Phoenix Equine Rescue

Pony skins... Can you believe someone found this on ebay???? uhuh. 

  • How many horses are slaughtered each year?

Each year nearly 100,000 horses are slaughtered in the United
States and processed for human consumption.
In addition, many thousands of live horses are transported
across the border to Canada for slaughter. After
these horses are killed, their flesh is shipped to Europe and Asia
for human consumption. Their owners are
often totally unaware of the pain, fear, and suffering their
horses endure before being slaughtered.
  • Who eats horse meat?

Horse meat is not eaten in the United States; it is exported to
serve specialty markets overseas. The largest
markets are France, Belgium, Holland, Japan, and Italy. The
only three horse slaughter plants in the United
States are foreign-owned.
  • How do horses end up at slaughterhouses?How do
    horses end up at slaughterhouses?


Most horses destined for slaughter are sold at livestock auctions
or sales. The cruelty of horse slaughter is not
limited to the act of killing the animals. Horses bound for
slaughter are shipped, frequently for long distances, in
a manner that fails to accommodate their unique temperaments.
They are usually not rested, fed, or watered
during travel. Economics, not humane considerations, dictate
the conditions, including crowding as many horses
into trucks as possible.

Often, terrified horses and ponies are crammed together and
transported to slaughter in double-deck trucks
designed for cattle and pigs. The truck ceilings are so low that
the horses are not able to hold their heads in a
normal, balanced position. Inappropriate floor surfaces lead to
slips and falls, and sometimes even trampling.
Some horses arrive at the slaughterhouse seriously injured or
dead. Although transportation accidents have
largely escaped public scrutiny, several tragic incidents involving
collapsed upper floors and overturned
double-deckers have caused human fatalities, as well as suffering
and death for the horses.
  • How are the horses killed?

Under federal law, horses are required to be rendered
unconscious prior to slaughter, usually with a device
called a captive bolt gun, which shoots a metal rod into the
horse's brain. Some horses, however, are
improperly stunned and are conscious when they are hoisted by
a rear leg to have their throats cut. In addition,
conditions in the slaughterhouse are stressful and frightening
for horses.
  • Which kinds of horses are affected?

Horses of virtually all ages and breeds are slaughtered, from
draft types to miniatures. Horses commonly
slaughtered include unsuccessful race horses, horses who are
lame or ill, surplus riding school and camp horses,
mares whose foals are not economically valuable, and foals who
are "byproducts" of the Pregnant Mare Urine
(PMU) industry, which produces the estrogen-replacement drug
Premarin®. Ponies, mules, and donkeys are
slaughtered as well. Many of the horses that HSUS investigators
have seen purchased for slaughter were in
good health, and bought for only a few hundred dollars.
  • What alternatives exist to slaughtering horses for
    human consumption?

Several alternatives exist, such as humane euthanasia performed
by a veterinarian. The bodies of euthanized
horses can be picked up by rendering plants for disposal. Horse
owners can have their animals euthanized and
bury them (where permissible) or have them cremated. Another
option is to donate the horse to an equine
rescue organization; some will take unwanted horses and find
them good homes. The horse racing industry
recently initiated the Ferdinand Fee which will be used to fund
retirement homes for race horses to ensure that
no more racehorses like Ferdinand wind up at a slaughterhouse.
  • What can individuals do to lessen the suffering of
    horses bound for slaughter?


Individuals can support organizations such as The HSUS that
work toward the goal of ending horse slaughter.
One of their goals is to reduce the callous overbreeding of both
sport horses and pleasure horses so that older,
injured or surplus animals will no longer be viewed as
expendable. A reduced number of surplus horses would
result in a sharp decline in the profits of the horse meat industry
because the cost of obtaining each horse would
rise due to decreased availability. This would force
slaughterhouses to scale down their operations and
eventually shut down. Horse owners should think carefully
before breeding a mare and consider adopting their
next horse from an equine rescue organization.

Horse owners can plan for their animal's eventual death by
setting aside funds for humane euthanasia by a
veterinarian, if it becomes necessary. Menopausal women on
hormone replacement therapy can ask their
doctors to prescribe one of the many safe and effective, FDA-
approved alternatives to Premarin®. (Contact
The HSUS for a free brochure detailing these alternatives.)
Finally, individuals can work within their home states
to pass laws that afford stronger protections for slaughter-
bound horses.

 

 

 

Below are some graphic pictures.... Please dont scroll below if you do not wish to see them....

 

Photos from AC4H , Pure thoughts and various internet searchs*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very young, sick and old horses normally dont make the trip to the slaughter... Once one falls...

Mother and baby await a not so happy ending.....

 

These pictures were taken at an auction, they call this the "dead pile"..those who dont make it through the auction process...

Noticed the cow still trying to hang on... sitting up.. but discarded all the same...

Another mare and a baby.... all too soon to be seperated...

Looking for her little friend....

Once they get there... IF they are sent to canada.. they endure the captive bolt gun... sometimes it kills them... other times it does not. Ether way, they are hung up by their leg and bled out....

BUT if they are sent to Mexico.. they get stabbed in the back until paralized.. they their throats are slit..