In a Dec. 5 vote, the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) Board of Directors took a stance against the passage of Senate Bill #1915 (H.R. 503), the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.
“ApHC agrees with other oppostition groups that believe this legislation sets a dangerous precedent by banning a livestock product for reasons other than food safety or public health,” says ApHC President Dennis Dean.
The ApHC supports its position by arguing that some owners of unwanted horses want to recapture value out of their animal and, without the ability to make some money back at auction, some owners will not spend money to have animals euthanized. The organization contends that unwanted horses could be neglected or abandoned.
The ApHC position counters that of the majority (263) in the House of Representatives last year who voted in favor of passing the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act; the legislative session ended before the Senate was able to vote on the bill. The bill is planned to be reintroduced this year with the new session of Congress.
i bet most of the senate didn,t know what they were voteing for. and have never been on a horse.good for the appaloosa club.
I think I would like to see more work be put into finding the unwanted neglected horses new homes with good families, and organizations. This would bring on a need for more grant monies to be disbursed, but instead of just killing them because of human neglect, we as humans should be responsible for our actions and make the right attempts to place these animals and give them a life. Going to slaughter because they cannot be cared for by a human is just inhumane. What would we do with our family members that we would decide to just not keep around and be responsible for anymore, slaughter them? In my book, my horses are part of my family. I signed on for it, just as I chose to have children, for the good and bad. if I cannot keep one for whatever reason, I have made sure they go to the right match. I follow up and if it does not work, they come back to me. I realize not everone does this, they more than likely have the option, just choose not to take it. There is help.
I have 2 reg. Appys and a mule that is 1/2 Appaloosa. I joined the Appaloosa Club and was turned off by the cruel pictures I saw in the magazine the first year. Unfortunately, too many animals are being bred just for profit, these people take their money and do not care what happens to those they produce. If more are eliminated by going to slaughter, they will just breed more and make more money. There are not enough homes for all the horses being produced and those who use horses to satisfy their hobby interest, later satisfy their own guilt feelings by what is called, “finding a good home” for a good price, of course. Well, those homes are oftentimes a temporary home as that person will pass the horse off to the next person. The former owners could care less that they rode the animal to extreme and the horses end up with arthritis and other problems that require expensive vet bills and specific medicines to keep the horse comfortable that the unsuspecting “good home” finds out later. I have seen many blind young Appys at shelters/rescues. The small rescues eventually close down due to lack of funds. The breeders don’t care, they got their money and that’s all that matters. After the horses are too old to produce, they dump these at auctions or collect every penny they can to have them slaughtered. Have to get that money…hasn’t the horse given you enough profit so that some trust fund could be set aside for its “greener pasture” days? Yah, right. These breeders need to take more responsibility for what they produce. But that’s in a perfect world. The RFD channel even has ranchers just raising horses for the profit they can make by sending them right to slaughter. Time for everyone to open their eyes and come up with some alternative solutions. If we don’t purchase what they produce, they won’t continue to produce because money is all they care about, no matter how much they claim they “love horses”, it’s the money they love…
I agree with the ApHC. But I do know that there are a lot of bleeding hearts out there too.
I understand what you are saying but how they are slaughterd is horrible and it is not right. they have feeling just like anybody else. It is a digrace what people do to animals today. I think the same should be done to people then they would know how animals feel.
I agree with the ApHC. They are looking at the big picture and the well being of horses. Yes slaughtering horses is a terrable thing and I would never let any of my horses go that way. But you can’t change everyone. If someone sends a horse to slaughter to recapture value more than likely that person will not care enough about the horse not to let him suffer and starve in a field. We can’t expect rescue groups and organizations to take all these horses theres not enough room. The governments in bad enough shape as it is they wont want to spend anymore money than they have to suporting unwanted horses. I agree they do need to make the slaghter procedure more humaine but considering that the animal cannot have any chemicals or drugs in its system I don’t know what other alternatives are left.
The Appaloosa “Horse Club” has voted to sustain the cruel and inhumane practice of horse slaughter. They are not horsemen they are horse users. Amazing that human rights/personal property rights (the right to sell a horse and recoup some money) is placed above owner responsibility to treat a horse in a humane and nonabusive manner…by a “horse club”.
If your are worried about money have the slaughter plants pay their fair share of back-taxes. If they don’t pay seize the property and sell it and turn the profits over to the rescue farms.
Recently, the Texas slaughter plant made 12 million dollars in one year and paid $5 (yeah five) dollars in taxes. THAT’S WHERE YOU PERSONAL PROPERTY RIGHTS ARE BEING VIOLATED. That’s where the problem starts…the average horse owner is paying the slaughter owners share of taxes and cruelly killing horses to make money.
Go to HSUS website and check out the facts on horse slaughter. 92% of the horses killed last year were HEALTHY. Many of the “UNWANTED” horse numbers cited are not American horses but horses shipped in from Canada. The Canadian horses inflate the numbers.
Maybe the members of the Appaloosa Horse Club should kick the “horse-users” out of there ranks and vote for safe and humane treatment of the animals they love. Appaloosa owners, breeders and trainers have a responsibility to treat the horses they breed, train and own in a humane manner. Slaughter is not humane.
Maybe that guy from Texas, Charlie somebody should take up selling fence posts …at the end of the day he could through the excess in the chipper….I hope he takes up knitting…maybe he’ll stab himself in the eye!
Slaughter is humane in the U.S. Its no different than shooting them in between the eyes. Thats how horses used to be put down all the time. I chose to have my gelding shot rather than with drugs so his blood could be used at New Bolton hospital. It was quick and he didn’t know it was happening. Thats what happens at the plants. once they are shot, thats it, they are dead, no more feeling. The doctored up movies on the internet are so fake! People need to be more educated on the process of slaughter. But of course, now horses are shipped to mexico and cannada and who knows how those plants are run. Good job anti people, horses suffer because of you.
I think they’re right in a way, but I was horrified when I read the article since I’m part or ApHC…
Wow!
I think that you need to check your facts if you think that horse slaughter is humane anywhere, even in the US. The people working at the plants are untrained so that when the horses are shot, they are not always “dead, no more feeling”(as said by Erica of Lancaster, PA). They are still alive and conscious while in a considerable amount of pain. They are still conscious when they are hung up by their back legs and their throats slit. That is not what I call humane.