Horse Owners Facing Terrifying Reality

Horse Owners Facing Terrifying Reality

Q13 FOX News
April 21, 2009

His nickname is 7, and lucky is exactly what he is - so is Sarah.

"Sarah's a horse we actually pulled off the truck," says Monica Stephens
of Natural Horse Savvy in Snohomish.

She and Kalisa Jenne-Fraser are grateful for that.

"People don't understand the risk when they send their horses to
auction. They don't understand the reality when they get on the truck.
There's still a market for horse meat unfortunately, " says Jenne-Fraser.

Every year, tens of thousands of horses are sold at auction, then driven
to Canada or Mexico, where they're violently slaughtered.

" The U.S. is one of the few countries that doesn't eat (horse) meat,
but I don't think it's our responsibility to feed other countries with
our pets," says Jenne-Fraser.

But it is happening, especially during these tough economic times.

"We're talking about having to decide between feeding your family or
feeding your beloved equine companion. No one should have to face this,"
says LynnD Stiles of the Phoenix Rising Horse Sanctuary.

She and Stephens say they'd buy every horse at auction if they could

"How do you go there and see these horses with so much potential and I
don't have the space to bring 100 horses home," says Stephens.

But the reality is, practically every horse rescue is full right now.
There's no room and owners are being forced to make a painful decision,
one way or another.

Katie Merwick of the Second Chance Ranch in Elma says, "People are
letting their horses starve in a field because they don't want it to go
to slaughter. They just watch it starve."

But Merwick says that solution isn't much better.

"If the choice is slaughter or euthanasia, they should be put down
humanely."

The problem with euthanasia, the final $600 tab is too expensive for
those who are already struggling. So now a group in Northern California
is setting up free euthanasia centers. Stiles hopes to see something
like that pop up here.

"Good for them. They've listened. It's a kind solution, bless their hearts."

"I always think it's a noble gift you give your horse, when you can give
them a humane good-bye." says Jenne-Fraser.

But as long as these horse-rescue owners can help it, they'll continue
to welcome these animals onto their ranches and into their hearts.

"They're fabulous just wonderful animals. I look out and think you
wouldn't be here," says Stiles.

Horse rescue owners say one of the ways you can keep these horses off of
the slaughter trucks, is by fostering or adopting one of these animals.
Many of these horses are former racers, competitors, and thoroughbreds.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• HORSE
• SLAUGHTER

[mobydog04]

zich52 - If you were my neighbor and I was hungry, I would kill you and all your family and eat you all up before I killed my horse.

[iRidex0x]

we saved 2 horses right off the slaughter truck we would have taken more but we dont have the space one of the horses we got is wounderful and still young so he has so much potential the other is serverly lame but he is almost better n we are starting to ride him a little bit and see what he can do its a shame so many people do this to their horses

[lyro2]

@DeborahJBrown This is my fear, due to seeing this happen in the UK I have qualified and am working in a job I hate purely because I know it is as safe and stable as a job can get due to me living in fear of this happening to my horses :o

[lyro2]

@lyro2 In 'developed' countries like ours there is no need for this industry (particulary on such a massive scale as the scale is the basis for the cruelty) as we produce enough plant based products containing everything we need for a healthy diet and suppliments (non animal derived) for those with dietry issues relating to a plant based diet. I know of a few people with such severe allergies that they have no other option but to eat meat but they are very rare cases.

[lyro2]

As a vegan from one of the most legislated and 'humane' countries in the world (English farmers are losing most of their income due to the regulations they have to follow (In my opinion good rules-could be better but leading the way)so the discussting scum of our population buy the cheap extra cruelty products from europe) I disagree with the whole industry and especially in meats like horse as the live transportation, holding and slaughter are specifically horrific as is for chickens

[queerdor]

whats the big deal if somebodys going to eat it. i dont see people geting upset over eating cows

[Irishgirl116655]

we don't eat horse meat but there are slaughter house for horses in the U.S.A. They make so much money a year and they are illegal. We saved two belgium drafts when they were only a few months old when the truck that they were being illegally transported in to a slaughter house tipped because there were too many horses in the trailer that was meant for cattle

[cammarkgross]

This is why I'm never having kids, So I can always afford to feed my horses.

[brian93ist]

@zich52 so funny if you want to kill you horse and eat if that's ok with me and lots of people will tell you that i have seen horses put down and it is not humane it is not fast and quick either they fight for there life