Protecting the Innocent: The Plight of Horses in Canada
Every day, hundreds of horses die in Canada. Last year alone, 87,175 horses were slaughtered in the country. This equates to nearly 1,800 horses killed each week.
The horse slaughter industry thrives due to the demand for horse meat in Europe and Asia. Last year, there was a 47% increase in horses sent to Canada from the United States because of their ban on horse slaughter. It is illegal to sell or eat horse meat in the United States, so Canada picked up the slack.
Hundreds of horses from the U.S. still enter Texas slaughterhouses and come out in boxes stamped, “A Big Taste of Texas.” In Canada, there are four slaughterhouses: two in Quebec and two in Alberta. Current regulations allow horses to be shipped for 36 hours without food and water, facilitating long hauls from the U.S. to Canada. Despite having only four slaughterhouses, Canada is one of the largest producers of horse meat globally, ranking among the top 10 internationally.
Many horses destined for meat in Nova Scotia and Canada include retired racehorses and family companions bought from rural auctions. These horses, often crammed into trailers meant for cattle, endure days without food, water, or proper rest. Horses taken from the track, full of drugs, are used for human food, which is a shameful betrayal of our loyal companions.
However, one positive aspect is that horse meat is no longer used in dog food because it is worth much more. Buyers pay up to $20 a pound for horse meat, making it lucrative for sellers.
My Little Angel is one pony that didn't make it to the meat truck. One Thursday afternoon, I went to the cattle sale in Truro. On this particular day, there was an abundance of horses and ponies, said to have come from Cape Breton. Among them was a white pony with her solid black colt and her last year’s filly.
I fell in love and told my dad to bid on them. I took the three of them home and have had nothing but joy since. The filly went to the home of Carolann and Jimmy McNeil of Merigomish, where she became Flicka and is treated like a little princess. The white pony and her black colt came home with me to Broadway.
She became Angel and brings great joy. She is a pony that is almost human-like. In the summer, you will find her walking the deck looking for treats. She has become a friend for three little girls in Truro during the summer months and a full-time best friend to Whitney Cameron. She became a trail mate and stable companion to horses that need a friend. She even made it to school and birthday parties. She got her name Angel because that is what you feel when you’re around her. She has been a therapeutic pony for many, including myself. Her pure jet black colt became Sammy, a Newfoundland pony you will find in the pastures of Broadway.
Angel and her family are the lucky ones that escaped the meat truck. I can’t imagine not having her around. So if you ever want to go for a Sunday drive and feed carrots and donuts, or just about anything to two willing little ponies, you will find them forever in Broadway.
When and if it’s time to part with your equine friend, remember where they may end up. Let’s remember what may happen to them and save our gentle creatures from a horrible fate.
Cathy Wilkinson of Broadway, Pictou County, teaches 4H in the county and has a small hobby farm she tends to when she isn’t working as a corrections officer. Her monthly columns focus on the farming community as well as 4H activities.
Originally Posted By NG News