The Institute of Equestrian Real Estate Professionals©

I am a horse owner and an ecologist and can tell you that the loss of processing facilities is having a tremendous negative effect in many ways. Natural resources are being depleted due to overgrazing, some are not able to properly care for their animals and animal welfare is being devastated. I support the ability for me and anyone else to 'sell' my animal to a potential buyer for a processing facility as the humane thing to do.
Thank you for raising this issue to congress.

There is no ban on horse slaughter. I wish there was. The same number of horses are being slaughter today than before the last hell hole of slaughter plant closed. This is one of the most stupid arguments ever. The issue is over breeding and a tanked economy. Dumb just dumb

Mr. Edsall, I would point out that the only difference between dogs and the animals you mentioned is your "unrealistic emotional attachment to one type of livestock".

Would you therefore recommend that we deal with the problem of "unwanted" cats and dogs by butchering them as well?

There is nothing humane about butchering horses for profit. Shipping terrified horses to a slaughterhouse and driving them down a bloody chute is no substitute for humane euthanasia.

The failure of horse owners to care for their animals -- including humane euthanasia -- does not justify butchering horses. Neither does the greed of horse breeders looking for a final way to profit from their animals after all other use has been wrung from them.

Follow the money and you will see people who supports slaughter and you will also find they have NO HISTORY of supporting or donating to horse rescues.
Edsall has no brains or respect to any animals. These morons consider horses livestock because they are NOT protected as dogs and cats are.. IF these pro slaughter morons did care they would push to have horses become companon animals instead of livestock.But they wont they get tax breaks on their land with livestock on it. They get tax beaks on there feed that is the only reason. Keeping them livestock gives these criminals out of jail..

DB Edsall, how do you get around the fact that THE SAME NUMBER OF US HORSES is being slaughtered for human consumption as when the US slaughterhouses were open?

They are, as someone notes, being in many cases bought at the same auctions and shipped by the same kill-buyers in the same trucks, to plants owned by the same companies that owned the US plants (and that took all their US profits overseas).

The US plants were closed because the states where they were located passed or upheld laws to accomplish that.

If your mares sold for less than their value, as one politician said, "it's the economy, stupid." If you wanted to ship them to slaughter, you can still do it.

But better hurry, because the demand may be lessening: the Europeans who eat the meat are getting wise to the pack of lies they've been fed about the horses' origins and how they're treated, and perhaps more influentially, the toxins that are likely in the meat of US horses that were raised to do jobs, not as food.

Wow....Ed, no sympathy from me either. Elaine and CaAmFam stated my feelings quite well. I could add more here but kind of feel sorry for you. Looks like you are quite aptly outnumbered. I would ask you to add some more though....what is your arguement in favor of US slaughter houses reopening as the "saviour" of the horse business, "real-estate business" ???? not sure how you got that one in but I'll let it slide, and the solution for the over poplulation and abuse, neglect that is the current state of affairs today? I want facts Ed, no conjecture, not your opinion but cold hard facts that link the two together, unequivocally. As some politely pointed out that the US is slaughtering the same amount today than it has in the past. Maybe not as conveniently as before but it is a moot point. I think the real problem is too many horse on the ground (too many breeding) and the world wide down turn in economies. That is the real culprit Ed. can't ya see it and admit it?

For the benefit of revisionist historians and anti-HSUS zealots like LongtimeHorseOwner and Mr. Edsall, here is the actual history of the movement to ban the torture of horse slaughter:

The California law was the work of Cathleen Doyle and the California Equine Council who started the "Save the Horses" campaign that eventually led to Proposition 6 and the slaughter ban in California in 1998.

Humane Farming did one of the most powerful early videos inside a horse slaughter plant which galvanized a lot of the early opposition to slaughter.

Rescues began forming in increasing numbers to try to save horses from slaughter during the late 90s. In time, these became more active in opposing slaughter.

The Texas plants were closed largely as the result of a woman named Mary Nash. Mary owned a horse farm adjoining the Dallas Crown plant property and originally started the web site called Kaufmanzoning.net to try to get the plant closed. She watched the beautiful horses being brutally killed every day and it spurred her into action.

Mary had allies, including Mayor Paula Bacon, Jerry Finch (Habitat for Horses) and Julie Caramante (HfH, now with Animals' Angels) who became involved and they teamed up with folks from the Boggy Bottom neighborhood.

They studied Texas law trying to find something to use to stop the plant. That is how the 1949 law was discovered. They went to the State Attorney General who took some time to determine that the law was in fact still in effect. He ordered the plants to close.

Meanwhile, the Kaufman Board of Adjustments ordered the plant to close because of its countless sewer and other health violations. The plant managed to tie that order up in court and to stay open.

The plants filed a suit against the State of Texas to stay open and got a TRO (temporary restraining order) for a considerable time.

During the early 2000's the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) had worked to introduce the first federal anti-slaughter bills. They also helped start one of the first national anti-slaughter web groups called "Against Slaughter" which is still active today.

Various groups formed out of this effort, including Alex Brown Racing (ABR) and Americans Against Horse Slaughter and many others.

In Illinois, Gail Vacca (a TB trainer) and her friends worked on Illinois legislation that failed the first time it was introduced. AWI worked relatively closely with Gail and others.

HSUS first became significantly involved in 2006 as I recall. In fact, they were a relative late comer to the battle. By then, even I had been in it for 4 years.

The two Texas plants had a TRO (pending a Supreme Court appeal) at the time of their closings, but it was us advocates who discovered it did not cover the Airlines hauling the meat and when we passed this to HSUS, they got the Airlines to stop shipping and the plants closed. Their appeal was eventually refused by the Supreme Court, closing the issue.

AWI and DDAL (Doris Day Animal League) also sued the Illinois Cavel plant for its sewage discharge violations. That suit was based on records uncovered by a different group of folks who were working in DeKalb studying plant's operations. That suit never got to court because the state law closed them first.

PETA has never taken an active role, partially because the anti-slaughter community asked them not to (for fear they would bring their enemies to the battle). Of course, pro-slaughter people could not leave them out, so they have continually argued that PETA is behind everything.

PETA took an undercover video of horse slaughter in Japan, but that is about their only participation.

Humane (really should not have that in your name), your reply is just as I would expect from people like you and your organization! Sad.... That when faced with truth you can reply with childish remarks! I really hope you one day become enlightened enough to think outside of yourself. You or anyone else has No Right to profit from the death and suffering of our animals of the world! It has never been or will it ever be right!