Idiots
Horse slaughter is no different than any other livestock being slaughtered. The bad operators are shut down - but they are the ones that get covered in press at how horrible the entire industry is.
Animals are treated badly all over the country. Are you going to make sure Billy Bob can't buy quarter horses because he can't feed his kids, let alone the horses?
No one cares more about their horses than I do, but when it comes down to it, I am going to eat before they do. The worst thing that is happening is horses are pushed into the companion animal and out of the livestock category.
The fact is these animals are big and expensive and the industry needs an outlet to get rid of the sick, injured, and unwanted animals. And most horse rescue places are terrible. If you want to talk about horses being inhumanly treated, let's see a horse rescue. But they get a slide because they are "rescuing it".
It may be sad when your horse gets cancer, but I'd rather sell him for slaughter and make $1000 for him - and know that he's not being wasted. I think it's fascinating all the uses they have for these animals!
Is it better to pay the vet $500 to come and put him down, and then wait 2 weeks for the rendering truck and then pay him another $300 to have the horse hauled off? That's not being greedy about money, that's business.
The US is the only country in the world that doesn't eat horse meat - and we aren't going to stop anyone else from eating it either.
At least the slaughter plants here were regulated. Now the horses are being shipped down to Mexico where they are not being humanly treated when put down.
So if you ask me, the plan for shutting down the slaughter plants back fired. But the slaughter plants will open again - and soon. Horse meat is a huge business and the US isn't going to stop getting their piece of the pie.
