To Kill or Not to Kill? The Debate Over Horse Slaughter in the U.S.

The Controversial Debate: To Kill or Not to Kill Horses?The Controversial Debate: To Kill or Not to Kill Horses?

Recently, the topic of horse slaughter has captured attention on both sides of the Atlantic. In Europe, the discovery of horsemeat in Ikea's supposedly all-beef meatballs has led to a blame game among countries. The core issue seems to be differing levels of acceptance regarding horse consumption. In the United States, the debate centers on whether to kill horses, not whether to eat them. Since 2006, horse slaughter has been effectively illegal, as Congress halted all slaughterhouses producing horsemeat for human consumption by blocking federal inspection funding. The last plant closed a year later, but this federal ban expired in 2011. Now, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture processes an application for the first horse slaughterhouse in New Mexico, four federal lawmakers have introduced a bill to once again ban the killing of horses for human consumption. This bill would also prevent sellers from transporting horses to slaughterhouses across the border.

Valley Meat Company of Roswell, N.M., applied for a horsemeat inspector soon after the ban was lifted. However, the USDA delayed, leading the company to sue, which forced the agency to expedite the process. The project appears likely to be approved, although recent revelations about improper disposal of cattle carcasses at the plant could complicate matters.

Even though most of Valley Meat's horsemeat would be exported to countries like Mexico, Russia, China, and Europe, the idea of horses being killed in the U.S. for consumption is unsettling to many Americans. The anti-horse-slaughter law, known as the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, seems to be a response to both the European scandal and the proposed New Mexico slaughterhouse, gaining support from horse and animal rights activists nationwide.

The reasons for opposing horse slaughter vary. "The practice of horse slaughter for human consumption is revolting to me as a horse owner and as a consumer," bill co-sponsor Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., told E&E News (subscription required). Landrieu also raised concerns about the health risks of consuming horses, some of which are retired racehorses treated with drugs and chemicals.

Others argue that horse slaughter is inhumane. "The methods used to kill horses rarely result in quick, painless deaths," The Humane Society of the United States told The L.A. Times. "Horses often endure repeated stuns or blows and sometimes remain conscious during their slaughter and dismemberment."

Some see horses, especially wild horses, as symbols of the American spirit that should not be consumed. "What happened to the pride we once had, back when we saw wild horses as living symbols of our national heritage?" Mae Lee Sun wrote in High Country News.

However, not killing horses has its consequences. A 2011 Government Accountability Office report found that the domestic horse slaughter ban inadvertently harmed horses by shifting slaughter to Canada and Mexico, where USDA inspectors do not oversee the process. According to The Wall Street Journal, about 170,000 horses were sent to slaughter in those countries last year.

Proponents of horse slaughter, like Valley Meat Company owner Rick de los Santos, argue that slaughterhouses create jobs and prevent business from moving to Mexico. "I've seen 130,000 horses a year on their way to Mexico — they go right through our backyard — and I wanted to tap into the market," he told The L.A. Times. "I could have hired 100 people by now. Everyone in our community agrees we need this type of service. And I'm tired of waiting."

Santos also mentions that he frequently hears from ranchers who have too many horses — some of which they can no longer afford to feed — but have nowhere to send them.

The Bureau of Land Management, which spends over $75 million a year managing wild horses and burros, faces a similar issue. The agency has been hesitant to (knowingly) sell horses for slaughter, despite its legality, resulting in thousands of horses being held in long-term pens with no viable solution. There are now more wild horses in captivity than in the wild. (Read more about the BLM’s wild horse problem in reporter Dave Phillips’ HCN cover story “Nowhere to Run,” or Lynn Bama’s story “Wild Horses: do they belong in the West?”)

The USDA is urging Congress to reinstate the horse slaughter ban but states it will have no choice but to provide horsemeat inspectors if the ban is not reinstated. Sequestration has already complicated matters for the agency, which will furlough meat inspectors to cut costs. Sen. Landrieu is concerned that the agency lacks sufficient funds to initiate a horsemeat inspection program.

In addition to the Roswell, N.M., slaughterhouse, the agency has received several other applications for horsemeat inspectors in Wyoming, Missouri, and Oklahoma, indicating that the debate will likely continue. Ultimately, it comes down to perception: “Many of us look at horses as livestock. Others see the horse as a large dog,” Chris Whitney, then-president of the Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance, told HCN in 2008. “It’s tough to meld the approaches and points of view.”

Originally Posted By High Country News

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