[luvmytbs]

In early May some private individuals took it upon themselves to trail the rigs of Three Angels Farm from TN to TX and back.

Another example of disregarding the regulations and an accident waiting to happen.

http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org...2012.05.20.pdf

[redalter]

In early May some private individuals took it upon themselves to trail the rigs of Three Angels Farm from TN to TX and back.

Another example of disregarding the regulations and an accident waiting to happen.

http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org...2012.05.20.pdf

Hmmm. And yet there are so many out there that feel slaughter is "necessary".

The very culture that see horses as meat on the hoof (i.e. that report illustrates this) also cares nothing for the horses' welfare. Why should they?
Other than trying make sure they have few rejects on their loads, they care NOTHING for the horses.
Better to send them to the local hunt. A quick bullet is FAR better than this. And there will NEVER be a consistent way to enforce no disregard, negligence, or downright cruelty along the slaughter pipeline.

I cannot understand for the life of me how anyone can possibly think that this suffering and what goes on from point a to b is somehow not attributable to the fact that these are no longer "companion animals" and are now "slaughter horses".

And after how many of these reports can we finally dispense with the "oh, this isn't the norm, this is the exception". Please.

How can anyone think this is okay? And you know what? One skinny, suffering horse is one too many.

The transport, the sale to sale, the entire process, and the worst, slaughter in Mexico for cripes sake. I am anti slaughter but I do agree with those that say we should have left the american slaughter houses open until we were able to close the borders.
Sorry for the rant.

[Daatje]

In early May some private individuals took it upon themselves to trail the rigs of Three Angels Farm from TN to TX and back.

Another example of disregarding the regulations and an accident waiting to happen.

http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org...2012.05.20.pdf

How haunting. Those poor souls. All I can think with tears in my eyes is "I'm sorry". I'm sorry your people didn't care enough about you to keep you, or see that you had an easy passing. My heart breaks for those horses.

[redalter]

How haunting. Those poor souls. All I can think with tears in my eyes is "I'm sorry". I'm sorry your people didn't care enough about you to keep you, or see that you had an easy passing. My heart breaks for those horses.

Exactly.

I once helped a friend who had bought 2 horses from the sale. Actually these horses had been through 3 sales, and the friend bought them directly from the kill buyer at the 4th sale.

They were both in sorry shape physically, but what got me the most, what still haunts me to this day, 8 years later, is how "shut down" they were.

They did not interact with us at all at first. Avoided people - not in a blind panic, more in a pathetic, shuffling way. They were VERY, desperately connected to each other. And from what history they were able to put together, these two horses did not start out together, just somehow bonded over the course of their nightmare.

Apparently, the buyer had been to several sales over the course of several weeks to get a big enough load to make it worth his while.

But - they both did end up in good homes.

I bought one off the truck once, literally, the kill buyer backed him off the truck because he went through the sale quickly, and I followed them out back. Same thing with this little horse. For the first week, he would stand in the corner.

I don't wear rose colored glasses, but you can't tell me that any sentient creature can spend their lives connected to humans, then be treated this way, and not suffer.

[Alagirl]

Hmmm. And yet there are so many out there that feel slaughter is "necessary".

The very culture that see horses as meat on the hoof (i.e. that report illustrates this) also cares nothing for the horses' welfare. Why should they?
Other than trying make sure they have few rejects on their loads, they care NOTHING for the horses.
Better to send them to the local hunt. A quick bullet is FAR better than this. And there will NEVER be a consistent way to enforce no disregard, negligence, or downright cruelty along the slaughter pipeline.

I cannot understand for the life of me how anyone can possibly think that this suffering and what goes on from point a to b is somehow not attributable to the fact that these are no longer "companion animals" and are now "slaughter horses".

And after how many of these reports can we finally dispense with the "oh, this isn't the norm, this is the exception". Please.

How can anyone think this is okay? And you know what? One skinny, suffering horse is one too many.

The transport, the sale to sale, the entire process, and the worst, slaughter in Mexico for cripes sake. I am anti slaughter but I do agree with those that say we should have left the american slaughter houses open until we were able to close the borders.
Sorry for the rant.

that's apples to watermelons.
one is the disregard for public safety, putting those rigs on the road.

The other...well, if it haunts you, buy them.

I agree that a bullet is quick and painless (but the bolt gun is really nothing different)

The endless trail of sales? Well, those are dealers. They take you money, just as well as the meat packers. (that they offer the beast 4 times ought to tell you that the slaughter plant is not the preferred destination...otherwise they's be on the direct route ASAP)

[Bluey]

Hmmm. And yet there are so many out there that feel slaughter is "necessary".

The very culture that see horses as meat on the hoof (i.e. that report illustrates this) also cares nothing for the horses' welfare. Why should they?
Other than trying make sure they have few rejects on their loads, they care NOTHING for the horses.
Better to send them to the local hunt. A quick bullet is FAR better than this. And there will NEVER be a consistent way to enforce no disregard, negligence, or downright cruelty along the slaughter pipeline.

I cannot understand for the life of me how anyone can possibly think that this suffering and what goes on from point a to b is somehow not attributable to the fact that these are no longer "companion animals" and are now "slaughter horses".

And after how many of these reports can we finally dispense with the "oh, this isn't the norm, this is the exception". Please.

How can anyone think this is okay? And you know what? One skinny, suffering horse is one too many.

The transport, the sale to sale, the entire process, and the worst, slaughter in Mexico for cripes sake. I am anti slaughter but I do agree with those that say we should have left the american slaughter houses open until we were able to close the borders.
Sorry for the rant.

Maybe because they can think past the obvious and animal rights propaganda?

Slaughter is a process to use one more natural, renewable resource some horses are once we won't have any other use for them.

If there is any abuse in the slaughter process, then address that, just as we do in any other we do in life.

I would say, it is in part because of those people that can't think that we have the situation we have now.
They are the ones that were so wild about closing the plants in the USA, were warned of the consequences, poh-pohed that saying rescues and the public would buy all those horses.

Now, tell me who is the one that is not caring for the welfare of the horses?
I tell you, those that follow the animal rights agendas, no matter what the consequences.

Imagine where the horse industry would be today if all that spent in fighting windmills had been spend truly on horse welfare, not animal rights agendas and drives for donations for those groups.
Ever look at their financials?
Their budgets and pensions are bigger than those of some sovereign nations.
All money the gullible public donates for helpless animals looking at you out of their propaganda.

[jenm]

I don't wear rose colored glasses, but you can't tell me that any sentient creature can spend their lives connected to humans, then be treated this way, and not suffer.

Agreed. I see it in some degree where I board. I am at a barn that has a college team to which people donate horses. Horses come in that have spent years being loved by one person, then come to a situation where they are now a lesson horse, therefore more of a piece of equipment than a special being. Those horses tend to lose the spark in their eye and often don't perform as well. I realize horses live in the moment, but they do know the difference between being cared for vs. not cared for, and I highly doubt any kill buyer or transporter really cares about the well being of the horses.

[luvmytbs]

that's apples to watermelons.
one is the disregard for public safety, putting those rigs on the road.

However it is noteworthy that this outfit blatantly disregards regulations on more than one front:

"The Three Angels Farms driver of the blue Freightliner violated the 11 hour and 14 hour FMSCA regulations. He also violated the USDA regulation by holding horses onboard a conveyance for more than 28 hours."

[Daatje]

The other...well, if it haunts you, buy them.

If wishes were horses.....

I am the best steward I can be to my one. Someday, hopefully adding a second.

It haunts me because I CAN'T buy them. I can't help them. And SHAME on their people for not being good stewards of their horses.

[Plainandtall]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfzX4Fx5xuE

I think this video has some important observations that anyone on either side needs to understand. This is not a bloody gore video, just an interview (with polygraph) in an office. There is also a part II. The youtube sidebar will be full of gore videos though- just a warning.

[Alagirl]

If wishes were horses.....

I am the best steward I can be to my one. Someday, hopefully adding a second.

It haunts me because I CAN'T buy them. I can't help them. And SHAME on their people for not being good stewards of their horses.

Well, I guess a girl can dream.

In reality, you can't shame people into doing what you think is right.

And that's where you recall the serenity prayer....change the things you can, accept the ones you can't.

Just knowing the difference....

[Daatje]

In reality, you can't shame people into doing what you think is right.

Of course not, but they will always be shamefull in my eyes.

[Alagirl]

Of course not, but they will always be shamefull in my eyes.

That is your burden to shoulder.
Shame only works when the party you are trying to change feels it.

Which they don't and won't.

That's why there have to be laws to protect children or commercial traffic on our roads.

However, if you want to legislate animals in this type of fashion, good luck, because the fallout would be greater than the benefits.

Because animals are not people.

[Barnfairy]

Three Angels Farms forced to end transportation

excerpted from article above:

Three Angels Farms, a Lebanon-based company that has been subject to controversy after recent traffic incidents involving fully loaded horse trailers, has been ordered by the U.S. Department of Transportation to cease all transportation operations.

..."Safety is always our top priority," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "If a truck company ignores federal safety rules and places the traveling public at risk, we will remove them from the road."

[Alagirl]

Three Angels Farms forced to end transportation

Seems like a good day to me.

[jetsmom]

Thank God.

except I have a feeling he'll continue to ship by just changing the name on paper.

[luvmytbs]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Way to go DOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pony4me]

Does that effectively put them out of business, or can they still hire outside truckers to move the horses? I'm not sure it would be profitable to pay for trucking. Probably the only way they made any money was to cut corners wherever possible.

Are there horses still at the farm in Lebanon? If so, can someone local keep an eye on them because feed and hay cost money, and I don't trust this guy one danm bit.

[Tamara in TN]

I am glad that the DOT moved on them

Tamara

[Alagirl]

Does that effectively put them out of business, or can they still hire outside truckers to move the horses? I'm not sure it would be profitable to pay for trucking. Probably the only way they made any money was to cut corners wherever possible.

Are there horses still at the farm in Lebanon? If so, can someone local keep an eye on them because feed and hay cost money, and I don't trust this guy one danm bit.

hauling horses is not illegal. Having cruddy rigs on the road is.