Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

RE: [RC] [RC] Canadian Slaughter - David LeBlanc

Heidi Smith said:

So what would you do with the preservation breeders like me?  
I have 12 intact male horses on the place.  I don't breed 
that many foals in a year.

OK, so you get a license <g>.

but the reality 
is that the vast majority of the horses who go to slaughter 
are NOT suitable as riding horses.

I think some of those horses started out life with legitimate breeders, and
then something happened. One factor that comes into play is that a horse is
worth money to slaughter, and so some perfectly good horses are killed
because someone managed to pay $500, got $800 for meat. Another problem is
that horses cost a fair bit of money to keep. It isn't easy to spend
$1000/year to keep around a horse that doesn't do anything but look cute. I
have a 15-year old with high ringbone and she might not ever get ridden
again, except by kids being towed on a lead rope. She can live to be 30 and
stay in my pasture. Not everyone can do that, or cares enough about their
animal. That's the tragedy here - people will slaughter a horse while they'd
keep around a dog or cat in the same condition. I think it is mostly the
economics of the problem. Sadly, there isn't a good solution.

Also, not all non-commercial breeders are being irresponsible. A horse
doesn't have to have perfect bloodlines to be loved, well cared for and have
a useful life. OTOH, we have a neighbor that breeds Thoroughbreds and it's a
real disaster. Irritates me every time I look over there.

Bottom line--you can't legislate morality.

Yup - you're right. Not much that can be done legally. As much as I'd like
to, you can't save them all.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Replies
Re: [RC] [RC] Canadian Slaughter, Heidi Smith