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Copyright 2008 Rocky Mountain Rider. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction of any editorial material, artwork and photos is strictly forbidden without express written permission of the publisher. For information about reprint rights, please contact the editor; editor@rockymountainrider.com.
April 2008 Issue
[Editor’s Note:
We have received many letters from readers about the Unwanted Horse
issue. Due to space limitations, we have had to excerpt these letters.
Thank you for voicing your opinions!] Dear RMR– I
have been lucky enough to have land so I could bury my horses when they
got old and had to be put down for various reasons. I never kept one
alive on drugs and would never have let one suffer. I kept my promise to
them. They would have a good death and burial if I was around. I
have seen horses’ lives ended with a gunshot and with drugs. Shooting
seems to be instant and may be the kinder. No one has loved a horse any
more than I, so I say this with all my heart. I
know this is impossible, but how good it would be if they could be put
down where they live and their bodies taken to a nearby rendering
company. The
hauling, the sights, sounds and smells of slaughterhouses must be a
nightmare for these wonderful, beautiful animals. —Anita
Smith, Penrose, CO Dear Friends in the Horse
Industry– I
am a third-generation rancher and farmer in I
have ridden for about 64 years. We had to ride horses to grade school
during World War II. We ran Angus cows on rough range for 32 years.
Also, we ran 1,400 yearlings on the meadows. I
have ridden every kind of horse from draft to Tennessee Walkers, which I
have now. I have had several thoroughbreds. I have ridden Morgan
Appaloosas, which were the toughest. Nine years ago, I had a Three Bars
bred horse which was the best cow horse ever. What
can we do about getting rid of our old horses? We got people moving in
here from everywhere, probably the same as you folks. They never hardly
ever ride them. Just feed them hay year around. (It makes us a good
market for hay.) We have a big hole up the mountain where we put horses
when they die. Right
here, they are only paying about $120 per head and sending the horses up
to There
are already reports that people are taking horses out in the desert and
turning them loose in Let
me know if I can do anything to help this situation. —Renell
Weeks, Dear RMR– I
read your article on unwanted horses and am at the conclusion we need a
humane society for horses as we have for unwanted cats and dogs. I
know there are horse rescue places. I am one of them, but my husband and
I pay out of our own pocket. I have taken in many old horses and horses
with medical problems. We
were retired but because of feed and vet bills we have both gone back to
work to pay for hay and necessary items. But
many people do not care for their horses as they can and should due to
changes and finances. I
am not fond of slaughterhouses. I am not sure of the people who are
supposed to keep an eye on the care and activities at these places. I
have been to auctions and seen many poor and unwanted animals there to
be sold. It breaks my heart. But what can be done? If
a Humane Society can be run for unwanted dogs and cats, why not for
horses? Where they will be taken in no matter if they need to be put
down humanely or need medical care or are just unwanted. We need our
states or government to somehow fund these and maybe even local taxes in
communities where horses are abundant. I
don’t have the answer. I love horses and I can’t take care of them
all or I would. But just like dogs and cats, people keep breeding horses
and they need homes and training and care. People don’t realize what
it takes to care of a horse. They are a big animal and hay is not
getting any cheaper. I
just wanted to talk to you and tell you what I thought. It might not do
any good, but here it is. I
enjoy your magazine and hope and pray that somehow we can get help for
these horses that are Unwanted. —Thanks.
Sincerely, Kathy Hilliard Dear RMR– There
are 100,000 unwanted horses a year that now have no where to go. Here in
the Emotionally,
I’d like to keep every horse alive, as long as possible, unless he is
in pain. Horses are family members to me. A person doesn’t just dump
their old family members out in the woods and leave them for wolves to
eat. As
bad as I hate to send a horse to slaughter, it is kind of a necessary
evil, to prevent abandonment, freezing and starving to death. Which is
even crueler than a quick bullet to the head. There
is no easy answer, to this emotional debacle. My husband and I certainly
didn’t spend 30 years of our lives, trying to raise the best horses in
the business: the prettiest, smartest, most athletic horses that ever
lived, with personality and kindness, and beautiful color to boot, to
end up in a dog food can, or a steak for supper in some foreign country. With
that said, I still support horse slaughter here in the Not
the people that closed the Horse Slaughter Houses. Let them put that
money toward feeding America’s Homeless people. —Sincerely,
Betty Lynn, Lynn’s Quarter Horses, Corvallis, MT Dear RMR– Are
you aware that in the past, the CBC (Chappel Bros. Cannery) raised
horses in Montana and North Dakota for slaughter? I understand that you
had to be a good hand to ride for the CBC. Not many are alive today. Are
you aware of the Taylor Grazing Act (1934), which called for the removal
of unclaimed horses from open ranges. They were removed. This is what
happened to the wild horse. Reality
— Wild Horse Annie should be turning over in her grave! Her actions
have put thousands of horses in prison and thousands more in servitude.
Some of them have gone to slaughter. We
hire umps, refs, and judges for their expertise. What horse expertise do
the anti-horse slaughter people have? I have a lot of “Have you
ever?” questions I could ask them. I’ve
been around a few horses… I’ve seen some that I’d have liked to
cut their throats; other that I’d have kicked their butts; others
I’ve felt bad over; and a couple that I’ve cried over. We
recently put down Tommy. He was a 30-year-old ex-calf roping horse that
had had a ton of money won on. I cried. My wife cried. My son, Bill,
cried. I have an old goat, an old mini-donkey, a pony, plus a couple of
usable horses I’m feeding. Bill has a steer and a mammoth donk he’s
been feeding for years. We
aren’t without heart. Slaughter done humanely is the only sensible
thing for most people to do. —Dick
Parker, P.S. –I’d bet the ranch that any of these anti-slaughter
people put under dire starvation circumstances would eat Old Dobbin in a
heartbeat. Dear RMR– I
wanted to especially thank you for the recent articles on unwanted
horses. Although this is a very emotional issue, it is one that each and
every horse owner needs to confront at some time in their years of horse
ownership. Your information was very straightforward and extremely
useful. I will be exploring the links to better educate myself. I
have lost two of my equine friends in recent years. Thankfully, I could
bury them on my acreage. Most horse owners do not have this option. We
need more readily-available choices and pre-planning for this
eventuality. I
recently adopted a “Premarin” horse from Horse
slaughter is thriving in Many
Canadians are very concerned about horse welfare and enacting laws to
ensure humane treatment. They are looking to the The
problem of Unwanted Horses can be directly linked to overpopulation.
Education is the key — I have already written to US Pony Club (no
response yet) and my state 4-H council (favorable, concerned response)
to suggest adding end-of-life issues to their educational programs. If
everyone involved with a youth or other horse organization would just
start this dialogue, I am sure much progress could be made. Again,
many thanks for addressing the tough issues and not being just another
glossy magazine. You’ve already done more than most publications to
improve horse welfare. Salute! —Yours truly, Peg Brownlee, “Lannman” and “Ambassador,”
Florence, MT
Copyright 2008 Rocky Mountain Rider. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction of any editorial material, artwork and photos is strictly forbidden without express written permission of the publisher. For information about reprint rights, please contact the editor; editor@rockymountainrider.com.
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