Horse Health

CONFUSION REINS AS CANADIAN SLAUGHTER PLANTS HALT IMPORT OF US HORSES

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Press Release from Equine Welfare Alliance and the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

Market for Butchered American Horses is Slaughtered

“Shove THAT in your pipe and smoke it, ‘Slaughterhouse’ Sue Wallis”

Chicago (EWA) – US horses are no longer being accepted by Canadian horse slaughter plants, according to multiple sources. The Shipshewana auction in Indiana confirmed reports that they have discontinued loose (slaughter) horse sales for an indefinite period of time.

A spokesperson for the Sugar Creek auction in Ohio also confirmed that the kill buyers were no longer taking slaughter horses because “the plants are shut down”. This was further confirmed by a Richelieu slaughter house official. An unconfirmed report by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) indicated it was the result of an EU directive.

Canadian customs officials, however, knew nothing of the action. To add to the confusion, at least one driver stated that he did deliver horses to an undisclosed plant Friday afternoon.

The move came so suddenly that many trucks were already on the way when they learned of it. According to Lambright the issue is that the European Union (EU) has banned American horse meat from being shipped for consumption in Europe. The EWA has yet to receive confirmation from the EU.

Following the closure of US based horse slaughter plants in 2007, the export of horses to slaughter in Canada and Mexico increased dramatically. In 2011 the US exported over 64,000 horses to Canada and 68,000 to Mexico for slaughter.

Documents showing horse meat contaminated with phenylbutazone (a carcinogen) and clenbuterol (a steroid) had recently surfaced, indicating that the CFIA and the EU were both accelerating their residue testing programs. These reports were followed by claims from some kill buyers that blood was being drawn from as many as half their horses (an unprecedented percentage) before they were being accepted.

Since most of the meat from both the Canadian and Mexican plants is being consumed by the EU, it is reported but not confirmed that Mexico too will curtail imports of US horses.

In 2008, the EU announced that it would require third countries to come into compliance with their standards which require horses to be micro-chipped and all their medications tracked, but few observers expected any action would come before the expiration of a July, 2013 deadline.

The most likely explanation for the sudden move is that the expanded residue testing program has yielded worse than anticipated results.

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107 replies »

      • Reminds me of the night in 2007 when Cavel horse slaughter house in DeKalb, Iliniois was FINALLY shut down. However there was a truckload of horses INSIDE. At that time I was on Alex Brown Racing (ABR) website and it was a tense all-nighter. All worked so hard, donating, etc. to get those horses free. The HSUS was there on-the-spot. The horses WERE FREED !! But here there is more than one truckload on the way or at the borders and horses all ready bought by kill buyers. But for sure, many of these horses will be rescued too, one way or the other. Prayers & Joy. Staying tuned…

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      • Yes…. Lynette, there will be many that are caught in the middle. All of us who love horses need to be prepared to step up to the plate and play ball with everything we’ve got, instead of just watching the game unfold. This is going to be do or die.

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      • Yes, I remember that night too. In fact, we have a mare named Amira (aka Amy aka Sweet Pea) who was in the plant at the time it was shut down. She was taken to a rescue and we took her from there when we found out the rescue was in trouble. She is a pretty bay Arab with a sway back, but she is a wonderful horse and is now established in our herd.

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    • Mexico is also under the EU rules and so far they too have stopped taking horses. But there are some slaughter houses that are not under those rules so those are the ones we need to watch.

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      • I fear this could put a premium on the heads of our wild horses and burros who may not be full of drugs, but are no doubt full of worms. This is the reason that cattle, pork, goats, sheep, etc. are treated for parasites as well as domestic horses. I fear that the Parasites who feed their pocketbooks, with the blood of our wild horses will go on a tear. The point being missed is that parasites are also a threat to human health.

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      • No, the EU will not accept American wild horses, either. If they come from the BLM they already have drugs and NO passport and then there is the BLM favorite saying that they are feral and if they are feral they once were owned. The specifics to the EU’s rules is quite clear, the only equine that they will take without a passport is Zebra, clear and simple

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    • Slaughter has not stopped 14 trucks went through today. There are TWO types of slaughter horses. 1. The truck has a TRUCK HEALTH INSPECTION..that means all of the horses are covered under that certificate AND they must be slaughtered within 96 hours. AND they do not have to go for food. There are over 100 other uses for the horses.

      2. This is where EACH HORSE has a certificate..the same as if I am going to import a horse to Canada from the states for my breeding program OR if an American is coming to Canada for a horse show. That horse MAY BE SOLD at the slaughter house site

      If the first was stopped the second could not be as it is NOT illegal to import horses into Canada for ANY REASON.

      No horses have been turned back for the ANTI slaughter reason. If a truck was rejected it was due to a general healther certificate and he was transporting too many horses or there was evidence of illness or injury.

      There is NO information regarding a stop of shipments of equines on CFIA website and I have not been notified of that and I am on their information list (means I am informed of ANY changes to equine imports or exports)

      The EU is also not the only market. China, Japan, Philipines, etc ALL accept slaughter horses for human consumption from Canada.

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      • I also want to add that the Mexican consulate just called me back from Calgary, Alberta and they have NOT closed the slaughter houses for equines. As part of NAFTA it would have to be agreed upon by Canada, U.S. AND Mexico

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      • First I do not think that the other markets will not be enough to support this industry.Ja[an must have live horses and only small shippments, 40 per week. And according to the all knowing UH facebook page there was conformation that a truck was rejected at the Canadian border. The EU knows the paperwork is forged so that might be another reason for them to crack down on horses going to slaughter. No matter what, with the EU considering our horses toxic this is going to hurt the horse slaughter industry. I do beleive that it might have been the old lady who died from taking bute that might have put this whole thing over the cliff. I at least hope it over the cliff.

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      • It’s the European Union that is calling the shots for their slaughter plants, NOT the Mexican or Canadian governments. There is nothing in NAFTA or anything else that says the EU has to accept meat exports that do not meet their food safety regulations.

        No, the EU isn’t the only market, but they are by FAR the lagrest. Besides, why would Japan and China continue to eat meat the EU has begun refusing as unfit for human consumption? They will refuse our horses too.

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    • Iidk, this is both good and bad. I have some friends racing horses that are willing to GIVE AWAY their horses to good homes only- and they are beautiful animals and mostly sound. (a couple have chips and ankle rounding) NO ONE is taking them!! They have them listed on canter, sending a few to new vocations, and trying a few other venues, but they are scrambling right now. They are rare, because they def don’t want to send them to auction. It was a bad year for hay, and people don’t need anymore horses here. 😦

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  2. Awww…this just proves that Wallis and Duquette are bigger idiots than perceived by their uneducated followers…there IS a problem with drugs in American horsemeat and it IS a threat to those who consume it. It’s a fact, get over it!!!

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    • Snicker snicker..Nothing at this point.. So that’s why there is a push for transporters and foster/layover spots..Now I’m going to add my name to their list.. The western horses need to go north and EAST..They may be safer there.

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  4. AWESOME!!!!!!!
    Hopefully this is the first step in breeders and owners taking responsibility for their horses. It’s about fucking TIME. We’ve said it all along – so much so that I’ve taken an ‘extended leave’ from even discussing it any more!! – that the borders would close, and things would have to change.

    Yes, there is going to be a tough short-term time ahead of us, dealing with all the so-called “unwanted horses” at the moment, but it WILL get better. It will no longer be so easy to just dump culls at auction and get the going rate for meat.

    I for one am dancing a jig.

    (delete this if it comes in twice please)

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  5. Mexico has to follow suit as they also supply the E.U. Cactus Cafe and Canuki, the two thoroughbreds rejected by Richelieu this past summer, were the canaries in the slaughter pipeline coal mine.

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    • If you go on facebook its all over there. EWA has published an alert. And the Examiner and CMBC also has it. Animal Angels posted the findings of a recent EU report and now it has gone further. The EU has finally taken control of the situation.

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  10. A small point of English language usage—the word you need is ‘reigns’ – as to exert power over, not “reins” which are the narrow straps attached to the bit of a bridle.

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  11. This is good news, but does it now give them even more ammunition for trying to get slaughter started up again in this country? Wont this in effect cause horses to be raised just for food and not fed those drugs?

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    • There is NO market for the horses in this country. Americans don’t eat horses. We don’t have USDA inspectors. There are NO plants approved for slaughter.

      Suzy can try but the voicesnthatnringnout about NO MARKET would for once shut her down. And home in despair she would go.

      I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one!

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      • Margaret,
        I wish I shared your comfort level with this. There are some very well-heeled forces who want horse slaughter as a secondary disposal market for excess horses, which, in fact may no longer exist.

        Habitat for Horses stated on their blog that the market for trained horses is good. In fact, my veterinarian told me a few days prior to when I saw Jerry’ts post hat people who want a well-trained horse are having a hard time (think show, eventing, distance riding, trail riding) finding a horse that meets their needs. What my vet did not say was that is exactly the situation that the AQHA has been working so hard to create by leading the horse slaughter battle cry. They are working hard to increase the price of horses.

        It will be a sad day in this country when gas prices, hay and feed prices, and the price of a horse himself or herself puts the affordability level of the average American citizen during normal economic times (if we ever have normal economic times again—highly dependent on the cost and the availability of affordable energy).

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  12. I find it interesting that the Candian and Mexico Slaughter Houses blame the USA for the Horse Drug meat problem, I would bet my life on it that they are just as gulity but they had to point fingers at someone to keep their country’s business up. What a bunch of Crazy People, Two weeks ago In Terrell Texas at a Fuel Truck Stop I saw Two trucks full of horses all healthy and very vocal, from Trucking company out of Hamburg Ark on their way to Mexico. If I did not have my family with me I would have done something !!! This makes me so happy that finally something is going the horses way…. Its has to stop

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    • I agree, I have been working very hard through facebook to get signatures to present to BOLM and Washington., through another avenue. It breaks my heart to see those beautiful Majestic animals go for slaughter.

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  13. From Janet Schultz; Look at what I just copied off the United Horseman site. Someone in TN confirmed. But I have not yet.

    UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: CANADIAN & MEXICO BORDERS CLOSED TO OUR HORSES! This confirms the several phone calls I got this morning from those at auctions in IN, TN and a conversation I had with TX TDA holding pen buyer. To add: PA kill buyer, Brian Moore’s truck was turned back at the Canadian border this morning. Owner of Shipshewana was not a happy man today after being told he could not sell any “loose” horses! SHARE! UPCOMING SPECIAL SALES:Saturday, October 13th: HORSE SALE CANCELED!!Due to unforeseen circumstances all exports of horses to Canada and Mexico have been suspended. We just became aware of this situation the morning 10/12/12. We have reached out to numerous experts and traders in the business and as a result and due to the uncertainty with the market we have decided to cancel the horse sale. We will reschedule later this fall or early in 2013. As it stands we would have no buyers and no place for the horses and would be unable to provide a service to you or your animals. We understand that this is both a frustration and inconvenience to you. We will keep you posted as more details about the exports and a future sale become available Stockland Livestock Sales, Davenport WA

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    • Now we get to see what our country is really made of. If Congress or if the states get into a flurry and want slaughter back here we have another internal fight on our hands. Where will the over breeders take their culls? This is not about the starving or the sick.

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      • What bothers me; hay prices are high and many people have depended on this system to take their over breeding culls, personally unwanted or older or sick horses off their hands. Then there are all of our wild captives and people in office in the midwest saying the budget for our long and short term horses needs to be cut.

        At this time we need to claim our wild ones and stop roundups and save the captives anyway we can but best case scenario; on their ranges again!

        And not let slaughter happen here anew!

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      • I absolutely share your concerns, Mar. That is why I have been repeating early and often that rather than condemn our wild and free-roaming horses to a horrific death, it would be far better to cut an agency that has used fraud to increase its budgetary appropriations from Congress. Let’s start with the the fact that as long as thirty years ago, the BLM’s wild horse reproduction model was debunked by a committee of scientists assembled to review the BLM’s fledging wild horse and burro program.

        1. As early as 1982 in the National Academy of Sciences report, the BLM was told that their population model that asserts wild horse herds reproduce at a rate of 20 to 25% doubling the size of wild horse herds every four years is false. The 1982 NAS team stated quite clearly that the actual rate is much closer to 10%.

        What other conclusion could a reasonable person conclude other than that the BLM has knowingly and willfully committed fraud against the American people, Congress, and each succeeding administration. No doubt they have had some enablers along the way such as former Senator Conrad Burns, Senator Harry Reid, and former Representative Charlie Stenholm (who prides himself on being able to balance himself on the tight rope of truth with nary a pole in sight). Then there is Senator Max Baucus who chairs the Senate Finance Committee as I write. If either chamber of Congress pursues the legalization of horse slaughter, it will be the Senate where Senator Reid controls the agenda. And he has ruled with an iron fist when it has come to the issues of wild horses and burros as well as horse slaughter.

        2. Although wild horse horse and burro advocates have not been as successful as Western Watersheds has in proving that the BLM has violated the National Environmental Policy Act and the Administrative Procedures Act as well as numerous CFRs in court, the fact remains that the agency has violated NEPA and the APA the agency is just as guilty of violating the law regardless of who proves it.

        3. The New York Times story on the BLM’s Vernal, Utah, field office bypassing the Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Statement stage indicates that the practice of failing to follow NEPA is not limited to livestock grazing. However, we know that when it comes to wild horses and burros, they have enough staff and the staff has enough time to generate an Environmental Assessment with 120 pages including everything but the water trough. So how is it exactly that the BLM is following the Federal Lands Management Policy Act?

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  16. Keep WORMING ,AND INJECTING YOUR HORSES!!! This is better than a microchip!!! Geez….like we didnt already know the “Residue” tests would turn out that way!!!

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  17. First, 80% of the market for US horse meat is the EU, this action has been EU generated and therefore there would be no market for horse meat slaughtered in the US either. The EU’s regs go into effect fully July 2013. We do not have a tracking program in this country or in Canada or in Mexico. The horses would have to be tracked prior to the age of 6 months. The EU does not allow the import of wild horse meat either unless it is Zebra, but either way, they would not have a passport either.

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  18. Now all we have to do is keep the ‘unwanted’ American horses – like those in the trucks – safe from the bozos here at home.

    How are the ‘owners’ of these horses going to treat them RIGHT NOW? They need to be off-loaded and cared for but will they?

    I’m not raining on the parade; this is MOST excellent news. But let’s not forget who has custody of these animals and the mind set that puts them in jeopardy in the first place.

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    • That is why we all, all of us who have fought for this, must stand up and be ready to do what we must to get all these horses safe. We must support rescues and take in some of the unwanteds in. It is going to take a lot of work but we can do it. Habitate for Horses is on it so stand by. They will let us know what we all need to do. WE MUST NOW PUT OUR MONEY AND HEARTS WHERE OUR MOUTHS ARE! We need to stand togetherand take care of horses in need.

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      • You’re absolutely right, Lynette! So many of us have been fighting this fight for a long, long time. This is such wonderful news and I’m delighted that the “truth” has come to light! We have been following one tragic story after another and it’s very important now for everyone to continue to stay focused and help support those horses in need. We must never stop being a voice for the protection of these magnificent creatures and I will continue to help provide funds to those who work so hard and who are so devoted to this cause. Let’s all do everything we can to help rescues, such as; Habitate for Horses and others who are willing to help provide a safe and healthy environment for these innocent animals.

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  19. We will likely see many problems now, no place to dump the unwanted for a few bucks. A lot of horses will die, but if we are strong enough, it will level out. much of the breeding will stop when there is no longer money to be made. No market, the product dries up.

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    • According to a group of veterinarians that serve a large portion of equines in our area, the downturn in the economy has been serious enough to stop the majority of back years breeding. And the AQHA has sent an astonishing number of horses to slaughter. Their annual registrations approach within 20 or 30 thousand the number of horses slaughtered. Their total number of breeders who register horses is down which has to be good news as far as horse slaughter is concerned.

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  20. Let’s make sure we are clear…the borders are not closed and there are horses in the Pipeline on both sides of it. I have spoken with in the past hour to 3 border agents, (TX. AZ. Calf.) who have heard nothing about this. I do believe the plants have shut the valve which accomplishes virtually the same result. Our Cohorts in Canada issued a statement…

    From the CHDC: While this is excellent news, information is still coming in so please stay tuned. We will provide information when received, in particular, our concerns with the horses stuck in the pipeline. We have contacted Jerry Finch and will keep all of you posted as we hear of coordination of rescue efforts.

    Please be cautious of anyone asking for donations to pull horses as we are not aware of any efforts at this time and news like this brings out the scammers. We are unsure if this is temporary or will be in effect until North America and Mexco has a passport system.

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    • Exactly, Steve. It’s not the borders that are turning the horses away, it is the slaughter plants. We did hear from one KB where they turned him around at the border but it may be that he was aware that the plants weren’t taking horses.

      Actually, the message you posted was from us to the US in our members email but I’m sure they experience the same thing in Canada. You know how the crazies come out with news like this scamming for donations. We contacted Jerry Finch (Habitat for Horses) who is an expert in coordinating large rescues and he in turn contacted HSUS and ASPCA. We will be working over the weekend to try to sort this out. It’s not only the rescue but hay, vets, etc. Why does this always happen on a Friday when it’s hard to contact people on the weeknd…

      At this point, we have shared everything we know. As more information becomes available, we will provide updates on our facebook page. RT will also keep everyone updated as he is involved, as well. We don’t want to start a mass panic and are trying to have something in place should we have to start pulling horses in the pipeline.

      As per usual, instead of trying to help out, our opponents have started bashing and calling to open the plants. Of course, they don’t understand no matter where they are slaughtered, the EU doesn’t want toxic meat.

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      • Vicki I’m sure there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that a lot of don’t know about. That’s okay. But I’m sure Joe at tbfriends.com would be real happy for any insights you get. Right now he’s trying to network homes for just the “usual” unwanted horses. Now it’s gonna get worse before it gets better.

        Joe has a HUGE GINORMOUS network here in Northern CA. You find is email on his website.

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  22. It’s my understanding that EU passed regulations to discontinue the consumption of “tainted” American horses as far back as a couple of years ago. As most of us horse activists already know, virtually ALL horses have some form of toxicity that would render them inedible. What the hell took the slaughterhouses so long to figure this out??!! We know that kill-buyers would try to capitalize on the torture and slaughter for as long as possible, but again….why the ‘sudden’ decision by the Canadians (rhetorically speaking of course)? C’mon Mexico….now get your bloody knives out of the spines of OUR horses!

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  23. What can our side do? Should we put out a request that these guys do not just dump their horses?
    Some will! But who can buy them off the kill buyers trucks?

    Madeleine Pickens, please help NOW! Help the rescues impacted! Give them grants to get through this! Same with the HSUS, put your money where your mouth is NOW!

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  24. I’ve heard thru other publications, (don’t know if it’s true but I would assume it is) that the truckers are setting the horses in their trucks loose to fend for themselves. This is after being turned away at the border. Humans are so damned disappointing.

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  25. I posted on your FB page also. I’m in the northwest part of northern Washington and am on the I-5 corridor to the plant in Alberta, CA. PLEASE let me know if we need to step in and help any horses stuck on trucks or killpens in the area. We have a huge auction house/killpen in Enumclaw and a smaller local one in Everson, Wa. I can rally some horse friends to assist if need be.

    http://www.facebook.com/whytheycry

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  26. Yippee..FINALLY SOMEONE got the balls and the good sense to see that American horses are not an acceptable food source.. However once they sort it out our wild ones may be in serious danger..real serious danger…

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  27. Suck it up Sue Wallis!!!!
    FYI: Sugarcreek is one word. There is a Sugar Creek Ohio also but its not the one with the auction house. 😉

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  34. i knew this was coming when i read a report a couple months ago i believe, that said the EU would no longer accept american horsemeat. this is absolutely fantastic! now, we have to rescue these poor kids stuck in the pipeline! hsus, aspca, and madeleine pickens, not to mention the various horse rescues, GOD be with you on this righteous quest!! thank you LORD!!!

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  35. hey people, with the election at hand…just a note…please consider voting for mitt romney! he said in his speech that he will shut down all government agencies that aren’t profitable…we KNOW he would eliminate the corrupt and wasteful BLM don’t we?? i just saw a VERY disturbing movie on demand called “obama.” did you know he gets much of his rhetoric and political philosophies from communists and anti-colonialists? it’s very scary and he sure is getting our deficit out of control and into the stratosphere! that could ruin our country and bring it to its knees, which we narrowly escaped only a few years ago. also, with this “obamacare” that’s like socialized medicine, sounds like socialism to me…just sayin’…also, i pray that mitt romney would help our equines since his wife gets so much benefit from her equestrian hobbies! god bless our equines!

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    • As someone who has had their Medicare messed with let me tell you my experience this year. For the past years I had a third party take care of all my Medicare, doctors, surgeries, drugs etc.

      This year that Co. dropped everyone in my county. What I’ve come to understand is that this is part of Obamacare. At first it was bad, it was frustrating and I hated it. But now I see where the savings are.

      I went back to “regular” Medicare. No third party. The savings not only to doctors but to American taxpayer is huge. Medicare no longer pays a third Co. for my care. That means the doctors have a larger cut of money–where a few years ago I had some threatening to leave Medicare and not take assignment. It saves the taxpayer. And Part D which I never use to have to pay for I now have to pay for. But there are several choices–like you can choose a less expensive plan and pay a lot in your yearly deductible. Or you choose to pay a higher premium and zero out those deductibles. Those choices are left to the individual. They also have counselors available to chat with who can help you sort all this out. It is confusing.

      The hardest part for me is knowing who to give my Medicare card to–like I could I think get my diabetic meds “free” at one pharmacy if I show them my red white and blue card. Costco doesn’t take it but they do take my third party Part D card. So I pay. My choice.

      It took a long time but I’ve found peace with this program change. And I’ve decided it isn’t as bad as I thought.

      About Obama himself…all I will say here is vote your conscious. I know many of us have felt burned by HR503 and Obama’s seeming ignore of us. I feel everyone’s pain here. I do. But please listen to R&R, and listen to the Republican party. I fear what they stand for.

      As for Ann I am glad she has Raflaca. He’s a beautiful horse despite the Olympics. But don’t mistake Ann’s love and transfer that to her husband. One does equate to the other necessarily. How many of you have a horse and have a spouse that just doesn’t understand? That’s what you’d be voting into office.

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    • You need to get your news from someone besides FOX. Obama does NOT get his words or ideas from communists or anti-colonialists – I don’t think you know much about colonialism either. That’s screwy on the face of it.

      Tea Party Republicans have the worst animal welfare records of any of the major political groups. Check it out. In fact, check everything out before falling for it hook, line and sinker no matter where it comes from.

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      • also, before you bash all republicans, it was RICHARD NIXON whose administration enacted the free roaming wild horse and burro act in 1971 to begin with. apparently clinton was pro-animal too and i think he’s the best president we’ve had. it’s SO TRAGIC to me that gore lost to bush. i truly believe if gore were president, 9/11 NEVER would have occurred…it was, after all, the cause that bush/cheney USED to gather support for a war against iraq, plus the so-called “weapons of mass destruction” that proved to be false. bush was the worst president of all time and he conveniently was in a florida classroom when 9/11 destroyed the towers and so many other innocent lives. i can’t believe he hasn’t been executed for treason or fell victim to some other “tragedy” yet. i KNOW what the fate of our poor, innocent equine families has been under obama. i also pray and truly believe that ROMNEY would abolish the corrupt blm and hopefully their criminal deeds with it! god bless america!

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  36. Now, more at-risk horses than ever will need to be transported from danger to safety, and not all willing adopters/rescuers have trailers. If you have a trailer, please register as a transport angel at http://www.FleetOfAngels.org. (See the directory and interactive map.) FOA members step up to help transport horses in their communities that are suffering from or at risk of abuse, neglect, or abandonment, and also in cases of natural disasters like fires and flooding. Most requests are local or for short distances around your area. Any charges for hauling are negotiated between rescuer and hauler. FOA is a grass roots effort designed solely for the purpose of getting more ‘unwanted’ horses into safe homes.

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  37. Now is the time to try to get animal abuse laws strengthened as many horses may be in danger of being starved, and the pro-slaughter advocates have already been using starving horses as a reason to slaughter them.

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  38. This thrills me! Obviously it’ll get worse before it gets better, but it’s better to have these remaining horses euthanized than slaughtered. And Id love to slap the AQHA and the jockey club with a bill for the cost of placement/care/euthanasia for every registered horse that is turned away! That might teach them to be more selective about which horses they breed or register!!! Inspections, restrictions, and reason – three things american horse breeding seriously LACKS

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  39. At this point we do not have any confirmed reports of horses being dumped. I spent up into the wee hours of the morning on the phone with State Police, county dispatch and border customs to confirm. None had been dumped, none turned away from the border. Most of the auctions are held on Fridays, therefore most Kill buyers would not have had full loads at that point.

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  40. Altho this is good news, we have to get ready…..if Canada & Mexico close their plants to US horses, that may put more pressure on the US to open plants here. We know we don’t want that. So we have to make plans for rescueing & homing thousands of horses so no one can say we need slaughter plants in the US. May I suggest a national group where all those that want to contribute to keeping horses safe & fed can do it in one place and we need people with the room to step up & foster these horses. We can take care of them all, we just need to stay together. This would be a good place for eco-resorts, NOT Pickens plan to eradicate wild horses by making them all non-reproducing. Keep the wild horses on their lands. Mak eco-resorts or foster farms for the homeless horses. We should develop a network of foster farms throughout the country so no horse is without feed & shelter.

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    • Jerry Finch Habitat for Horses is the Go To Guy for donations. But don’t donate yet. Things need to be put into place. He is suggesting that if we donate for people to pull horses the rescue sets up some kind of escrow account. You can read about that off of EWA’s press release Fri night.

      There are others working behind the scenes.

      But I REALLY like your idea of turning Madeleine’s Eco Sanctuary into a home for all those slaughter bound horses.

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      • Margaret, doesn’t hav to be Pickens sanctuary, it can be anywhere. But it would be a BETTER use for Picken’s sanctuary than her keeping a bunch of non-reproducing wild horses. Elaine Nash has started a FB page for anyone that wants to help the horses caught in the slaughter pipieline, whether it be trailering, or if someone has extra room (barn, pasture, whatever) to foster any of these horses. http://www.facebook.com/groups/DestinyHorses/

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  41. If this is, in fact, happening… we need to all brace ourselves for the reality of having no plan in place to take care of the horses that would otherwise go to slaughter. When the 2007 “shutdowns” happened in the US… there were horses being dumped, abandoned, and killed. I only know of a few local instances, and I have no doubt there were many more. There was a load of horses dumped just over the Wyoming border… over 20 horses… each one shot in the head with their brands cut out. Horses were being abandoned and turned loose.

    As much as I hate slaughter… there needs to be a plan to take care of the 130,000+ horses that are going to slaughter each year. That’s a lot more than what a few rescues can handle (especially being that the rescues are already full with today’s economy). Hopefully breeders will smarten up and quit overbreeding… but in the meantime… what to do???

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    • Lauren Gueswel, you are not correct. We already have a plan and many are helping. If we all join together, like we did to save the Virginia Range horses, we can do anything and we will.

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  42. I just read the United Horsemen FB page, they are all in such denial. The EU has been saying for 2 years it was going to stop buying American Horsemeat. How can this be such a big surprise? They are blaming it on R.T., Animal Rights groups, anti-slaughter groups. They apparently do not respect Europeans’ right to reject tainted meat. That’s the bottom line, they are the consumer, and they have a right to decide what they want to consume.

    Another pet peeve, which I know is irrelevant, Sue W. continually calls it “cheval,” as if that makes it more palatable. I’ve also noticed that they support Mexican Rodeo, and the right for TW trainers to “sore” horses. Yeah, they’re a bunch of horse lovers.

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    • Ya gotta wonder – do they even listen to the drivel coming outta their own faces? To defend brutality and cruelty as an acceptable part and parcel of ‘horse culture’? (I remember a couple of years ago, sue using the image of a horse being eaten alive as part of her ‘advocacy’ of slaughter as a preventative, then turning around a year later and supporting some airheaded bimbo rolling around in the gutted remains of a dead horse. ALL very important components of ‘horse culture’.)

      But, let l’il sue have her pretty word; it’s probably the only ‘culture’ she has.

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    • Thank you. You reminded me I have an important email to send…

      Oh Lord, anyone tht was at IEC saw that horse soring video. I was crying, I was outraged. I was so beyond furious. How could anyone think that putting things like mustard oil on the pattern and then wrapping it in plastic and putting big heavy chains on the legs is somehow ethical? And don’t even get me started on the those big blocks they attach to the hooves.

      It is SO sick and depraved.

      This is so beyond “property” rights. When you willfully and intentionally sore a horse that to me shows signs of possible mental illness. Those big blocks I mentioned are the least of the horses problems. I watched as a horse was being hit in the face with the blunt end of a bullwhip.

      There is no defense for that kind cruelty. I’ve only seen a couple of horses from Mexican rodeo but that was more than enough for me.

      There are just no words for someone who helps promote cruelty by not taking against such practices.

      As for Suzy calling it “cheval” that’s the French word. She’s trying everything to tidy up her “humane slaughter operations”.

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  43. My greatest fear is that we will revert back to the days of old when unscrupulous people just went hunting for the wild ones, picked them out off the land and took them to the kill buyers themselves who can take them to the people who can butcher them and sell them to the people who will like to eat them as delicacies. They may be full of worms as one of the previous persons has said, but they won’t be full of bute, wormiing medicine and they’lll have no way of being protected.
    I already can see the horses that are starving here on the Navajo Reservation that are being left to graze where ever here in Arizona. In New Mexico they have a better handle on it, but the rangers do round them up periodically and then do an auction which gives the owner the ability to goet them and provide proof of owner ship. If no one claims them they lost, sold to who ever will buy them. Very sad situation. The rangers have told us that we can claim them if there is no brand on the horse and we can catch them……right!!!

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  44. Hi Real Horselovers, I just registered w Fleet of Angels. Being in MA, I don’t know if we will ever be needed, but if we can ever do some small part in this campaign We Believe In, Saving Americas Horses, we will be happy to do so. We have 3 horses, 2 rescues from a PMU operation in Canada, and 1 rescue from a kill pen nearby. These horses are safe for life. Thank you for everything you do that helps each and every horse that is in jeopardy.

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  45. I hate that horses are slaughtered. It’s a lazy way to address the problem of horses that are no longer useful to their owners. It’s about time that people realized horses are not raised for food and are contaminated by lots of drugs that should NEVER be used on animals intended for food.

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  46. Finally I can sleep better tonight. I congratulate the EU for making a fine decision. Now let’s hear it from Mexico. Pass the anti slaughter bill and i will get a better night sleep every night. : )

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  47. Every year over 130,000 U.S. horses are sold to slaughter and shipped to Canada and Mexico to avoid U.S. horse slaughter bans. 80% of Americans are against horse slaughter. Tens of millions of our tax dollars are being used by federal govt agencies to facilitate known kill-buyers illegal access to our horses. Especially mustangs through the BLM federal office. Its time for humanity to re-evaluate what a horse is truly worth. And realize in this time of personal, social and world-crisis, how important horses are as one of the few alternative paths we have left to our own survival. U.S. citizens can contact your local representatives, senators, and President Obama through the links below.
    http://www.seraphim12foundation.org/legislation.html
    http://www.seraphim12foundation.org/letterwriting.html
    And Secretary Salazar here.
    http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/438/612/888/

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  48. This is like heaven to my ears, I want to think positive and hope and pray this is truelyl stopping.
    1.) What happens to the horses that have been turned away at the border? They are not going to do something stupid and just let them out of the trailers.

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  49. Such great news. We must stay focused and help in any way that we can to get these horses saved from the trucks turning around and going to mexico. A horrid thought. Now maybe Sue Wallis and gang along with the Senators of Missouri will stop their pro slaughter garbage. Missouri has been a target and Roy Blunt was one of the infamous 3 who added in the funding for horse meat inspectors. Claire McCaskell sent me a letter that she just didn’t know, the “status quo” was not working which told me she was pro slaughter and it was probably due to her big ag backers.

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  50. This was taken off the web site of Habitat For Horses

    What Happened to Horse Slaughter?

    “Important fact – in every state, it is against the law to deny equine food, water and care. It is against the law to turn horses loose or to abandon them. In every state, the person in “care, custody and control” is the person who will be charged with the criminal act if any of these events occur. If you witness such an event – CALL LAW ENFORCEMENT!

    Don’t waste time contacting Habitat for Horses or your local horse rescue. You are the witness, make the call. If they need assistance, any number of equine organizations are willing to step in, but know that equine rescues cannot step in and take charge of any horse without legal action being taken first.

    Habitat for Horses will not be paying money to any killer buyer for any horses. They bought into making blood money off the bodies of dead horses and we will not relieve their financial disaster by sticking donated money in their pockets. Any money we receive will be spent buying hay, transporting and finding places for the horses. If we find any horse being denied feed or water by any auction house, feed lot or killer buyer, we will inform law enforcement and ask that charges be filed against them.”

    Read the Entire article here. http://habitatforhorses.org/happened-horse-slaughter/

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    • good girl! that’s exactly where the money needs to be spent…and i have a check on its way right to you! blessings and goodnight from a fellow rescuer…mine is a 9 year old palomino foxtrotter who looks like mr. ed and i adore him so! he was going to be put down as his prior owner died of cancer and her sister couldn’t sell him as no one wanted him. he is lame and unrideable but that’s just fine with me. rescuing my horse rescued me too in so many ways!

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