Horses slaughtered in FL?

[thebritt]

OBVIOUSLY, people should not steal horses/pets and slaughter them for ANY reason!

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Emzyyy - I've always felt like that, so know that you're not alone. I went to college for Wildlife Management, and they lost me on the exam question, "What weight trap would you use to drown a beaver vs. a muskrat for stream flow control?" That college was in Wisconsin. They're a little more wildlife (survival) minded out here in Ca. There are a lot of people out here that feel the way we do. But it's $$$$ that dictates how wildlife, or any natural resource (including mustangs), for that matter, is dealt with by the powers that be. Don't give up! Go to college and keep fighting for what you believe - otherwise your opinions are just another of many...

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Honestly, I believe that the slaughter houses would not have been shut down if there wasn't any reason for it. Yes many people have horses as companions, but just look at BYC many of us have pets that are traditionally livestock. I think there was cold hard fact behind the mistreatment of these horses, and that hundreds of the horses commercially slaughtered were stolen animals. Because the animals fetched a meat price, people would actually steal them and ship them out of state to be slaughtered. Even horses with brandings(this is how they found out where there stolen pets went), the slaughter houses were suppose to be researching the brands to make sure they weren't stolen. They did not. The slaughter houses were told to improve the living conditions and equipment, they did not. They were shut down and the horses saved.

If the slaughter houses were to improve the conditions and abide by the rules, then I would vote to have them reopened. Sadly the horse market has gone all to bits without this outlet. People are still breeding horses like crazy, except now when they are unwanted they are truly unwanted. What to do now? Require animal control to open stables for the unwanted pets, giving them 2 weeks to be adopted or be euthanized? That's a big hole to dig, and a lot of meat to waste. Rescues are overrun as it is, some of these horses are perfectly fine others a permanently injured and pasture companions. Ever since the slaughter houses have shut down horses are starving and being neglected to death in the fields, because they can't even be given away.

I think if they opened a HUMANE slaughter house for horses, it would be the best thing for the horses and horse lovers in the long run. They wouldn't have to be for human consumption, take these animals that are starving and being neglected and turn them into dog food or exotic predator food. That is the one thing about commercial houses that they do right, they don't waste a thing. It might be sad to think that these animals are being used for food, but think about it this way, if the animals are going to die why not allow them to be used for good instead of dumping them into the landfill?

-Kim

 

[Wolf-Kim]

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You have to remember that these are feral horses, they are actually not native. While I don't believe that they should be removed, since they have climatized and aren't doing too much damage. If it weren't for people in the first place, these animals would not be there in the first place. If it wasn't for people, the horses you know and love today wouldn't exist, because they are domestic animals. Compare the only wild horses in the world, to the feral mustangs and you'll see a different animal. Yeah, they may look similar, but the truly wild horses are undomesticated and act differently.

I don't believe that there are people who wish to completely remove the mustangs. They simply wish to control the populations. Think of the mustangs as feral dogs or feral cats or even feral pythons in Florida! Feral cats are trapped, spayed and neutered and released. They are not always destroyed, but we are trying to control their populations. I am pretty sure that there are some mustang reserves, where they are protected and the land is set aside. Yes, there are mustang roundups, but without them the mustangs would breed without control, the population would grow but the land would not. Without a large population of predators that feed on these non-native animals, the horses would starve each other out. Or become so populated that they make eachother sick. Just read about the areas in the country where the deer are way out of control and even their natural predators can't keep them in check.

In a perfect world, everything could get along and breed without interference or control, without limitations and not get in each other's way. Sadly this world is all but perfect.

-Kim

 

[Sallyschickens]

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Well said!!

 

[monarc23]

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Or they would hunt their own food and raise their own food. I looked into commercial meat about 7 yrs. ago and I have not bought any meat from a store in over 7 years now. I will only eat what we raise or my DH kills. ONLY...I was disgusted at my findings!

Hunting laws are changing harshly here in PA and probably every where else as well. During deer season for example, in certain parts of the states counties you are not allowed to hunt does... and in every different part of the county you are only allowed to shoot a buck with a certain amount of antlers on one side.....this is to make the bucks here bigger in PA. Which sure that's nice for trophy hunters but people like my husband and I hunt because it's a tradtion and we both take part in dragging the deer out of the woods and butchering it and packing its meat up and enjoying it for several months. Venison is delish. Last year because of the declining hunting areas, and rediculous rules neither my husband nor I shot a deer.... the rules are making poaching become even more previlant here... people just dont care anymore the rules are such a pain to stay in accordance with that some people are just shooting when they see deer. I heard of SEVERAL people last season who shot any deer they saw... and more than one at that.

I'm HOPING I can raise a meat hog here next year.... their doodie smells though, so that'll bea lot of begging to my landlords (my parents we rent from lol). edited to add: for anyone who thinks this is cruel of me, I'd rather do that then eat crap meat from the store but I have to for now

I personally don't think humans were meant to be vegetarians (i personally dont thikn it's healthy and forcing carnivores and omnivores to only eat vegetables boils my blood) but to each their own. Also, btw, I love pigs as pets they make wonderful pets, and I'd love and spoil a future meat pig but in the end i'd have to get him butchered as that was the plan to provide meat on the table. I'd raise a beautiful beef cow for the same reason however, our land is too hilly for one.

Yep, I don't even want to hunt this year....(well i cant now, im pregnant lol) because the prices went up so drastically and hunting deers during rifle season is NOT like you see it on the hunting shows. Most of those are done on deer farms, here in the real world of hunting deers are running like mad to avoid hunters, and unless you have amazing eye sight and can slow a deer down frame by frame to count the points on one side of antlers to make sure the buck is legal you're SOL.

I LOVE hunting....but it really upsets the crap out of me what's being taken from us.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

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[Emzyyy]

There were wild horses once a ways back before we arrived here and they died out we sorta brought them back. They are not the exact type of horse, but at one point they were native here. And still who is containing human populations? I think we should really control OUR breeding. (sounds crude but its true)

 

[Emzyyy]

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The horses should be left alone. We have wild deer don't we? Why can we not have wild horses roaming? I think its one of the beautiful things about US and I don't want all of them gone forever POOF! I don't think they should be fenced in either they are wild animals and its cruel to do so.

Not to start something, but weren't you the one who had the deer in her garage? But if your talking about Wild Mustangs, I do believe they should have a safe area for them to be free. A nice very large wide open area for them, even if it was fenced in, wouldn't be bad.

The fawn is now at the Hutch Zoo where she will be released with 10 other fawns back to the wild. Its a bit different rehabbing a animal and making them live there their whole life.

 

[Blackbird]

You are right Monarc. And you can certainly enjoy a pig and let it enjoy a nice humane life until it is time to eat. Thats how most domestic animals for meat were started off. They weren't packed into tiny places and fed food to make them grow into something they are not.. GMOs. That is why we grow most of our own food too.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

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But what of the Panthera atrox? It too once roamed North America way back when, along side the dire wolf and 20+ sabre-tooth genus that have since past away. Are we going to reintroduce a modern day relative in an attempt to make things right? The Panthera atrox, the North American Lion, once lived here too, you don't see us introducing African Lions to roam free.

Also, on the human control. You should be careful what you wish for! How do you suggest we control our populations? Killing the sick and old? Killing the unwanted babies? Taking away peoples freedom to ever have kids? What if you were to recieve a letter in the mail from the government stating that you were unfit for breeding and you had to report to your doctor for mandatory sterilization? Or if your family was deemed unwanted and had to report or be captured for euthanasia. Read a little into Hitler and his Holocaust and it'll scare you silly how "idealistic" his beliefs were. The euthanasia of old, ill, and "unfit". He set aside standards for what he believed the breeding population of the human race should be.

Just look at China, they attempted to control their populations. They permitted families one child. Since boys were more sought after than girls, infant girls were literally thrown into the dumpsters!

Again, an idealistic world in theory is beautiful and perfect, but in reality it would be hellish.

Edited to add: I realize my post my come off as standoffish. I assure you it is not my intention, these are simply subjects I have taken into deep consideration and have many thoughts on.

-Kim