Stop horse slaughter forever

%u2022 Horse slaughter is NOT humane and cannot be made humane
%u2022 Horse slaughter does not stop; has nothing to do with Abuse, Neglect or Abandonment of equines %u2022 Americans do NOT support human consumption of horsemeat
%u2022 A Federal Law permanently banning horse slaughter in the US is necessary
%u2022 A Fed Law permanently banning the transport of equines for slaughter is necessary
%u2022 Wild horses and burros belong free on the range
%u2022 A moratorium on all BLM round ups is necessary
%u2022 Horses may become homeless, but No horse is %u201Cunwanted%u201D
%u2022 Horse owners should have the right to humanely euthanize their equine
%u2022 Equine owners and breeders must take responsibility for the life of each equine in their charge
I Am A 16 year old girl my name is Meghan Dixon. As you can see i am trying to stop horse slaughter. Some of you may think that horse slaughter stopped but you are wrong, look again before saying that. Horses are still being slaughtered. I have autism/PDD and can comunicate with horses and they show me all the love warmth kindness and comfort!People suck and they are mean cruel and evil. everyone says we need to find a cure for autism and horses are the cure. hoses love us no matter what and they show us so much kindness and unconditianal love warmth comfert happyness and compainion. horses saved lives and help people with autism and disabilities and helped people in weelchairs walk again. a horse built america and without the horse we would not have this country. horses make my life worth living and they are my life and my whole world! i never felt so much love in my heart until a horse walked up to me and looked me in the eyes and i looked into those big brown eyes and he whinnied at me and breathed on me. i cherish every moment im with horses. and horses show me unconditional love and they dont care i am autistic and they do not ever laugh at me hate me stab me in the back and regect me they are always there for me. i can always look back at them and know and trust them that they will be there for me. and when i need them the most they are there. horses make me the person i am today. if it was not for horses i would not be here. a horse will love you forever and a boy will love you never. a horse is the greatest friendship a friendship without envy. god did not give us horses to slaughter abuse and tourcher he gave them to us because they are our angels and he gave us them to fly and for a companion and to ride and love. god would not want us to do this it has to stop it hurts god and jesus for people to do that to our horses and when jesus comes back hes comeing back on a white horse. horses are angels without wings and when you ride you are free and it takes away all your stress and troubles! when i was feeling like i wanted to killmyself and die my horse helped me and always stayed by my side! horses are my future and i am going to save them! for some its a dream but for others its a reality!
people say horse slaughter can be humane there is never a humane way to kill a horse and thier neck and face is long and it is going to stop full stop stop forever the slaughter is going to stop for all horses! people say they do it because the horse is old sick and hurt and theres no hope and nobody wants it and that is not true there are homes for them and people want them and there are people who will take them and take care of them and give them love food shelter and a home and there is hope for them! people are just lazy and dont want to find them a home! america should be a free country but they shouldent beable to do this they should not be able to do this at all! all people care about is money and thats all they got out of this!
and some people belive that they were here to be born to be thrown away as yesterdays trash and that is not true! people will tell me they are just dumb stupid animals and that is not true! if you care and want to help someone with autism and save a life do it by stopping horse slaughter! horse slaughter is going to stop! and i am going to stop it no matter what people say! horses are a big part of this earth if it was not for horses we would not be here! but people are trying to run them off the face of the earth! only existing in books magazines and history! horses strive every second of thier lives to live upto our standards people always think and treat them like they are never or never going to be good enough! when a person gates a horse and thinks thier horse is slow and not fast enough or cant run the barrels fast enough or cant jump high enough the horse gets sent to slaughtered and abused and the horse never met up to thier standards!

 i am your friend i am your warrior i run your races i walk you miles i never give up in stormy weather and now i need you! my eyes are open my heart is true my words unspoken all for you my hope is brave our bond is strong i stand for freedom! im yours in poverty im yours in wealth i stand for loyalty oh i need your help! im part of history this land so true i give my life my soul to you! stop the horseslaughter! I will not stand by while an animal suffers!
i saved horses from abuse and slaughter and my horse the king elvis was saved from slaughter and he was abused and on the right side of his face his cheek bones are gone and his lip hangs down and he was beat and abused! hes been the most amazing horse and our bond is unbreakable and me and him done everythang together he does everything i ask and hes always there hes always there when i need him the most and my horse bo was going to go to mexico for slaughter and i did all i can to save him and hes the best he is always there for me and when i need him the most he cares about me and loves me he will kiss me and wrap his neck around me and he follows me around every were he has the most beautiful big brown eyes filled with so much love! everytime he sees me he whinnys at me and runs to me! i love my horses to death they are my whole world! i do not know what i would do with out them!
i always goto horse auctions and buy the horses that noone wants and steal all the horses away from the killer buyers me and my dad always make sure to steal the killer buyers horses at the auctions and people tell me not to go to auctions DO NOT BREED OR BUY WHILE AUCTION HORSES DIE! auctions are inhumane and they do not care about thier animals! and they shock beat hit and tourcher the animals!
and DO NOT BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER ANIMALS DIE! dont shop adopt!

Horses are not just our lives, they make us who we are and what we do. They make us belive in ourselves and see and hear more what is around us. you may ask me why i watch those sad videos? well, i learn from them and whats going on in this world. they teach us to live and to live in the moment and live our life to the fullest!

this world is a crasey place
The cruelty of horse slaughter is not limited to the act of killing the animals. Horses bound for slaughter are shipped, frequently for long distances, and are not rested, fed, or watered during travel. Economics, not humane considerations, dictate the conditions, including crowding as many horses into trucks as possible. Often, terrified horses and ponies are crammed together and transported to slaughter in double-deck trucks designed for cattle and pigs. The truck ceilings are so low that the horses are not able to hold their heads in a normal, balanced position. Inappropriate floor surfaces lead to slips and falls, and sometimes even trampling. Some horses arrive at the slaughterhouse seriously injured or dead. Although transportation accidents have largely escaped public scrutiny, several tragic ones involving collapsed upper floors and overturned double-deckers have caused human fatalities as well as suffering and death for the horses. In July 1991, they were unloading one of the double-decker trucks. A horse got his leg caught in the side of the truck so the driver pulled the rig up and the horse's leg popped off. The horse was still living, and it was shaking. [Another employee] popped it on the head and we hung it up and split it open. .... Sometimes we would kill near 390, 370 a day. Each double-decker might have up to 100 on it. We would pull off the dead ones with chains. Ones that were down on the truck, we would drag them off with chains and maybe put them in a pen or we might drag them with an automatic chain to the knockbox. Sometimes we would use an electric shocker to try to make them stand. To get them into the knockbox, you have to shock them ... sometimes run them up the [anus] with the shocker. ... When we killed a pregnant mare, we would take the guts out and I would take the bag out and open it and cut the cord and put it in the trash and sometimes the baby would still be living, and its heart would be beating, but we would put it in the trashcan.

WHY WE KEEP FIGHTING
WE HEAR YOUR CRIES
Inside lightless stockades where metal bars define your earth
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In crates that contain you from endless pregnancy to nameless death
From your first and last walk down death's corridor
Toward a blood-splattered man who guides your quivering body
into the blast of his stun gun...
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
As you rock in the corner of your concrete world
Waiting for them to blind, burn and poison your exhausted body
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
As you search for one familiar face in the desolate days
before a gas chamber claims your anonymous life
When you seek the comfort of one set of arms
Your last tail wagged
Your last purr heard in a gray room with no windows

WE HEAR YOUR CRIES AND WE ARE COMING.

FOR HORSE LUVERS! HERE IS A SONG I MADE UP IN MY HEAD THAT ARE FOR HORSES IN SLAUGHETR!

IT ALL BEGINS

I KNEW THIS WOULD NEVER LAST

AND I CANT TELL YOU

HOW MUCH IT HURTS

I WAS YOUR GREATEST CHAMPION

AND YOU WERE MY GREATEST HERO

SO

WHAT HAPPENED?

WE WERE PERFECT TOGETHER

I WOULD FIGHT THE WORLD TO RESCUE YOU

BECAUSE WE WERE HAPPY

WE WERE FREE

BUT NOW I CANT ESCAPE

THE HORROR THAT IS THE TURTH

BUT ITS NOT TO LATE

TO SAVE ME

BECAUSE I DONT WANNA DIE

BUT THATS YOUR CHOICE

AND I GUESS YOUR CHOICE WAS TO HURT ME

BUT DONT WORRY

YOU'LL SEE ME AGAIN

IN A PLACE CALLED HEAVEN

AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW

THAT I FOREGIVE YOU

AND I STILL LOVE YOU

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse,"or,"that's a lot of money for just a horse". Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a horse," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a horse" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day. If you, too, think it's "just a horse," then you probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise." "Just a horse" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. "Just a horse" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand it's not "just a horse" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman/man." So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse" just smile, because they "just" don't understand.

Horseback riding is what I do
Western, English, or no saddle will do,
Over the jump or through the water,
my horse flies through the air
With grace and pattern.
Zigzagging over logs and around a tree,
We see a frog.
"Sheema go around" I tell my horse this,
Back to the trailer,
And on our way home,
Back to her stall,
Another ride gone.

The Horses' Prayer

Feed me, give me water, and care for me, and when the day's
work is done, give me shelter, a clean bed and a wide stall.
Talk to me. Your voice often substitutes for the reins for me.
Be good to me and I will serve you cheerfully and love you.
Don't jerk the reins and don't raise the whip.
Don't beat or kick me when I don't understand you,
but rather give me time to understand you.
Don't consider it disobedience if I don't follow your commands.
Perhaps there is a problem with my saddle and bridle or hooves.
Check my teeth if I don't eat, maybe I have a toothache.
You know how that hurts.
Don't halter me too short and don't dock my
tail... it's my only weapon against flies and mosquitoes.
And at the end, dear master, when I am no longer any use to you,
don't let me go hungry or freeze and don't sell me.
Don't give me a master who slowly tortures me to death and lets me starve,
but rather be merciful and take care of me,
by letting me run and enjoy a warm pasture.
Let me request this of you and please don't regard it as
disrespectful
if I ask it in the name of Him who was born in a stable like me.

When God created the horse he said to the magnificent creature: I have made thee as no other. All the treasures of the earth lie between thy eyes. Thou shalt carry my friends upon thy back. Thy saddle shall be the seat of prayers to me. And thou fly without wings, and conquer without any sword. Oh, horse.

unregulated. Thrashing on a meat hook. These horses are slaughtered ALIVE conscious during their own slaughter and throat slitting! Over 30 million horses slaughtered in the past 12 years. This is a holocaust! Now this includes our Wild Mustangs too! Protected no more! Gone FOREVER. Only alive in pictures and books. This agenda and it's deception represents pure evil and only appeals to those who have no soul! Most horses arrive at the slaughterhouses via livestock auctions where, often unknown to the seller, they are bought by the middlemen working for the slaughter plants called %u201CKiller Buyers%u201D. They collect mostly the young and the healthy. Packed in their trucks until full and some are shipped for more than 24 hours at a time piled and crammed into double & triple decker cattle trucks without food, water or rest. America's hidden dirty secret travels our highways under the dark cover of the night. Think about it. Look for it on your next road trip. Is this a means of behavior and employment that you want our children to find acceptable in their future? With horse slaughter under our flag there is no honor or pride! What then are we at war and fighting for? In EVERY state across the country we say we love and hold dear? Americans DO NOT EAT HORSES! We DO NOT RAISE THEM FOR FOOD! HORSE MEAT IS TOXIC!
Animals Know and Remember Everythang They go Through and what happens to them! They dont forget they know and they remember! you dont want your animal to spend its last few muinettes haveing strangers holding him/her and scared!Being Bruitally murderd or abused!
they strive at every second of thier life to live up to our standers!alot of times people treat them like its never going to be good enough how would you like it if you were droped off at an auction or a shelter at night you just never met up to thier standers did you! =(

  
                                      

these tears will help you learn and grow your better off to let them flow i just want to scream and lose control!

"Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy or beauty without vanity? Here, where grace is laced with muscle, and strength by gentleness confined. He serves without servility; he has fought without enmity. There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent; there is nothing so quick, nothing more patient......All our history is his industry. We are his heirs, he our inheritance. Ladies and Gentlemen--the Horse!

in my day i whatched the distruction of the buffalo and the antalope we say thier distruction was due to the united profit of generation if we permit the mustang to disapear we may be acussed of the same qualities and we will deserve the acusations the mustang is just as american as george whashington he is faceing his last stand let him go and my opinion would be a major american tragity!

Facts and FAQs About Horse Slaughter
The former US-based, foreign owned horse slaughter companies and a handful of trade associations that support horse slaughter have contributed to the continued export of tens of thousands of America's horses for slaughter in Mexico and Canada either by physically shipping horses to slaughter or by actively opposing legislation banning horse slaughter. Slaughter is NOT humane euthanasia. Horses suffer horribly on the way to and during slaughter.
The current patchwork of state laws on horse slaughter %u2013 including statutes prohibiting slaughter in Texas and Illinois where the only domestic horse slaughter plants operated until very recently %u2013 is insufficient.  A federal law prohibiting horse slaughter is imperative to ensure slaughterhouses don%u2019t simply relocate to states with weaker laws and to prevent horses from being exported en masse for slaughter in Canada, Mexico or further abroad.
Passage of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act will reduce animal suffering, hence its wide support throughout the equestrian and veterinary world, as well as the humane community.
According to numbers obtained from the California Livestock and Identification Bureau, since horse slaughter was banned in California horse theft has dropped by over 34%.
Americans overwhelmingly support an end to horse slaughter for human consumption (recent polls from Kentucky, Texas and Utah respectively show that 82, 72 and 69 percent of those questioned oppose the practice). A recent national poll found that almost 70 percent of Americans support a federal ban.  In California, a 1998 ballot initiative (Prop. 6) banning horse slaughter for human consumption passed with 60 percent of the vote.
Horse Slaughter and States Rights
Question:  Banning horse slaughter is a states rights issue and the federal government should not get involved?
Answer:  No.  Horse Slaughter is a Federally Regulated Industry. Opponents try to claim that slaughtering horses for human consumption is a states rights issue. However, this is not true. The slaughtering of any animal for human consumption in the US is a federally regulated process. This is the same for beef, hogs or other livestock (Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 603); Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 1901 note; Public Law 104-127)). In addition, since horsemeat is not consumed in the US it must be hauled across state lines and the US border which are clearly defined issues within the US Constitution%u2019s Commerce Clause. While a state does have some leeway to ban certain slaughter practices within their state boundaries, these actions to not apply outside of their jurisdiction. For example, Texas, California and Illinois have banned horse slaughter within their states but those laws have no impact elsewhere.
Furthermore, nobody has a "right" to abuse or neglect an animal. There are laws against animal abuse, neglect and abandonment at all levels of government in the US.  There are numerous federal animal cruelty statues in place now given the transitory nature of many issues.
Sick and old horses to slaughter
Question: Is it true that slaughter is a last resort for infirm, dangerous or no longer serviceable horses?
Answer: No.  In fact, 92.3 percent of horses arriving at slaughter plants in this country in recent years were deemed to be in "good" condition, according to the US Department of Agriculture's Guidelines for Handling and Transporting Equines to Slaughter.  The horse slaughter industry makes a greater profit off of healthy horses and therefore purposely seeks out such animals.
Neglect and abuse
Question: Will horse abuse and neglect cases rise significantly following a ban on slaughter?
Answer: No.  There has been no documented rise in abuse and neglect cases in California since the state banned horse slaughter for human consumption in 1998. There was no documented rise in Illinois following closure of the state's only horse slaughter plant in 2002 and it%u2019s reopening in 2004.  Since closure of the domestic plants in the earlier part of 2007 there has been no correlating rise in neglect and abuse cases.  Conversely, horse slaughter engenders indiscriminate breeding and neglect by providing a %u201Cdumping ground%u201D for unscrupulous owners.
Cost of caring for unwanted horses
Question: If there is a ban on horse slaughter, will horse rescue and retirement groups have the resources to take care of unwanted horses? Should the government have to pay for the care of horses voluntarily given up by their owners?
Answer: Hundreds of horse rescue organizations operate around the country, and additional facilities are being established.  However, not every horse currently going to slaughter will need to be absorbed into the rescue community. ­ Many are marketable horses who will be sold to new owners.  Sick and elderly horses should be euthanized by a licensed veterinarian.  It is not the government's responsibility to provide for the care of horses voluntarily given up by their owners.
A safe and humane solution for sick, old and unwanted horses
Question: If slaughter is not an option, what will we do with sick, old and unwanted horses?
Answer: Approximately 920,000 horses die annually in this country (10 percent of an estimated population of 9.2 million) and the vast majority are not slaughtered, but euthanized and rendered or buried without any negative environmental impact.  Just over 100,000 horses were slaughtered in the US 2008. If slaughter were no longer an option and these horses were rendered or buried instead, this would represent a small increase in the number of horses being disposed of in this manner - an increase that the current infrastructure can certainly sustain.
However, there is no logic in suggesting that all horses currently going to slaughter would need to be euthanized and disposed of following passage of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.  Because most horses going to slaughter are marketable animals, many of the horses previously slaughtered would instead be kept by their owners, sold to someone else or placed at sanctuaries following passage of a ban, thereby reducing any impact on the current infrastructure even further.
Additionally, humane euthanasia and carcass disposal is highly affordable and widely available. The average cost of having a horse humanely euthanized and safely disposing of the animal's carcass is approximately $225, while the average monthly cost of keeping a horse is approximately $200.
Export of horses for slaughter abroad
Question: If there is a ban on horse slaughter in the United States, will there be an increase in the export of horses for foreign slaughter? Will horses suffer from longer transport for slaughter in countries where there may be weaker welfare laws?
Answer: The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act contains clear provisions prohibiting the export of horses for slaughter abroad, as well as clear enforcement and penalty provisions. Risk of federal prosecution and the high costs associated with illegally transporting horses long distances for slaughter abroad are strong deterrents.  Ironically, the very organizations most critical of the recent closure of the three domestic horse slaughter plants due to the subsequent surge in horses going to slaughter in Mexico are working to defeat passage of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.  In doing so, they are working in tandem with the companies that until recently slaughtered horses here and which now are buying horses in the US and shipping them to their plants in Mexico and Canada.
Standards of care at sanctuaries and rescue organizations
Question: Is it true no standards exist for horse rescue facilities that take unwanted horses?
Answer: The Animal Welfare Institute and The Humane Society of the United States published "Basic Guidelines for Operating an Equine Rescue or Retirement Facility" in 2008.  These and other materials are being incorporated into an expanded sanctuary accreditation program via the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.
Additionally, Horse rescue groups must also provide for the welfare of horses in their custody in compliance with state and local animal welfare laws.

Racing to End to Horse Slaughter
It's time to save America's horses and put an end to this cruel practice

The Humane Society of the United States

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Horses are shipped for more than 24 hours in cramped trailers without food, water or rest. Kathy Milani/The HSUS
The bloody, panic-stricken environment of a slaughterhouse is no place for any horse to meet her end.
But as long as horse slaughter is legal in the United States, this covert, predatory industry will have its buyers at American horse auctions, outbidding legitimate horse owners and funneling these animals off to foreign slaughterhouses to be sold as meat overseas.
Cruel industry
Horse slaughter is a death fraught with terror, pain and suffering. Horses are shipped for more than 24 hours at a time in crowded cattle trucks%u2014vehicles with ceilings too low for a horse to stand up straight%u2014without food, water or rest.
Horses bound for slaughter often sustain severe injuries from the bites and kicks of other, more aggressive horses. They frequently fall, and unable to regain their footing, are often trampled to death. Healthy, very young, injured, pregnant, blind%u2014all endure the grueling journey.
Once horses arrive at the slaughter plant, their suffering intensifies. Terrified, they struggle in the kill box, making it difficult for the often untrained staff to render them unconscious. In Mexico, our undercover cameras documented the use of the puntilla knife to stab horses repeatedly to paralyze them for butchering.
Horse slaughter is not humane euthanasia%u2014in fact, there is nothing about this process that is "humane."
Lethal loophole
Although some state legislatures have acted to stop horse slaughter, shuttering the last remaining foreign-owned horse slaughter plants in the United States in 2007, Congress has yet to enact a federal ban.
This means that not only can horses continue to be exported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter, but more foreign-owned horse slaughter plants could even try to set up shop on U.S. soil.
Fortunately, many members of Congress remain committed to horse protection. "I will continue to fight in Congress to end this brutal practice and ensure that American horses will no longer be savagely slaughtered for human consumption," says Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), who is the lead Senate sponsor of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (S. 727) to ban horse slaughter. Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), and Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) all join her in that fight as lead authors of S. 727/H.R 503.
At the forefront of the fight
In addition to our legislative efforts, The HSUS has taken an active role in the rescue and care of horses heading to slaughter.
When all three U.S. based horse slaughter plants closed, The HSUS offered to take the horses that were already at or en route to the plants. While most of the horses were reloaded and sent to slaughter plants in Mexico and Canada, The HSUS was able to rescue a group of 30 horses who had literally been standing inside one of the plants, waiting to die, when the court order came to shut down the kill floor.
These horses were distributed between many different horse rescues, all opening up their barn doors and offering to take them in. In fact, two of these horses are enjoying the green pastures at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, one of The HSUS' two horse sanctuaries.
The HSUS will continue its efforts as the nation's largest direct care provider for at-risk equines with the opening of the Doris Day Rescue and Adoption Center at the ranch later this year.
Second chances trump slaughter
Proof that slaughter isn't the answer is evident in the stories of horses rescued from that horrible fate only to go on to successful careers:

Ten years ago, a 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood named Jamaica was nearly sent to slaughter, saved at the last minute from a killer buyer's pen. Jamaica has now racked up numerous awards, and was recently named "Horse of the Year" by the United States Equestrian Federation. (Unfortunately, Thoroughbred racing's 1987 Horse of the Year and 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand, was not so lucky and was slaughtered in Japan.)

Miss Judge also escaped slaughter. After years of making money for her owners on the racetrack, the 11-year-old Thoroughbred mare was sent to an auction%u2014one that killer buyers frequent%u2014but Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue stepped in, paying $350 to save her life. Miss Judge went on to strut her stuff as a featured horse at an event with world-renowned natural horsemanship horse trainers Pat and Linda Parelli. She was adopted by someone who fell in love with the gentle mare.
You can give horses a second chance
While The HSUS and horse rescue organizations across the country work tirelessly to give every horse a second chance, thousands of American horses are still shipped across our borders each week for slaughter because the horse slaughter industry can outbid them.
Ask your U.S. Representative and Senators and to support The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S. 727). It will ban the barbaric killing of American horses for human consumption, including the export of horses across our borders for slaughter.

Each year, tens of thousands of American horses%u2014riding horses, carriage horses, race horses, wild horses, and children%u2019s ponies%u2014are inhumanely transported and slaughtered, their meat shipped to places like France, Italy, and Japan for human consumption. Help us end horse slaughter.

Purchased by slaughterhouse middlemen at auction, horses are shipped long distances in cramped trailers without food, water, or rest. The majority of these horses are young, healthy animals who could go on to lead productive lives with loving owners.
here are some poems i wrote to save the horses
the horse rescue
i remember the day i came to save you i knew that i needed you as much as you needed me
this is the place i will stay this is the place i will be forever just you and me when i looked into your eyes and you looked into my eyes it was like you could read my mind you would never let me fall behind i knew you was treated bad and i knew you was sad you would never give up on me as i would never give up on you oh how could anyone do this to you you have 2 big brown eyes full of love and a heart of gold i will never let you go you are the part of me that i need the part that makes me complete you are the true meaning between love and friendship you take my pain away on a rainy day you brighten my days you make my world a better place i will never let you fade away you are here to stay
-meghan dixon
this one is called save the wild horses
the wind is whispering through his mane making his world a better place he runs through this place as he begins to break away he is trying to take the wieght of the world on his shoulders he runs with grace and pattern his spirit is being broken down he fears he cant take it nomore all he wants todo is run free when you look into his eyes and what you see is a beautiful spirit longing to be free
-meghan dixon
this one is called give me a second chance
wont you give me a second chance i may not be the perfect horse to own but can you please give me a second chance i got two big brown eyes full of love and a heart of gold i give you my heart and soul so could you give me a second chance i may not be fast or fast enough i can only so much give me some time and soon i will be your future champ just give me a second chance i may knock a rail knock a barrel or knock a pole and may not win the gold just give me a second chance i may not turn the perfect turn or learn fast enough to win your gold and i may be old just give me one more chance i love you with all my heart and soul all i need is your love in returne if you give me a second chance
- meghan dixon
and this one is called a horses love
i got two big brown eyes full of hope and a heart of gold i stand for hope and love you with all my soul i have a warm soft muzzle to bring you warmth and hold you close there is no secret so close i love to take you for a ride and free your soul i love for you to brush my coat and feed me as i hear your voice tell me about your day a horses love is the greatest love is all a girl needs to get through this world
- meghan dixon
and this one is called save the horses
you tame us you break us you shame us you hate us you beat us you hurt us you do things unseen with our pain in between we cry and we cry for someone to help us we love you we do anything for you we care about you but and then you kill us
humans dont care to understand our fait our only release is death
- meghan dixon

heres some songs i wrote to save the horses

this one is about the sad life of a auction horse
im going away and im going no were
im so afraid and i miss my mother
i know im thin and noone loves me
i try the best i can i know im not fast but why cant you love me
were am i going , going were am i going were are you takeing me away
oh were am i going , going were am i going were are you takeing me today were am i going , going were am i going why are you takeing me away
these big tall men with whips they push and shove me i can feel them hit me with thier whips they hurt me and i cry and i still cry they shove me in a small dark cold cage
oh were am i going , going were am i going were are you takeing me today were am i going , going were am i going why are you takeing me away
im a small pony who is longing for a child to love me and im only little.. way down here i want to move i think i will just cry out once again oh were am i going , going were am i going were are you takeing me today were am i going , going why are you takeing me away
i am a foal they took me from my mother they hit me and kick me oh i am so afraid and im just so scared so scared of you i think i will hide.. this world is just so big and new to me the end is soon and i just want to run and hide away to a better place all i want is toi be with someone who loves me
were am i going , going were am i going were are you takeing me away were am i going , going were am i going why are you takeing me away
i am a senior its been such a long time left alone all i do is love and care for you i try so hard for you
you push me through i can only do so much for you
oh were am i going , going were am i going were are you takeing me today were am i going , going were am i going were do you plan to tak me today
were am i going , going were am i going why are you takeing my away
to this scarey place oh were am i going , going were am i going why are you takeing me away
i am a chestnut quater horse and im just so full of fear i feel these hands they push and shove me you hit me hard and i run away i am not perfect i can only do so much to please you
oh were am i going , going were am i going were are you takeing me today were am i going , going were am i going were are you takeing me away
i am a tennesse walking horse and i want to walk without these chains i can bairly move if just hurts so bad what you to me
i am a dressage horse that made one mistake oh why do you plan to hurt me today oh were am i going , going were am i going were are you takeing me away were am i going , going were are you taking me today were am i going , going why are you takeing me away
and i have another version of that song called from auction to slaughter
and this one is called give me a second chance
why wont you give me a second chance i may not be the best there is but wont you give me a secong chance i may not be the perrfect horse to own but can you please give me a second chance i got two big brown eyes full of love and a heart of gold i give to you my heart and soul so could you please give me a second chance i may not be the fastest or fast enough for you oh i can only do so much for for you can you just give me some time and soon i will be your future champ just give me a second chance i may knock a rail or know a barrel or knock down your pole but wont you please give me a second chance i may not win the gold but i have a heart of gold so please just give me a second chance i may not turn the perfect turn or learn fast enough to winyour gold and i may be old wont you please just give me one more chance i love you with all my heart and soul all i need is your love in returne if you give me a second chance
this one is called the life of a race horse
if i dont win today i wont be here again ive seen it happen to my friends when thier running days are done will it be over for me soon can i come home with you
im a thouroughbred on the outside with a big heart on the inside ive run so many times on a number of miles just a number of lies just so yall can gamble at my life but soon i will be out of this sad fait if i dont win today im a quater horse on the outside with a big heart on the inside im a horse like any other when my glory days will be over and im raceing to death for the price im a bet for the money you spent on that ticket you bought its sighning my life away im just a winner for a day
so here i am im lost ive heard the gun ive seen the shot i saw my friend beat to death i dont know who is going to save meplease dont let them take me
im a arabian on the outside with a big heart on the inside
and yall are raceing me to death for a price im a bet my life is a mistake for the money you make with the money you spent on that ticket you bought its sighning my life away im just a winner for today its like im a winner in a loseing race
oh yall are raceing me to death for the price im a bet my life is a mistake with the money you make for that ticket you bought with that money you spent the ticket on its sighning my life away im just a winner for a day
if i dont win today my life will go away you costing my life away who will be here to save me today im just a winner for a day your gambleing my life away wont you save me today
and this one is about horse slaughter
i am a horse that has a heart of gold and two big brown beautiful eyes full of love
without a hope soon to parish soon to cry
and you may not wonder how i feel and you may not know that my pain is real
just so a cowboy may slaughter me with pride but i wonder how you live with you
yes i run your races i walk you miles i never give up on you all i do is love you
i want you to love me i did everything for you i gave you my life and my soul to you
and through my death with your careless arms your stabbing me in the neck as i slip on the blood of other horses how did i belive your lies my heart my bones inside now im nearly dirt and dust you threw me away as i was your yesterdays trash just a memorie of broken trust just a horse born for you to kill
i have no voice just a piece of meat drowning in pain
speak for me now please let them hear my cries dont turn your back on me
oh please dont let this happen to my friends save us please end the slaughter and end the pain and end the suffering please stop this now before its to late to save me
- meghan dixon

Have you or someone you know been misled or duped about horse slaughter?

Horse slaughter is NOT humane euthanasia. The so called "unwanted horse problem" is a phrase coined by the AAEP to support their position in favor of horse slaughter. You may be a follower, or be a member of pro slaughter association and not even realize that they are actively fighting to reopen horse slaughter plants in the US. You or an entity you belong to might even be parroting their favorite pro slaughter argument; the so called "unwanted horse problem".

Please Beware!! Pro slaughter proponents have one of the strongest lobbyists around; the Ag Department. (The US Department of Agriculture)

A Partial Listing of some of the entities that support horse slaughter, or that are listed as member organizations of the Unwanted Horse Coalition (a pro slaughter proponent) are listed below:

* AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners)
* AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) * The Unwanted Horse Coalition
* UOH (United Org of the Horse)
* United Horseman's Front
* AHC (American Horse Council)
* AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association)
* American Humane Association
* Various State Horse Councils
* American Paint Horse Association
* Various Farm Bureaus
* California Thoroughbred Breeders Association
* Arabian Horse Association
* Maryland Horse Breeders Association

The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) and the UOH (United Org of the Horse) supports horse slaughter. Their theme is to restore horse meat processing (aka horse slaughter) in the US to control the so-called %u201Cunwanted horse problem%u201D and what they claim to be the overpopulation of wild and feral horses on federal, state, tribal, and private lands. For a more complete list of entities that are on record as supporting horse slaughter, click here. Current list of Unwanted Horse Coalition Member Organizations

Don't be duped by pro slaughter attempts to misinform the public. The UOH (United Org of the Horse) claims that Tribal horse people from across the Nation have joined their cause. They also claim that name celebrities have been paid off to advocate against animal cruelty... But these things are NOT true.

WFLF suggest that Anti slaughter supporters use caution when connecting with new friends and or joining new groups on social websites like Facebook and MySpace, etc. Pro slaughter proponents have been increasingly clever with distributing misguided information. (UOH) Support the WFLF "WANTED HORSE CAMPAIGN". Stomp out cruelty. The "unwanted horse" argument is a pro-slaughter position. Slaughter makes cruelty profitable.

Please support the WFLF "WANTED Horse Campaign". Together were are their voice and they need to be heard.

Ten Commandments For Horses.

1. My life is likely to last 20 or more years. Any separation from
you will be painful for me. Remember that before you take me home.

2. Give me time to understand what you want from me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial to my well being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long. Don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your entertainment and your friends. I have only you.

5. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don't understand your words, I do
understand your voice when it is speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I'll never forget it.

7. Remember before you hit me that I am powerful enough to hurt you, but choose not to.

8. Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate, or lazy, ask
yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I have a problem that you are not yet aware of.

9. Take care of me when I am old. You too will be old one day.

10. Go with me on the last journey. Never say "I can't bear to watch or Let it happen in my absence." Everything is easier for me if you are
there. Remember that I love you

 
Riding:  The art of keeping a horse between you and the ground.  ~Author Unknown

No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.  ~Winston Churchill

He knows when you're happy
He knows when you're comfortable
He knows when you're confident
And he always knows when you have carrots.
~Author Unknown

The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears.  ~Arabian Proverb

The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.  ~Sharon Ralls Lemon

When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.  ~William Shakespeare, Henry V

A canter is a cure for every evil.  ~Benjamin Disraeli

A man on a horse is spiritually as well as physically bigger than a man on foot.  ~John Steinbeck

In riding a horse we borrow freedom.  ~Helen Thomson

Feeling down?  Saddle up.  ~Author Unknown

A horse can lend its rider the speed and strength he or she lacks, but the rider who is wise remembers it is no more than a loan.  ~Pam Brown

Horses give us the wings we lack.  ~Author Unknown

In my opinion, a horse is the animal to have.  Eleven-hundred pounds of raw muscle, power, grace, and sweat between your legs - it's something you just can't get from a pet hamster.  ~Author Unknown

If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong.  ~Pat Parelli

Horses - if God made anything more beautiful, he kept it for himself.  ~Author Unknown

If you want a stable friendship, get a horse.  ~Author Unknown

My horse's feet are as swift as rolling thunder
He carries me away from all my fears
And when the world threatens to fall asunder
His mane is there to wipe away my tears.
~Bonnie Lewis

A dog may be man's best friend, but the horse wrote history.  ~Author Unknown

The daughter who won't lift a finger in the house is the same child who cycles madly off in the pouring rain to spend all morning mucking out a stable.  ~Samantha Armstrong

A horse is poetry in motion.  ~Author Unknown

She lifted the drooping muzzle with both hands... It was a special embrace saved for special occasions.  ~Jean M. Auel

To ride or not to ride?  What a stupid question! ~Author Unknown

MOVIE QUOTES:

You don't throw a whole life away just because it's banged up a little. --Seabiscuit

Sometimes when a little guy doesn't know he's a little guy, he can do great big things. --Seabiscuit

Everybody loses a couple, but you either pack up and go home, or keep fighting. --Seabiscuit

You are a great champion. When you ran the ground shook. The sky opened and mere mortals parted. Parted the way to victory. Where you will meet me in the winners circle, where I'll lay a blanket of flowers on your back. --Dreamer

-   -   -   -   -   -   -

You can knock me, but don't knock my horse. --Jeremy Rose

horses are the most loveing and careing animals they are more loveing and careing then people
i am scared of people and scared of this world because everyone wants me dead and gone and people always treat me like im trash
i cant trust people or get close to anyone because every one who ever said i will be there left i am scared of thise world and nothing but fear takes over me some times i cry sometimes i hide and sometimes i want to die and horses are always there for me that comfert me and help me and when i feel like letting go of my life and giving up i look at my horse and saddle up and goto my horses horses are way better and more compashionate then any human will ever be they always let me hug them and cry on thier shoulder and no other humane would never let me they show me so much unconditional love if it was not for horses i would be dead i strive every second of my life to live upto peoples standards but everyone always treats me like its never going to be good enough and the only one i have to turn to in this world is my horses horses even have ways to talk and to cumminicate with me they are angles all horses are god put horses here as angles to be here for us when we need someone the most a horse would never make u be left out in the dark they would never hurt you they would never stab you in the back they would never lie strait to your face they would never kick you when your down a horse is what picks me up and heals my soul when im down they help me be found when i am lost they listen to me they show me all the love kindness friendship warmth and comfert that i need to sourvive through this would they teach me to live to live my life to the fullest and it is actually a mirachle and a gift from god for what all horses do horses saved lives i was reading a story last year that was true this girl that was a gangster was always getting in trouble always getting into fights breaking the law and her dad was a single parent and struggled to take care of her and something told him to get her a horse so they moved to the country and the girl kicked and screamed and didnt want to move and when she moved she wanted to kill herself until a mirachle happened her dad bought her a horse her horse saved her life so she named her horse saviore and thats all she lived for was her horse she got into horse shows she compete her horse was her hero and saved her life and then her dad gave her money to gointo town and while she was gone something happened to her horse and he got sick and she took him to the vet and as the bills added up her horse wasent feeling any better and the day she came home from school her horse had died and she didnt know what eles todo so she put a gun to her head and killed her self and left a note to her dad saying thank you so much for saviore that was the horse and i cant survive here without him so i had to go and be with him in heaven and the wild horses should not be killed or treated this way they are what built this country and if it wasent for them we would not be here and every horse is good for something and i think that every perosn with autism should have there own horse they should get one when i had no hope left me my horse would bring the hope back to me and with out horses i am just worthless trash if it wasent for horses i wouldent even deserve to be alive that is the only reason i live is for horses they make my life worth living they are the reason why i go through what i go through and a horse would never tourcher me or bullie me or laugh at me or make me suffer how people do without horses i am nothing i am lonly and worthless without them they are my hero they are angles and when i think of horses i think of the song halo by beyonce and the song amazing by janelle god out horses here for this reason he created the horse for this reason horses are gods angles horses even have a big heart the care and show us so much love they are hope they are a symbol of faith they give me faith hope and love horses are gods angles they are gods gift they make me happy and they show me that i have a reason to live they even give us thier life and soul but all people care about is money thats all everyone cares about humans really do not have a heart the only creature that god created man he is the only one who can inflict pain knowing it to be pain and the same to people you know when jesus comes on his white horse to get us all these people who only care about money that think money is the world they are going to have hell to pay and they are going to have a rude awakening america is in for a rude awakening this world has gone to hell all everyone cares about is thereselvs and money and when all that is over money is not going to matter

WHAT IS NOT HUMANE EUTHANASIA? Horse slaughter is inherently cruel. The inhumane transport and the grisly slaughter processes are well-documented. Former race horses, work horses, riding ponies, and carriage horses are purchased at regular horse auctions and crammed on double-decker trucks designed for cattle. Trucked long distances, they are subject to injuries and being trampled.HORSE SLAUGHTER IS "NOT"HUMANE EUTHANASIA

Is Horse Meat Safe To Eat? How safe is horsemeat?

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE), Hoof & Mouth, Aminogycoside Antibiotics, Anabolical Steroids, Streptococcus Equi, and Trichinosis



Gaps in U.S. food safety regulations and their enforcement and the dearth of information about how bovine spongiform encephalopathy BSE or "mad cow" disease spreads have raised questions over whether European and Asian horsemeat eaters are insulated from the disease that has caused the deaths of 94 people across Europe.

US regulators stand firm on their assurances that "Americans are safe" citing the safeguard of livestock feed restrictions." These feed restrictions however only include traditional "food and fiber" animals (animals that are raised for the production of an edible product intended for consumption for humans including cattle (beef and dairy), swine, sheep, poultry, fish, and amphibian species.) NOT HORSES. Why? Horses are considered recreational and sporting animals, commonly pets in the United States and accordingly are neither raised for food nor are they eaten in American culture. And as recreational and companion animals, horses are not under the same scrutiny by the USDA*.

The irony of course is that European and Asian meat eaters have naively cut back on their consumption of cattle, swine and sheep turning instead to eating horse presumably as a safer alternative? A further irony is that in their desperation, Europeans are buying up Canadian horsemeat largely comprised of American horses exported to Canada for slaughter.

Related diseases in other species have contracted diseases in the same family as BSE known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or TSE's which are not fully understood and carry some of the same neurological symptoms. According to the California Animal Health & Food Safety Lab, there is no program, and they do not test, for TSE during routine equine necropsies.

It is a little known fact that "horse feeds and supplements still contain animal product" which is a concern regarding the spread of transmissible songiform encephalopathy. It was the continued sale of feed made from animal products particularly bone meal of contaminated animals that was responsible for BSE's rapid spread across Europe. Some of America¹s largest feed companies still use animal products and bone meal in feeds for animals other than cows!

American milled horse feed and supplements currently contain bone meal, activated animal sterol, extracted glandular meal, dried meat solubles, and liver concentrate among other animal product.

Horses which are slaughtered by use of a compressed air pneumatic captive bolt gun have a four-inch bolt shot into their skull resulting not in death but irreversible damage to the brain at which time they are bled. Recent research has shown that pneumatic stunners can force brain and spinal tissue into the heart and other parts of the body. Due to concerns about BSE, pneumatic stunners should not be used due to concerns that people could get new variant creutzfeldt Jakob disease (mad cow).

Contributing to the confusion and fear is the host of similar diseases affecting other animals. Experts can't fully explain how the other species developed the cell abnormality to begin with. BSE or TSE has crossed and been identified in non-ruminant species.

Further:

Earlier this year, the European Union called for a ban on imports of horsemeat citing concerns over the safety of US meat and their inability to guarantee the purity of the meat exported. The EU agriculture inspection team which recently visited the US plants stated, "the USDA inspected plants are incapable of separating treated and untreated meat, and goes on to say it has become obvious that US food inspection services had falsely certified the export of meat (horse) to the EU. Inspectors also say there has been no residue testing for years and recommended withdrawal intervals before slaughter have been ignored."

There has also been a lack of disclosure to the European and Asian horsemeat eaters regarding commonly used horse medicines and products all boldly labeled "NOT TO BE USED ON HORSES INTENDED FOR USE AS FOOD." Therein lies the USDA's liability disclaimer. Horses are not intended for food.

Recreational and pleasure horses in the US today are routinely given medications such as penicillin, bute (phenylbutazone), ace promazine (promazine hydrochloride), banamine (flunixin meglumine), wormers (anthelmintic), Nolvansan (a topical suave), betadine scrub, Kopertox (hoof care), SWAT (fly repellent) to list just a few. This has never been a concern to Americans because again the animal is never used for human consumption.

This is coupled with the widely acknowledged however illegal use of anabolic steroids in American racing and performance horses.

Lawful use of prescription drugs is regulated differently for Food Animals than it is for horses and other companion animals that are not perceived and legally recognized as food animals. These regulatory differences are in place for the purpose of protection of public health.

The current epidemic of antibiotic resistance for microbial diseases in humans, which is considered to be a worldwide and significant public health threat, has been determined to be to two origins:

(1) Overuse of prescription antibiotics in human medicine by physicians and by over the counter irresponsible use of antibiotic agents by consumers;

(2) Consumption of meat and other animal products (eggs, fish, dairy, etc.) from animals that have antibiotic residues in the consumed tissue or products.

If American horses are used for human consumption, we would have to require equine veterinarians to follow the same regulatory guidelines for prescription drug use, in order to ensure protection of the public. This would eliminate the use of many uniquely beneficial drugs such as aminogycoside antibiotics, which REMAIN IN TISSUES FOR AS LONG AS 18 MONTHS following appropriate therapy. Recently, a veterinarian from New England received a warning from the FDA when it was discovered that the carcass from a slaughtered animal had residues of this antibiotic. Since this is a widely prescribed antibiotic in horses, there would be a significant risk that horses treated could end up at slaughter.

Most drugs used with horses are used in "extra-label" fashion *1. If equine veterinarians had to follow the same standards for using these extra-labeled drugs in horses, as food animal veterinarians do, many horses would go untreated and the standard of practice to the horse owning public would greatly diminish and the equine population would be put at risk.

When food animals are treated by veterinarians, the treatment always has as its goal, the protection of the public since this is fundamentally the purpose of the food animal's existence. When equine veterinarians treat horses, we must have the individual, herd (stable or other community of horses), and client's interest as our fundamental basis for appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, these priorities are often in conflict.

Another little known fact is that horses housed in many feedlots and shipped to slaughter plants have been exposed to streptococcus equi (strangles/distemper), a strep bacteria which infects upper respiratory, lymph nodes and abdomen. Strangles is one of the reasons there are no quarantine periods before the slaughter of horses. Aside from obvious economics, this highly infectious disease has an incubation period of three days to several weeks before the horse becomes deathly ill running high fever and developing infected, oozing lymph nodes.

And the double decked "possum belly" trucks used to haul horses to slaughter in the United States routinely transport hogs or sheep one way and horses on the return trip, or crossed species at the same time often in trucks which have not been cleaned raising the question of trichinosis.



*excerpts "Mad Cow" Risk Unlikely but Possible, Experts Say, Melinda Fulmer, Times Staff Writer.

*Excerpts BBC News, "A New Trans-Atlantic Bone of Contention: Europe Mistrusts All US Meat", Environment Correspondent Alex Kirby

*excerpts Temple Grandin, Asst Professor of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University,authority animal handling and facility design.

*"Horses however are not looked at as agricultural products by USDA; they are viewed as companion animals,:,,,Veterinarian Ed Ford, former Kentucky State Senator.

"Agricultural Statistics Service do not keep horse statistics because they are not related to the food and fiber system to merit resource use"

"USDA and NASS do not support horse research because the industry does not have a production base of support"

(*,1) Survey of licensed practicing ambulatory veterinarians in exclusive equine practice of current drug inventory and treatment records. 2001





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Facts and FAQs About Horse Slaughter The former US-based, foreign owned horse slaughter companies and a handful of trade associations that support horse slaughter have contributed to the continued export of tens of thousands of America's horses for slaughter in Mexico and Canada either by physically shipping horses to slaughter or by actively opposing legislation banning horse slaughter. Slaughter is NOT humane euthanasia. Horses suffer horribly on the way to and during slaughter. The current patchwork of state laws on horse slaughter %u2013 including statutes prohibiting slaughter in Texas and Illinois where the only domestic horse slaughter plants operated until very recently %u2013 is insufficient.  A federal law prohibiting horse slaughter is imperative to ensure slaughterhouses don%u2019t simply relocate to states with weaker laws and to prevent horses from being exported en masse for slaughter in Canada, Mexico or further abroad. Passage of the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act will reduce animal suffering, hence its wide support throughout the equestrian and veterinary world, as well as the humane community. According to numbers obtained from the California Livestock and Identification Bureau, since horse slaughter was banned in Califor