the history of horse slaughter

The slaughtering horses started in the early 1970's. Americans don't eat horse meat we consider horses to be favored animals.. The idea of eating horsemeat is cruel to us americans. It was foreign interests that first built equine slaughterhouses in the United States and by the 1990's, there were at least sixteen of them operating all across the country. At that time, most Americans were not aware that this industry even existed. It was a secretive business that operated through "killer buyers" (middlemen for the slaughterhouses) and other "insiders," including horse dealers and a group of "meat men" who paid cash for Thoroughbreds who became injured or were just not fast enough to compete any more. Over the years, the industry grew largely as a result of indiscriminate and over-breeding by some people who began to use slaughter as a convenient way to get rid of their unwanted horses quickly, rather than take responsibility for them by either taking the time to place them or by paying a licensed veterinarian put them down humanely. Over 140,000 Quarter Horses are born every year, often "puppy mill style" with the ones that are "not just right" in terms of color and/or conformation being scrapped conveniently for slaughter.

By 2006, there were only three horse slaughterhouses remaining in the US, all foreign-owned and operated. That year, H.R. 503, the House version of The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act passed easily, but was blocked in the Senate by Larry Craig (R-ID) and other lawmakers representing pro-horse-slaughter special interests. The bill died and has not reached the floor of either House since.

The two Texas facilities shut down after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 1949 Texas law prohibiting the sale of horsemeat. In 2007, the State of Illinois enacted a ban on horse slaughter, shutting the slaughterhouse there, the last one operating in the US. http://www.equineadvocates.org/issueDetail.php?recordID=2
http://www.animalrescueunit.com/horseslaughter.htm
http://animalconnectionac.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/usa-ask-your-senators-to-ban-horse-slaughter/
sometimes people need to be shown the worst of things to realize

taking care of your horses vs taking them to slaughter

http://www.helpful.com/taking-care-your-pet-

Blog post #8

comparing and contrasting taking care of your horses versus sending them to slaughter.

{In order to thrive horses need the right amount of food water and shelter to keep them out of the weather.  It takes a lot of time and energy to keep these animals in tip top shape for rodeos or whatever event you and your horses are in. Everyone knows your horse is a vital part of your team in any equestrian sport. When or if you cannot take care of your horse there are humane  alternatives  you can lease your horse to someone to ride and show or you can donate your horse to a therapeutic horse clinic for children that struggle in different ways (after doing a little background check of where they're retired horses go). anytime a horse changes handsthey are at risk of being sold to slaughter. so be careful who you sell them to. some horses need special care such as feed with higher fat and proteins. some horses don't grow thick enough fur for the winter and they require a winter blanket for extra warmth. Increase a horse’s forage intake during the winter months, getting as close to the ideal of around-the-clock, free-choice hay as possible. If an older horse with dental is­sues can’t chew hay properly, you can buy a chopped hay product it will accomplish the same thing.}

Feed only good-quality hay. stemmy hay is not digested well by horses of any age, making it essentially useless in helping a horse gain body condition or stay warm.
Monitor an older horse’s weight all season long, making adjustments when necessary. If needed, add calo­ries as fat instead of sugars or carbo­hydrates, both of which can aggravate metabolic conditions of older horses.
An older horse, even a perfectly healthy one, is going to have a harder time staying warm in very cold weather,They tend to have less muscle mass and fat to keep them warm. A cold horse not only becomes thin, but he will also become stressed and weak as his body struggles to maintain its temperature. That can lead to a compromised immune system less able to fight off illness or infection.

As a general rule, Trachtenberg rec­ommends blanketing any horse older than 20 when temperatures drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That doesn’t mean you should feel guilty about not blanketing a 21-year-old who is in great shape,If that horse has shel­ter and is maintaining his weight and seems healthy, he probably doesn’t need a blanket. But with the older horses in colder climates, it’s better to start from the assumption that they need a blanket rather than the other way around.
http://www.equisearch.com/senior-resource-center-your-aging-horse-winter-care/?gclid=CPqX_p3Aq7MCFRGqnQodB2EAYg
horse_246http://www.lentzblanketrepair.com/blankets.html