Cannot believe it is not illegal for horses to be sold to slaughterhouses!

kirstinw55 said:
In my opinion tho cows and sheep do not have the same affectionate value a person shares with their horse!
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I disagree. These animals have EXACTLY the same ability to befriend humans if given the chance. Every animal has it's own personality. Even my goldfish have attitude!

Different societies develop different affectionate values to animals. Some societies wouldn't kill and eat a cow, other wouldn't eat pig, others eat horsemeat, others don't. Some used to eat dog. Personally, I think it sad that some lambs are born 'early' in this country, during the bleakest cold weather of winter, and are slaughtered before seeing a summer. How sad is that, when you think about it?

Whilst the majority of human beings on this planet remain omniverous, the fact is animals will have to be slaughtered for human consumption. That's a fact none of us can avoid. I believe as long as it is conducted in the most humane and respectful manner possible, it is acceptable. Regardless of the species in question.

I know it's sad when young lives are cut short so soon, but rather that than a long life suffering at the hands of people who do not care.
 
OP I feel your abohrrence and can understand why you did what you did, and you sound like a compassionate, slightly naiive but fundamentally humane person.

I'm reminded of a story I heard recently:

One day a man was walking along the beach where there were thousands of washed up starfish. Occasionally he stopped, picked one up and threw it back into the sea. A stranger walked by and said "Why are you doing that? You can't possibley save them all, there's so many thousands, you can't possibley make a difference." The man, picked another up, threw it into the sea and replied "It made a difference to this one".
 
A horse is a meat animal, people ,and dogs and cats,eat horsemeat,therefore they go to slaughterhouses. I own horses and sheep. The sheep are as much pets as the horses are,they are also very tame. We used to have cattle, they can be trained to pull ploughs and carts,like horses can. We eat cows and sheep,and chickens too.
 
Achinghips said:
One day a man was walking along the beach where there were thousands of washed up starfish. Occasionally he stopped, picked one up and threw it back into the sea. A stranger walked by and said "Why are you doing that? You can't possibley save them all, there's so many thousands, you can't possibley make a difference." The man, picked another up, threw it into the sea and replied "It made a difference to this one".
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Thats a lovely story, reminds me of why I bought 2 foals at auction recently.
 
I'm sure there exists a fate worse than death for some of these horses... lets think back to Amersham just as an example....
 
kirstinw55 said:
In my opinion tho cows and sheep do not have the same affectionate value a person shares with their horse!
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Look at these 2 (very short) videos of my pet sheep taken on monday and then tell me they dont have the same affectionate value. They are my pets, equal with my horses, dogs and cats.
http://www.youtube.com/user/torchy500#p/a/u/1/fvzgAayct3I
http://www.youtube.com/user/torchy500#p/a/u/0/zYTKJ43tWFM

If anything, there should be more slaughterhouses with tighter controls so that all animals are treated respectfully and humanely with the minimum amount of stress and suffering. Outlawing slaughterhouses would actually add to the existing problem.

I do feel strongly though that no animal should have to suffer long distance live transportation to slaughter. That is barbaric and in these days of refrigerated transport, unneccessary.
 
I'm definetly for slaughter! Countries where it's illegal = more starving, neglected horses.

Sure, things can always be improved with everything, not the least slaughter.
But I rather eat a horse than a cow, I expect the horse to have had a decent life and not been bred just to get killed.
Slaughter isn't evil. Killing unwanted creatures that's unable to take care of themselves isn't evil.

I rather send my horse to slaughter than selling him. Why? Since horsemeat is cheap here and expencive otherwhere, and he's a ''bad'' breed, there is a way too high risk that he'd get sold around and at last ending up on a seveal day long, inhumane and illegal transport to some other coyntry, to be killed there with who knows what kind of methods...

Now he's gotten some medecine that makes him unfit for human consumption, and I rather have him killed at home if it were to it. But I'm not against humane slaughtering. Just because you like horses better than cows it doesn't mean it's worse for them.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izffs5IsZxc&feature=related
Above is one of the LEAST graphic and upsetting videos about horse transport for slaughter I've seen, there are many more worse videos out there and I implore anyone who claims to care for animals to watch them.

If uk slaughter was made illegal, those slaughter bound would be subject to a journey possibly even longer than the one shown in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e0JDtFiLgI
This video here shows the mistreatment of US animals killed in Mexico, where there are even fewer regulations on horse treatment.

Getting rid of slaughter in the country of a horses origin INCREASES mistreatment

Compare this to UK slaughter - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJMoyh57XOU - unpleasant yes, but the horses are largely not traumatized prior to death (e.g. in the holding areas), mostly well fed and seemingly looked after, few injuries can be seen and haven't been subject to a journey lasting days.
Yes, that horse was down for 7 minutes plus, compare that the the other two videos and although still heartbreaking that horse was put out of its misery.
 
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Need to sort all the pointless over breeding that's going on. That half the reason why the ponies are ending up like they are. Think before you breed.

Somebody local to me brought 3 dartmoors off the meat man which fine that's ok BUT than went and put all off them in foal to their Shetland stallion. I ment WHY???? Bloody stupid and makes me mad.
 
kirstinw55 said:
Im not looking to argue and debate this! J!
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So why did you ask for opinions? Did you really think that every-one on here was going to agree with you?
I'm afraid that some of us know too much about what can happen to horses that are passed from pillar to post to think that the worst thing that can happen to a horse is a quick death.
Does your pony have a home for life with you?
 
thatsmygirl said:
Need to sort all the pointless over breeding that's going on. That half the reason why the ponies are ending up like they are. Think before you breed.

Somebody local to me brought 3 dartmoors off the meat man which fine that's ok BUT than went and put all off them in foal to their Shetland stallion. I ment WHY???? Bloody stupid and makes me mad.
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Christ... humans ARE getting thicker!

(Mentally aswell as physically).
 
thanks to people like the OP (paying double the price) the meatman can now buy 2 more and save them from uncertain death but a certain death.
 
well done you for helping this pony, i wish the best of luck with him, they make great jumping ponies, i know a few new forests, just because the rest of the world is doing what its doing does'nt mean you have to, follow that bright star and make the world a better place, and by the way the meat men are already rich, i've known a few, so its incorrect to think your one purchase will make it any worse than it already is.
i too hate the slaughter of horses for meat for human consumption and animal feed, i think you are quite correct in thinking how can this happen to a pony whose life has only just begun, like thousands of racehorses too, it is something beyond the comprehension of any compassionate human.
 
Skippys Mum said:
I do feel strongly though that no animal should have to suffer long distance live transportation to slaughter. That is barbaric and in these days of refrigerated transport, unneccessary.
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^^^ this. I am not bothered if people want to eat horse. I am bothered by horses crammed into cattle lorries and driven to Italy often via Poland with barely enough stops, no food and no water. I find this abhorrent regardless of whether it is a horse, cow, sheep or chicken.

you only have to look at the massive problem in America to see that closing of slaughter houses does not work. Couple that with backyard breeders who produce low end cut'n'shuts and the potential nightmare that ensues is painfully obvious.

Well run slaughter houses are too few & far between IMO.
 
I have to say that reading this post and watching the video of the uk slaughter house has changed my opinion on 'meat men', my horse is just a pet as he is retired at 13, i sold him then bought him back three owners later due to the fact that he more than likely would have ended up sold for slaughter, i can say now that if i hadnt found him and brought him home i would probably have rather he'd been bought by a meat man than went round another 3 homes of neglect. Iv always thought of meat men as being horrible to the ponies/horses and where they take them being a nasty place, i can see now that its not like that and as much as id hate it for horses i know personally to end up sold on for slaughter i can now see why the slaughter houses are necessary and i agree about horses ending their lives in a place like sometimes being a better end to life than ending up in the position that my boy could have ended up in. I know that at one point he was left in a field with no hay, feed or even water until others provided for him as they realised his owners at that point werent going to.
 
mymare said:
Are you saying you would like to ban horse slaughter, as the US have? Are you aware of the horrendous journeys they have to make to the Mexico because of this?

I personally think there should be many more slaughter houses that destroy horses, it would avoid a hell of a lot of welfare cases. There are plenty of clips on Youtube that show you how instant and humane the killing is.
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Yes and plenty that don't...
 
SiscosMum said:
I have to say that reading this post and watching the video of the uk slaughter house has changed my opinion on 'meat men', my horse is just a pet as he is retired at 13, i sold him then bought him back three owners later due to the fact that he more than likely would have ended up sold for slaughter, i can say now that if i hadnt found him and brought him home i would probably have rather he'd been bought by a meat man than went round another 3 homes of neglect. Iv always thought of meat men as being horrible to the ponies/horses and where they take them being a nasty place, i can see now that its not like that and as much as id hate it for horses i know personally to end up sold on for slaughter i can now see why the slaughter houses are necessary and i agree about horses ending their lives in a place like sometimes being a better end to life than ending up in the position that my boy could have ended up in. I know that at one point he was left in a field with no hay, feed or even water until others provided for him as they realised his owners at that point werent going to.
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How refreshing to see a horse owner willing to change their mind when confronted with facts :cool:
If Potters is still run the way it is in that video (posted one page 7, I personally think everyone should see it!) I'd be happy for any of mine to go there - it looked like the horses were calm, well fed and looked in the holding areas and treated - though quickly and efficiently - with respect and dignity rather than pure brute force.
 
So sad - I don't think I could go to a horse sale.
I guess the slaughter house provide a service, may be better than leaving an unloved equine in a field neglected.
I think the main problem is over breeding and people not thinking first about putting a mare in foal without considering the outcome.
 
SwingHorse said:
In currently licensed British slaughter houses? I didn't find any like that, but if you could link to a few I'd consider changing my opinion, just as you should when confronted with the humane and quick deaths in the UK
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I have seen many yes. I did alot of research on this subject for a part of my degree. I don't have the links to the videos anymore, but it was preety gruesome and barbaric. But obviously where there are exceptions, I'm sure the majority of slaughter houses are humane. Being a vegetarian, it's just not something I can agree with for any animal
 
jadelovescassie said:
Bit harsh, she helped a poor horse out. Not really fair to make her feel guilty about it..
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People exactly like the OP caused a crisis in the rescue charities in France by misguidedly thinking they should be buying horses to prevent them from being slaughtered...guess what happened? The prices of meat horses went through the roof, more of them were bred with no thought as to suitability for any purpose either than to be rescued and the charities very soon run out of space. Decent horse charities over here are begging people NOT to rescue horses from meat markets it's creating a huge problem.

Having vaguely good but misinformed and misguided intentions does not result in good actions. There is plenty we can all do to campaign against live transport and better slaughter conditions, but to pay inflatted prices for animals destined for slaughter and to want to ban slaughtering is not a solution, it's creating more of a problem.
 
penhwnllys_stardust said:
There are worse things than death, just have a look at the horses and ponies in Ireland.
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The quick deaths offered with out excessive traveling in England would be, if you pardon the pun, like heaven to some of the ponies suffering worldwide...
Ending slaughter locally INCREASES cruelty worldwide. Where's the nearest slaughtering country to England - France, okay, some will go there, how many hours traveling would that be from somewhere like Scotland? Where else would they go, Italy? Italians generally (from my experience!) like their meat to be killed in the country, because butchers only have to declare country of death not origin. How long would they spend on the road then?

I implore anyone who is Anti British slaughter to watch a video of the UK slaughter (page seven, near the bottom) then youtube HSUS slaughter investigations, where horses are killed with a knife through the spinal chord
or stunned (often taking two or three goes to get it right!) and then have their throats slit. I know which I'd prefer for my best friend...
 
I have sent a horse to the slaughter house, he was dangerous and I didn;t want him passed from pillar to post.
Having just watched the video on the UK slaughter house, I can't see anything wrong. The horses all look relaxed and happy eating hay, they have no idea as to what is happening. The blood is cleaned up straight away and the horses are dealt with in a calm, no emotion manner. As for the mare who was injured, after travelling all the way there I don't think waiting another 7 mins was going to hurt, she didn't look overly stressed.
 
Slightly off topic but there is a sheeps slaughter house quite local to me, the sheep are stunned and their throat slit but 80% of she sheep regain conciousness and have to be brought back and the process repeated i know this because my partner worked there and he was the only one who made sure they were dead before they were skinned the others would just let them go through :( he didn't stay there long. we need more slaughter houses with better regulations.
 
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