If you’d like to support this bill please go to (http://www.horse-protection.org/) .
Passing this bill will not threaten fox hunting in any way. I’m an avid foxhunter with the Genesee Valley Hunt and I’m certain of this information!!! It is supported by the racing industry and is the result of many many racing fans/owners/breeders/trainers/horse lovers, etc who want to keep thoroughbreds, and all horses, out of slaughter.
Doubt you’ll find too much support in this room. Just a guess.
That surprizes me. Most of the people I hunt with in NY support it. Maybe because we all hunt thoroughbreds??
For those of you who think that the anti horse slaughter movement will translate into anti-hunting and no more meat consumption, IMHO I think you have listened to too many pro slaughter special interest groups who are trying to sway your opinion. I just dont see the connection. We all know that foxhunting in this country is more foxchasing, on the backs of our trusty mounts! I dont mean to offend anyone, but if you love your horses, you should support this bill! It may not end slaughter bc people will always find a way around anything, but it sure should put a kink in the pipeline and make it a little harder to just dump a horse at an auction to await his fate. It may also force us to find an les expensive way to humanely euthanize horses that need to be put down. At any rate, it will force a little responsibility on the shoulders of horse owners who dont want to put an effort into placing a horse…
So tell me if we don’t support the bill does that mean we don’t love our horses? And just who would you be to decide if someone does or does not?
I’m offended by the ‘campaigning’ in other than the ‘Off Course’ forum, where this issue has been beaten to death. Please take it back over there.
Campaigning??? As far as I can tell all respondants to this thread have opinions they’re expressing.
And how does this not relate to all horses and horse owners, including fox hunters?
If any of this offends you or if your tired of the topic, you have the choice to pass the thread.
County, as I said, I do not mean to offend anyone, and certainly am not trying to decide who does or does not love their horses- I must have struck a nerve with you, I am sorry- my only feeling is that if one really knew what the trip to the slaughterhouse entails, and the horror and fear it places in those unlucky horses that end up there, they would not support slaughter. As I said in my post, that is my opinion-- you are entitled to yours. I am not judging anyone, and I do think there needs to be an alternative, such as humane euthanasia.
There are alternatives lots of them actually but not everyone wants to use them nor should they. Its totally a personal decision and I know exactly what goes on in slaughter plants of every species I’ve worked in three and been in many. And I support slaughter.
to each his own…
Exactly.
Tell you what, if you have alternative methods to care for, and end the lives of, the hundreds of thousands of ill, lame, old (I mean way old, not just elderly), sick, infirm, dangerous (and yes indeed, there are a few) horses in the world, why don’t you post your address and I’ll mail you the next one I’ve got that I cannot or will not (in the case of dangerous) take care of.
Clearly, responsible owners, breeders, caretakers, sign on for the duration. However, there comes a time at the end of the life (or, in the case of ‘dangerous’, at the end of the line) that death is the appropriate option. To suggest that you (not you personally, the collective ‘you’) have the right to tell me (not me personally, the collective ‘me’) what to do at that end with MY horse (or dog, or cat, or cow, or goat, or chicken) is incomprehensible.
Yes, work to enforce horse transport laws. Yes, work to enforce (and create) caretaking laws for animals (all of them, not just horses) at the end of the line.
But do not, not for an instant, suggest that you know best for my (collective me, again) animals.
Dead is dead. Who cares if they’re food.
If you’re not a cotton-wearing vegan who rides in synthetic tack and has never had a cowpox vaccine shot then you (collective you) have no right to criticize.
As an aside, most thoroughbred horsemen do NOT support the industry’s line on slaughter. Ask one.
Well said Hunter’s Rest
I remember when we fed retired hunters to the hounds. Their deaths were quick and clean and I don’t have a problem with that (though not my choice).
But I do have a problem with subjecting horses to a system of slaughter that was not designed for horses. I’m not sure if one can be structured that would not be cruel.
I have no problem with euthanizing horses and know that most people who fox hunt can also afford to pay a vet to euthanize their horses. I know very few people who choose to do it any other way.
I hunt in NY (western) so maybe it’s a cultural thing.
The Thoroughbred racing industry, including National Hunt Racing, is filled with thoroughbred horsemen. Some don’t support it, but the industry as a whole does.
Hopefully the fox hunters that are sent to slaughter houses are not the OTTBs that make such great hunters for so many up and down the East Coast. Although we have picked up a few older OTTBs in the past 6 months who were well schooled in jumping and I’ve wondered if they were hunter-jumpers or fox hunters. We know that at least one of them was an event horse. None of these horses were dangerous.
I support euthanizing dangerous horses.
I respect others’ rights but I have a hard time living in a community when I don’t respect the accepted standards of behavior and so I’m going to continue to express my opinions and hope that my audience will analyze them carefully and investigate the situation I’m bringing up.
This is in no way an assault on anyone’s rights, it’s a dialogue.
Bravo SEPowell,
Your point was well made and accurate, you are correct.
I totally agree with SEPowell when he said " I have a hard time lkiving in a community etc." But we do not all live in the same community nor have the same accepted standards.
And IMO thats a very good thing.
Many people still feed their horses to the hounds. I definitely do. Absolutely.
I agree wholeheartedly on the species-specific bolt. Please do all the work you wish on making that happen when slaughterhouses are working with horses. Please.
Oh, and note that horses fed to the hounds are killed with a bullet. Not an injection. Cruel? Inhumane? Not if appropriately handled. Far less horrifying than a horse fighting the euthanasia drugs. That, people, that is horrific.
The TB industry voice (The Jockey Club) came out for the bill (anti-slaughter). The TB industry professionals, did not. Including, and especially, the steeplechasing crowd. Trust me.
Euthanize if you wish. But don’t come crying when you cannot bury the horse due to local zoning laws. Don’t come crying when your doggie dies due to gnawing on the dead leg of a horse with euthanisia meds in his system.
Not one of the ‘dangerous’ horses I’ve met in my life (total: 3) were Tbs.
I realize this is not an assault on individual rights. Agreed.
Following is a partial list of Supporters of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. For the full list, please see http://www.horse-protection.org/info.php?id=37
National Horse Industry Organizations
The American Holsteiner Horse Association, Inc.
The American Sulphur Horse Association
American Indian Horse Registry
Blue Horse Charities
Churchill Downs Incorporated
Eaton & Thorne
Eaton Sales, Inc.
Fasig-Tipton Company, Inc.
Hambletonian Society, Inc.
Horse Industry Partners
Hughs Management
Keeneland Association Inc.
Magna Entertainment Corp.
National Show Horse Registry
National Steeplechase Association, Inc.
National Thoroughbred Racing Association
New Jersey Racing Commission
New Jersey Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association
New York Racing Association
New York State Thoroughbred Racing and Development Fund Corporation
New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc.
Ocala Breeder’s Sales Company (OBS)
Palomino Horse Association, Int.
Racetrack Chaplaincy of America
Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau
Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
United States Eventing Association
Horse Industry Leaders
Josephine Abercrombie – Owner, Pin Oak Stud
Joe L. Allbritton – Owner, Lazy Lane Farms, Inc.
Peggy Augustus – Owner, Keswick Farm
Niall and Stephanie Brennan – Niall Brennan Stables
Nadia Sanan Briggs – Padua Stables
Maggie O. Bryant – Locust Hill Farm
W. Cothran “Cot” Campbell – Dogwood Stables
Norman Casse – Chairman of the Ocala Breeder’s Sales Company (OBS)
Nick and Jaqui de Meric – Nick de Meric Bloodstock
Richard L. Duchossois – Chairman, Arlington Park
Tracy & Carol Farmer – Owners, Shadowlawn Farm
John Fort – Peachtree Racing Stable
John Gaines – the late founder of the Breeder’s Cup World Thoroughbred Championship
Gainesway Farm
GaWaNi Pony Boy
Randy Hartley – Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds
Charles E. Hayward – President and CEO, New York Racing Association, Inc.
John Hettinger – Owner, Akindale Farm, Principal stockholder Fasig-Tipton Co, Inc., Chairman Emeritus Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Trustee NY Racing Association
Tom Meeker – Churchill Downs
Reiley McDonald – Partner, Eaton Sales
Herb and Ellen Moelis – Candyland Farm
Nick Nicholson – President and Chief Executive Officer, Keeneland Association
George Stout – National Cutting Horse Association Members Hall of Fame
Frank Stronach – CEO, Magna Entertainment
Dan and Jocelyn Sumerel – Sumerel Training and Therapy
Becky Thomas – Sequel Bloodstock
D.G. Van Clief, Jr. – NTRA Commissioner, CEO & Breeders’ Cup President
Walnut Hall Limited
Donna Ward
Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson – owners of BIRDSTONE, 2004 Belmont Stakes winner
Russell Williams – VP, Hanover Shoe Farm
Kentucky Derby Winning Owners
Roy and Gretchen Jackson (BARBARO – 2006)
Jerry and Ann Moss (GIACOMO – 2005)
Patricia Chapman (SMARTY JONES - 2004)
Sackatoga Stable, Jack Knowlton, Managing Partner (FUNNY CIDE - 2003)
John and Debby Oxley (MONARCHOS - 2001)
Beverly Lewis (CHARISMATIC-1999, SILVER CHARM - 1997)
Mike Pegram (REAL QUIET - 1998)
William T. Young, Jr, Overbrook Farm LLC (GRINDSTONE - 1996)
Joseph and Eileen Cornacchia (GO FOR GIN - 1994, STRIKE THE GOLD - 1991)
Bill Condren (GO FOR GIN - 1994, STRIKE THE GOLD - 1991)
Mrs. Paul Mellon (SEA HERO - 1993)
Arthur and Staci Hancock (SUNDAY SILENCE - 1989, GATO DEL SOL - 1982)
Howard Keck, Jr. (FERDINAND - 1986)
Dell Hancock (SWALE - 1984)
Bert and Diana Firestone (GENUINE RISK - 1980)
Penny Chenery (SECRETARIAT - 1973, RIVA RIDGE - 1972)
Thoroughbred Trainers and Jockeys
Jerry Bailey – Hall of Fame Jockey
W.A. “Jimmy” Croll, Jr – Hall of Fame Trainer
Neil Drysdale - Hall of Fame Trainer
Julie Krone – Hall of Fame Jockey
Chris McCarron - Hall of Fame Jockey
Richard Mandella - Hall of Fame Trainer
Gary Stevens - Hall of Fame Jockey
Nick Zito – Two-time Kentucky Derby Winning and Hall of Fame Trainer
Hunter’s Rest - The thoroughbred people you know may support slaughter, but there are a lot of professionals and professional associations listed above, who do not.
Show me a single working horseman on any of those lists. With due respect, those are the payers-of-bills, not the caretakers-of-horses.
The East Coast racing and fox hunting community is actually very small, no matter where you live. I live in both PA and NY and when I’m in NY I often see people from VA and PA come up to hunt and race. And that’s what I was referring to when I said community.
I’ve seen poorly done euthanizations and it’s heart breaking and totally unnecessary. I made a point to learn the humane way to put large animals down and that’s what happens on our farm now when the time comes. If the vet doesn’t describe his/her method as I expect it to be, then he/she doesn’t come here.
Yes, horses fed to hounds are killed with bullets, and usually the person who does it is highly skilled and there is no suffering. Still not my choice, but I don’t view that as cruel.
Over the years my dogs have brought home many bones of many species. I even have a horse’s skull and I don’t cry about it to anyone and my dogs (one is a fox hound) have never become ill.
The euthanized horses that I know were properly disposed of, either through rendering or burying them with a backhoe.
I wonder what the long term picture is for people who eat off the track thoroughbred horsemeat that’s been exposed to countless drugs.
The National Hunt people I know are also active in charities that support TB rescues. Some have described to me their strategies for placing their horses at the ends of their racing careers, and I’ve watched quite a few old hunters live their lives out in outsheds and big fields with other horses. They’re happy and healthy until they become too old to chew and digest food properly. Then they’re put down.
Within the National Hunt and TB industry, there are many diverse opinions on this topic, but the “spokespeople” do not support slaughter. Check the board of Thoroughbred Charities of America, as one example. Rescues were even mentioned on the Kentucky Derby this year and were the beneficiaries of the thousand dollar mint juleps
.
And yet, about 2/3 of the thoroughbreds at the New Holland Sales are fresh off the track. Many come from the lower level track and have trickled down the claiming ladder, some are very young, some are stakes horses. You probably know of Native Heir who went to MidAtlantic Horse Rescue. Today at New Holland quite a few were in their teens and I wonder what kinds of jobs they’ve had since their racing days; I wonder if any were fox hunters. The lowest kill price was $225 for TB. Mid Atlantic Horse Rescue took many, but could not take all of them.
It’s possible to transition tbs from the track to new jobs without putting them in situations where they’re vulnerable to slaughter, and it’s possible to dispose of unwanted, unsafe and no longer valued horses humanely. It’s not difficult, but because it’s the unknown it can seem impossible, inconvenient and burdensome. In fact it’s nothing more than a new habit to learn, or rather a new mode of operations.
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