Is Slaughtering Really the Solution?

Is Slaughtering Really the Solution?

Slaughter houses in the United States have all been shut down. What are we to do with all the unwanted, neglected, abused and abandoned horses in the U.S.?

There are an estimated 9.2 million horses in the United States alone. 90,000 – 100,000 of those horses got sent to the slaughter houses annually. The number of just the unwanted horses are far greater.

Some of the horses are extremely lucky and find a home with someone who will provide them with proper care. On the other hand some of them will be placed in an equine rescue center, rehabilitation, or retirement facilities, which will still provide them with care, just not as intimate or one-on-one as a home.

What happens to the other horses that aren't so lucky? They will be euthanized by a vet at the owners request. Some may be abandoned, neglected or abused.

The equine rescue facilities that are located throughout the United States just don't have the room or resources to bring in any amount of the 90,000-100,000 that would otherwise be slaughtered.

To provide enough care, for most, if not all the unwanted horses in America, The American Association of Equine Practitioners has estimated that an additional 2,700 rescue facilities would need to be opened in the beginning stage of a processing ban (based on an average of 30 horses per facility).

Colleges and rescue centers have been overrun with unwanted horses. Over $1800 is approximately spent on one single healthy horse per year. This provides just the basic care, not farrier or vet expenses. When the horses start adding up, the bills start adding up. When it comes down to spending, that is quite a bit of money for non-profit organizations to spend. Plus, most horses that come into programs like that are more then likely going to have something wrong, may be major, may be minor? But, however, that does tack on to the minimal expense of over $1,800 a year per horse.

Some facilities have waiting list, so if and when a horse gets taken to a good home, or sadly, be put down, another unwanted horse will take its place. Others must reject the horses that are needing/wanting to come into the program because they are just so full of horses. They have no room and/or not enough resources.

Until just a couple of years ago there were three slaughter houses left in the United States, one in Illinois and two were left in Texas. The meat got sent over seas, and all three of the slaughter houses were foreign owned. In 1949 Texas began enforcing a state law prohibiting slaughter. It wasn't until 60 later in 2007 Illinois passed a similar law.

A law was passed that stopped equine slaughtering, The Prevention of Equine