Blog Hop: Unpopular Opinions
What is 1 unpopular horsey opinion you have?
It is probably the unpopular horsey opinion. I am pro-slaughter.
The reasons are several and certainly I am for REGULATED slaughter that is humane from auction block to feed lot to plant.
The reasons?
There are horses so broken mentally or physically that a humane death is their best option for everyone involved.
Putting an animal down via euthanasia is not always a peaceful, quiet affair. There are people who will tell you that euthanasia is the kindest, gentlest way to go, but I am not sure on that. A captive bolt or a bullet in the right spot is instantaneous. The animal is dead before it even feels or realizes what is happening. Not so much when you have to get a needle in there, in the case of a horse help it lay down so it doesn't hurt itself, and wait minutea, and even hours for the drugs to take effect. Yes there are misfires, but the drugs aren't perfect either. This is also where the regulation part kicks in.
I'd rather see a horse humanely slaughtered than starve in someone's backyard or out in the desert because some idiot decided to "set it free" (still wearing shoes, possibly a halter!).
ANYTHING we do here in the US will be 1000x better than what is happening now with horses going to Mexico.
Euthenasia poisons the meat that could be used for other purposes (feeding large carnivours in zoos fornexample).
Horses are too big to bury. They are 5-10x larger than humans and I just see it as a selfish waste to bury one and if the animal was euthanized it has to be disposed of properly so it doesn't kill anything that might try to eat it (cremation is also very expensive).
We still have more horses than are wanted. You can say slaughter is bad until your blue in the face, but unless you are willing to step up to the plate and DO something you are not helping. Especially if you had a hand in shutting down slaughter operations and made the "unwanted horse problem" go from bad to a complete catastrophe in this country.