Horse Slaughter Ban: Get the Facts.

The House of Representatives recently passed HR 503 to ban the slaughter of horses in the United States. The bill is now moving to the Senate for a vote. The link to the Senate bill is:

Senate Bill

Debate Issues

There has been a great deal of debate on this issue, with a great deal of misinformation being presented as fact. Many of the arguments that have been presented to stop slaughter, appeal to the emotions and consider horses as companion animals. Horses are considered livestock, both through their manner of care and housing, and by state and federal statutes. Horses are often treated like companion animals by their owners, and may even be referred to as "companion livestock. However, regardless of how we choose to categorize them, they are still horses, not dogs.

Another argument by supporters of the ban on slaughter: "people will care for all of the horses that we save each year" does not explain where the funding or resources will come from to care for these horses for the rest of their life. When you consider that over 90,000 horses were slaughtered in the U.S. in 2005 (1), who will undertake the costs and care of these horses for the rest of their lives, and the horses from the next year and the next...?

Many equine professionals (veterinarians, professors, etc.) have seen the bad side of the industry as well as the good. Many have been asked (or subpoenaed) to testify in cases where horses were so starved that they could not be brought back to health. They have also seen dangerous horses get passed on to other unsuspecting people, and as a result, people were injured.

There are options available for humane euthanasia of equines when they have reached the end of their useful life. It is important to recognize that when properly conducted, slaughter is a humane form of euthanasia as recognized by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The slaughter option provides a humane alternative for unwanted horses when other means of euthanasia and carcass disposal are not practical, economical or available to some owners.

The current legislation prohibiting horse slaughter likely will result in unintended negative consequences for horses. There are insufficient resources and safeguards currently in place to properly care for all of the unwanted horses in the US. These deficiencies are not adequately addressed in the current legislation. Consequently, passage of the current legislation is opposed by many equine professionals because it will likely result in an increase in equine neglect and a decrease in humane care for many equine. This view is supported by research and data in the accompanying references.