Press Release from the Equine Welfare Alliance
“..it certainly contradicts the theory that slaughter decreases neglect by culling “unwanted horses.”
EWA (Chicago) – The Equine Welfare Alliance today released a statistical study on the rates of equine abuse and neglect across the US since 2000. The research examined equine abuse statistics from Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maine and Oregon.
Historical records of the number of cases of equine abuse and neglect from these states was correlated with three potential causes; the rate of equine slaughter (or lack of it), unemployment and the cost of hay.
Surprisingly, the researchers found that the rate of abuse has been in decline in four of the six states since 2008. Five of the six states had shown a spike in abuse and neglect around 2008 and two have shown a significant increase in the past two years.
The dominant factor the analysis produced in every state was the price of hay. “My assumption was always that unemployment was the dominant factor”, admitted EWA president John Holland. “In fact, the analysis showed that the rate of unemployment in the state was the least important predictor of the level of abuse and neglect.”
The analysis showed the second most important correlation was the rate of slaughter, but the analysis found more slaughter consistently correlated with more abuse and neglect.
“Correlation is not proof of causation,” explained Holland, “but it certainly contradicts the theory that slaughter decreases neglect by culling “unwanted horses.”
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) have long urged Congress not to ban horse slaughter on the basis that to do so would increase abandonment, abuse and neglect.
This study follows on the heels of a peer reviewed paper in the Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agricultural, and Natural Resources Law by Holland (EWA) and Laura Allen (Animal Law Coalition). That paper documented enormous increases in the cost of horse ownership between 2000 and 2011. The paper demonstrates, among other pressures, that a shift of land use from hay to corn for ethanol has reduced the hay available to horse owners, cattlemen and dairy farmers.
Severe drought in some states has made an already insufficient supply of hay all but collapse. In 2011, Congress ended the long standing subsidy for ethanol in gasoline and removed tariffs on sugar cane. EWA hopes this will put a downward pressure on hay prices in coming years.
Click (HERE) to read report
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Awesome.
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You’re batting 1000 sifting through all the lies and bs. Great work.
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Absolutely awesome Great Job !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Thank you John Holland for this amazing report !
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Yes Excellent study.. Thank you…… I sure hope hay prices come down they are at an all time high here in Colorado..
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I’ve believed this all along. Good to see my thoughts in black and white with backup in studies. This information can’t be beat down this time. These people are in the know and have proof of their statements. They’ve been watching and gathering information for a long time.
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There is a lot of discussion on here about the price of hay and not owning a horse I have never priced it personally. But just two weekends ago my husband and I were driving down the road and there is a big sign “Barn Sale” so we decide to check it out. It is early in the morning and we are the first to this sale~~~as we get out and walk up the drive I notice that there is every thing for a horse-from the pipe fencing and electric waterers, right down to a bag of 50lb apple treats and everything in between.
I ask “looks like you don’t have anymore horses” the lady 40 something says “no we got ride of them” so I asked her why. Now one thing she did say that the price of hay was $20.00 a small bail, but that was not her reason for getting ride of them–They have four girls, they looked like between 8 and maybe 15-they had 4 horses, she said the cost to go to events for a weekend with the horses and girls used to be about $125.00-now when they go, it is $7.00 a horse, $7.00 a kid, $7.00 an event it was getting to the point that a weekend was costing them $500.00 and they just could not afford do that anymore. Now with just this one example, of just this one person, it was not the price of food so much as it was the now high cost of the events that the kids were participating in-now I know nothing on the subject of what events that kids go to with horses-but maybe some of the decline in people being able to keep horses is not only the price of their food, but some of these event people raising rates to the point that the average person just has been priced out, and who suffers—The Horse.
So when I got to my feed store(were I buy other pet food) and is about 50 miles away from where the barn sale was, I asked him about hay prices and at his store a small bail is $12.00 to $15.00. This barn sale was in a real nice community in Colorado where the horses live in barns that look nicer than most peoples houses, so if these people cannot afford horses anymore–Well?
To many people taking advantage now, to make a buck.
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Very sad that it’s coming to this for many horses owners. The hay prices you found at the feed store is right for a 60-65lb bale in Colorado.
I have noticed many people no longer have horses in some areas. I don’t want to know where they
went? It seems the auction has been the pick for many desperate home owners. They need a real
education, maybe a video of where they went and how they ended up. “Slaughter”
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Wow Geri – this story makes my blood boil. What a bad example these adults set regarding teaching their kids about priorities and responsibility for a living creature who has served their children through all these apparently “more precious than the horses” dang fracking and “worthless by comparison” events.
Hopefully their horses landed a more responsible and loving forever home as these individuals clearly do not deserve to even be in the presence of such noble beings
Shame on this family !!
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Well said…Many of us on here will sacrifice and do anything to feed our horses and then families like these are a sad example of America today. The dad or mom needs to find a second part time job might even give them additional money into the household not just the horses.. What’s wrong with people?
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Tell the kids that they can’t do any more showing right now because it’s just too expensive. What’s wrong with that? You don’t have to give up horses just because you can’t afford to show – unless showing is the only reason you want to have horses that is.
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I love the work of these selfless groups. This is information we need to counter the greed of the vendors taking a bigger than their share cut of the cost of care for the horses.
This explains why horses will be starved, even though hay is on the premises. I wondered why that would happen. But fact is, hay is not a static staple. It has to be replaced – and at times it is expensive. California saw 22.00 a bale for grass hay last year. A lot of other expenses did not get paoid so my four could eat. But it really ticked me off to walk into the feed store, still does.
So John and Laura – are there statistics for how many equine owners ion jail for punching the face of the smirking feed store owner?
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Jan I am with you on sacrificing to maintain the health and happiness of our horses.. they are family and I would always feed family first. Other activities will need to be cut out in leaner times.
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Dear Arlene,
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D.-Ariz.)
America’s wildlife and wild places need a strong, passionate voice in Congress — and
especially on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Committee. It plays a crucial role in overseeing endangered species, national forests, wildlife refuges and national parks.
Democrats are about to decide on the newest top-ranking member for this committee. We need your help to make sure that Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D.-Ariz.) gets this important leadership post.
The Center for Biological Diversity joined more than 180 other groups this week in calling on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to support Mr. Grijalva for the Democrats’ top job on the committee.
The decision comes at a critical moment. We need Grijalva’s strong leadership to help beat back special interests that want to strip protections for endangered species, habitat and many of the wild places that are cherished by Americans from coast to coast.
Grijalva is a courageous, visionary leader committed to protecting wildlife and public lands.
Please take action now: Call your representative and urge him or her to support Rep. Grijalva to be the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee.
Click here to take action and get more information.
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Terrific! This might be able to repair some of the damage that has been done.
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Center for Biological Diversity bioactivist@biologicaldiversity.org this is where to go to sign …………… Please everyone read and sign !!!!!!
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I am so proud to know that there are people like John Holland and Laura Allen helping us to fight the fight for the well-being of our horses. Thanks for all your hard work along with all of us who continue to work on banning horse slaughter here in the U.S. each and every day!
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A lot of tireless work I am sure gathering all this data above, THANK YOU… I am hoping that John and Laura send this report to someone who will listen and push in banning horse slaughter…..
I am shocked that hay is so much in some places that is a shame just ridiculous, we just got our winter hay got 150 bales for 600.00…. I can’t even fathom 15.00 to 20.00 dollars a bale that’s crazy< Honestly that must be wicked hard to handle, what a shame that HAY of all things has to be that high???
This data has been really very educational and important for sure!!!!
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The hay prices are a commodity that has been set pricewise not by region, conditions, nor by the type, weight, or quality. In fact the hay report is actually recorded by BIG AG (you know them as pro-slaughter), the idea was to open hay as a taxable commodity where they can regulate the prices. I have a pro-slaughter hay dealer in our area and he uses the hay report posted on the USDA by the tonnage and broken down by the bales, which run smaller by each report driving prices up higher. They also do not account for emergency hay relief which should reflect the market lowering prices and the market rebounding periodically they reduce marginally not reflecting what they should. As well they are classifying hay for horses as the highest cost hay. It should be mandatory that they should reduce hay prices in time of need just as they did for cattle farmers in the Midwest and western states in the 80s and 90s. The same that they have done for cattle should now be in place for the horses. AS well, I read an interesting article pro-slaughter dug up on the Navajo horses suddenly dying in the mud with 4 hooves in air as well as horses kicking the water tanks til exhaustion set in. In my mind, I believe this is inhuman treatment, I have read many articles online in the past few weeks of the extreme amounts of money the Navajo Nation is spending on just nearly every aspect of their life styles. So why are they “suddenly” so conservative with the horses to the point of them dying. This is what slaughter houses commit: the crime of allowing the horses to befall such inhumane and hazardous atrocities, so I question why hasn’t anyone been arrested for not reporting the horses needing hay and water? Why did they wait until horses were dead in the mud upside down, highly suspect…I might add? I am really sick of the pro-slaughter side hitting on the mundane fact that there are inhumane acts being committed, so here is my new stance. A plant in the US is NOT open as of yet. So all pro-slaughter advocates are doing is aiding and abetting the inhumane treatment of animals by doing NOTHING! In fact, as they claim that rescues and organizations do NOTHING the pro-slaughter side does even worse, it sees the animals in such extremely bad conditions and stands back with their arms crossed like DOINK and walrus and talk bad about organizations NOT realizing they are the ones causing the graph to look like a heartattack on a hospital monitor. Don’t worry they are only concerned about Getting to the flat line. I think this graph spells out the inhumanity of the disorganized pro-slaughter that lacks concern, pity, self-worth, conviction for animal safety and welfare and completely IGNORES and stands back when they should race in and help. What makes them stand on the side lines, because they use the atrocities and point out the problems they see to divert attention from the pro-slaughter we DONT do anything for animals parade. The hay issue could be resolved, but then we wouldn’t need slaughter, the welfare issue could be resolved but then we wouldn’t need slaughter, they could help but then they would prevent slaughter so there you go! I want to see horse slaughter plans flat-line! I want the new graphs to be the number of horses that are saved not the number that are abused! And look at MAINE They need to pass the anti-slaughter legislation, they are a big factor in the abused animals sector. The liars who say horse slaughter resolves anything are just that misinformed liars!
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Thanks John and EWA! These are the things many of us think about. And often the answers are logical and reflect what out country is experiencing these days. I like the idea, Suzanne, that if showing is expense stop showing. Get into trail riding. ride with friends. It is just as satisfying. Keeping the horses you own and providing all they need should be the number one priority. Owning a horse is a privilege.
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Great study, John – thanks so much for all the information you get out there!
My reaction to the family selling their daughters horses was the same as everyone else. Why in the world would you sell the kids horses just because they weren’t showing anymore????? The shows were the only reason the girls wanted the horses? My gosh, the cost of the shows, the gear, trailering, entry fees – just cutting those out would have made it possible to keep the horses. What an awful waste. And what an education for those kids – cant do what you want – get rid of the horses! I knew a lot of kids who wanted a horse so bad they worked to earn the money for it. But they wanted a horse more than anything – not just to win ribbons!
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No kidding! What a pitiful excuse! Stop going to horse shows… Take care of your responsibilities…. I’ve done without to feed my precious equine’s and household pet’s. The’re family! Living, breathing, feeling creatures who give you so much!
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I agree. Horse slaughter does not prevent neglect. People who don’t value life enough to properly care for a living creature will just find the easiest way of disposing of their unwanted animal’s. To begin with, horse slaughter is not humane, horses can’t be humanely slaughtered, and I’m disgusted and sickened that it even exist’s and that greedy selfish people continue to have excusses to want this barbaric practice to continue. Why do some people feel that because humans are the higher intelligent’s that they have a right to destroy our creatures… How would they feel being put through such horror! Oh! That’s right… They don’t feel!
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Bravo! I agree….. Horse slaughter does not prevent abuse and neglect. People who don’t value life enough to properly care for a living creature will just find the easiest way of disposing of their unwanted animal’s. To begin with, horse slaughter is not humane, horses can’t be humanely slaughtered, and I’m disgusted and sickened that it even exist’s and that greedy selfish people continue to have excusses to want this barbaric practice to continue. Why do some people feel that because humans are the higher intelligent’s that they have a right to destroy our creatures… How would they feel being put through such horror! Oh! That’s right… They don’t feel!
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