Horse Slaughter Plants

Horse slaughter is a controversial issue around horse communities right now.

I keep hearing is how it's so inhumane, all the plants are abusive, and it's just plain wrong.

I'm going to say otherwise.

Not all horse slaughter plants are the same. Perhaps *some* may be abusive and even cruel to the horses before slaughtering, but that does not mean *all* slaughter plants are that way. I have sources which I trust, and the way some slaughter plants are run is not bad at all. The horses are not abused in transportation, do not see the other horses being killed, and are shot and killed before they know it. Yep, even quicker than having a vet give your horse anesthesia. The way at least some slaughterhouses are run is quick, efficient, and not abusive in any way whatsoever. I can't say they are all this great - I'll leave that for you to figure out.

Of course, society does not emphasize this. PETA groups, especially. All you hear about slaughterhouses is how all of them are evil and they are turning horses into meat. Well, hey. We do the same thing to cows, pigs, turkeys, and chickens, and especially the latter option has it way worse than horses do (just watch the film "Food, Inc").

I am not saying all horses that need to be put down should be sent to slaughterhouses, or that the government should make slaughterhouses the only option for dealing with an unwanted horse. But slaughterhouses should not be banned! Come on, people. There are a lot of horses out there that are unmanageable, not being cared for right, untrained, and unwanted. Not all that many people will love their problem horse enough to have him put down, or actually train him and give him the life a horse deserves.

Consider the pros of slaughterhouses being legal in the US. The economy would get a boost, there would be more jobs, the great excess of unwanted horses would decrease, the horses' mass would be put to use, the dog food companies would be happy, and there would be a good way to deal with an unwanted/crazy/uncared-for horse without having to pay a lot of money to have the vet put him down and then have the body buried.

As far as human consumption of horse meat, I personally wouldn't eat it, but it's fine if other people want to. From what I've heard, horse meat (due to the chemical wormers and other medications horses receive) is not always safe for human consumption, but I still don't consider a sin. And if a horse's meat can be used for dog food? Great! At least put the horse to some use for something else if not for yourself or the horse.

Stop believing all those lies that are so plentiful in our society today, and before you start judging all of the slaughterhouses the same, GO TO THEM AND LOOK FOR YOURSELF. Seriously.

What it really goes back to is if we view animals as humans (or vice-versa), or if we believe that God created both us and them, and gave us humans dominion over animals (Genesis 1:26), which He did. We should be good caretakers of horses, and if there are too many horses, it's up to us to figure something out, one way or another.

My overall opinion on this? If you have the money to pay a vet to give your horse anesthesia, great. If not, or if you have a horse that no one will care for or take the time to train, send him to the slaughterhouse where he'll be used.