The suffering of these horses begins long before they even reach the slaughterhouse. Transport conditions are appalling, with horses regularly packed into overcrowded trailers and deprived of food, water, or rest during journeys that can last more than 24 hours. Upon arrival at the slaughterhouse, the suffering continues unabated. Horses might be left for long periods in tightly packed trailers, subjected to further extremes of heat and cold.
In hot weather, their thirst is acute. Downed animals are unable to rise, and horses are offloaded using excessive force. When the horses are herded through the plant to slaughter, callous workers use fiberglass rods to poke and beat their faces, necks, backs, and legs as the animals are shoved through the facility and into the kill box. It came up with about five prospects but could not find one that was well enough funded. The annual budget proviso with the ban was then reinstated in This Act would effectively shut down the export of horses to Canada and Mexico as well as any interstate merchandising of horsemeat for human consumption.
The bill depicts horse meat as tainted and unsafe, in part on the basis that horses are not raised commercially for food and may have had drugs like phenylbutazone administered to them. The SAFE Act would either stop or force underground, shipments from the United States of thousands of horses to Canada and Mexico where horse slaughter for the world market remains significant.
Many of the 54, horses slaughtered in Canada in were transported from the United States. Those numbers have been higher in recent years. In the last Congress, it had House co-sponsors. This legislative action has created an unwanted horse problem and may result in horses being abandoned, abused, or neglected. The , horses per year that are sent to slaughter from the U. Re-instating horse slaughter for human consumption would provide benefits to the U.
Horse slaughter occurs worldwide, and horse meat is traded globally. In , 4. This protein supply annually generates U. The largest importers of horsemeat are Italy Most horse meat consumption occurs within the country of origin.
Domestically, there is a demand for horsemeat from zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, as large carnivores require a diet of high-quality protein that is easily provided with horsemeat. But the economics pale in comparison to the animal welfare and environmental disaster the U.
Feral horse and burrow herds in the western U. This legislative action has reignited the conversation surrounding horse slaughter, animal welfare and land management, and suggests that reinstating horse slaughter for human consumption is needed. Culling is a common wildlife management practice employed to control animal populations with the goal of maintaining a healthy ecosystem and animal population.
This management practice is needed for horses in the U. Horses are not native to North America and were introduced in There are 81, total feral horses and burros living on 40, square miles across 10 western U.
The USDA said it was required by law to issue the grant of inspection because Valley Meat met all federal requirements. At one point, the company sued the USDA for an overly long review of its application.
Once it issues a grant of inspection, the USDA is obliged to assign meat inspectors to a meat plant. Valley Meat retrofitted its plant for horses after drought weakened its cattle slaughter business.
Horse meat is sold for human consumption in China, Russia, Mexico and other foreign nations and is sometimes used as feed for zoo animals. But in the United States, horses enjoy a higher stature, more akin to house pets, than to hogs, cattle and chickens.
An estimated , U.
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