so shocking that its true!

[Vela]

Horses are slaughtered for meat every day just the same way cattle are. What makes a difference between killing a cow and killing a horse if it goes for meat? Retired race horses are sold for slaughter every day. I will never understand this way of thinking. Regardless if it's a cow, sheep, horse, pig...they are all animals and one's death shouldn't mean any less than the other.

The method of killing any of them is the issue...not whether or not they should be slaughtered. I personally would not eat horsemeat, the thought of it makes me ill. Nor would I eat dog or cat meat, although others do it; however, ANY animal killed should have it done humanely and quickly.

[cassiesmom]

Some time ago I read an article in a magazine about a program that placed retired race horses in a prison farm, where they were cared for by a select group of prisoners. These were horses that were headed for slaughter. The horses got the care they needed. They were groomed, taken out to the pasture each day, sheltered, and some of them had medical needs that were attended by the prisoners and overseen by a veterinarian. The prisoners learned job skills for farm and animal work. It also had some social and psychological benefits because they could tell things to the farm staff that they didn't feel they could discuss with the guards, they learned time management and coping skills. Some of the horses go on to riding programs for special needs kids and disabled people, and some just continue to live at the farm and get cared for. These horses get snapped up by riding programs because they get such good care. Some animals are part of the food chain but horses are not.

[katrina]

Some time ago I read an article in a magazine about a program that placed retired race horses in a prison farm, where they were cared for by a select group of prisoners. These were horses that were headed for slaughter. The horses got the care they needed. They were groomed, taken out to the pasture each day, sheltered, and some of them had medical needs that were attended by the prisoners and overseen by a veterinarian. The prisoners learned job skills for farm and animal work. It also had some social and psychological benefits because they could tell things to the farm staff that they didn't feel they could discuss with the guards, they learned time management and coping skills. Some of the horses go on to riding programs for special needs kids and disabled people, and some just continue to live at the farm and get cared for. These horses get snapped up by riding programs because they get such good care. Some animals are part of the food chain but horses are not.

thats exactly how i feel... an even though these horse are retired, it dosnt mean they have to die, they may go own to have a long and healthy life as this shows, what was done to those horses was just uncalled for!

[TamanduaGirl]

Since it's gone to this a little bit, If they outlaw horse slaughter many zoo animals will go hungry as that is the main meat source for most of the larger carnivores and it wont be easy for the zoos to pay the extra cost for beef.

Try telling lions equines aren't part of the food chain.

LLamas have a slipt hoove and eat cud you know so I guess those would be okay to eat though they are related to camels?

But there are plenty of religeous beleifs that differ in regards to food, like cows being sacred to some so not for food. So you can't use a religeous resion to decide for all but I totaly support people making the desision for themselves based on that.

I do think it's sad for a previously companion animal to be slaughtered for food but to me it's better that since they will be put down for want of a home anyway than to have their flesh be waisted.

[Argranade]

Since it's gone to this a little bit, If they outlaw horse slaughter many zoo animals will go hungry as that is the main meat source for most of the larger carnivores and it wont be easy for the zoos to pay the extra cost for beef.

Try telling lions equines aren't part of the food chain.

LLamas have a slipt hoove and eat cud you know so I guess those would be okay to eat though they are related to camels?

But there are plenty of religeous beleifs that differ in regards to food, like cows being sacred to some so not for food. So you can't use a religeous resion to decide for all but I totaly support people making the desision for themselves based on that.

I do think it's sad for a previously companion animal to be slaughtered for food but to me it's better that since they will be put down for want of a home anyway than to have their flesh be waisted.

I also don't like Zoo's very much, these animals should not be kept captive no matter what reason.

[junescrater716]

Actually, zoos save species. Animals in captivity live longer than in the wild. They don't know the difference. It's not like they go around capturing healthy wild animals. If they find aa sick or injured one then they will take it in to the zoo but by then the animals are used to human contact already.

[luckies4me]

I don't know where you got the whole split hoof thing but if it's from the Bible I don't follow the bible, so that means nothing to me.

Eating cows and pigs is gross and dirty too. In fact, eating any kind of meat is unclean. Working in the veterinary field I know this all too well. Do you think cows and pigs are slaughtered humanely? Think again. Not only do they live in the poorest conditions but their death is not a pretty one. Again one animals death should NOT mean less than anothers.

And horses have been used as a meat source by people for YEARS! A LOT of people eat horse, and it is sold in American stores. Just like buffalo, ostrich, goat, sheep, venison, beef etc. Tell me what exactly is the difference? One is cuter than the other so I guess I won't eat it?

I also don't like Zoo's very much, these animals should not be kept captive no matter what reason.

So I guess we should let all the endangered species die out then? I think it is a great idea that there are captive breeding programs that enable us to bring back an animal that was on the verge of extinction. After all it's our fault they got to that point. The least we can do is try to help them out a little. And what then about wildlife rehabilitators? Should an injured wild animal be euthanized because of an injury, or is it wrong than too to bring it into captivity and help it heal itself so that it may one day be released into it's natural habitat? If we kept this way of thinking I'm sure a lot of animals would have died out ages ago.

And to make myself clear, I am not saying that what the person did to this animal was ok. I feel horrible that the animal had to die in such a tramatic way, but that goes for any animal that has to die in such a way at the hands of a human.