Just Livestock

When I go out to feed my horses today, most all rescues, I'll inform them they're livestock.
I'll tell them, greedy people make money, slaughtering them in the most inhumane and painful way. I'll tell the 35 year old blind stallion, he hasn't a right to live, he isn't worth anything, but has taught me volumes.  I'll whisper to the rescued yearling FOBe, that his love and affection isn't possible, or tell Dusty that our communication doesn't happen.  I'll tell Jet, who was going to be shot, as a man killer, that he shouldn't have saved my life and kept me safe.  I should have them all gather round, Stallions, geldings, mares, foals, everyone a treasure with a very unique personality, and very loving spirit, and tell them.  I must not forget Dancer, who is far smarter than many humans I've known, that they are all just livestock.
Equines can't play, protect, care for, communicate, or forge loving bonds.  Not because they are livestock, but because we are humans.  Their answer:  you can learn.

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2008
WILL THIS BE THE  YEAR OF THE HORSE?

2008 has not been a good year for America's horses! Our Mustang herds are continually being reduced under the guise of management - large numbers of domestic horses, of all breeds and ages, are ending up dying on the slaughter house floor.

The economy and rise in fuel and feed has forced many a loving horse owner to seek new homes for their companions. Unfortunately, the newspaper ads for "free horses" or "Cheap Horses" has jumped tremendously.  Owners, desperate, to find a home for a horse they can no longer feed, can and are taken in by kill buyers. Kill Buyers, who scrounge through every newspaper looking for these type of horses. Horses, where the profit is high, as all it cost them was a promise to give the horse a good home. A beloved 20 year old mare, didn't end up the pet of a little girl, but was loaded on a slaughter truck on a trip to hell. 

Little Susie's horse ended up on the slaughter house floor, not in the green pasture that was promised. 

Her family happy about her new home, would stare in horror at her lifeless body, when they had been promised a loving home. Not all end up this way, but a free or cheap horse is fodder for a kill buyer.  People have to take the responsibility to check out where their companion horse is going.  Of course, not all horse owners care.  They consider horses, in the realm of used cars, broken down vehicles, or throw-aways.  Horses are expendable and cheap, they have no regard for the animal, regardless the years that horse has given them.  No compunction in sending a horse, that has faithfully served them, their family and possibly their grandchildren to auction, for that last dollar.  I have seen this time and again.  The horse, trusting its owner follows them into the auction area, where the smell of blood and terror is so thick it sticks to you, but trusting their owner they follow. They are put in a small pen by themselves or maybe with others, their halter is removed, and they are abandoned.  Not even a small caress of farewell, as the human they have loved turns away and abandons them.  There calls of distress, never answered or even acknowledged. "Just like taking out the garbage!"  These abandoned horses can be any age or temperament.  Their owners won't even take the time to "walk" them through the auction ring, in hopes of getting a good home for them.  Out of mind, out of sight. 

These horses know they are being abandoned, they know, and they grieve!  Heads hung down, some just close down, others become, so terrified, they do harm to themselves and others, the younger ones don't understand, but they feel the fear and despair.  Mares, heavily pregnant are uneasy, and nervous.  Some, close to delivery, will abort their foals on the Kill trucks. 

Some are lucky enough to find a family or a rescue to take them in.  Most are not, and begin a trip to hell, loaded into cramped semis ( double-deckers are illegal) and are on their way, no food or water, usually to Mexico, where they may stand for hours in merciless heat before unloading.  Ran into the slaughter chutes their lives end terrifyingly and horribly by the hands of humans. Pedigree, color, age means nothing here. They die.

Please take a moment to watch the slaughter video following this story, and please understand this is not fiction, but something that happens every day.  Please, don't turn away, the video is hard to watch.  We cannot bury our heads in the sand, while our American horses, mules, burros, and donkeys die.  YOU CAN HELP, YOU HAVE A VOICE AND A VOTE!  YOU CAN CHANGE THEIR FATE. 

"Horses are stupid animals. Horses have small brains. You cannot teach a horse anything.  Some horses are un-trainable.  Horses can't think or reason.  Horses, are not loyal, like dogs. "

I am sure you have been told or have heard more derogatory misconceptions and misunderstandings than I have listed here.  What I would like to say would destroy my hard drive, what the truth is, is that we want to make horses stupid so we can exploit them and kill them under the guise they are lesser animals.  It is a human tradition to destroy what we don't or won't understand. 

The truth is, horses are loving, intelligent, loyal and caring animals.  I would never try to "humanize" them, that would be doing them a grave injustice. 

If a horse is given the chance to develop and reveal his/her personality, they are amazing beings.  They have a complex method of communication that even humans can learn, if we want too.  A horse is communication in motion.  They are never silent, but continuously communicating with others around them, of every species. 

Shy Girl, my blue heeler, plays games with my Hancock Stallion, Red Cloud.  However, if Red is not in the mood, one small twitch of his ear tells Shy he is not in the mood.  Why can't we learn the same? Horses communicate with their eyes, ears, body language, in fact, they speak volumes.  We just need to listen.  Personalities can be anything from clown to playful, thinking, serious, silly, very smart, quick learner, bright, not so bright, tantrums, pouty, drama queen/king, actor, faker, lazy, and on and on.  They are affected by their environment, just like us.  They need time and care to recover from abuse and trauma, time to learn to trust again. 

Horses form strong, loving bonds.  Relationships so strong, that it is not unusual for one to go into decline, and sometimes death, after a loss of a loved one, equine or human.  They bond with other animals, as well, goats, chickens, cats, dogs.  I had a deaf dog, Cowboy, who loved to swing from horses tails, it was a great game for him.  He would grab a mouthful of hair and swing back and forth.  Cowboy did this with not one, but several of the larger horses, the bigger the horse, the better the swing.  I was horrified to see him enter the pen of one of our large stallions.  To my complete surprise, Red stood patiently until Cowboy got tired of swinging, never once did Red kick at the little white dog swinging from his glorious tail.  Why? The horses understood that Cowboy was not right, that he meant no harm, and that he was just a little one.  So they all put up with it, even the mares. He was allowed to eat with them and lay on their hay.  He was handicapped and they understood that and allowed him to play his silly little games.  Cowboy's life was cut short, not by the horses, but a careless driver.  A driver, who came through my fence, and Cowboy, not hearing him, was ran over in front of my house, in our driveway. The horses knew, and understood my grief. 

Horses commiserate with you in times of grief or illness.  They can give you hugs and sloppy kisses, or stand quietly while you sob your heart out in their soft necks.  They can be silly, play games, have good days and grumpy days, or maybe just need a word of reassurance. 

All our horses know their names.  You can call their names and they will answer you.  I was hospitalized for several weeks last year - when I came home, I was welcomed by a beautiful, and touching chorus of "Welcome Home" equine style.  They speak with their eyes, ears and heart-we just don't listen. 

For another story on how horses communicate with us, please read "Dusty's Demand."  (PLEASE SEE THE POEM/ARTICLES FOR THIS STORY) A true story that just enforces that horses know what goes on around them, have their own thought process and reasoning, though somewhat different form ours, by no means inferior, but, definitely, more honest.  If we knew as much about horses, as they know about us, they try very hard to please us, or if we would open our minds to realizing we can communicate with these wonderful animals, as well as so many others, we would comprehend the tremendous loss of each, unique animal. 

We must become responsible.  We must stop over breeding, and most definitely, the thousands of "back yard" breeders.  If we take on the care of a horse, then we must give it the chance for a good life.  If the time comes, that the horse must have another home, don not send an ill or injured animal to auction.  If the animal is ill, or dying, show compassion and euthanize it humanely.  If it is injured, give it a chance at life, an injured or crippled horse has no chance of adoption.  Injuries, no matter how small, left untreated will cost that horse a chance for life.  To die, because you are the wrong sex or color, regardless of level of training is heart breaking. 

There are thousands of stories for the thousands of horses that go to slaughter every year. From a high pedigree raced horse to the offspring from the backyard breeder and all in-between.  You can help us, there are not enough rescues to save them all.  We need your help to save what we can.  Support/contributions, no matter how small are all appreciated.  To kill America's Equines, for our mistakes is a crime.  We must take responsibility-all of us.  We can stop this - NOW. 

My wish is that I never have to see the desolation, abandonment and fear in another horses eyes, as it is waiting to go to slaughter, nor see the hope in their eyes, begging you to take them from this place of death. 

PLEASE REPORT ANIMAL ABUSE TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES - IF YOU DON'T GET RESULTS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR NEAREST RESCUE.  THERE ARE ANIMAL ABUSE LAWS IN NEBRASKA, AND THOUGH NOT ENFORCED AS THEY SHOULD BE AND LEAVING MUCH TO BE DESIRED, IT IS THE LAW. 

HUMANS DENY INTELLIGENCE AND COMPASSION IN ANIMALS, THEREFORE NO GUILT ABOUT KILLING, TORTURING, OR ABUSING, A LESSER CREATURE, FOR OUR OWN GAIN, VANITY, OR LACK OF CONSCIENCE.

Valerie  Hinderlider

Horse Slaughter:
"America’s Dirty Little Secret"

Nearly 100,000 American horses were slaughtered in 2005. The three foreign owned Slaughter houses ship the horse meat overseas for consumption in Europe and Japan. YES, they do eat our American horses. In fact, when the Kentucky Derby Winner of 2002 "Fernando" was slaughtered, the French restaurant advertised Fernando’s horse meat as: "EAT AN AMERICAN CHAMPION!"

POLLS SHOW 80 PERCENT OF AMERICANS ARE AGAINST SLAUGHTERING OF HORSES FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.
Would you want Barbaro slaughtered for someone to eat, if he doesn't recover? If not Barbaro, why any other horse? Is this how America treats the horse after all the horse has done for America?

Horse slaughter is not humane in any way. The animals are terrified, and it may take many hits with the bolt gun before they are stunned enough to be strung up, and their throats cut to bleed out. Some horses are still struggling while they are being hung up on meat hooks. The horses know they are going to die! They smell the blood, fear and death all around them. They are not even transported humanely.  They are packed in cramped, double-decker trucks for hours with no food or water. Injured or young horses can be trampled to death or smothered. Mares with their young foals are separated. Pregnant mares abort from the trauma. The slaughter plants say the horses are killed quickly, because horses under stress will produce inferior meat, and that American horse meat is the "best in the World!"

We are slaughtering our American Heritage.  These animals helped make this country what it is today. Without them, we would have failed!  They have carried us, helped grow our food, and died for us in battle.  We owe them so much more than a captive bolt and ending up on a plate!!!

So many wonderful horses go to slaughter. Weanlings, yearlings, older horses with many years left to give, injured horses with very treatable injuries, pregnant mares (what do you think happens to the unborn foal?), donkeys, burros, ponies, and mules. Some only because they are the wrong sex, or wrong color. They come from ignorant back yard breeders, their owners don't want to feed them anymore, they have been abused and need extra care, or the owner wants that last dollar out of their 20 year old horse. There are dozens of reasons. None of them the fault of the animal.

The congress put off a vote on this issue, after testimony from both sides, until September. One can only imagine what monetary gain, to whom was responsible. In the meantime, more horses, donkeys, burros, ponies and mules will suffer a horrible death for European and Japanese restaurants.

'WE THE PEOPLE' have spoken, Our government is not listening, including the U.S.D.A. that overrode the first horse slaughter ban. We must all contact our congressmen and the President, who was initially responsible for the slaughter of our Protected Mustangs, to vote in favor of the ban on Horse Slaughter. There are numerous websites you can visit regarding horse slaughter for human consumption, and horse slaughter of PMU (premarin) mares and foals. If you would like to see an uncut, graphic version of horses from the truck to the table, check out

Author:  Valerie Hinderlider       Break Heart Ranch Horse Rescue

www.sharkonline.org/horseslaughter.mv.

Pictures courtesy of HFA/gaileisnitz      The Humane Farming Association

Dear Animal Advocates, The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior that administers America's public lands, including the animals who call this land home. As part of its wild horse management program, the BLM has spent the past several years rounding up wild horses and keeping them in private, long-term holding facilities—which is expensive. Now, the agency wants to euthanize thousands of healthy horses, claiming it is too costly to feed and care for them. The ASPCA encourages the BLM to explore other solutions, including but not limited to reopening additional land for the horses and increasing certain contraception programs that have already proven safe and effective. What You Can Do Please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to email a letter to your legislators in the U.S. Congress urging them to oppose the BLM’s plan to kill thousands of healthy wild horses. Thank you for taking action for America's animals.

NEW GRAPHIC VIDEO OF HOW WE TREAT OUR AMERICAN HORSES

visit this site for more information
Humane Society Legislative Fund (humanesociety@hslf.org)

Caval Miracle Horses Story

Back From The Brink
 2007 Article in Farm and Ranch Living Magazine

Click on the page below to read the full article

To view a heartbreaking video on horse slaughter please visit this site:

The American Horse

I have special permission from John Holland for the use or this link.  It is copy righted.