The Lingering Shame Of Mankind .................continued

The way a society treats its animals, particularly horses, speaks to the core values and morals of its citizens. The cruel treatment and slaughter of horses, both wild and domesticated is of grave concern to equine rescue groups and horse lovers around the world. Although the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the United States has been banned, around 100,000 horses are killed annually by foreign owned slaughter houses in America for human consumption in other countries. Additionally, many thousands of horses are shipped annually to slaughter houses in Canada and Mexico for the same purpose. They are transported in low clearance, deck cattle trailers for 24 hours or more without food, water or rest; and without separating the stallions from the mares or foals, causing injury from crowding and infighting during the trip. Upon arrival at the slaughter house, they are rendered unconscious, usually by captive bolt to the head before being shackled, hoisted by a rear leg and slit across the throat. However, some are improperly stunned, and despite repeated blows, are still conscious when they are being shackled. In Mexico, an alternate, more tortuous method of ending their lives is by stabbing in the back and severing the spinal cord, causing a slow agonizing lapse into unconsciousness and death to an already terrified animal. And the horror goes on and on against these very loving, gentle and sociable animals. Probably, the most superhuman thing about horses is th contrast between their unearthly strength and their inherent gentleness. The passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act
(H.R. 503/S. 1915) would put in place an immediate and permanent ban on, not only the slaughter of horses within the United States, but the exportation of horses for slaughter abroad.