Slaughter Policy - In The States

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Weither you agree with the slaughter of horses or racehorses or not, it is refreshing to at least see a track or organisation take a stand one way or another.

Magna tracks enact slaughter policy




Magna Entertainment Corp. will not allow any owner or trainer found to have transported horses from one of its facilities to a slaughter facility or to an auction to sell horses for slaughter to obtain stalls at any of its tracks.
The policy reads: “Any trainer or owner stabling at an MEC facility who directly or indirectly participates in the transport of a horse from an MEC facility to either a slaughterhouse or an auction house engaged in selling horses for slaughter will be prohibited from having stalls at any MEC facility. The policy also applies to any actions related to the transport of a horse from an MEC facility where the ultimate intended result is the horse's slaughter.”
The company, which owns Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, Pimlico Race Course, and Laurel Park among other tracks, announced the new guidelines on Friday.
In June, Suffolk Downs became the first North American track to enact such a policy, stating that any trainer found to have sold a horse for slaughter would have his stalls revoked and be denied stalls in the future.

Last month, Suffolk Downs officials informed an unnamed Thoroughbred owner that he was no longer welcome at the Boston track after two horses associated with him were discovered at the auction pens at New Holland, Pennsylvania.
"Since the inception of MEC, we have taken care to protect the health and safety of [its] customers, workers, and equine athletes participating in activities at all of our facilities,” Magna Chairman Frank Stronach said in a statement. “The goal of the policy is to forewarn industry participants who participate in the slaughter of racehorses that they are not welcome at any of our facilities across the country. I hope other racetrack owners formally adopt similar policies."
 
That's all well and good, assuming that everyone has endless fields and stables available to house all the horses that are too old/injured/useless to race and can't necessarily be rehomed as riding horses.

Bloody ridiculous - fluffy bunny tree huggers, not to mention exceptionally impractical, the idiots living in their chocolate box world that came up with that one, I'm afraid.
 
Shadow Leader said:
That's all well and good, assuming that everyone has endless fields and stables available to house all the horses that are too old/injured/useless to race and can't necessarily be rehomed as riding horses.

Bloody ridiculous - fluffy bunny tree huggers, not to mention exceptionally impractical, the idiots living in their chocolate box world that came up with that one, I'm afraid.
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I suspect the owners of the Magna tracks are anything but "fluffy bunny tree huggers".
 
That type of policy suggests they are, though!

How can you ban anyone who has sent a horse for slaughter from running their horse?? What if the animal had to be sent for slaughter as it was unsound and the kindest thing was to slaughter it? What next? Ban anyone from keeping a dog who has had one put down in the past?
 
The normal definition of "slaughter" in the US is in a slaughter house etc. (won´t go into too much detail but you get the jist of it) rather than being humanely put to sleep for medical reasons.

I´ve been telling people in the US for years that if you aren´t allowed to put horses to sleep humanely (which is what they want banned in the long run) you´ll have 10,000 dieing of laminitis and starvation in fields. There clearly aren´t enough welfare groups out there to look after all horses and it´s unlikely there ever will be :(
 
I think it's the way in which horses are dealt with when they become too old or unsound etc that Magna are taking a stand on. About time someone took a stand about it.
 
Shadow and Irish Stamp, I'm in agreement with you on the practicalities of this. These horses are bred to do a job and must earn their keep, in whatever capacity. How many people have the facilities or money to keep endless amounts of horses who are either too old, ill or useless until the natural end of their lives?

For me the only horrific bit would be the slaughterhouse itself - because of the fear in the animals when they realise what is happening. You can smell fear, it's musky and, like a fox's scent, it hangs around and catches in your throat. For an animal as well-cared for as an ex-racehorse that must be a terrible experience and I would certainly not class it as humane, so I can see where MEC are coming from in that respect.

Whilst working for a vet I witnessed a young, fit, healthy dog fight for its life because its owners had ruined its temperament and made it so dangerous that not even the Police or Armed Forces would take it on to retrain. That is one of the most distressing things I have ever witnessed and, believe me, despite a strong affinity with animals, I am no bunny cuddler.

Maybe the solution is to ensure that all domestic horses (racehorses, school ponies, draught horses etc.) are put down (by either method) in familiar surroundings, either their own box or field and then the carcass be disposed of whichever way the owner deems fit?
 
redhead said:
Shadow and Irish Stamp, I'm in agreement with you on the practicalities of this. These horses are bred to do a job and must earn their keep, in whatever capacity. How many people have the facilities or money to keep endless amounts of horses who are either too old, ill or useless until the natural end of their lives?

For me the only horrific bit would be the slaughterhouse itself - because of the fear in the animals when they realise what is happening. You can smell fear, it's musky and, like a fox's scent, it hangs around and catches in your throat. For an animal as well-cared for as an ex-racehorse that must be a terrible experience and I would certainly not class it as humane, so I can see where MEC are coming from in that respect.

Whilst working for a vet I witnessed a young, fit, healthy dog fight for its life because its owners had ruined its temperament and made it so dangerous that not even the Police or Armed Forces would take it on to retrain. That is one of the most distressing things I have ever witnessed and, believe me, despite a strong affinity with animals, I am no bunny cuddler.

Maybe the solution is to ensure that all domestic horses (racehorses, school ponies, draught horses etc.) are put down (by either method) in familiar surroundings, either their own box or field and then the carcass be disposed of whichever way the owner deems fit?
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Good point, and what this will hopefully encourage is that slaughter is not the first and only option they look at. Even if slaughtering eventually happens, at least every other possible avenue is looked at first...something which I am sure does not always happen.
 
I agree with you Redhead and sometimes it is very much the kindest thing to do to put down an animal, no matter how distressing it is. Despite being distressed by the incident of the dog being put down, going by your description [that it was too dangerous for even the armed forces or police to consider taking on] I'd also guess that you recognised that it was probably the only sensible option, and the kindest.

I do struggle to see the offensiveness in horses being slaughtered for meat; after all many countries do consume horseflesh and just because we don't tend to, does it make it a heinous crime? The horse after all doesn't know that it is going to be eaten and it would be going on to provide some purpose rather than rotting away in a grave [which isn't legal in most cases, if any, anyway!!] or being cremated, for which the owner will have to pay extortionate amounts of money. When Kahlua Bear died, we were charged £750 for the disposal of the body, which seems wrong to me.

Likewise, I see no problem with horses being disposed of in the traditional way of going to the hunt kennels. Granted, it's not pleasant to think of your pride and joy being eaten by dogs but again, the horse doesn't know its fate [and is it a worse fate than being eaten by worms and maggots?????] and they will at least be providing some other animal with food.

Where's Songsheet when you need her in a rational debate???
 
an capall said:
I had a horse hamburger in Paris last Sunday for breakfast on the way to Longchamp. Very tasty.
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Probably one of Saturday's losers:D

Its very good for you, being low in fat.

Janet Street Porter managed to convince a few people to try it when she took a horse-burger stall to Cheltenham a couple of years ago. She had to move a fair way down the road, though, as Edward wouldn't let her set up the stall either on the course or outside its gates as it would upset many people's sensitivities.
 
I always though that horse-racing was missing a trick with horse-meat. Surely a market could be found for "vintage" cuts?

I'm pretty sure that a Russian gangster or an American rapper would pay a small fortune for Fillet de 'Champion Hurdle Winner' or 'Derby Winner' Pate.
 
....what do you think happened to Shergar?? :D

I bet some Russian millionaire paid the IRA fortunes for those steaks!
 
Somebody slipped me a horse steak in France once, didn't care for it. Was not impressed. While I'm not against culling carried out humanely I wouldn't personally knowingly eat horse meat, in my book it's the same as eating a dolphin, and they're practically human.
 
I suggested that what was effectively a full funeral for a recently deceased racehorse in the US was unreasonable, daft, stupid, idiotic for a country which couldn't even afford to give all it's human population a proper burial.

Some posters came to the conclusion that I was mad or should be banned simply for stating the facts. They had a casket for said horse and people from all over the country went to the racetrack to see it, someone posted up pictures etc. and we had a lot of "RIP - Much Missed" "it's a tragedy" type posts on said forum.

There are always going to be some quarters in the US who want the same rights granted to horses (in particular) as humans. As has already been said putting a horse to sleep is a costly business as is disposal of the body - i'm sure the US is no different and a slaughter house is far far far cheaper.
 
Irish Stamp said:
I suggested that what was effectively a full funeral for a recently deceased racehorse in the US was unreasonable, daft, stupid, idiotic for a country which couldn't even afford to give all it's human population a proper burial.quote]

Will Ireland go into mourning when Istabraq snuffs it, or will An Capall be first in the queue for a haunch? :D
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Irish Stamp said:
I suggested that what was effectively a full funeral for a recently deceased racehorse in the US was unreasonable, daft, stupid, idiotic for a country which couldn't even afford to give all it's human population a proper burial.

Some posters came to the conclusion that I was mad or should be banned simply for stating the facts. They had a casket for said horse and people from all over the country went to the racetrack to see it, someone posted up pictures etc. and we had a lot of "RIP - Much Missed" "it's a tragedy" type posts on said forum.

There are always going to be some quarters in the US who want the same rights granted to horses (in particular) as humans. As has already been said putting a horse to sleep is a costly business as is disposal of the body - i'm sure the US is no different and a slaughter house is far far far cheaper.
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Seriously though, Irish Stamp, you make a good point in that many people accord the rights of animals more importance than those of their fellow humans.

For myself, I think that all creatures that we breed to serve us - in whatever capacity - have the right to be treated with kindness and respect throughout their lives and at the end of them.

Certainly I am not squeamish at the thought of disposal of a horse's carcass either to the meat markets or the hunt kennels, but I do think that going from familiar surroundings, where (most) horses are treated with kindness verging on pampering, to a slaughterhouse can cause unnecessary distress.

Maybe we get sentimental about horses because they live in such close proximity to us and are cared for personally on a daily basis, allowing their groom/owner to get to know the personality/temperament of that particular horse, whereas a sheep, cow or pig is generally more at a distance and merely one of many.
 
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