All horse slaughter closed down in Mexico and Canada today

Faye....go to Italy. Equimax 36 euros. Vetrap 5.50 to 6 euros a roll. Vetcall, just to come, 50 euros. My last example of a vet call for what was believed to be possible choke, but turned out to be a handful of foxtail seeds stuck in the gums, no shots or anything else needed...130 euros.

When unrealistic do-gooders try to talk to me about banning horse slaughter I remind them that in desperate times horses get turned loose. I also add that I sincerely hope they don't lose part of their family when they collide with one or more on the highway. That's an aspect most haven't thought of.

Cross posted as there are two conversations about this.


GOOD NEWS - they are shipping again.

I just received this email from the International Equine Business Association:


Friday European Union officials informed plants in Mexico and Canada that they were ineligible to import cheval (horse meat) to the E.U. Produced from U.S. Horses unless that had documentation to prove that the animals had been in the country where the plant was located for a minimum of three months. Today, that restriction was lifted. We wanted to share this information with you, although we will apparently not have many other details until later in the week.

We are glad that what could have been a disaster and an international trade incident has been averted. As we have more information to share, we will.

If you do not already receive alerts and updates directly and would like to, please input your email address to subscribe on our website at http://IEqBAssn.org. Please forward to anyone and everyone you think would need or want to stay informed about this evolving situation, and post on all horse industry networks and bulletins.

In the meantime, we are trying to update and ensure the accuracy of our growing list of businesses and individuals who are involved in the international commerce of horses for processing, as well as those who look forward to participating in the industry here in the United States as FSIS finishes its work and issues initial grants of inspection in the next few months. Please contact me if you want to make sure you are included and we that we have your correct contact info at sue.wallis52@gmail.com, 307-680-8515, or message me privately on Facebook at http://facebook.com/sue.wallis52.

Thank God. Now can we please get our systems in place to comply with the requirements set forth in the EU guidelines so this doesn't need to happen again?

It's not only the horses who will be in trouble. Truck drivers will be out of work, ranch hands laid off if the KB's stop buying, and let's not forget that while they ultimately do process them, in the meantime they FEED them and to lose that section of the industry would have a domino effect on local economy.

Exactly, DA. Everything is intertwined, and what hurts one aspect of the economy hurts all.

OLG slots have closed in a few of the casino tracks in Canada. We're moslty Standardbreds down here, so it's really affecting them. Most of the horses going into and being rescued from feedlots and slaughter are Standardbreds. I'll post a link.

OLG removes slots from 3 raceways - Windsor - CBC News

The western world is now healthier than ever before in human history. We grow bigger, stronger, and live longer than ever. People have always had allergies. They used a hankie and kept going. For severe reactions, they died and no one bothered. Birth deformities often miscarried before birth, or died immediately afterward.

We now live long enough to see cancer, and to diagnose it. The world is a carcinogen. The sun is a carcinogen - just got a 2" scar where a mole was a few months before. The UK has a lower cancer rate than the US, but France, Belgium and Denmark have higher rates. In almost every case, men have higher rates than women...from eating too much meat? US women have lower rates than UK men. If US meat is causing cancer, it is at a rate hidden by the noise from all the other things that cause cancer.

But beef and farmers in the EU are well protected by these rules and regulations. They cannot compete with US beef on a free market, so the EU imposes rules and regulations that the US ignores...we can sell the meat elsewhere. And that is a plausible approach to the EU regs on horse meat as well.

It also wouldn't hurt to allow it to be used in dog food again. I'm thinking "Trigger Dog Food - for the stallion in your dog!" And it could put a whole new spin on the old Chuck Wagon commercial - what was it that made the dog excited to eat:

The UK in line with EU policy has had passports for horses since 2004 but they are still tightening up on how they should work and the law doesnt have enough teeth. Each time a vet attends the horse and gives it any prescribed drugs they are supposed to enter it on the passport but that certainly wasn't happening when we were there. All immunisations are also supposed to be recorded. A move to have wormers made only available from a vet failed so they don't get entered onto the passport. Its supposed to be illegal to buy or sell a horse that doesn't have one but that wasn't happening either. No slaughter yards can accept a horse without one but backyard slaughter yards aren't unheard of.
If you buy prescription drugs online with a prescription sent to the company from your vet how is that going to be entered on a passport?
If you have a vet who will allow you to have prescription drugs for emergency situations who is going to know which horse has been given them - other than trust on the honesty of each individual.
All foals born in the UK now have to be microchipped by law but with foals selling for a few $'s by struggling people who have over bred I seriously can't see this happening
There is a serious problem in the UK with horses being abandoned and pretty much the same is going to happen here
It would be better if everyone had there unwanted horses euthanised - a charity to help pay for this would be more effective than one raising to money to buy animals that there aren't enough homes for.
There are lots of heartless people out there who only think of how much they will get for a horse they don't want any more but there's a growing number of people who for reasons beyond their control can't afford to keep them, can't find homes for them and can't afford the costs of euthanasia.
Loss of income has to be one of the biggest worries for any horse owner.

Laugh. I personally don't eat mystery meat (scrapple, processed sandwich meat etc) and neither do my dogs. They are spoiled and get Taste of the Wild.

I'm not sure if there have been many studies done - but I do wonder if growth hormones have (in part) led to obesity levels in the US.
Teenage girls seem to be far more developed than they were a few years ago.

Scrapple is pig parts, Alex. Pretty much everything but the oink is used.

I'm just redneck enough to like scrapple. I like corned beef hash too, and I know that's not good for me, either. Which is why I don't eat either of them very much.