Opinion
Interesting read on the decision of permanently banning horse slaughter in the US – and exports? Why are Canada and Mexico still receiving horses for slaughter?
The bill should also address the inhumane transport of horses in cattle liners – they are transferred near the border to larger trailers to give the appearance of humane transport before clearing the borders. These are “reject” horses from the race tracks and from people doing uncontrolled breeding of horses to get a cute foal; then they become a burden to care and train so they are starved or dumped and considered feral.
Have a proper strategy for the unwanted horses. Create a fee for racetracks that requires proper adoption of the losers from the track. Create a license for breeders – a fee high enough they have to have a plan for the foals.
Humane societies don’t go far enough in this issue.
Just plain banning for ethical reasons does not prevent unwanted horses. There are legal means of raising horses for meat and very successful – just like the other meat industries there are withdrawal periods for medications – so apply them the same to horses.
— Toni Allardyce-Harris
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