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Straight From the
Horse's Heart
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"Saving America's Horses"
Date
The Honorable _______________
United States Senator
_________ Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510.
Subject: Stop supporting Horse Slaughter, co-sponsor S.727
Dear Senator ____________
I am writing to urge you to both cosponsor and work actively for the passage of S 727, the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009. This bill, introduced by Senator Mary Landrieu (Louisiana) would prohibit permanently the slaughter of horses for human consumption overseas, as well as the exportation of live horses intended for slaughter, making sure that no American horse is slaughtered abroad.
As you may know all US-based horse slaughter plants were closed as a result of passage and upholding of state legislation. However, because of a lack of more encompassing legislation, every year, over 100,000 American horses are shipped under appalling conditions, without food or water for several days, for slaughter in foreign-owned plants in Canada and Mexico, despite overwhelming objection by the majority of Americans.
I am extremely distressed and disgusted over the fact that our horses, on whose backs we built this country, are being slaughtered so torturously in foreign-owned slaughterhouses for reasons of pure greed without a grain of humanity towards this intelligent animal that spends its entire life in service of ours.Horse slaughter and human consumption of horse meat is not, acceptable in American culture. Americans overwhelmingly agree that horse slaughter should be banned. Several national voter surveys reveal that 69%-82% of Americans feel that horses in the United States are not bred, raised or produced as food-stock, and as such should be afforded the same protection from commercial slaughter as are all other non-food producing animals.
Horses are much more difficult to slaughter than cows or pigs for example, for the fact that they do not stand still when in fear, to receive the captive bolt in the right spot on the head. Horses endure repeated blows with stunning equipment that ends up in cheeks or eyes and does not render the animals unconscious. In Mexico, they do not even bother to pretend that the stunning bolt works, horses are simply stabbed in the back until they are paralyzed but fully conscious during the bleeding and skinning process.
The transportation of these horses to the slaughter plants is also extremely cruel and inhumane since they are hauled several thousand miles without water, food or rest in double-deck trailers, forcing them to travel in a bent position which can result in prolonged suffering and death. It is normal and legal for 1 out of 10 horses to be dead upon arrival.
Arguments from the AVMA, AQHA and assorted agrarian lobby organizations with a huge financial gain in keeping horse slaughter thriving, defending the “humanity” of horse slaughter are simply ludicrous. To suggest that a process in which horses endure repeated blows and are often slaughtered while conscious is somehow humane is not only absurd but also shows a total disregard towards the welfare of the animals these two organizations claim to protect.
I believe that the claims that horse slaughter provides a way to dispose of old and ailing horses, or that horse slaughter is a necessary evil, are blatant and intentional lies to the American Public and even to Senators such as yourself. This is an unfair and unconstitutional way to try to preserve their very lucrative convenience.
The truth is that the very adapt Kill buyers buy up the healthy strong and young horses (the perfectly adoptable ones) because this is the tenderest meat and gives them the highest price per pound. This consequently leaves society with the meek, weak and injured, the truly unwanted. Proof is in the official data from the Department of Agriculture, 92.3% of the horses slaughtered are in good or excellent condition. Pictures of the slaughterhouses’ pens showing healthy, large and young horses further corroborate this data.
Horse slaughter is a never ending cycle of cruelty, causing the very unwanted horse problems it claims to solve. The easy and lucrative option of slaughter, promotes large breeding industries to breed by chance in numbers, breeding hundreds only to be able to pick out the winners or the ones with the perfect conformation, strength or color for their discipline, cashing in the other 95% with the killer buyer. If the option of horse slaughter was no longer there, they would have to reconsider their breeding strategies only to breed quality horses that are consistent with actual market demand.
Every 5 minutes another innocent horse, has to come to its end in a fearful and brutal way, sadly after spending its entire life trying to please humans. Their intense desire for praise and love from humans makes this last degrading treatment and ultimate betrayal especially inhumane. Please watch the numerous undercover video’s on youtube.com, so that you may know what is really going on. It is animal abuse of the worst kind.
I cannot urge you strongly enough that your utmost effort is needed to stop the unnecessary, greed motivated cruelty. Please cosponsor S727, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009. I also respectfully request a response from you stating your position on this issue. Thank you for your time and consideration of this issue of humanity.
Sincerely,
Name, Address, Phone number
