Gov. Schweitzer Should Keep Horse Slaughter Out of Montana

I am a horse owner and have loved more then one wonderful horse thought out my life.

I agree that some horses should not be bred but the reason some people breed is to get better faster stronger horses. Just like every sport.

I believe there is a GREAT need for the slaughter houses to be reopen. It is the cycle of life. Just like the great out doors of Africa. Some times we people need to wake up and realize that God knew better then us, that is why he did it this way. Ask your dog, he doesn't mind eating my extra horses.

Just for instants,

Did you know that We Americans are paying approximately $3.00 a day for the wild mustangs to stay alive after they turn 6 years old. Not that these animals are bad but a horse can live to be about 30 years old.

These horses weren't bred on any "farm" just the way of nature. And they are taking away grazing land from other animals.

Thank you for listing.

Dusty of KS 8:53PM June 06, 2009

If there are too many horses and horse slaughter is needed, why are there so many being bred? I don't think the problem is that there are too many horses as much as some people feel a need to breed anything with a uterus. Then we have people taking on the responsibility of horse ownership that shouldn't even get a hamster. Horses are expensive, so...

DON'T BUY OR BREED...

WHAT YOU CAN'T CARE FOR AND FEED!!!

Susan of PA 10:15PM April 27, 2009

To those who think that there are many alternatives to slaughter, consider that horses live 20+ years. If those 130,000ish slaughtered horses per year were saved, next year there's another 130,000ish waiting for homes. Now we have 260,000ish. Next year there's another 130,000ish. Next year there's another 130,000ish. Retrain them and find homes for them? REALLY?? Are you kidding? THERE ARE NOT HOMES FOR THESE HORSES!! That's why they went to slaughter in the first place! Some of them have crippling diseases, some of them are dangerous, and yes, some of them are just unlucky. Wouldn't you rather that they were slaughtered than starving in someone's back pasture?

My horses eat about $3/day worth of hay EACH, not counting my costs for grain, bedding, vet, farrier, etc. $3 times 130,000 horses is almost $400,000 just for hay! Then is $800k the next year, then $1.2 million... and so on! That a lot of money! Do you have it? I don't.

Whether people like it or not, there are very valid reasons for slaughter. And, the fact that the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association both oppose the anti-slaughter legislations speak volumes. No anti-alughter bill considered in Congress has provided any solution to the question of what will happen to these horses, and who will pay for it. Banning slaughter has had disasterous and unintentional consequences, and most people in the equine industry DO recognize this!

To those who think humane euthanasia is a better option, consider the environmental impact of this. Many horses weigh 1000+ pounds, and it is illegal to bury them in many places. People either have to have a rendering plant pick them up, which is expensive, or they have to find a landfill to take them. How is filling up a landfill a better end than being on a plate? Can you imagine the stench of 130,000 rotting corpses in a landfill? What about the ground water? Composting corpes is legal, but what about the smell? What about the scavenger animals that eat the flesh full of barbiturates (Euthanasia solution is sodium pentobarbital +/- succinyl choline) and die as well? Did you know that a Bald Eagle will eat a freshly-euthanized corpse and die? Did you know that you can go to jail if that happens?

And yet another thought. How many millions of cats and dogs are "euthanized" in this country every year because there aren't enough homes for them? Even if you completely leave out the livestock vs. pet argument with horses, you can't ignore the fact that many, many, many cats and dogs are euthanized without a second thought. And many of them are not humanely treated, and are not humanely euthanized (gas chambers are still used, people!). How is that not on the forefront of a national debate?? Millions upon millions of animals, that are much easier to care for. That can live in your house and play with your children. That don't eat $3 per day in hay alone! Why are people comfortable with that?

Get a Grip! of NY 10:48PM April 26, 2009

To Stanton of XX,

Well, since horse slaughter is still legal, and in fact JUST AS MANY American horses (over 134,000!) were slaughtered in Canada and Mexico in 2008 as were slaughtered when the three foreign-owned horse slaughterhouses were operating in the US, I guess you're going to have make up some other reason other than "lack of slaughter" to blame.

Moreover, the slaughter of American horses is NOT EVEN LEGAL according to our own and European Union food laws. Shouldn't THAT concern Montana? American horses are not raised or medicated as food animals. The medications they receive are absolutely ILLEGAL in food animals (e.g. carcinogenic). You should be interested to know that this is one of the top issues that the Canadian horse slaughterhouses are looking into. One horse slaughterhouse in Canada has already closed because of food safety concerns. The EU is looking into Mexican horse slaughterhouses for the same reason.

Another thing Montana, Congress has banned the USDA from inspecting horse meat in America. If MT does build a horse slaughterhouse, the meat could not be sold outside of the state. I highly doubt the people of Montana want to eat carcinogenic horse meat.

Lori H. of IL 11:42PM April 23, 2009