7/18/2019 AQHA Now Pushing Slaughter for Wild Horses

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/aqha-now-pushing-slaughter-for-wild-horses 1/3

The following is being provided to our members as a CQHA courtesy communication. 

AQHA News Bits 

Unsafe Consequences

 

 As we all know, horse processing in the United States is not a black and white issue, so I want to take this

week's 440 to update you on the latest information. nce again, the Safeguard America !ood "#ports Act is

before $ongress. %he act is being positioned as a food&safety effort to protect humans from eating horse

meat that is not raised for human consumption. In fact, the act, if approed, would ban the e#portation of

unwanted horses to processing facilities in $anada or (e#ico. %he ban would mean that thousands of

7/18/2019 AQHA Now Pushing Slaughter for Wild Horses

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/aqha-now-pushing-slaughter-for-wild-horses 2/3

unwanted horses will be sentenced to a destiny of staration, abuse and neglect. It's a hellish demise.

 

)ere are the facts about unwanted horses in the United States*

• %he +oernment Accountability ffice reported that about -,000 unwanted horses were

transported to processing facilities in /00.

• %he United States epartment of Agriculture reports that 44,000 horses were transported to

processing facilities in /04.

• USA reports that there are nearly 10,000 wild horses and burros on 2ureau of 3and (anagement

land, which is //,100 more than what that land can naturally support.

• USA also reports that there are more than 4,000 wild horses and burros in short& and long&term

holding facilities.

• %he cost of the wild horse and burro program & 5,/41,000 in fiscal year /04 & is coming out of

U.S. ta#payers' pockets.

 Although rescue facilities hae made noble attempts to adopt and care for a small percentage of these

unwanted horses, the American 6eterinary (edical Association reports that those rescue facilities are

underfunded and bursting at the seams of their capacity. %here are also more and more reported

occurrences of unintended abuse and neglect in these facilities across the country.

 

 A7)A has a long&standing history of protecting the horse by suspending members for animal cruelty

charges and 8udicial confiscations of neglected horses. Unfortunately, that number has increased during the

last two years. (ost of these people, while well&meaning in their efforts to care for unwanted horses,

became either financially or physically unable to care for the animals in their possession. %his is a snap&shot

iew of the unintended conse9uences from the current horse&processing ban in the United States. 3ike I

said, there is plenty of gray area when it comes to what is truly best for unwanted horses.

 

:hen looking at dollars and cents, the Unwanted )orse $oalition estimates it costs 5/,-00 per year to

proide basic care & accinations, feed and basic farrier serices & for an unwanted horse. And that doesn't

account for horses with special medical needs, such as soundness issues. %hat's approaching 5-10 million

annually in basic care costs to take care of the number of unwanted horses being e#ported for processing,should the SA!" Act pass. :ho will proide funding to care for these horses; %he federal goernment is

tapped out. And as I pointed out earlier, the priate sector & though well&meaning & has proed incapable of

such a commitment, as well.

 

 A7)A beliees that as property owners, we hae the right to make end&of&life decisions for our horses & our

property. Aside from humane end&of&life options, A7)A endorses still&usable horses being donated to

7/18/2019 AQHA Now Pushing Slaughter for Wild Horses

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/aqha-now-pushing-slaughter-for-wild-horses 3/3

college or therapeutic riding programs. )oweer, we recogni<e that there are horses that are not suited for

continued use by anyone. %hat is why we oppose abolishing the option of horse processing until there are

other proisions made to take care of the more than 40,000 unwanted horses that meet that end each year.

 

:hile we wish it could be true, A7)A disagrees with the notion that all of +od's animals & in this case,

horses & can be cared for by human hands, lie out the rest of their lies in plush pastures and die at a ripe,old age. It's 8ust not realistic. 3egislators, as well as the )umane Society of the United States, hae failed torecogni<e or  choose to ignore the facts by introducing the SA!" Act, which will only increase the number ofunwanted horses.

 

If we do not like unwanted horses being sent to processing facilities across our northern and southern

borders, then perhaps $ongress should allow our own USA&regulated processing plants to reopen. %he

U.S. plants, with state&of&the&art monitoring technology, will assure humane handling and euthanasia as

approed by AA"= and A6(A, and a USA&inspected safe and wholesome end product for e#port.

 

It goes without saying that A7)A members loe the horse and what it stands for. :e are sickened by the

thought that hundreds of thousands of horses will meet a tragic and inhumane end of life under this

legislation, should it see the light of day.

 

 A7)A board members, this is a call to action. I urge you to contact your elected representaties in

:ashington, .$., and e#plain to them the dire conse9uences of this legislation. 6isit

www.unitedstatescongress.gov/members to find your representaties.

 

:hat's being called the "SAFE Act" has profoundly unsafe conse9uences for our beloed horse.

 

 As we celebrate the !ourth of >uly weekend with family and friends, I am reminded that this holidayweekend is not only about picnics, parades and fireworks. >uly 4th celebrates the birth of American

independence, and because of our freedom, we hae the opportunity to make a difference in the lies of

others, including our horse. 

$raig =. )uffhines