Obama signed a bill and the horse nation is in an uproar. (At least I think this all happened because Obama signed a bill. I hate politics so I’m not really sure how it all works. And for me to spend time researching the exact reason that horse slaughter is going to begin again in this country would take up too much time. I’d also forget what I wanted to say.) What should we do? Should we support the reopening of the horse slaughter houses in our country or rally to keep them closed?
Personally, I won’t send my horses to a slaughter house for their death. I pray they go quietly and peacefully in the night. Yes, I’ll be devastated when it happens. I have yet to say goodbye to one of my equine friends. I’m lucky. It will be the hardest thing I will ever have to do. But, I will always have horses. When my current horses have passed onto the next life I will get more. I’ll probably get more before then. I can’t imagine life without horses. And I can’t imagine putting my horses through any unnecessary pain or suffering.
I’ve read up on humane euthanasia that goes awry even when performed by a vet. That doesn’t sound pleasant. But, at least if it happens it’s not on purpose. I’ll have every intent to end the suffering of my beloved horse quickly and painlessly. If I knew how to use a gun, had good aim, and was adept at killing animals perhaps I would do it myself.
If this country offered slaughter houses for horses with strictly enforced regulations perhaps that would work. A clean, sanitary place with compassionate workers just like your vet would be appealing to many people. No harsh chemicals and no terror, just like a cozy doctor’s office (unless you’re terrified of doctors of course.)
From what I understand, because I’ve never been inside of a slaughter house, and have no desire to go into one, the slaughter houses in this country are unpleasant to say the least. Horses are packed in shoulder to shoulder after being forced into substandard trailers and shipped too far of a distance without water or breathing room. Then, they’re unloaded into a cramped paddock or cement room with other terrified horses. They slip on the floors, slick with the blood of the others who have gone before them, as they’re loaded into a chute. The captive bolt gun misses several times when the horse ducks out of the way and can hit in other places on the body. The horses don’t die right away. They suffer the multiple shots. They hear the screams of other frightened horses. They bleed to death slowly. They suffer broken bones, bruises, cuts, and mental anguish.
Then, they are shipped to another country to be consumed by humans.
I have a couple of questions:
1. Why don’t the citizens of horse eating countries eat their own horses?
2. Why doesn’t the government that allows for the opening and closing of horse slaughter houses regulate the operations of these places?
3. If the legislators responsible for the slaughter bill were on that show where the CEOs of companies have to start at the low end of the totem pole could they be forced to work in our nation’s slaughter houses?
4. Why is it so hard for Americans to walk in the shoes of other people?
5. Why are there heartless bastards in this world?
Of course I can’t answer any of those questions. But, they plague me when I think of the argument about horse slaughter.
For example, I have a cat. He pees on my walls, my furniture, my drapes, and my clothes hampers. I thought about putting him to sleep. There, problem solved. Cat pees on stuff; kill cat. Wait. How am I being responsible for the life of the creature I chose to bring into my life if the solution to my problem is death. I did some research. It turns out he has some pretty severe OCD. He licks paper, tape, plastic bags, and envelope glue (ok, maybe the glue has killed some brain cells too.) I took him to the vet, put him on some anti-anxiety medication and voila! No more pee. Of course, there is user error. If he doesn’t get the medication every day he might pee on something. I can only blame myself now. Also, for clarification, the marking by urination is an OCD behavior, thus it is resolved with the medication.
The point is, in case you haven’t gathered it, is that I took responsibility for my actions. I got a cat (ok, it’s my husband’s cat technically. But, when I got a husband I got the cat too.) So, I helped make the quality of life better for the cat. And I succeeded. The medication is $5 and lasts two months. That helps a lot. If the medication was $60 a week I might have had to make a different decision, starting with a less costly medication. But, euthanasia was the last option.
I was raised to take responsibility for my actions. I don’t lie. I don’t like to sugar coat the truth either, but I will if necessary for kids and clients. The bottom line is that I believe the way to make this world a better place is to start with yourself. I make me happy. I try my best to not hurt others in the process. But, once I realized that my happiness is in my own hands I started to take responsibility for my actions. And I find happiness in being honest, even if it hurts, and by taking care of those I love.
So, horse slaughter. I think there are more than two sides to this issue. Side one: you’re against it. Side two: you’re for it. Side three: you think both side 1 and side 2 need reformed. Personally, I’m side four. I won’t send my horse to a slaughter house. But, if you want to send your horse to a slaughter house because you can’t afford to feed it or euthanize it (and no one else wants it) then you should be able to do that. I am for a humane, quick, painless death for horses. I do not think that the horse slaughter industry in this country is for a humane, quick, painless death for horses.
Perhaps that is because some people who kill animals are not people who care a whole heck of a lot about life. In grade school, I lived across the street from a family who had a father. This father used to catch squirrels in traps and drown them in a bucket of water while the boys watched. That guy might work in a slaughter house now. What was his childhood like to make him think it was ok to drown tiny, helpless animals while his young children watched?
What if an equine vet or humane society employee had to preside over all horse slaughter houses instead of the squirrel drowner?
Also, I don’t believe that the horse overpopulation problem is directly related to the slaughter house issue. Horse overpopulation, like any overpopulation is due to irresponsible and unregulated breeding. That is an issue unto itself. There are not too many “unwanted” horses because there are too many horses being bred. There are too many horses being bred because people don’t educate themselves, they fail to see life in a long term sense, and because they fail to take an active role in responsibility for their own lives.
If you bring a horse into your life I believe that your life is now responsible for that horse. You don’t euthanize your child because you can’t afford to feed it. You don’t put it up for adoption when you decide you don’t want it anymore. You bred, produced a child and now you have to take care of it for the rest of its life. Why should it be any different with horses or other animals? Your livelihood, your reason for wanting to own a horse, the essence of who you are is tied to the quality of life of that horse. That living creature now relies on you to take care of it. You need to feed it, give it medical care, give it a shelter, and love it to keep it living the highest quality of life available. When you can not meet the needs of the other living beings in your life it is time to reevaluate yourself. Do you need to get a new job, get a second job, sell something of value, take more time out of your busy schedule to spend time with your loved ones, feed your horses, sell your horses, get a divorce, go back to school, what? What do you need to do to make your life work?
Don’t blame it on the economy either. It’s not the economy’s fault that you can’t keep your life together. It’s your fault. It’s your life. Try harder. Get help. Get new friends. Make new friends. Find a support group. Whatever it takes to make your life better, do it. Or else you have no one to blame but yourself. And don’t let your horse starve out in the field. Shoot it yourself if you have to. Or have your neighbor the squirrel drowner do it for you. I’m tired of excuses. That’s why I don’t make them. Ok, I do make them. I can think of an excuse in seconds. It must come from my knack for creative writing. I can pull an excuse, a good one, out of my butt so fast that you’ll believe it. I’m good at lying. I just don’t do it. The truth is more fun for me.
So stop being a loser and get your life together. Be a winner. And winners do what they want, right Ricky Bobby?
I have very few rules in my life. I don’t like too much structure, or too little organization for that matter. But, I found what works for me.
1. I make sure I’m happy. I do what’s right for me. (You know those mugs, t-shirts, aprons that say “If Mama ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy.” It’s true.)
2. I take the feelings of others into consideration when I make decisions that will affect them.
3. I don’t hurt animals or people that can’t fend for themselves.
4. I make changes when change is necessary. (This is the rule I have trouble with. I don’t always like it; it’s rarely easy. And it makes me cry.)
You may want to ask if I eat meat and if I care how those animals are treated. Yes, I eat meat. I love meat. I wish I could buy all of my meat from the man down the street who kills those animals quickly and humanely. But, I don’t. That would be expensive and I’d probably have to drive all over Ohio. But, there are people out there who do not eat meat. And they lobby for the humane treatment of those animals that I eat.
I don’t eat horse. But, I’m out there lobbying for the humane treatment of those horses that are ending up on someone else’s plate. That’s the cycle as I see it. Am I a hypocrite? My horses don’t think so.
What does your horse/cat/dog/rabbit/goldfish/mother/father/husband/sister/employer think about you?
In no way do I live my life for other people, which I think has become quite apparent. (I do live it for my horses, though.) However, the way your loved ones view you should tell the world what kind of person you are. When I was applying for a job as a horseback riding lesson instructor at a local camp I had no doubts in my mind that my clients, friends, trainer, or the man I pay to board my horses would give me anything besides glowing reviews.
I stand up for what I believe in. Please, take a stand. If every person on this earth would stand up for one thing they feel strongly about this world would be a better place. And isn’t that what it’s all about?
