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

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kirstinw55

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As in the title really! After visiting york horse sales last friday i ended up coming home with a 3 year old untouched new forest gelding who was predomidantly purchased by the meatman! He had the sweetest face imaginable and the most loving nature however had clearly been neglected and had had his headcoller on for months on end to the point where he had sores all over his face and one look at him being miserably yanked round the ring i knew i couldnt leave that auction allowing him to be slaughtered. A few phone calls later the meat-man agreed to sell me him for twice the price he payed for him! Cannot beleive that this is legal, especially considering it was a youngstock and broodmare auction?! How can anyone justify slaughtering horses that lives have barely just begun, moreover how can people allow these people to buy their horses! I appreciate times are hard financially but i cannot accept that this is the answer?! Opinions please!
 
Its sick.What about the people that keep breeding these animals,not taking resposibility,then selling them for meat.Are they completely stupid!Evil:mad:
 
It is better for a horse to be humanely slaughtered at the nearest available slaughterhouse than neglected, abandoned or transported for thousands of miles before being slaughtered. Although the idea of a horse of any age being slaughtered may be uncomfortable, the idea of what I just said happening makes me feel far more uncomfortable. Slaughterhouses provide a service - they are necessary.
 
In my opinion tho cows and sheep do not have the same affectionate value a person shares with their horse! Sure some people would disagree with that but that is just what i believe, and of course lamb and beef is a huge trade in our country but would like to think its extremely unheard of for anyone to eat horse in england!
 
LizzieJ said:
Should it be illegal for cows and sheep to go to slaughter?
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With LizzieJ and Spudlet here. I have seen too many horses abandoned and neglected over the years.

There are, as many on here will tell you, far worse things for a horse than death.

Edited to say: To OP - I cannot believe it is not illegal to sell a horse to any Tom, Dick or Harry who has the money and sod all knowledge...
 
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Don't know why people breed these horses in the first place to stick them through an auction to then be sold to the meat man for a pittance. More responsible breeding would solve half the problems out there. Glad pony has now got a good home and a more positive future.
 
But what does it matter what happens to the horse when it is dead?

The reason that horses go to slaughter is that there are too many of them - so perhaps we should look to the number of horses being bred rather than looking at the outcome of this - surplus horses ending up being slaughtered.
 
The sad fact is there are too many poor quality horses and ponies being bred. As already said it is far preferable for them to have a short journey to a UK abattoir than face neglect, or travelling abroad to meet the same fate. I
 
nothing wrong with horses being slaughtered in humane conditions! better that than spend half of their lives going round the markets, being passed from pillar to post, not being fed wormed feet done etc. or ending up in the wrong home with some one who cant manage them properly.OP sorry but you need to look at the bigger long term picture and future of some of these horses.
 
not directed at the OP in any way.....
I can easily think of at least 6 ponies & horses I know that have been bought at sales over the years by people who couldnt bear to see them go to the meat man - but sadly lacked the finances/skills/general where withal to provide for them - a couple quietly rotted in scrubby fields - 1 died a horrible lingering death as the family could not afford the vet care it needed & several ended up back at the market with probably the same original meat destination - we breed far too many unwanted equines in this country & there are simply not enough quality homes for them all - better a quick meat death than months & years of being passed from pillar to post
 
There is one other thing, and you aren't going to like it. You paid double for the pony - so the 'meatman' now has the money to go and buy two more.

You can't solve these problems at the slaughter end, you have to go back and solve the problem at source.
 
aro said:
Don't know why people breed these horses in the first place to stick them through an auction to then be sold to the meat man for a pittance. More responsible breeding would solve half the problems out there. Glad pony has now got a good home and a more positive future.
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Thankyou! He's come round so much in just a week and is already a firm favourite! We also had a horse welfare officer and sales inspector women out by coincidence who has seen countless horses being purchased by the slaugherhouse at these sales and she said the conditions they live in were just horrendous. She said the slaughterhouse basically crammed as many horses and ponies into a cattlewagon without food or water and shipped them over to france where they will eventually be killed! Broke my heart leaving those auctions but feel i can have some closure bringing little charlie home with me!
 
kirstinw55 said:
Im not looking to argue and debate this! Just feel particularly upset that the sweet little pony i brought home with me lived 3 years of neglect to be killed!
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I agree with you.
I don't really see how people can see this as an ok thing. After seeing a horrible video of a poor horse being slaughtered on some animal trust site, and sorry if TMI but still being alive whilst having its throat slit and being skinned.... humane conditions my arse.
But people do have a point it is the fault of too many people breeding horses carelessly.
 
Well, lets imagine it is illegal to sell horses to slaughterhouses. Thats not going to stop the irresponsible uncaring idiots who breed and then neglect these horses.

It would simply mean a heck of a lot more unwanted horses suffering a piddle poor quality of life.

And a lovely example of no abattoir for horses can be seen in America, where they either truck then for days for the grimest of ends in Mexico, or they end up dumped on roadsides
 
I suspect that you are talking about a video from Mexico, not the UK (have seen that video or one very much like it). I have also seen slaughter footage from the UK, and you cannot compare the two systems.
 
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.
 
paisley said:
Just trying to highlight the truly horrid alternative if there were no slaughterhouses for horse in the UK
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Sorry, my last post was a response to the poster before you, but I was too slow typing and you got in there before me:o
 
I don't think the thought of any horse, especially youngstock, going to slaughter will sit well with anyone that uses this forum, however I do feel it is the lesser of two evils.
As others have said, a horse being humanly slaghtered is better than a life of neglect. I have recently come back from Ireland (we have friends involved in animal rescue over there) and have seen first hand some of the very sad horse cases as a result of neglect. Sadly there are very few rescue spaces available and the horse that get the spaces are the lucky ones.
Currently, there are more horses than good homes and this is the problem that has to be dealt with initially. I agree that long term the way to tackle this is responsible breeding and owner education, but to prevent a life of suffering to these horses at present,I feel humane slaughter is the option.
Well done OP for helping the pony, I'm sure you will offer a lovely, safe home :)
 
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