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Contributor Brooke Gunning writes: You don’t have to be a vegan or a PETA protester to be repelled by the horrifying world of horse slaughter. No regulations govern how the animals may be treated or what food or medicine they can be fed, unlike cattle and sheep and other “production animals.”

Brooke Gunning
2007-04-02 07:00:00.0
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W hat are your plans for this morning? If you’re a Killer/Buyer, and it’s a Monday, then you’re off to the infamous sales at New Holland, Pa., to purchase horses. After buying them, you will ship them cross country to a foreign-owned plant and butcher them to sell for human consumption outside U.S. borders.

You don’t have to be a vegan or a PETA protester to be repelled by the horrifying world of horse slaughter. No regulations govern how the animals may be treated or what food or medicine they can be fed, unlike cattle and sheep and other “production animals.”

Many recently mourned the death of Barbaro, winner of last year’s Kentucky Derby. After a disastrous accident at the start of the Preakness, his owners opted to try to save his life. After a heroic eight-month battle, his veterinarians painlessly euthanized Barbaro when it became apparent he would not recover from his injuries.

Many racehorses face a different fate. For these unfortunates, the day they sustain a serious injury, or in some manner become a money-loser, owners ship them to auction, where they typically bring between $300 to $700. Perhaps the most famous horse to end up on a dinner plate was Ferdinand, who won the Kentucky Derby in 1986. Not everyone believes this should be their fate.

Tracy Young and his wife Kelly founded the nonprofit Lost and Found Horse Rescue, with locations in Pennsylvania and Maryland, 11 years ago, after five years of rescuing horses on their own. They rescue about 100 horses a year, 60 percent of which come from the kill pen. Every Monday Kelly goes to the livestock auction at the New Holland Auction Stable to try to rescue as many as she can.

“It’s basically a dumping ground for people who do not want to take responsibility for their horses — everybody from trainer/owners of racehorses to show horses. It doesn’t matter how much the horse has won for them,” said Tracy.

At the auction, the vast majority are sold for slaughter. When the “owner” of the horse arrives, they can request one of two types of three- and five-digit numbers to mark the horse’s rump. One indicates it can only be bid on by a killer-buyer. In theory, these horses are either crazy or diseased. But the Youngs, who have a special permit, have rescued horses marked for slaughter only, which have turned out fine.

The final few days of the horses destined for slaughter is horrific. They are crammed into overcrowded trailers with no food or water and shipped across country to one of three slaughter plants owned by Belgian companies. Two are located in Texas and one in Illinois. All of the meat is exported, since it is illegal to consume horse meat in the United States. At the plant, a retractable bolt knocks into the head of a horse after which its throat is cut. This is not a painless death.

Some proponents of horse slaughter say it is good for our economy, but their arguments fall flat. According to the USDA, in 1991 360,000 horses were slaughtered. By 2006, the number had dropped to 60,000. Where have all these unwanted horses gone? Well, many are being rescued and rehabilitated as awareness grows.

I happen to have a horse in this fight. He is a vibrant, healthy Thoroughbred saved from the kill pen. The Youngs saved him, and I took him home shortly thereafter. A check on his racing tattoo indicated he was a grandson of the immortal Secretariat and a great-grandson of the illustrious Native Dancer. He’d raced a bit until an accident at the track (sound familiar?) sent him to the kill pen. Sure, it took time, money and love to restore his leg. But most of all it took a second chance.

Brooke Gunning is the author of several books. She may be reached at wintiffin@aol.com. For more information about horse rescue or horse slaughter, contact Lost & Found Horse Rescue at www.lfhr.org or contact Chris Heyde at the National Horse Protection Coalition at 703-836-4300.