Horse Slaughter

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

k s swigart katswig@earthlink.net

KJ Said:
>I disagree,
>Price gained for horse meat: $450
>Price saved from vet:        $120
>Price saved from disposal:   $100
>Total: $670
>I can't afford to throw that much away. 
>But I don't think any one should say that I can't afford my horses.
>I see it a practicality rather than morality issue.

What you didn't mention (and here, I will use California prices)
Cost saved not having to board horse:   $200/month
Cost saved not having to shoe horse:   ~  50/month
Cost saved not having to worm the horse:   5/month

In less than three months of not having the horse (assuming
you do nothing with it other than maintain it) you have
more than saved the $670 difference between selling for
slaughter and euthanizing.

If you choose to have your horse euthanized and hauled off
rather than subjecting it to a 3 day trip to Texas (again
assuming you are in Californis) in cramped transportation
quarters you are not "throwing the money away" any more than
you are throwing money away on feed and care for your horse
in regular maintenance....you are spending money on your horse
hobby.  And if you can't afford to spend $670 on your horse...
you can't afford your horse.

Which isn't to say that you are not entitled to choose not to.

kat
Orange County, Calif.

p.s.  And technically speaking, the $450 that you would get in
selling it for meat is not and actual cost of choosing to have
the horse euthanized instead, it is what is called in economics
an "opportunity cost."  The opportunity costs associated with
having horses are so astronomical as to be almost incalculable...and 
there are a great deal of those that that you will also "save"
in not having to care for and maintain the horse (which I didn't
include in the "savings" I outlined above.