Tag Archive | "human consumption"

Euthanasia Versus Horse Slaughter Versus Other Alternatives: Which Is More Economically Feasible?


First of all, I know this question is going open a can of worms, but after answering a related one about whether or not slaughter should be legal and horse meat made available for human consumption in the United States, I felt I had to raise the issue again from an economic perspective. I’m interested in hearing about others’ thoughts on which solutions to the problems of horse overpopulation are the most cost effective and economically viable or feasible, and which can ( and possibly should) be implemented on a large scale. This is not intended to be a debate about whether or not slaughter should be legal- we already have had that discussion. Nor is it intended to be a debate about whether or not slaughter is inhumane. I’m simply interested in what methods people would use to go about solving the problems associated with horse overpopulation, neglect, abuse, and abandonment, and which of those methods people feel are the most cost effective.
As I stated in my response to the question asked the other day, I believe that reopening the slaughter houses is but one part of what obviously must be a multi faceted solution to these problems. Clearly, simply doing that alone isn’t going to be enough- there are other steps that need to be taken, including going after the backyard breeders and getting legislation passed at both the federal and state levels which requires LICENSING for anyone who wishes to become a breeder. Still other steps that could be taken include mandating castration programs for any colt or stallion that isn’t purebred or which does not demostrate the accepted standards for his breed, regardless of what that breed is. We also need to come up with reliable contraceptives for horses of both genders which can be administered orally as human contraceptives are. Lastly, as I mentioned in my other answer, serious efforts need to be made to reform the sport of racing and the breeding industry which supports it. The TB industry alone is a HUGE contributor to the horse overpopulation problem- the modern TB is one of the most over and inbred breeds in existence. There are still plenty of farms out there which will pay someone beau coup bucks to come with a truck every fall and rid them of what is politely called “excess inventory” in the industry. Those trucks end up hauling a lot of young TB’s away- and the next stop for most of them is the Canadian or Mexican borders and the slaughter houses which lie beyond them. That’s something which has been going on for decades, since long before slaughter ever became illegal in the States the way it is now. The rest of the young racehorses get run through sales or dumped on the market when they can’t run any more- with the result that they too often become targets for killer buyers. This is the TB breeding industry’s worst kept secret, and it’s one that desperately needs to be changed- but finding alternatives to this scenario isn’t going to be easy or cheap. I’ve long felt that euthanasia is impractical on any kind of large scale, simply because of the costs involved in doing it. Not only are the drugs themselves expensive, there is also the question of disposal costs for the animals’ remains. So again, I ask, which solutions are the most cost effective, and why do you feel that way? Please, no rudeness- this is a civil discussion.

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