Guest Editorial by John Holland ~ President of the Equine Welfare Alliance
Wallis and Duquette need Shooting Lessons
We have all shot ourselves in the foot, but seldom does an entire organization take up automatic weapons and form itself into a firing squad for that purpose. Such is the case with the organizers and sponsors of the upcoming Summit of the Horse to be held the first week of January in Las Vegas.
In fact, one has to use the term “sponsors” carefully because quite a few of those listed as sponsors on the event’s web page were not even aware of their lofty status until struck by painful ricochets from the summit firing squad.
The list of “sponsors” has dwindled as these organizations have become aware of their listing and requested their names be removed. Even the renowned slaughter plant designer, Temple Grandin, has informed Equine Welfare Alliance that she has instructed Ms. Wallis to stop using her name.
In an interview with Horseback Magazine, Dr. Grandin said “They kind of were misrepresenting my involvement.” When I read this, I thought “Welcome to Wallis World.”
Sue Wallis, one of the event’s chief organizers, claims the summit is aimed at finding solutions to the problem of excess horses. Her sidekick Dave Duquette, being a professional horse breeder, believes he is in a unique position to know the reason for this overpopulation; clearly it is a lack of horse slaughter!
Although over 100,000 American horses are exported to Canada and Mexico every year for slaughter, Wallis and Duquette think that is insufficient. Typical of Wallis’ wild claims in this regard was an “Action Alert” on April 30th of 2010 announcing that at least 500,000 direct and indirect jobs had been lost as a result of the closing of the US plants. Ignoring the economy, Wallis blamed everything from low horse prices to high neglect rates on the closings. She left out only rain rot.
But due to the shift over the borders, the closings had actually affected only about 150 slaughter house workers at the three plants in the US. The same kill buyers are still buying the same number of horses at the same auctions and for roughly the same prices as before the closings.
These are facts that anyone can verify by simply going to USDA and other web sites. In Wallis World, however, facts lose their conventional rigidity and become remarkably malleable or even ethereal in nature. So when the lineup of summit speakers was announced, it was no surprise that it consisted largely of cattlemen, auctioneers and breeders.
While the eclectic roster touched every link in the chain that turns a horse into toxic steaks, not surprisingly it contained no speakers who disagree with horse slaughter as a solution, no mention of the drug residue issue and virtually no true rescue organizations.
Yet despite this promising start, things almost immediately began to go wrong. First there was the ethics complaint launched by Patricia Fazio, PhD of Wyoming. It alleged Wallis had misused her position as a state legislator and had engaged in improper or even fraudulent activities including illegal promotion of securities for an organization that did not exist. Each charge was accompanied by documentation.
Among these activities was the sale of raffle tickets for a truck drawing in November of 2009. In a recent interview with Northwest Horse Source, Wallis was asked if it was true that she had informed ticket holders that she had not sold enough tickets to actually buy the truck and asking whether it might be OK for her to just keep the proceeds as donations.
Wallis, apparently believing that a promise to finally provide the truck at the upcoming summit was tantamount to never having made these pleas, categorically proclaimed the charge false.
Unfortunately, a categorical denial is not well advised when your original message is still bouncing around in cyberspace. Were she a more significant figure, the statement might have become as famous as “I am not a crook” and “I did not have sex with that woman.”
Interestingly, the company supplying the truck is yet another “sponsor” whose name has disappeared off the sponsor list. And the lucky winner might not want to count on driving the truck home since it will only be a “stand-in”.
Wallis and Duquette have responded to these disclosures with ever more inflammatory rhetoric, calling those who disagree with their idea of promoting horse slaughter “animal rights terrorists”. Indeed, a presentation by Dennis Foster will address how to handle such “terrorists”, and for hands-on experience, Foster will be backed up by Trent Loos, a self confessed stalker.
Although Wallis had announced that all sides were welcome to the table (if not to actually speak), that has apparently changed. One slaughter opponent, who had decided to attend the summit rather than protest it, was rewarded with the following exchange.
First, Brogan Horton attempted to register through “Friends of Equines” an organization that had already paid a $500 membership fee. Brogan paid the applicable $100 fee but was informed by a Krissa Welshans that her membership in Friends of Equines was invalid because she was also a member of The Animal Rescue Unit which was not a member. Therefore she would have to pay an additional $400. When she asked about a refund, she was told it could not be made until after the summit.
Krissa then informed Brogan that “someone who breaks laws” is not allowed to attend. Apparently, to make an exception the person must be a speaker or the Master of Ceremonies. Trent Loos, the summit’s Master of Ceremonies, for example, is a convicted cattle felon and presenter Dave Cattoor plead down to a lesser charge in an alleged conspiracy to use his helicopter to steal mustangs.
Brogan, on the other hand, confessed that she had never even had a traffic ticket, apparently disqualifying her. In the end, Brogan was sent the following message from United Horseman’s President Dave Duquette;
“We have ALL the parties we need and as your Youth shows, there are many more than just two in this. You are not part of the rational Anti slaughter side so when you grow up a little and get some real life experience maybe you will join with a group that is, but then you wouldn’t be the “Star” anymore.”
One can only marvel that in a single paragraph, Dave Duquette expressed not only his flickering intellect, but the true nature of his organization and its summit. Only in Wallis World could a young woman who had passed Secret Service screening twice and met with a sitting president be deemed to be too dangerous to attend a blood fest run by such a rogue’s gallery.
Related Articles
- “Summit of Horse Slaughter” Promoters Grasping at Straws (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Re-Elected Wyoming Horse Eater Plans Slaughter Gala (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Participation in “BloodFest” Shocking (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Slaughterhouse Sue’s Big Fat ‘F”arce: Wyoming faces attack of the horse eaters (ppjg.wordpress.com)
- Pay No Attention to the Elephants: Who is the REAL Guest of Honor at the Summit of the Horse? (ppjg.wordpress.com)
- Wyoming Legislator Faces Ethics and Fraud Allegations Over Horse Slaughter Plans (animals.change.org)
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Thanks John, for the updates on How The Slaughter House Turns….
These people… yuck. mar
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Good One! Like the following quote very much..
“Krissa then informed Brogan that “someone who breaks laws” is not allowed to attend. Apparently, to make an exception the person must be a speaker or the Master of Ceremonies. Trent Loos, the summit’s Master of Ceremonies, for example, is a convicted cattle felon and presenter Dave Cattoor plead down to a lesser charge in an alleged conspiracy to use his helicopter to steal mustangs.”
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Great article, John!
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One more thing to watch out for. I read labels all the time to watch out for drug interactions. Now I have to check my memberships to make sure one doesn’t invalidate the other. Who Knew?
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Just keeps getting weirder and weirder…
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I second THAT, Nora!
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Are the “permitted attendees” or speakers members of ANY organizations that aren’t members of UOH? OF COURSE THEY ARE! Will they be required to pay extra as well? OF COURSE THEY WON’T! This is clear cut descrimination!
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Since the initial announcement of the summit, I’ve been confused as to it’s premise. Here I read that they will discuss “… finding solutions to the problem of excess horses.” Thank-you for this article. Now I understand how a “summit” works; like minded men and women gather together to agree on a single, self serving solution.
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Aha! Thankfully we have a new wave of anti-slaughter activists. To join the older gang . Not passing the torch but all working together. Thank you Brogan, et al ! It is so obvious that Duquette and fellow killers fear the “stars.” He talks on the offensive but it is obviously fear and on the defensive. If not so pathetic it is hillarious how he “talked down” to Brogan…you know, trying to put her in her place. Like a novice who just happens to know so very much about horse slaughter, wild horses, the law, true activism…etc., etc… BTW, What…Who…is the “RATIONAL anti-slaughter side?” I hope not to be included in this category. For coming from Duquette, it reeks of describing passivity. No Way! We point & counter-point & continue to vigorously, match for match, up-the-ante along with the IRRATIONAL slaughter side’s corruptive, cruel, lying goings on. Obvious the Slaughter Summit has lost any so-called “credibility” it had even with the invited horse killers.
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Give an “Expert” enough rope and they will hang themselves every time. I questioned one of the “Expert” observers who gave the stamp of approval to the BLM gathers they observed. She told me how nice and cooperative Catoors were and how these crazy activists don’t even know what they are talking about. She told me the stupid activists convinced the BLM that Cloud’s herd was so important, so the BLM left them alone for 20 years and now most of them are deformed because BLM hadn’t been culling defects. (I guess natural selection doesn’t work.) She also told me the crazy activists think Cloud is still out there today, but she said that was impossible because he would be 55 now since he was born in 1955.
I sent her the video of the 15 year old stallion at his last gather and the one from the year before. (The 15-year-old who was left alone for 20 years and gathered twice since. I told her some dyslexic idiot must have read 1995 as 1955 because Cloud is 40 years younger that she thought.
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Apparently that expert never watched Cloud on PBS either.
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Apparently there are a lot of things those “experts” didn’t do such as doing there jobs with any degree of integrity. If I were one I would want to hide my head in shame and not let my involvement be publicized. Shame on them. IMO traitors all.
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Good grief! One would think the BLM could find a apologist that had a couple of brain cells at the very least.
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Anyone starts their journey sometimes. Brogan is doing this at a young age and with the help and mentoring of some veterans who have the expertise under their belt, she can grow into a powerful alley for the horses. The condescending remarks of Duquette just reflect the biased and fragile Wallis Empire. It’s foundation is built on lies and sabotaging anyone who does not fit their vision. To contemplate any “open table discussion” or solutions is not an option with this Empire. One key factor of any person who will achieve success, no matter how young she/he is… is to work truthfully. With truth on your side, your work will eventually create the effect to bring those down who lie. The Empire Wallis is truly one that looks only foolish in public. Summit or not, Wallis world operates to their own destruction, which is just fine with me.
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Excellent, John! Wallis World is a profoundly immoral, wicked, and nefarious place that the rest of the world needs to know about. How in anyone’s world can leader of Wallis World–Sue Wallis herself- -be an elected state representative of “the people” as she supposedly is in Wyoming? Makes me want to stay far, far away from that apparently very sick and depraved state!
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What a bunch of losers, they better not gamble in Vegas 🙂
Even the one houndmans club person was smashed by overseas ‘animal activists’ . He has to come to america to kill horses.
Trent Loos, the summit’s Master of Ceremonies, for example, is a convicted cattle felon. How does one get a felony in aggieland, must have been a pretty bad crime.
Wallis must have had to work long hours scanning prison records and people who hate animals to find her gang of clowns.
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I think we live in a very scary society. Anyone who doesn’t like someone else can call that person a terrorist and then blammo–just watch that fallout from that.
So what that i disagree with SS and Doink? I mean who is eating the tainted meat here? it isn’t me I can 100 % guarantee you that. I think the tainted meat has gone to these people’s minds and that’s why they resort to calling us terrorists.
You would call me a terrorist the same as Osama bin Laden? Because I don’t believe in what you do? Wow and double wow. I sure wouldn’t want to meet you in a dark alley. And you don’t even know me. I guess the fact that we have so much racial hatred in this country shouldn’t be such a surprise; calling someone a terrorist because they don’t believe in philosphy, I can see why 9/11 happened. It doesn’t excuse it–nothing will. I’m just saying I think I know more today than I did in 2001 about being called a name.
So really who is the terrorist? Someone who would participate in a legally recognized rally and not cause injury or destruction of property to anyone or would the terrorist be someone who for lack of better communication skills resort to namecalling.
Just remember those who call others out to promote themselves usually have something major going on behind the scenes.
Think I’ll go fire up the barby and grill up some of that yummy looking cow in my fridge. Maybe I could learn to make Sludge Sue…that would be something like bbq chicken a la SS.
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Sue Wallis, Dave Duquette and Trent Loos are the animal extremists.
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I saw a post on the Summit page yesterday and felt the need to interject as it made no sense and was talking about how everything happening in slaughterhouses must be fabulous and humane because of all the government oversight. So, I went on and described slaughter, as I’ve seen it time and time again, one only needs to look as far as YouTube, afterall. I suggested that if slaughter was humane it would be called euthanasia. Because, you know, that’s what euthanasia is, it specifically refers to the practice of ending a life in a humane manner which relieves pain and suffering. ie: It should not inflict pain and suffering… I never said I was a vegetarian, nor am I. I’m just not afraid to call a spade a spade and face the fact that if I want to eat some beef, a cow must suffer a fairly bad death. This is the reply I got, there was quite a bit more to our exchange and it got worse, but this was captured before it all vanished into thin air. She was clearly not winning so ended (and deleted) the game…. Although nothing I posted was disrespectful (and much of what she said was) I was clearly not on the hang ’em high bandwagon and I am now blocked from the page. (Boo Hoo!!)
“Suzanne, you are letting your ignorance show badly. As someone who has personally butchered most of the meat that my family eats I can… tell you that you have been seriously misinformed about the process. The first thing ……is that if you abuse… any animal the way you describe the carcass is full of adrenaline which absolutely ruins the meat, makes it tough and with a bad flavor. Ask any hunter who has gut shot a deer, the meat is so gamey that it can’t be eaten. So, #1 they are not whipped and beaten into the chute. #2 U.S. law requires that any animal used for food be killed with a single shot which causes instant insensibility. Boom. It’s over. Period. When they are hung up and bled out they are already dead. They do not feel a thing. Your choice to be a vegetarian is simply that, your choice. My choice is to respectfully harvest and feed my family the rich nutrition that the Creator intended humans to consume. It is the circle of Life and the most natural way for humans to exist, which I much prefer to an unnatural, artificial, diet based on GMO soy beans, that’s my choice. SW”
Now there’s a little peek into the mind that is Summit of the Slaughtered Horse… And right from the horse’s mouth, as it were. My first thought upon reading this diatribe was, if that’s the case, there must be a lot of tough, badly flavored horsemeat being shipped overseas… Sue Wallis is delusional. I can just see her in some shack in the woods with a machete in her teeth, butchering a bunny with a buck knife. Ick.
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Captive bolt does not kill its suppose to knock the animal out. The animal has to have a beating heart to be bled out. If the animal is dead how does one bleed the animal?
That said–we have seen the abuse not just in horse slaughter but in the cattle industry too. The abuse that HS videotaped from CA several years ago played on my local tv station EVERY NIGHT FOR THREE WEEKS STRAIGHT. No kidding.
It’s an ugly ugly business this woman wants to be a part of. And I thought about this again last night. I have less of an issue with someone who hunts to feed his family–as in deer hunting vs someone who hunts for trophy. The white man did this with the buffalo 150 years ago. For no reason other than to “bag a buffalo”.
But Sue would have people breed horses for slaughter. Horses aren’t raised this way. And if she raised her own horses for slaughter–they’d be full of worms because you can’t use wormers on food chain animals.
I think Sue needs to haul one of her horses to one of those slaughter houses that slaughter “exoctics” in WY and see what they have to say about the contaminants in the horse. If Sue has any difficulty finding one I saw several of them on my way to the Pryors going north from Riverton.
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Thanks John. It seems to get more and more bizarre with a bunch of pathetic and arrogant losers running the show! The real truth will prevail, no doubt about it and people will see them for what they are.
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Funny,as in China they say just the opposite:that meat from animals that suffered horrendously is more tasty!Plus,that woman compared her back-yard slaughtering farm with a factory slaughter house,…Yes,I have had some run-ins with these people who,by the way,call anybody who disagrees with them anything from tree-hugger to terrorist.I wear these titles proudly now.I guess if just writing something that is contrary to people who clearly have no compassion,then I rather be a tree-hugging libtardy terrorist.
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I am wondering who is funding this event? The taxpayers or is it a privately funded affair?
Mr. Holland, it would be soooo awesome if you could attend this “Summit”. You have an amazing talent of putting into words what we horse lovers are feeling.
If “horse” is so healthy and low in fat, why is Sue Wallis so dang OBESE???
I cannot understand why she is so intent on sending horses to slaughter. Why is this her goal in life? Did a horse do something to her to create this hatred she feels for them?
Mr. Holland, thank you for speaking on behalf of the horses and the people who admire them so much. xo
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Thanks, John. These people are idiots. I hope their Summit blows up around them and they don’t survive. What has happened to the sensible people in Wyoming? It appears they have all lost their minds to elect this individual. Or, did she buy them off? It makes you wonder. Maybe if she walks around with a gun, she will shoot herself. Yippee, yippe. What a great end that would be. THen her companion needs to do the same.
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So….vegetarians are the ones causing all of the trouble? Who would have ever suspected them?
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Excellent editorial by John. Good facts delivered with the talented turn of the word that characterizes John’s writings (and Xmas videos). Love the picture too.
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Thanks folks, glad you liked the article. It was difficult to write because I had so much information and could only use a fraction of it. This is a strange group for sure. Sue had scored a real coop getting Dr. Grandin involved, but I believe Grandin quickly figured out that there was not really going to be a slaughter house dedicated to killing a few head of horses seized every year in Wyoming.
The stupidity of claiming she was going to feed the meat to prisoners and school children was monumental. Did she think parents would accept that?
I got a great laugh out of Louie Cocroft’s post. I can just see a vegan terrorist threatening Wallis with a stalk of cauliflower! Wallis is always claiming she is under constant threat, but I highly doubt any of it. I am very outspoken and have only been threatened seriously one time years ago. The people in danger are the investigators.
Anyway, Happy New Year to you all!
John
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The same to you, John. Your articles always make ANY year better as far as I’m concerned. Keep up the great work!
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http://www.kaufmanzoning.net/Tuesday%20Rural%20Route-1.wma
This is the link in John Holland’s editorial…. underlined as “confessed” stalker….if you haven’t already clicked on to it…..do so. Trent Loos is telling how he wants to start a hunting season on the wild horses, in conjunction with the BLM. And Bob Abbey (BLM Director) will attend this summit after the discrimination against Brogan Horton.
Does the Dept. of Interior Equal Employment Opportunity policy condone/allow the participation of it’s Managers as speakers at Summits/Events where the organizations discriminate against participants?
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Louie, here is a statement that Sue made in an email from April 2010 titled Do not let misinformation go unanswered – talking points.
Remember, animal consumption is socially legitimate. Only 2% of the population are true vegetarians, another maybe 5% think they ought to be but don’t manage to do it…that is only 7% of the population at most. If we allow the animal rights argument to prevail, than there really is no difference between the heinous and awful crime of killing a horse to use for animal food, (as will be the main use of horses harvested in Wyoming), or human food…and the heinous crime of killing a cow, a pig, or a chicken. The ultimate goal of animal rightists, which is a very, very radical and idealogic agenda, is to end all human use of animals and to eliminate all domestic animals which is to many of us a gross perversion of the moral and ethical underpinnings of our society, not to mention a dangerous, unhealthy, and unnatural way of being.
So, since the vast majority of American’s are against horse slaughter and we number in the millions and she has stated that at most only 7% of the population doesn’t eat meat, how in the hell can she blame the opposition to horse slaughter on vegans?
Another gem of a statement was… There are as many meals of horse meat served every day, world wide, as there are McDonald’s hamburgers.
She is comparing the whole of the horse meat industry to one brand of one type of meat. How about doing a proper comparison and compare all beef meals to all horse meat meals?
I really don’t understand why she makes herself look so foolish and makes statements that are so easily disputed. I almost feel sorry for her.
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John, one good laugh deserves another. I was laughing out loud as I read your article. They may have to bring the butterfly nets out–the the inmates are running the institution.
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Vicki, thank you for bringing that forward. I have read and listened to everything that you and and the people from Equine Welfare Alliance have worked on. You have given us a great deal of valuable information.
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And a Happy, Healthy, Joyful, Peaceful, Prosperous New Year to YOU, John. (I hope I covered all the bases :):) I so enjoy all your writings. You say it like it is, backed-up by facts. You write with such eloquence, respect and dignity, with the most wonderful humorous, stick-it-to, twist!! Btw, I so miss your Blog Talk Radio. The information and education was unsurpassed. Come on back ~
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I second Ronnie’s motion
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I thoid it!! Miss the show 😦
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We should remember the likes of Juni Fisher and Waddie Mitchell, who will be performing for the Slaughter Summit….and be sure not to support them in the future.
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You can bet that every org or company on their list of supporters will be remembered. In fact I just finished my emails to the list of sponsors letting them know how much I will remember who they choose to align themselves with and how uninterested I have become in doing business with them. These 2 will also be remembered.
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Please please send as many emails as you can to the National Wildlife Federation. Steve Torbit is still listed as a speaker. He is supposedly the had of conserving public lands. I would like to know who he is conserving them for? The cattle industry and horse slaughter advocates? I will never spend another dime on NWF programs. If you have noticed, all listed speakers and sponsors support slaughterhouses and there sure are a lot of cattle men there. Are they perhaps thinking of setting up their own herds to slaughter or do you think they are there to attempt to gain grazing rights to more public lands?
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In the end, I still have not received the answer I had asked of the organizers of the Summit of the Horses. Exactly who that is not pro-slaughter is attending and what exactly is expected to be the outcome.
If someone like Brogan who although they call her a youth is legally an adult is willing to come there on a rational platform then be denied, we can plainly see that this is not about the horses nor is it about truly discussing how to handle the “abundance” of horses. Will they be doing a class or seminar are genetic testing so that the Paint, Palomino etc Breeders can figure out how to get the horse they want so they do not have an abundance of sorrel horses… the dreaded sea of red at the kill auctions. I do not breed but even I can understand what homozygous means.
Will they be discussing the geological and environmental studies of the benefit of having wild mustangs on the land rather than cattle who destroy our land.
Again it is clear .. there will never be an “open” discussion, panel or summit.
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The summit now as of 12-31-2010 will have a remote access for 25 bucks. Please listen in ………………… at
http://www.united-horsemen.org/2010/12/29/remote-registration-now-available-attend-the-summit-of-the-horse-online/
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http://www.newstalk650.com/audio/brent-loucks-audio/20101216-sue-wallis-event-organizer-summit-horse Pro Slaughter
Sue Wallis comments about the Summit
and Against Slaughter
http://newstalk980.sasklive.com/audio/brent-loucks-audio/20101217-brogan-horton-animal-rescue-unit-summit-horse
Best to all
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