Horses are livestock

This is something that we all need to remember. Yes, we treat horses like pets, but we must remember they are actually livestock.

People have pigs, cows, and sheep as pets. They also show them too, but you don't hear people making a fuss about that do you? No, because they are livestock like horses.

I love horses to death, but the growing number of unwanted, abused horses is growing. What should the solution be? People are giving away horses, and turning them loose because they don't have the money.

Is euthanizing them the answer? If people can't afford to take care of themselves they certainly aren't going to spend the money to euthanize them. Then people will start complaining about the young horses being euthed!

You don't want slaughter plants here, but it's okay for horses to suffer in over stuffed trailers for hours on end. Two and two isn't going together in my head.

There are careless breeders out there, and there will forever be careless breeders out there. What do we do with them (the careless breeders that is)?

The government needs to put stricter regulations on horse slaughter like they do for any other meat slaughter house.

As for the topic of sending your own horse to slaughter. I could probably do it if the horse was a danger to others.

While being a college student it was either keep the horse or go to school. Well I chose school of course, but I had a problem. The horse that I bought was sweet and very willing to learn. But one day I went to get on him. I asked him to stop, and he started rearing up in the air for no reason. There wasn't a bit in his mouth, and the saddle fit. I just wanted him to stand still for a moment, and there wasn't even an object or noise to spook him. He did this another 2 times, and even tried to climb a way when I asked him to turn his head towards me.


I didn't have the money to euth because I was broke. Instead I took him to an auction knowing there was a risk that he would go to a slaughter plant. Though in my mind that was better than him seriously hurting someone else. I wasn't trying to make money I just needed him gone before he hurt me. He did though get a home. The slaughter people didn't buy him. I lost money on him. I paid 400 for him and he sold for 250.

I found out later on that he sent the farrier flying when trying to do his feet. I can trust this farrier because he use to do my guys feet when I had him, and he never had an issue with getting his hooves trimmed. Though, he's not my problem any more.

I use to be against slaughter, but my eyes opened up to the fact that we have a growing problem. And there's too many people who are going "Oh! Our pet horses! How could we send them to slaughter?!" Well if slaughter isn't the answer what is? And euthing an animal that size costs a lot of money. But remember horses are livestock. We domesticated the horses, but it is still livestock.