How to prevent so many being slaughtered....

Stop back yard breeding and breeding from substandard mares.
I am heading up a campaign at the moment here in the Uk, but it is a world wide re-education scheme, I am backed by the BHS and ILPH, HAPPA and some horse magazines. I lived in Tennessee for three years and was against the idea of stopping slaughter....why...because now they are shipped by transporters, some made for cattle and pigs that are not strong enough and do collapse, to meat packaging plants in Mexico where they have NO guidelines and to Canada. They are subject to no food, water nor veterinary treatment, theyare exhausted and weak and that's usually only half way through the journey. Over 100,000 horses in a year are shipped from england live throughout Europe to killing plants.
I am re-educating the owners of horses, foals may be cute but we don't need any more. People don't realise that by breeding you can cause a spread of disease be it sexual or not, the problems that the mare may have during and after pregnancy, and the deformities that may occur in the foal in the womb. The costs are tremendous. Not only to your pocket but also to the foals life.
The stopping of American...guidelined...killing plants has flooded the sanctuaries throughout the states and they are at bursting point. (I know this as my friend has one) Horses are now being abandoned and left to die of starvation and dehydration. Or they go to the market and end up travelling thousands of miles in a transporter to their death.
Before people think of breeding, they need to consider what they want the foal for, what happens if they can't afford it, far too many breeders are selling of real good papered stock because they are over stocked...why should anyone pay anything for a substandard animal in this case, get one with papers cheaper or for the same price.
We all love foals, they are cute, I was an established breeder of Anglo Arabs, Arabs, Welsh Section A's and Sports horses up to a fe years ago, but now...no way, we have too many.
Unless you have an outstanding mare that is registered then there is no point, your feeding the rest of the horse meat eating world and ensuring that the killing plants still have work.
The only way is to limit breeding, if we don't supply...there will be no demand. Leave it to the professionals, ok they price might go up on buying a horse, but Id rather pay that than my horses pay with such a savage death.
Wouldnt you!

If anyone has any other views and ideas, could you e-mail me at lcperfmhorses06@yahoo.com also I sure would appreciate the support.

I would love to see some sort of stallion grading done; one mare can only have one foal per year, but one stallion can sire literally hundreds.
If we implemented some sort of stallion grading where if your stallion passes, you can keep it a stallion, and if it doesn't it gets gelded, I think this would help curb those backyard breeders.
Stud fees for quality stallions are high for a reason; if you can't affoard them, you shouldn't be breeding.
Anyways, my dream is totally unreachable, but hey.. I'm allowed to dream, right?

This doesn't pertain to horses, but I think something like this would be greatly beneficial. It's similar to what JDI said what to do.

German Shepherds that are born/raised in Germany, to my knowledge has to participate in an activity called Schutzhund. There are 3 levels to it. If they pass (i believe just any level) they are granted to be part of Germany's breeding program. This is mainly to see if the dogs live up to their breeds. Insuring that only the best of best are able to reproduce and keep the strong bloodlines going.
(if anyone is interested in reading more aboutt.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schutzhund)

I think something along those lines for horses would be great. It could be tests on their personality, conformation, and how they perform. It would stuff BYB and people studding out fugly stallions.

Some form of liscenciing would be ideal, vet has to grade stud before he can be a registered stallion at stud, and mare has to be graded and if passed she gets a temp liscence for that seasons breeding would be a good idea. But, we would still get people slipping through the net, should be a high fine for a penalty if caught, that sort of thing would work. Plus it would put up the cost of breeding and people would think twice.

Exactly. I for one am a goodie-two-shoes and would NOT want to get caught...

Me too hun, also I wouldnt want to pay out any hard earned money lol. Its better to go the legal route and do it properly!

Why has this forum turned into a picket line?

I think we're just discussing stuff, Tim. ;)
But yeah, I agree. People need to stop breeding to ugly stallions...they're better off gelded. :)

I don't think so, Tim! The over-breeding issue effects all of us, it would be great to find a solution

Unless things like this are discussed, then people will continue to breed and fill up the kill trucks. It only takes one good idea to be put forwards and that could be part of the solution we need. Its no use being blinkered to the horrors, saying we hate people who slaughter and abuse horses if we are not prepared to look at the bigger picture. These horses would not be abused and slaughtered if people didnt keep on breeding them and them ending up in these situations due to it being sooo easy to aquire a horse cheap. Even though it would take years to begin to get it under control, it would be a start. Its not a picket line, its more to do with finding a solution to help stopping thousands of unwanted horses being sent to slaughter for a very small limited market. We have hunters, racers, alsorts of comp horses sent for slaughter, nothing wrong with them, not just the unregistered and backyard bred animals. If things are left the way they are now, it will continue to grow and the amounts will increase that are uneccesarily sent to their cruel death. So as opposed to picket line, no its got to be more publicised to help bring a reduction to this happening. I would most certainly not, though a few years ago was an established breeder, breed horses again. There are far too many sat in sanctuaries and going to auction that can be rescued and brought back, then used for comp and riding.
In England alone we send 100,000 horses a year to killplants in europe, most of these perfectly healthy happy horses. If you could see your mate being killed in front of you, smell death and fear... how would you feel? There is no escape for them. Walk the death lane like a horse and then see for yourself. I've done it, its awful but I could walk away, they don't have the choice so basically we are the ones who have to fight to help them get that choice.
Its very contreversial subject, but the more we push the better the results and that's how things get done. Its not just england and america, its everywhere and they need us as their voice. Look at what has happened to the horses in america now, they stopped slaughter at regulated killplants, now sanctuaries are over flowing and horses are being abandoned and left to die, or travelling thousands of miles to foriegn kill plants, no feed, no water, no veterinary treatment. Its regulations that are needed for both owners and business, stop supplying and the demand will drop.
(This is been typed without getting agro, Its my opinion and I have been around this all my life, seen things I wouldnt show my worst enemy, we all want whats best for our horses that's all.)
Sharon :)