[big_red_ottb]

Fairfax:

You, of all people, have been the biggest disappointment to me. When you first started posting on this thread I thought, great, now we can get a relatively unbiased viewpoint on the entire slaughter procedure. Instead we get yet another frothing persona raving about the RARAs, the HSUS, and God knows what else (see posts directly above).

Yep...I've been following this thread for some time, and continually disappointed by what I've seen, particularly from someone who offered promise of sanity. Nope. Disappointed yet again.

And just to note, the "20,000 horses!!!11!!1!" number sounds tremendous at first, but the US alone has 9,000,000+ horses. Somehow I think we can figure out what to do with 20,000 of those. That is .2% of the horse population in this country. The image being crafted a country overrun by neglected, feral horses because we can't send them off to be slaughtered is logically ridiculous and bordering on mathematically impossible.

I still think a bullet is the most humane. And there are numerous possibilities for disposal.

[Bluey]

Yep...I've been following this thread for some time, and continually disappointed by what I've seen, particularly from someone who offered promise of sanity. Nope. Disappointed yet again.

And just to note, the "20,000 horses!!!11!!1!" number sounds tremendous at first, but the US alone has 9,000,000+ horses. Somehow I think we can figure out what to do with 20,000 of those. That is .2% of the horse population in this country. The image being crafted a country overrun by neglected, feral horses because we can't send them off to be slaughtered is logically ridiculous and bordering on mathematically impossible.

I still think a bullet is the most humane. And there are numerous possibilities for disposal.

Very myopic.

The issue here is not just horses.
These are assaults on all we do with animals, to eliminate their use, one at the time.

This is not about the horses, but disrupting any we do with our animals, under any pretense, no matter what it is.
It is about getting free publicity, about their name out there, about getting the gullible public to donate to their already obscenely overflowing coffers, to, in the end, eliminate all uses of animals, while they make a very good living running the show, of course.

The horses are a mere prop in these power battles, could be the sad kitten in a cage in their mailings, the tuna frisking in the waves, anything that will pull the purse strings open.

THAT is why so many are wary of those animal rights extremist groups.
When someone tells you who they are, better believe them.

You follow the Pied Piper of animal rights extremists at your own risk.

[betonbill]

Wrong, Bluey. This solely has to do with the plants' inability to trace enough horses' histories to be able to state that the carcasses are not contaminated by THEIR list of forbidden drugs.

Absolutely nothing to do with any animal rights' movements or anything else. There could be a slaughter house on every corner of every town in the U.S. playing soft mood music and lulling the horses into the most peaceful death imaginable, but if you can't trace each horse's drug history this is all for naught.

As stated before, this might turn out to not be true, but in the long run the drug problem is going to turn the EU off of processing any horses from the U.S.

[Fairfax]

As I posted on another thread. Boarder agents at Coutts Alberta have NO information regarding this. H.H. Smith the LARGEST equine import broker has NO information on this and they are currently processing import papers for MOnday for truck loads.

If is was only 20,000 horses ...well...that would be okay. There are OVER 20,000 horses in EQUINE FEED LOTS....it has been estimated there are closer to 190,000 horses (however I personally feel that number is probably high due to their designation for unwanted horses)

This STORY appears to have started when a trucker was rejected at the Ontario border. That however, could be for over packing the number of horses, injuries or sickness.

Do you anti slaughter groups not read. Water conservation groups have blocked many many sites for shoot, shut up and shovel. If a person can NOT afford to euthanize and render pick up..they are just going to abandon the horses and I remember two years ago when they found the remains of about forty horses in Montana where they had been dumped when it was 30 below F.

So rather than cheering.....if it is even remotely possible it is true...WHATCHA GONNA DO?

I have been asking for YOUR solutions...and now all you can say is find someone to shoot the horse?

WOW...

Did you know there is a ONE THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE in 23 counties in California alone if you shoot a horse and bury it on your property?

This is ALL going to be blamed on the breeders...that is the ONLY solution this idiots can come up with. BAN ALL HORSE BREEDING until a forever home is found for every Dobbin...OR TAX THEM TO DEATH....for you one horse owners...just think for a moment. Where in HECK did your horse come from? A BREEDER...whether it was a breeder with one mare or a breeder with fifty.

[betonbill]

The rumors appear to revolve around the drug question, anything else is simply not relevant. Perhaps the rumors are true, perhaps not.

One can scream and rant and rave about everything else, but it is immaterial to the current story at hand.

Guess we have to wait and see how this hand plays out.

[Fairfax]

Yup

[mbm]

but. dont they slaughter horses for things *besides* human consumption?

[Abercrombie]

Yep...I've been following this thread for some time, and continually disappointed by what I've seen, particularly from someone who offered promise of sanity. Nope. Disappointed yet again.

And just to note, the "20,000 horses!!!11!!1!" number sounds tremendous at first, but the US alone has 9,000,000+ horses. Somehow I think we can figure out what to do with 20,000 of those. That is .2% of the horse population in this country. The image being crafted a country overrun by neglected, feral horses because we can't send them off to be slaughtered is logically ridiculous and bordering on mathematically impossible.

I still think a bullet is the most humane. And there are numerous possibilities for disposal.

COTH needs a "Like" button, and I'd click on it for this...

[JGHIRETIRE]

Totally agree.

Yep...I've been following this thread for some time, and continually disappointed by what I've seen, particularly from someone who offered promise of sanity. Nope. Disappointed yet again.

And just to note, the "20,000 horses!!!11!!1!" number sounds tremendous at first, but the US alone has 9,000,000+ horses. Somehow I think we can figure out what to do with 20,000 of those. That is .2% of the horse population in this country. The image being crafted a country overrun by neglected, feral horses because we can't send them off to be slaughtered is logically ridiculous and bordering on mathematically impossible.

I still think a bullet is the most humane. And there are numerous possibilities for disposal.

[JGHIRETIRE]

Time and time again we have said-that most of us would be ok with "slaughter" as long as it was done humanely. DDB posted videos of how it could be done differently. That wasn't good enough. Time and time again we have said we would be happier with a well placed bullet, if it came to that. We care how a horse gets dead - not necessarily what happens after that. Several solutions have been offered. All you and Bluey do is sit back and say how THOSE suggestions can't possibly work without one good reason why not. Or that falls right into the hands of the RARA's and OMG we all must be RARA's because we don't agree with the 2 of you. Last time I checked this was still a free country and we have a right to our opinions but no no no we still have to be RARA's to not agree with you.
All you do is sit back wringing your hands with the "woe is me, we're losing our rights". If that's absolutely all you can do - you're right - you will lose your rights because you didn't actually DO anything to stop it but sit on your behinds and be paranoid. Good luck with that.

As I posted on another thread. Boarder agents at Coutts Alberta have NO information regarding this. H.H. Smith the LARGEST equine import broker has NO information on this and they are currently processing import papers for MOnday for truck loads.

If is was only 20,000 horses ...well...that would be okay. There are OVER 20,000 horses in EQUINE FEED LOTS....it has been estimated there are closer to 190,000 horses (however I personally feel that number is probably high due to their designation for unwanted horses)

This STORY appears to have started when a trucker was rejected at the Ontario border. That however, could be for over packing the number of horses, injuries or sickness.

Do you anti slaughter groups not read. Water conservation groups have blocked many many sites for shoot, shut up and shovel. If a person can NOT afford to euthanize and render pick up..they are just going to abandon the horses and I remember two years ago when they found the remains of about forty horses in Montana where they had been dumped when it was 30 below F.

So rather than cheering.....if it is even remotely possible it is true...WHATCHA GONNA DO?

I have been asking for YOUR solutions...and now all you can say is find someone to shoot the horse?

WOW...

Did you know there is a ONE THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE in 23 counties in California alone if you shoot a horse and bury it on your property?

This is ALL going to be blamed on the breeders...that is the ONLY solution this idiots can come up with. BAN ALL HORSE BREEDING until a forever home is found for every Dobbin...OR TAX THEM TO DEATH....for you one horse owners...just think for a moment. Where in HECK did your horse come from? A BREEDER...whether it was a breeder with one mare or a breeder with fifty.

[jetsmom]

All of those horses in feed lots. or owned by KB HAVE OWNERS...the feedlot owners or KB owners. I own rental homes, and try to buy as many as possible. If the rental market took a nosedive, I can't say "oh no...all of you other people figure out how to bail me out from my mistake". The KB/Feedlot owners, made a business decision, where there are no guarantees. They knew that the EU had an issue with drug residues. They are the ones legally responsible for doing something with THEIR horses. Something legal and humane. Haven't we been told for years by the pro slaughter side, that those in the slaughter business, are BUSINESSMEN, and are concerned about the animal's welfare? That we anti slaughter people were being mean for implying they were only in it for the money and didn't care what is in the horse's best interest? Well, nows the time for them to prove it.

[luvmytbs]

All you do is sit back wringing your hands with the "woe is me, we're losing our rights". If that's absolutely all you can do - you're right - you will lose your rights because you didn't actually DO anything to stop it but sit on your behinds and be paranoid. Good luck with that.

Hear, hear !!!

[betonbill]

According to an article in the DRF, all of this came about almost immediately of a release of a report on an inspection of Mexican plants. While there was generally good compliance with standards, there seems to be a real problem with those EIH papers and tracing of what the horses have been given, along with trouble matching some of these papers to individual horses. Also, no way that the Mexican side could check and verify the paperwork they had been given.

No way to check the veracity of the paperwork from the U.S. horses equals no way to check drug history on the horse, which equals lots of room for the presence of forbidden drugs and/or withdrawal history, which in turn probably drove the accountants bat-sh*t crazy.

So perhaps it just isn't the drugs but the paperwork required to prove compliance. Lots of luck with that, EU.

[Bluey]

According to an article in the DRF, all of this came about almost immediately of a release of a report on an inspection of Mexican plants. While there was generally good compliance with standards, there seems to be a real problem with those EIH papers and tracing of what the horses have been given, along with trouble matching some of these papers to individual horses. Also, no way that the Mexican side could check and verify the paperwork they had been given.

No way to check the veracity of the paperwork from the U.S. horses equals no way to check drug history on the horse, which equals lots of room for the presence of forbidden drugs and/or withdrawal history, which in turn probably drove the accountants bat-sh*t crazy.

So perhaps it just isn't the drugs but the paperwork required to prove compliance. Lots of luck with that, EU.

Easy to fix with the proper testing protocol.

[luvmytbs]

Easy to fix with the proper testing protocol.

Then why don't you go fix it.
They'll need all the help they can get.

[Bluey]

Then why don't you go fix it.
They'll need all the help they can get.

Why would I have anything to do with "fixing"?

Would it not be better to wait and see what happens, if they really are not accepting horses and if so, what the CONSEQUENCES will be for all of us in the horse world?

I have stated time and again I don't care if they have slaughter or not.
In fact, have said clearly it is nice we don't have any open plants here, as it is one less place for animal rights extremists to terrorize those there.

I think that, for several reasons, slaughter is a perfectly fine way to use one more renewable, natural resource SOME horses are for us humans.
That the extremist animal rights groups you and others here so heartily seem to defend are very wrong, when they want to ban slaughter and eliminate all uses of animals.

Will be interesting how this develops from here on.

[luvmytbs]

That the extremist animal rights groups you and others here so heartily seem to defend

Baiting again?

Must be getting boring in the basement.

[Bluey]

Baiting again?

Must be getting boring in the basement.

Who is baiting there?

Better quit being so giddy with the news, because it may be a publicity hoax after all yet.

[FalseImpression]

Who is baiting there?

Better quit being so giddy with the news, because it may be a publicity hoax after all yet.

you wish...