The Wall Street Journal-20080114-How to Handle Unwanted Horses -- No Easy Solution
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How to Handle Unwanted Horses -- No Easy Solution
Those of us who fought to have the last three U.S. horse slaughterhouses closed aren't "animal lovers with big hearts and no idea what's required to take care of a horse," as C.J. Hadley, the publisher of a cowboy magazine, says ("As Horses Multiply, Neglect Cases Rise," page one, Jan. 7). We are horsemen and horsewomen who grew up on the back of a horse, spend more time in the stable than in the house, spend more money on our horses' stabling board than on our own rent and spend more money on vets than our own doctors. Our horses are part of our family, like our cats and dogs. They aren't meant to be slaughtered. If they are in pain that can't be relieved, they should be humanely euthanized by a vet.
Most horses going to slaughter aren't old or infirm. They are young, strong, beautiful and often purebred. As with other companion animals, there is a litany of reasons they are discarded. The pending American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act would make it illegal to ship American horses out of the country to Mexican or Canadian slaughterhouses. This legislation is being held up by a few misguided legislators in spite of the fact that it is supported by national horse industry organizations, breed associations, veterinarians and hundreds of thousands of Americans. No horse should have to endure the pain, fear and suffering resulting from inhumane transport and slaughter.
C. Flewitt
San Lorenzo, Calif.
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Euthanasia and burial costs for a horse are expensive, and most municipal animal shelters aren't physically equipped or funded to deal with horses. In more urban areas many zoning ordinances allow for the keeping of horses but don't allow for their burial. There are no easy answers to this problem.
Heidi Turk
Vienna, Va.
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A common phrase among horse owners is, "I used to have money, now I have horses." Before people buy a horse, they should do a thorough financial analysis, similar to buying a house. A horse is a sentient being, not a home on which you can "foreclose" if the economy plunges.
Chantelle Wallace
Austin, Texas
