equine terminal marketplace, and to join with the AHA in support of the reinstatement of equine processing in the United States.

Weasel words like “equine terminal marketplace” reek of doublespeak.

While we appreciate that this subject can be a sensitive one to those who are not intimately involved in the horse industry,

I’m the owner of an AHA registered Arabian horse, who is the third such animal I’ve owned. I’ve been riding since my eighth birthday. I spent eight years volunteering at least twice a week for a horse rescue, including a little more than two years on its Board of Directors. I worked for five years for various equestrian businesses, and my dollars support a boarding stable, trainers, registries, farriers, and equestrian supply companies. I’d say I’m intimately involved, and yet, equine slaughter is a touchy subject for me.

there is no question that it is an integral component for the continuation of the horse’s survival into the 21st century, as well as to any and all breed associations.

If one asserts that there is “no question” that something is true, the statement being so staunchly supported should be connected to a source. I have personally found that my horses, who live in the 21st century, are most apt to survive when they are not killed and eaten.

The simple fact of the matter is that for the horse to continue to survive and contribute to mankind, as it has done for the last 5000 years, the equine terminal marketplace must be reestablished in the United States. Equine slaughter for rendering and consumption is a necessity in the equine livestock industry, in order to allow horses at the bottom of the pyramid a humane, dignified, and contributing end. The bold words are the important points of this referendum, not the emotionally exploited ones of slaughter, rendering, or human consumption. Without a terminal marketplace, horses today are left trying to survive, for the first time ever, after their usefulness as a work-mate to man has passed. Regardless of whether you like the idea of equine slaughter, the vast, documented increase in equine suffering throughout the US since the close of the slaughter houses should be enough in and of itself for all people who truly care about horses to stand up and demand that those of us who have invested our lives in horses be the ones responsible for making the decisions about the marketplace that surrounds them.

Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence. A short list of unsourced claims from APAHA in this paragraph:

• Slaughter is “necessary” for equine survival. What studies suggest that Equus ferus callus will become extinct if it is not slaughtered for human consumption?
• Horses sent to slaughter are at the “bottom of the pyramid.” What pyramid? By whose definition?
• Slaughter is “humane” and “dignified.” Concerns about the lack of a humane slaughter process for equines are central to arguments against equine slaughter, and cannot be pithily dismissed simply because an industry association declares slaughter “humane.”
• Horses have never survived past their usefulness to man in the past. Please provide me with citations that invalidate the eight years I spent caring for rescued horses who, by and large, were not especially useful to mankind.
• “Vast, documented increase in equine suffering” — again, source? Studies? Numbers? Definition of the subjective “suffering?”

Some people were affronted when the AHA stepped up last year to support the reopening of the equine processing plants. We contend that as breeders and current caretakers of the world’s oldest breed of horse, we have an obligation to our Arabian horses to support the reopening as well. It affects breeders and the breed in a singularly unassailable way; simply, that the free and low price market for the “pet quality” horses, if you will, is simply no longer available. The bottom tier of every breed and breeder’s marketplace, that for family riding horses, has been eaten up by the “rehoming” of over 300,000 horses since 2007, many of whom have huge medical issues, training issues, psychological issues, and on and on. Often, the people who take on these horses are novice horse lovers whose heart-strings have been played by emotional, fact-less advertising paid for by lobbying groups that never invest in shelters and rehoming at all. Once saddled with an adopted horse that by contract cannot be sold or bred, these horse lovers find the difficulty of dealing with the myriad of issues draining financially and mentally. Needless to say, these experiences are not good at building repeat, long-term business for the horse industry.

I’ve made my point about this email’s use of the logical fallacy “appeal to authority” as a substitute for scholarly citations, so I won’t go through this paragraph and point out the same. However, it’s important to note the registry’s condescending tone toward “novice” horse lovers whose “heart-strings” motivate them to care for horses. If you were a first-time horse owner reading this paragraph, would you describe the Arabian Professional and Amateur Horsemen’s Association as welcoming to novices?

We spoke recently with four different breed associations in order to research registrations since the ban, and discovered that every one is down by over one third in new registrations from 2006 to 2010. Quarter Horse registrations dropped from 150,000 in 2006 to less than 90,000 last year. Paints fell from 39,357 in 2006 to 17,835 in 2010. The Morgan Horse Association registered 3461 horses in 2006, with only 1835 in 2010. We are all aware of our own registration decline, from 10,311 in 2006 to 6660 in 2010. All these breeds weathered a similar economic downturn in the ‘80′s without this kind of drop in registrations, and rebounded accordingly, the difference being that when economically strapped owners could no longer afford feed for their horses, they had a way to reduce numbers until the economy changed, after which their breeding business could rebound.

Here’s the only fully transparent part of this message. Forget “humane” and “dignified.” The problem with a reduction in slaughter, for the AHA and other registries, is that it leads to a drop in registrations. Registries make their money from registrations and from show fees paid only by the owners of registered horses competing in registry-sanctioned events. If the slaughter pipeline contracts, people breed (and register) fewer horses, lacking an easy disposal method for unwanted horses.

But let’s think about that for a moment: APAHA itself points out that an economic downturn in the 1980s did not lead to the same drop in registration. However, they consider only one variable–ease of slaughtering unwanted horses–in comparing the two downturns. After 30 years, a few other things have changed:

• Animal adoption is a much more popular option for pet parents; this has trickled down to the horse world in that many people now seek to give an unwanted animal a home rather than purchasing a registered animal from a breeder.
• It is more expensive to keep a horse. Fewer people can or choose to make that expenditure.
• The AHA has spent 30 years promoting halter competitions that produce pretty horses who are, by and large, of no use for pleasure and performance riding.
• The AHA has developed a reputation for condoning the abuse of horses, particularly in the halter ring.
• The Arabian horse has developed a serious PR problem.
• The APAHA is too busy looking down its nose at soft-hearted first time owners to welcome them into the equestrian world, acknowledge their needs, and envelop them in a warm, supportive Arabian horse community that would inspire them to purchase, register, and exhibit Arabian horses.

By reopening the equine processing plants, we are simply restoring to horse owners and breeders the option that all other livestock breeders and owners have, and that horse owners and breeders had until the last four years. We will still retain the option to care for our horses after their usefulness is done, and we will still retain the option to rescue horses from the terminal marketplace. And people will still have the option to make horse meat available to some of the 25,000 people on earth per day who are dying of starvation, allowing horses a chance to give back and be useful to humans, as they have done for centuries, even after they have passed.

Let’s be real here: Nobody is proposing feeding starving children with horsemeat. If they were, it would be dismaying, since horsemeat from American companion and performance horses is loaded with drugs like “bute” that are labeled “not for use in animals intended for human consumption.” But they’re not. There is no nonprofit organization volunteering to construct and operate an equine slaughterhouse that would exist exclusively to donate horsemeat to the hungry. If our goal is to feed the starving, the grain our horses eat would be a more efficient donation.

Secondly, did anyone bother to ask the horses if they want to “give back” by being killed and eaten? No, we don’t ask that question of cattle or poultry, but nobody is using the desire of steer or hens to “be useful to humans” as an argument in favor of eating them. Mostly, we just argue that they’re pretty delicious.

There are issues to address, certainly, and many different options available to improve the terminal marketplace, among them mobile slaughter units and live web monitoring of plants. As horsemen, breeders, and horse lovers, we are the ones responsible for dealing with these issues, making sure that the terminal marketplace becomes ever more humane, with a quick and dignified passing, without undue stress, and where the horse can go on to be useful to man after his demise, just as he has been for the last 5000 years. This is not a job for politicians, lobbyists and animal rights people to define; it’s a job for us, so that the horse that has brought so much to our lives will survive and evolve to bring much needed help to the people coming after us.
In closing, APAHA would again like to commend the board of AHA for joining horse-industry leaders in the fight to protect the future of the Arabian horse breed and the horse in general.

Sincerely,
The Arabian Professional and Amateur Horsemen’s Association Board of Directors

Oh, there are issues to address, all right, APAHABoD. There are definitely issues.

Let’s start with why you think that my registered Arabian mare would be more useful to an organization promoting the Arabian horse had she been killed and eaten–as she would have been before I had a chance to save her, had her death not been delayed by the necessity of exporting her to Mexico for “processing”– than as a living ambassador for the breed who will, after recovering from her ordeal, have a career either as a performance horse, therapy animal, pet, or breeding animal.

Let’s start with why you think my “heart-strings” make me a novice, because I choose to rescue horses in need rather than buy horses produced by the equine equivalent of puppy mills, the breeders with hundreds of horses who keep you in registration fees while causing immense suffering by flooding a contracted market with a supply for which there is currently little demand.

Perhaps, before you complain about your financial decline and blame it on too few horses being killed and eaten, you should consider how communications like this affect experienced amateur owners as they choose where to show, which horses to purchase, and which organizations to support.

Give the doublespeak a rest and try looking inward for solutions to your decline. If you don’t, your best case scenario is one in which more Arabian horses are slaughtered as registrations continue to drop year after year after year.

PS. I’ll share pictures of my horses in another post sometime soon. Didn’t put them here because they’re cute and fuzzy and obviously nobody wants to kill cute, fuzzy horses. That’s not what this is about. This is about an organization that is supposed to represent Arabian horse owners wasting their time and money spewing logical fallacies and condescension at their own clientele.

PPS. To reiterate: I love my rescued horses, but if you are a horse person who is pro-slaughter, I do not dislike you or consider that opinion invalid. I do, however, hope that you are able to do a better job than the APAHA of making a fact-based argument to support that opinion. Since, you know, most avocados could do a better job of that than the APAHA.

Since reading all the submissions, instead we’re going to throw this one out to the other writers who were hoping to contribute to Fugly. There were a lot of well written articles submitted. From those we’ve chosen two that we feel took an original approach to the topic.

———–

This first piece is by The Naughty Tobiano.

The Black Market Horse Meat Industry—Could Domestic Slaughter STOP this Atrocity?

While the debate of should horses be slaughtered has been a very hot, hot topic since the late 1990s; and it’s heating up even more with Obama’s signing of a bill that would repeal the ban on USDA inspectors essentially making it legal to slaughter horses again the U.S. except for in CA and IL. Both sides are vehemently arguing their points.

The anti-slaughter side argues that slaughtering a horse is inhumane and cruel as horses have souls and feelings; and that they should be considered pets or companion animals—not livestock. They point fingers at the breeding industry, back yard breeders, incentive programs offered by registries, and the money hungry horse dealers who only see $$$$$. They demand more laws, in some cases suggesting restrictions on who gets to own a horse is the answer. Others state a “foal tax” is the answer.

However, many of the horses standing in kill pens waiting to die are in the prime of their life: 8-15 yr olds, born BEFORE the ban on USDA inspectors went into effect. It is this point as well as some of the suffering slaughter bound horses face that have many pro-slaughter advocates suggesting Obama’s signature was a good thing. They argue the horses are suffering in Canadian and Mexican slaughter houses where the method of slaughter is NOT regulated. Evidence suggests horses’ throats are slit and the butchering begins before they are dead. The pro-slaughter side argues they want to lessen the suffering of horses that are presently bound for slaughter by tightly controlling the manner in which horses are treated at the new “equine processing plants” and ensure the slaughter is humane. They further cite how re-opening slaughter will reduce the unwanted horse population and restore the once lucrative economic market that the horse industry brought to all parts of the U.S.

Some people worry about the BLM mustangs. Some people worry about the race horses.

There is another argument that has little to do with the welfare of horses but instead focuses on the human consumption element of horse slaughter.

One anti-slaughter argument points to repeated European bans on U.S. horse meat (http://www.pennsylvaniaequestrian.com/news/EU-ban-1009.php ; http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Quality-Safety/Tainted-US-horse-meat-puts-world-consumers-at-risk-welfare-body ) and state that it is ethically wrong for the U.S. to slaughter horses and export the meat when many American horses have been treated with medicines that clearly state on the label “not intended for use in horses for human consumption”. On the flip side, reports are showing there is little evidence that bute , ivemectrin, pyrantel, and other equine drugs stay in the horse’s system long enough to cause harm to humans. The paleo diet movement actually encourages horse meat, stating that humans were meant to eat horse: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/horse-meat/

But there is a much, much darker side to the unavailability of domestically processed and inspected meat: the black market for horse meat.

The following links are actual news stories concerning a growing problem in Southern Florida. Horses are being STOLEN and butchered on the side of the road, often while still alive, to supply meat for the black horsemeat market.

WARNING…….The videos are graphic and photos horrific.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61rD3rBC2L4&feature=related
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6478115
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7VMcna1PAE

Though presently focused on a trend in Florida only, is black market horse meat reaching other ethnic communities around the U.S.? Though it appears the killers for this market are sticking to a small locality of Florida, what makes people think the horse meat is not traveling through the underground market to other states with heavy populations of Hispanic communities. Furthermore, is the desire for horsemeat reserved for the Hispanic culture or are other ethnic groups also feeding the greed of the black market.

Having said that, is it reasonable to believe that if the USDA began offering inspected, legal, domestic horse meat would the black market disappear?

This same argument has been made for the legalization of marijuana.

But….it was also made long before that in another still heated Pro Vs. Anti fight: Abortion. Prior to the legalization of abortion, thousands of women died while having an illegal abortion. But, once legalized, the back alley, black market diminished and women could safely make the choice concerning their own body.

Could this rationale not be applied to the black market for horse meat? Is it not reasonable to assume that IF people who wanted to eat horse meat due to their culture or their own personal health beliefs had access to a safe, legal source the black market would essentially disappear?

Obviously the current situation is grim as there are repeated reports of horses being stolen and simply disappearing. The anti-slaughter side points their fingers to the current “kill buyers” but I sincerely have my doubts that the dealers who sell to the feed lots are all running around Southern Florida snatching up family’s beloved horses? Why would they when there is a myriad of FREE ones on craigslist just a short trailer ride from many auction houses and feed lots.

So…..would the black market crumble if horse meat were domestically available? No matter how many videos of a captive bolt coming down on a horse I see, I cannot compare it to the terror and pain a horse like Geronimo suffered at the hands of the butchers who took him from his barn and tortured him just a half a mile from his family.

It may be a very distasteful thing to think about; but, under tightly regulated USDA supervised situations, could humane slaughter stop this atrocity?

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Check back tomorrow for another submission on this issue.

If you’ve read the original story, you’ll know that two of Gwen’s horses wound up in the care of Lost Hearts and Souls Horse Rescue. Ironically, Sister, the mare who appeared to be in better condition, has since had to be euthanized due to exhibiting stroke-like symptoms. It was determined that she was experiencing bleeding her brain. Valerie, who was a one on the Henneke scale and had heart problems due to malnourishment when surrendered, has improved to about a three. Here’s hoping she has a long, happy and healthy life ahead of her still!

We’ve posted a little more info on our original blog and Rate My Horse Pro also has an in depth article on the story.

I (Snugly) am currently sitting in front of my computer, electric fireplace on, hot chocolate laden with Bailey’s in hand, and the likes of Frank and Bing crooning Christmas tunes like no one’s business (they really could sing!).  I was going through the writing applications from Fugly hopefuls and, as I’m sure you could guess, there are quite a few.  A few comments have been made noting people’s interest in reading some of the better and worse submissions.  Your wish is our command!  Some of these have been edited for length, none have been edited for content or grammar.  Enjoy!

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Alright, here we go. I am  mouthy and an avid animal rights advocate. I hate backyard breeders, they are a bunch of dumb asses. I despise backyard trainers!!! (but that is another story).

Submission 3:

It’s always amazed me how people think that just because the way THEY
do something, it’s the ONLY way to do something. Horse people are no
different, in fact we can be the worst offenders. I’ve read the Fugly
blog for a long time, and I loved how it started off picking apart the
asshats who bred awful looking horses, never gave them any training
and left them to an uncertain fate all while happily breeding more sad
little future-less foals.
Then it changed, it became less about the rescue work and the pointing
out of the bad-seeds, and became all about how the only worthwhile
horses to breed at all are TB’s and WB’s and anyone who breeds
anything else, or decides to compete in anything other than the show
ring, or, GOD FORBID, not compete at all, just ride the trails with
their beloved pet horse, was the WORST PERSON IN THE WHOLE WIDE
WORLD!!!!
And it’s time we brought back the NAME AND SHAME aspect!
Enough with the “oh god why would you buy a cob when you could have a
THOROUGHBRED” rubbish, enough with the “you bred a Paint, clearly you
have no idea what a REAL horse is meant to be coloured like”. Bring on
the “you’ve starved these horses”, “you bred these 15 TB colts for
racing and now you’re sending them to slaughter just because they are
slow”, “you abused this animal and the SPCA are unable to get the
voices to get the power to stop you, guess what here are those voices,
you are going DOWN”
BRING IT ON!

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Huh.  I guess those were mostly just angry!  Oh well… there’s definitely a lot to be angry about in the horse world.  Which brings us to a story that most of you have already heard about, but that hasn’t been properly discussed here.

You guessed it, I’m talking about Credit Card and the little psycho who arranged his death.  There’s a decent story here with a link to the legal affidavit; the basic gist is that a female college student was having some romantic problems and thought a good solution would be to steal five horses and kill one of them.  Not sure what the thought process was there, but she clearly did think about it; she made sure to scout ahead and even took notes in her little pink notebook!

So what do you think of the current laws for horse theft?  Because these horses had a high monetary value, the potential punishment is more severe.  Should that really make a difference?  My horse isn’t worth much, but I think I’d be equally devastated if something similar were to happen to him!  And how do you go about protecting your horse from theft?  Or protecting yourself from the crazies out there?  Not too long ago we had to deal with a rather explosive situation that was caused by a barn manager’s ex losing it.  Thankfully, no harm came to any of the horses, but to say there were a few tense days would be a gross understatement!

Hmmm… in hindsight, “These are a few of our favorite things” would have been a really inappropriate title for this post!

I just want to make sure you are all sitting down now, because I know you are all going to be shocked and stunned that a bunch of grade Quarter Horse-Percheron mixes just went to kill. In fact, allow me to put on my Madame Cleo hat and psychically determine that they weren’t ridden through the auction. I am gonna bet you the “culls” were halter broke at best and presented themselves pretty much like a herd of wild, fugly buffalo at the auction. And they went to kill…NO SHIT, REALLY??? OMG! What will happen next, Lindsey Lohan getting caught with drugs or something???

This is, seriously, one of the dumbest horse-related articles I’ve ever read. They brag about the horses’ bloodlines dating back to the 1800′s. Dude, every single horse’s bloodlines date back to fifty million years ago or so when Eohippus walked the earth. So what? Mere age or a recording of pedigree does not make bloodlines valuable. THEY’RE NOT WINE!

If anyone had done two minutes of research online, they’d have realized:

1) There was no need to breed draft crosses for prison guards to ride. AMERICA IS FULL OF THEM thanks to our overpopulation of douchebag “sport horse” breeders who think every mix between a light horse and a draft horse purchased at the local auction is Olympic bound, despite the fact that their horses’ primary skill is knocking their breeder ass-over-teakettle when s/he tries to walk through the pasture carrying a bucket.

2) Although, while we’re on the subject, why are all your prison guards 300 lbs.? It is time for Weight Watchers at Work, not bigger horses.

3) If you are sending 100 culls to auction every year, guess what, MOST are going to kill. Again, allow me to guess that you are not “culling” the ones that are rideable and usable. You’re sending off stuff you thought wasn’t good enough to train, or stuff you couldn’t get trained. Why the dramz now? Is this the first time someone noticed? Uh-oh buuuuusted. Sort of plays hell with your P.R. that this is some sort of genetically perfect herd. Puhleeese. It is a herd of a whole lot of Nothing Special. Some of them may become well broke enough to have a value as riding horses for larger people or hunting pack horses, but without the training (which, again, I doubt you put on the ones you dump at auction), they are worth about sixty cents a pound.

You need to get your heads out of your butts and look beyond the razor wire at the real world once in a while. There is no need whatsoever to produce a ton of supersized grade QH crosses. You could easily mount your guards on draft crosses from RESCUES. Truly, it is not that hard to find untrained brick shithouses with short backs and no withers if that is your ideal. I really doubt any of your inmates are that desperately in need of any lessons about the miracle of life from watching mares foal; most of them are probably way behind on their own child support. So why don’t you set a good example and STOP BREEDING GRADE CRAP instead of acting all traumatized and stunned when the low end of your grade crap breeding program very predictably winds up on the double-decker to Hell? I mean, what was wrong with making license plates…if you made too many of THOSE, nobody got hurt!

P.S. Texas taxpayers…so this is what you’re stuck funding, a backyard breeding program to produce unwanted horses that wind up going to kill? Um…I’d be pissed!

1) Are you a vegetarian or vegan?
2) Do you eat meat but consciously try to buy things like free range chicken or buy from local farmers where you know how the animal lived? I also once met a girl who only ate meat she and her boyfriend hunted so they knew for sure the animal hadn’t suffered – interesting idea but certainly valid. If you are a good shot, you can ensure no suffering takes place.
3) Are you actively involved in rescue of any kind of animal (fostering, transport, networking, running fundraisers, etc.)?
4) Are your house pets rescues? Would you buy a purebred dog or cat?
5) A friend says that their mixed breed dog got pregnant, oops. Do you say something (polite or not) about the importance of spay/neuter?
6) Do you donate to rescues or animal welfare/animal rights organizations? Which ones (if you don’t mind answering)?
7) What do you teach your children (if any) about animal care, the human-animal relationship, and what our obligations are to animals (both food and pet animals)?
8 ) Do you support humane initiatives for non-pet animals? For example, would you publicly support (i.e. tell your Facebook friends to support) reasonable legislation to ensure humane treatment of rodeo bulls or whales or dairy cows?
9) A call comes in at 3 AM begging you to help with an emergency with animals you do not own (you also don’t know the owner). Do you get up and go (even if it’s going to cost you some money that you may not get reimbursed for)?
10) Have you ever gone to volunteer on a large scale animal emergency, like a seizure of many animals or a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina?

I’m just curious. There are no right answers. It’s just food for thought and discussion and I think it’d be interesting to see what I expect will be a pretty wide range of responses. As most of you know, I’m fairly AR-ish except that I have NO problem with riding (hell, if I have to work, so do you, ponyface!), showing (if abusive training methods and drugging is avoided), racing (except 2 year old), rodeo (when all rules are observed & animals are fed/trimmed/vetted properly), etc. I am vegetarian but not vegan. I have no issue with animal ownership except that I think it should be more like the parent-child relationship, where you can absolutely lose your rights if you are abusive or neglectful.

I admit that I am not motivated enough to be one of those super-conscientious shoppers who does all that they can to avoid any product that might result from animal abuse. I want to see laws in place so that I don’t have to do all that research myself, and I think that’s a more reasonable way of attacking it, since .0001% of people have the time to do all the research themselves.

Oh, and I have no problem with buying a purebred dog or cat. I’ve done it before and will probably do it again. I will only buy from home breeders where you go to their house and the animals LIVE IN THE HOUSE and the house IS NOT a pig pen, and of course if you are buying purebreds, all papers should be in order and all testing/shots that are appropriate should be done. I do not personally buy the argument that buying a purebred causes a shelter pet to die, because if someone has their heart set on a BMW, they’re not GOING to buy a Kia no matter how cheap they are or how you try to guilt them. However, if you buy from a pet store, you are a dumb fuck who deserves $2000 in vet bills and a dead puppy…I mean, seriously, who doesn’t know about puppy mills in this day and age??? You need to see the parents and see that every animal in the house appears healthy and bright. You also need to check breeder references!

I have definitely run off to do rescue-y stuff at weird hours with no notice. I actually sort of like that stuff, I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie…got loose horses at 3 AM on a busy road, call me, I’m in, LOL! I went to Katrina, as many of you know, and would have stayed longer if I could have afforded to.

OK, so fill me in…what do you do? What do you care about? And has that changed in recent years?

Horse Missing Hours Before Competition

From the article: “Roanie has a white stripe down his face and a white sock on both back hooves and one of his front hooves.

He also has a freeze brand with the letters “RS” on his left hip.

If you know where Ryan’s horse is, please contact Chellie Mills at chellie.mills@kfor.com or (405) 478-6325.”

I know that you guys know everyone, LOL, so network the HELL out of this story and let’s get him back safe. And when we find out who did it, I will bring the rope if you find a good solid tree…what the hell. If it was a fellow competitor, I have news for you: sabotaging the winners in the world doesn’t make YOU a winner. It does, however, make you a criminal!

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On May 24, 2011, a McHenry county jury found Jamie Koy guilty of 24 counts of animal cruelty & neglect concerning five of her horses being kept at a Crystal Lake boarding stable. Two of the five horses did not survive, and their deaths were directly attributed to their starvation. (Another horse was also impounded at the same time; however, it had a different owner, whose trial has yet to begin. That horse also did not survive.)

These are only two of the many stories that can be found if you search for “Jamie Koy+horse+guilty”, that summarize the testimony and verdict:

My partner Jill and I investigated this case on behalf of the Hooved Animal Humane Society (www.hahs.org), and Jill testified during the trial as to the condition of the horses. The photographs that Jill and I, as well as McHenry County Animal Control, took of the horses, and the scientific medical testimony provided by Dr. Sara Jacob of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Veterinary Medical School, coupled with the amazing preparation and prosecution by Assistant State’s Attorneys Matt Ciesielski and Andrew Luther, literally left the defense . . . . defenseless.

Apparently, a photograph is truly worth a thousand words, given the strong reactions by the jurors to some of the photographs of the horses that were presented by the prosecution. I am happy to share a photo of the horses if you would like to decide for yourself.

However, our work is not done quite yet.

On Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 10 a.m. in room 301, Judge Charles Weech will pronounce sentence on Jamie Koy, with a possible maximum sentence of one year in jail and up to $2,500 in fines.

I am inviting each of you to join me in the courtroom – representing horse owners, horse business owners, animal lovers and concerned citizens in general – to show that this will not be swept under the rug and forgotten about. McHenry county is home to the largest number of horses of any county in the state, and we need to silently yet clearly and respectfully send the message that this is not going to be tolerated in our county.

Please feel free to pass this along to anyone else you know that might be interested in attending. We will not be speaking, or protesting, but simply be quietly present in the courtroom to represent a fraction of the concern that the case generated.

I will send a reminder out two days before July 21, and one final email to let you know what sentence is handed down. I plan to be at the McHenry County Courthouse (located at 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock – on Route 47 a mile or so north of Route 120) by 9:15 a.m. on July 21. Please do let me know if you do not wish to receive any further emails regarding this case.

So if you are local…please make an appearance to show your support for a HARSH sentence for this horse-starving bottom-feeding lowlife! And do NOT do business with Donald Kamps…he is just as guilty and needs to be scorned by the entire horse community for letting those horses starve on his property.

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