Sending unwanted horses to slaughter

poiuytrewq said:
Am I alone in thinking this a bit vile? !
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I hope you are as there are far worse things. 'We' are so over run right now with unwanted equines, for various reasons, and slaughter is one way of coping with the situation. I certainly have no issue with slaughter as opposed to 'PTS' (what is the difference??)
 
chestnut cob said:
And they should all be treated with dignity and respect, like all living things.

OP, you'd do better to get upset about live transport than the slaughter itself.
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Im not upset about the slaughter I just think, certainly for mine that however horrible I owe it to them to make sure they are as chilled and relaxed as possible. The horse in question that's made me think about this is a "pet" as in he's someones only horse but its too much for the owner. I questioned why he would send to Potters rather than pts at home and the reply was he didn't want anything to do with it. This I think is very sad.
 
The difference between an abbatoir & at home for me is that it is done at home, in familiar surroundings. Or if travelling to kennels its nearby, & most that travel to kennels alive have hunted & assume they are off for a fun day. Even some demic I'd just bought from an auction unhandled I'd rather do wherever it currently was than put it through the stress of traveling & more handling.
When I originally bought daughters pony it was purely sympathy, hadn't even seen her in the light, just knew she was in a state. As it was there was nothing wrong that couldn't be put right within my means. However if there had been anything major, it would have been the hunt, not the abbatoir. Even though I owed pony nothing, & an abbatoir would have been kinder than her previous home, I would never have considered it.
 
I would not condemn anyone for sending a horse to slaughter, although my personal preference is to have mine pts at home, not everyone has the £600 (vet) or £200 (hunt) to be able to do this.

I agree with others who say that it is better than a) sending to market or even worse, allowing them to rot/starve in a field.
 
If a horse is used to travelling to competions or hunting they would not be stressed imo to go to Potters or any other slaughter house. However I will have my boy PTS at home. My choice not denigrating any one elses choice.
 
Having watched this film when broadcast in 2005 (Slaughterhouse: The Task Of Blood), I have been more than a bit chary of abattoirs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I41IYWb_Mus

(The film is better than its title).

For meat: if the journey was not longer than the ones leisure horses do for weekend competitions, it would be hard to judge meat dealers for doing it. The horses off the hills (who are not used to travel) probably are truly terrified, though, if only for a short period, on arrival at the slaughterhouse.

For leisure horses: if you don’t support hunting (and I don’t, even under current legislation), I guess you have to hope the vet knows what he or she is doing with a gun.
 
Completely agree with Chestnut Cob, on the hook and not the hoof for all slaughter animals. Short distance travel and humane slaughter are better campaigned for. If people were to have a couple of goats, cows or sheep etc as 'pets' they would soon realise that they too have distinct personalities, close bonds and seek comfort just as horses do. It should matter for them all.
 
Im talking more the owners of a horse who needs putting down for what ever that reason might be (which I would never judge on- hard decision to make) rather than meat purposes etc. Of course in that situation I would always rather a slaughter house end than live transportation.
Its the owner loading his/her horse onto a lorry and sending it off with unkown people to an unknown place I struggle with.
I just think people owe their horse a kinder ending and even if I was totally skint (which tbh im getting there) I would rather beg steal and borrow the money to do that last "right thing" for my horse.
Id never really heard of or considered that normal everyday horse owners would ever send a horse to a slaughter house and its shocked me I guess.
 
The worst thing that happened for the horses of the UK was wholesale closure of the small horse abbatoirs IMO. We are lucky that the one that was near us, became a 'pet' crematorium, still owned by the family that had it as an abbatoir. This means that we have the services of a hugely experienced knackerwoman, who will come out (sometimes have had to have them come out in an emergency) and dispatch the animal and then remove the carcass. I still wonder if the stringent 'health and safety' and 'food hygene' laws from the EU, which saw the demise of the small slaughter houses, are followed throughout the EU. I have to say I find it unlikely. :(
 
Springy said:
Its them knowing that they are going into the slaughter house that would upset me they are so intelligent they would know when they got there that is was going to happen. Again though instant death is better than neglect :(
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i don't think they see it the same way as us, weknow they are going to slaughter and that upsets us, for an animal that lives in the present rather than for the future i doubt they have any idea of what's coming when they get on the lorry. When they get to the slaughter house they may smell death (although i'm not convinced of that either) but I doubt they 'know' that the same fate is waiting for them, i honestly just don't believe they think that way.
 
I know of a little bit of equine karma re slaughter. Two old broodmares had been allowed to get very thin following the weaning of their foals and the decision was taken to send them to Potters. They weren't deemed popular enough amongst staff to us the hunt but as both were scrawny the stud poured feed down them for about three weeks until they were looking good then sent a staff member up to drive them only to get there (about 3 hours away) and find that the bute page had been signed. Ended up paying for them to be taken away. One had given the stud 18 foals, I think it was her having the last word!
 
Temple Grandin is the perfect world of how all animals should be slaughtered, however thisis not the case in all countries, her ways still have to reach some places.
 
Springy said:
Its them knowing that they are going into the slaughter house that would upset me they are so intelligent they would know when they got there that is was going to happen. Again though instant death is better than neglect :(
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They don't know or care. I've travelled horses to the kennels to be shot there, I've also taken a dead sheep there in the horsebox in the next stall to a mare I was taking to RC Area dressage competition. The horse due to be shot came off the lorry sweetly and happily and walked round the side of the charnel house without a care in the world although to my nose there was a dreadful stench in the air. The mare on her way to the dressage when we dropped off the sheep for incineration (it seemed silly to be going past and not drop it in when otherwise my husband would have had to come out with it separately) was not bothered by a dead animal in the stall next to her and was utterly unbothered by being parked a few yards from where they were cutting up deadstock. IIRC she was so unbothered that we came second in our arena:D

Sometimes we credit them with our sentience and feelings when they just do not possess them.
 
Relebs that's awful, 18 foals and that's how they repay her, disgracfull. The old broodmare where I worked but still kept
horses is retired and enjoying her well earned retirment.
My horses will be pts at home
 
I think they do sense death and none of my horses liked to ride past the hunt kennels which always had dead animals in the yard and always played up every time outside the yard nowhere else. Also my friend was near a slaughter house and her horses refused to walk past the place without a fight. Even when I use to ride them I had trouble there every time and that's before I know what the place way. I'm certain they could sense death.

I
 
Cortez said:
I agree with you, in that my own horses have almost all gone to kennels when the time came, but those that I have taken to the abattoir, and several were sensitive types, did not react any differently than if they were at a new yard or competition venue - just my experience.
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I have heard others say the same thing Cortez, that the horses are held in pens, perfectly calm and handled very humanely and with respect.

Keen said:
For leisure horses: if you don’t support hunting (and I don’t, even under current legislation), I guess you have to hope the vet knows what he or she is doing with a gun.
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For people in Cheshire, NW Derbyshire, N Staffs, west and south of Greater Manchester, one of two drag hunts offer this service, necdh.co.uk and CFDH.co.uk
 
Even when I use to ride them I had trouble there every time and that's before I know what the place way. I'm certain they could sense death.

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Before I went to an equine abbatoir I would have agreed with this. But then I struggled to get mine past the local pig farm, or if a piggy smell was on the wind.

The majority of horses I have seen waiting in the pens at Potters are relaxed and munching hay. None of the sounds/smells appear to disturb them, so I can't believe they know what is going to happen
 
Personally I couldnt send any pet to a slaughterhouse the thought horrifies me. But we do send other animals for meat and really they are no different. But I would rather an animal slaughtered than neglected and suffer/starve in bad conditions or abused. So yes I take my hat off to anyone who only has the choice to do this out for a humane end.

I suppose the question is if its a well run human slaughter house who does it well.
 
My horse has just walked past another dead horse without a thought. I suspect because I didn't realise the dead animal was there until we got back to the yard. Had I reacted to it, I'm sure she would have too. I agree with the people who say they don't know or care. They only care about how we treat them in life.
Seriously, sometimes I think humans have odd views on the world!
 
Keen said:
Having watched this film when broadcast in 2005 (Slaughterhouse: The Task Of Blood), I have been more than a bit chary of abattoirs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I41IYWb_Mus

(The film is better than its title).

For meat: if the journey was not longer than the ones leisure horses do for weekend competitions, it would be hard to judge meat dealers for doing it. The horses off the hills (who are not used to travel) probably are truly terrified, though, if only for a short period, on arrival at the slaughterhouse.

For leisure horses: if you don’t support hunting (and I don’t, even under current legislation), I guess you have to hope the vet knows what he or she is doing with a gun.
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I remember this as well Keen - it wasn't pleasant viewing, and appeared to employ some complete drongos.

As for horse slaughter, it's not something I could ever do to mine, but I think it is far far better than live export - now THAT should be banned.
 
I wish we would eat horse meat in this country. It would mean an almost end to the glut of scraggy, poorly bred horses on the market at the moment, most of which are not selling and are being neglected or abandoned. If horses and ponies were to have a financial return for being presented for meat in good condition we would not be in the welfare situation we are in now. Far better a short life with half decent basic care, food and clean water than a lifetime of misery and neglect being passed from sale to sale.

I have no problems with slaughter being a way to control this population. We need more slaughter houses to deal with horses in the UK not less. I am totally against live transport for slaughter abroad, that is a disgusting practice.

Personally I have plans to have my own horses put down at their home when the time comes.
 
Mine won't be going anywhere, when the time comes they will all be shot at home by the local Equine crem and removed by them.
However I know people who have done it and I have no problem with that. PTS is expensive, no matter how it's done or by whom.
I don't believe that horses do sense that anything is going to happen at a slaughter house. I have seen many times, horses grazing quite happily outside our local Equine crem - previously the abbatoir - with no apparent concerns whatsoever. Far too many people anthropomophise, instead of thinking like a horse.
 
Secret_Santa said:
This.

Or them being 'rescued' by people with little or no knowledge, becoming welfare cases and creating more pressure on our alreaady overstocked rescue centres.
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Again, the stories we hear of people "rescuing" horses from slaughter houses. Is it possible the horse you send off to slaughter actually ends up elsewhere.
I NEED to see my horse through to the very end. If I was unable I'd get a friend I trusted to be there at the time.
 
I doubt of the two slaughter houses will sell on, it is more likely that the 'middle men' who buy up the cheap lots from sales, are the ones these 'rescues' are bought from.
 
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