Sometimes you need to visit the dark side to see the light. I went to the darkside. I have visited the killpen where horses are unloaded, microchipped, and sorted onto slaughter trucks destine for Mexico. There were so many horses there to choose, so many horses abandoned and left to endure such an awful fate.
These horses are not my responsibility, yet I am compelled to help. I am a rescuer.
This is what rescuers do….it’s heartbreaking, tireless work. We cling together in this dark world of killpens, killbuyers, and slaughter trucks. We triage large herds of horses, picking only those we feel we can find homes for and leaving the others to an unconscionable fate. We have limited stalls and dwindling funds. We make the hard choices that others can’t make. Our boots are not polished, we don’t wear expensive (or clean) britches, we don’t even have time ride our own horses. We are too busy cleaning up the mess that irresponsible owners have created.
The horse world is delineated into two separate worlds. One horse world where horses are loved, enjoyed and competed by the responsible owners. The other world where many of the same horses stand alone in muddy killpens waiting for their final (and fatal) journey.
Every day rescuers in the USA receive emails from people asking them to take their no-longer-wanted horse. The aged mare, that once was a competitive sport horse, but now no longer can chew her hay and requires special feed….OR the horse that has quirks; aggressive, unrideable or untrained OR perhaps injured in the paddock and now not ridable. It’s frustrating for us when we hear owners threatening that if we don’t take their horse they will take the horse to the local auction.
Sadly, we can’t take your horse. Our stalls are full. Our finances are low and we can barely care for the unwanted horses that came before your unwanted horse. We wish we could take your horse and find a forever home, but we are rescuers not miracle workers. Forever homes are a rarity; a mirage that we all hope for but few homes can guarantee quality care and stability over the lifespan of a horse (20+ years).
We are rescuers and we are realists. We ask you to kindly BE RESPONSIBLE for your own horse. Don’t make your horse someone else’s problem. Your lifelong companion will not understand why you are suddenly gone and he is tied to a concrete wall at the Auction or why he is suddenly in a small paddock with 50 other horses. Your horse is left confused and scared and that is just the beginning of the long journey from auction to slaughter.
If you can’t find a suitable home for your horse, chances are we can’t either. You may need to make some hard decisions. While finding a home is hard, making the decision to euthanize a horse is harder, but it may be the best option.
If you have a horse that is unwanted, call your local rescue and ask them for for advice – most will offer you help in making the best decision for your equine companion. Visit www.EquusFoundation.org to find a rescue that is local to you.
This is heart-breaking. Look at the deplorable condition those horses!
The callous owners are the reason they are there. The USDA/APHIS are the reason the horrid conditions are like they are. USDA/FDA know full well those horses are not raised for meat. Some may be up to 30 years old and have received a lifetime of powerful Equine Drugs labeled by FDA as Not For Use In Meat Animals!
APHIS is charged with inspections of these hell-holes but not funded and has one employee for the entire country to oversee this horror.
USDA is GUILTY of adulterating the Global Food chain!
This tragedy will not stop until the people breeding the horses take responsibility for every life that they bring into the world. Too many horses bred for too few GOOD homes. Breeders don’t appear to think about the consequences of their actions. Where I live in Missouri, many horses go to slaughter in Mexico, yet people breed anything with a uterus. Many minis go to slaughter here as well. If you don’t plan on keeping the offspring for life, DON’T BREED.
You are so right. People just don’t think. So many nice horses already available, they just breed more. That is why we have our two current riding horses and our retired riding horses in the pasture. It makes me sick to think what would happen to them if we let them go.
Here here! Well said!!
Janine, a very poignant, well written synopsis of rescue. The two sides. Here at the sanctuary/rescue we have horses who have come from the slaughter pens as well as seizures. Mares in foal, ex show horses with injuries who even had second careers and then dumped again, young, old, middle aged; the unwanted who are perfectly able to have homes and don’t. Rescue is difficult. I feel you have to walk both sides. The necessary evil of dealing with the predators of the equine world to save, and then flip-side of the open public seeing what’s available. Yes we have requests to take in horses who are privately owned and no longer wanted. I always wonder why they can’t continue the care and feel compelled to put the responsibility on another. We are always full and never have enough money. Countless emails and calls to “save” a horse and very few to offer assistance. There are no days or holidays off. Endless hours caring, feeding ,cleaning, training, evaluation, grooming , paying the bills and then re homing if possible. It is not a glamorous lifestyle. It is dedication and the ability to multi-think, it takes drive and compassion and knowledge. We are not hero’s, we do what we can. I used to think that I might touch upon some answers and then new questions arise.. And when I think that I have seen so much, I see more. I am not sure if there will ever be a time when people will agree that a horse is not expendable. But if there are plea’s then mine is to please asses your ability to have a horse long term. Be realistic about your horses outcome and if your horse is not able to be homed, consider euthanasia. It is the act of taking control to end suffering. It is a tough decision, but your horse is not able to make a decision of it’s outcome. The road to slaughter is not an appropriate outcome You must care for your horse.
In the years I have done rescues, the empathy pours out for these horses. I so admire ALL the people that do rescue. It is hard, it is expensive, and it is heart breaking. We still do it because for every life saved we feel a deep sense of happiness and relief. My chosen job is to take the local animals that need help or care because my funds are limited. Keep up the good job all of you.
Too much of anything does not warrant dumping it into the world’s food supply.
United States horses are not raised as meat animals.
Only products raised specifically for human consumption under strict chemical and drug regulations should be packaged as such.
It is not legal to sell horse meat for human consumption in the United States, and yet our government feels comfortable allowing the same meat to be sold in other countries, under the category of “not our problem”.
Any discussion about too many horses needs to include the excess race horses and sport horses bred and discarded into the slaughter pipeline. You cannot look at the number of horses needing rescue without first subtracting the horses put there intentionally by professional breeders…..Slaughter is a convenient backdoor for AQHA to keep new foal registrations up every year, while they advertise race stallions and performance stallions. Look to APHA, Thoroughbred and Standardbred breeders. Break those numbers down before considering how overwhelmed the rescues are.
Professional breeders can afford to provide humanely for their offspring, and without the option of slaughter, they would be forced to.
First eliminate those numbers from the feedlots.
Without the slaughter pipeline funneling horses from all over the country toward border states, our horses would be left in their state of origin, and could be taken care of within each state. The number of pet horses that need to be rehomed, supplementally cared for, or humanely euthanised within each state would be doable, not overwhelming.
Horse owners and breeders in the United States have never been without the option of slaughter. Our horses deserve to be adequately taken care of, without their tainted meat driving the industry.
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