Think About It

by Jessica
(Missouri)

Yes, some Mexican and Canadian slaughter plants treat the horses horribly, but some of them don't. Some choose to meet European standards. Read about it at http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/mar09/090301h.asp
This article really made me think. If Mexican slaughter plants are doing this well with the horses, imagine how much better the horses would be treated if they were simply allowed to be slaughtered in the US.
Everyone talks about the horrible economy. How many jobs would be created if we opened up slaughter houses again? Several, someone has to transport, others have to buy and sell the horses, the list is endless.
It is a common thought that young horses are also slaughtered, but in reality those that eat horse meat will say that young horse meat doesn't taste as good as older horse meat. Horse meat is sold for fifteen to twenty-five dollars a pound in Japan, France, and other such countries. If we allowed horse slaughter it would give horses a utility value. Animals with utility value don't go through the abuse of those without the value. For example: cattle. Very rarely will you see neglected cattle because if nothing else they can be sold off to a butcher for some money. Yes, giving horses a utility value would make it more expensive to purchase horses, but if they were more expensive the people buying them would be able to afford to properly care for them.
People also need to learn to breed more responisibly. People need to stop simply breeding random horses. If you don't have a plan for the foal, then don't breed the mare. If you have a buyer lined up, or you plan on keeping the baby, it makes sense, but the breeding just to breed needs to stop.
Face it, people are never going to grow up, so those of us that will are going to have to stand up and make them. The only other real option to slaughter is saving them all. Who can afford to save all of those horses? Donald Trump, Bill Gates, those are the only people I can think of. The average person can't do it. We as horse lovers try, but we can't save the world.