Quote:
The time being spoken has most of the change being due to the economy, not lack of horse slaughter.
If Camelot prices are any indication... an average horse being run through there is worth $300 for its meat.
I don't see 300 bucks really changing the horse market.
Horses who have been bred well to fit a breed standard or a purpose, still sell for more than you were speaking of. I just paid alot more than that for mine.
If people kept themselves to breeding horses that are desired by the market, horses that fit the breed standard and can fill a purpose, there wouldn't be any horses to sell to slaughterhouses.
But even after the economy turned, people were breeding backyard horses because they were out of money, thinking they could turn a dime.
When I look through the local listings.. and see free horses... it usually reads as follows... "Paint/QH cross" "Appendix something or other" "Appy/QH cross" .... so I really wish these people would have gotten their heads out of their rears 5 years ago and not bred anything that needed to be referred to later as a "cross".
The idea of slaughterhouses opening back up makes me pretty sick... because I think of situations like this... where a family is in danger of loosing their home, as so many are... and finally give up their beloved horse because they *have* to... and want to find it a good home, so let it go for free.
The fellow who takes that horse makes all sorts of promises to them, then takes the horse back to his place where a whole bunch more are waiting, and next day loads them up to take for slaughter, at $300 each.
It already happens.... now that snake is going to make a bit more cash for it.
I see what some are saying about the trip to Mexico being horrible... I see.... BUT alot of people choose not to do it for that reason. Do you know what horse slaughter in the US looked like before it was unfunded these last 5 years? Apart from the shorter trip, those places on our own soil could not have been any less humane. A lot of horses were still dead or injured before they made it off the truck.
The horse slaughter issue is one of Greed. A bullet does not cost that much, if you have decided you horse is better off put down. I'm sure you could find some local rancher willing to come do the shooting easy enough. It would be sooo much better for the horse than any sort of slaughter option.
Instead... people want to make that last 300 bucks off the horse and put the horse through hell to get it.
Just about any horse that was not skinny, would bring 1.00 a lb live weight....but with them being haul thousand of miles to be butcher(out of the USA) cost was so high ,buyer of killers wasn't going to pay much , cause they had to add shipping cost.
Come back to this thread this time next year.....bet you will see horse prices back up. France in a big importer of horse meat.
I could go to local papers and find at least 12 horse free each moth or less.
Sad thing people will take these , then not be able to afford their upkeep.
Now if dogs , were butcher and meat sold to country were people eat dog meat. Think it would pay for the gather up all the stray and etc.
Just look how many are killed , then buried. Just a wasted.
Myself I wouldn't eat either.......but after they are killed....why wasted the meat.
