[Knave]

I think they won’t be sold. The blm doesn’t sell anything to slaughter. They will be fed and vetted and live out their days in the pens. That’s not much different than a lot of people’s horses. The pens I bought Queen out of were large. Seriously large, you had to use binoculars to get a view of the horses and decide what you were after. It’s a better life than starving on the mountain where it is overgrazed.

ETA- There are so many rules to purchasing a horse from them in an effort for them to not go to slaughter as well. Raising a horse for a year, having welfare checks, and not receiving your title until that year is over makes it impossible to make money on a slaughter. No one would do it with an intentional business purchase of that in mind.

Me saying that does not mean I am personally against humane slaughter, but it is not really a possibility for these horses. Or, better put, it is an unlikely outcome.

 

[wvfarrier]

I think they won’t be sold. The blm doesn’t sell anything to slaughter. They will be fed and vetted and live out their days in the pens. That’s not much different than a lot of people’s horses. The pens I bought Queen out of were large. Seriously large, you had to use binoculars to get a view of the horses and decide what you were after. It’s a better life than starving on the mountain where it is overgrazed.

ETA- There are so many rules to purchasing a horse from them in an effort for them to not go to slaughter as well. Raising a horse for a year, having welfare checks, and not receiving your title until that year is over makes it impossible to make money on a slaughter. No one would do it with an intentional business purchase of that in mind.

Me saying that does not mean I am personally against humane slaughter, but it is not really a possibility for these horses. Or, better put, it is an unlikely outcome.

Actually a lot of them go to slaughter. There were several new stories a few years ago that blew the whistle on it. No reason to believe its stopped.

 

[Knave]

I don’t see how it is financially feasible. I’m sure you know the cost of keeping a horse for a year.

 

[wvfarrier]

I believe it was called the "Burns Rider" amendment. Any horse over 10 or that goes through 3 auctions is declared "unadoptable" and can be sold for consumption.

 

[Knave]

I didn’t know that. I do know a three time no sale horse can be purchased with the title. Still the paperwork has to go through for you to be approved, and that includes the stipulations for any horse to be adopted, but the year does not apply.

 

[boots]

They really don't sell to meat buyers.

Programs: Wild Horse and Burro: About the Program: Myths and Facts | Bureau of Land Management

www.blm.gov

.

 

[Zimalia22]

No they don't go to slaughter. Oh there is a process you would have to go thru, but it's not easy.
You have to have 3 trainers (honest to goodness professional trainers, not just someone that hung their sign out), sign off on them that they had the horse for a time, and it's totally untrainable. There is a ton of paperwork that goes with the horse when you do finally get BLM nod to can it. Without that paperwork, the plants WILL NOT buy them.

 

[stevenson]

The gov't will not keep old horses around. They wont justify the cost. I have seen photos of mustangs branded in the 'auction pen ' sites for rehoming. if those do not re home they ship.

 

[Avna]

The gov't will not keep old horses around. They wont justify the cost. I have seen photos of mustangs branded in the 'auction pen ' sites for rehoming. if those do not re home they ship.

Nothing is justifying the cost of managing the mustangs in any way whatsoever. They are all expense, no income.

 

[4horses]

I agree. They need to start rounding up younger horses and the older ones should be darted with pzp or rounded up and placed in large pasture holding facilities separated by gender. Or left in the wild (ideally).

My mustang is 7 years old and while she is coming along nicely now, there was nothing easy about getting her trained. The fact is, most people would not know how to train a horse like this. There is too much risk of injury for the people who take these horses in and it isn't fair to a wild animal to expect them to revert to domestic life. Also, the risk to the horses- if they end up starving in a field or not cared for.

They do ship to slaughter - sale authority horses especially. Farmers with plenty of land can buy these horses and turn them in a pasture for a year and ship to slaughter when their title comes in.

The BLM inspectors said my horses were the fattest they had seen. It made me wonder how many they see that are half starved? Because I feed my horses well but they aren't that obese! The pregnant mare is looking a bit fat, but she is pregnant and she has always been an air fern.

No one wants a wild horse that old. I'm not sure I would want another 7 year old, a yearling maybe.

When I brought my mustang home, I had serious doubts and second thoughts. She came in very angry and aggressive. Fortunately she seems to have a good head on her, if a bit stubborn/scared. Trust takes a long time to build.

 

[Knave]

@stevenson they probably just ship them back to a main holding pen. Really, the government is not selling horses to slaughter.

I actually think it wouldn’t be terrible if they did. I’ve nothing against people eating horse meat, and it could help our country with its debt, rather than constantly being a drain on it. If they were able to send a percentage to slaughter each year, they would be able to have healthier and better appreciated horses on the mountain.

Plus, humans take better care of anything that makes them money.

 

[BethR]

The thought of ANY horse being shipped to slaughter breaks my heart…the abject terror they undoubtedly experience! Sterilization is the answer IMHO.

 

[Knave]

@4horses when you filled out your application, do you remember the corral sizing questions? My first application I was turned down, because my horse corral was too large… to run a horse on pasture without feeding it, it has to be fairly large. I realize people lie, but that’s not something the government can control.

 

[Knave]

@BethR I don’t think of it that way, but we run cattle. Most of the calves will be purchased for slaughter. I don’t believe they know what it coming, and they are pushed down chutes before, so it’s simply a part of life to them. I’ve seen the horses pushed down chutes for vaccinations, and it’s very similar.

I think that death is a part of life, and what is more important than how something or someone dies is how they live. We all don’t want to die suffering, but hope for a quick death. I know while the cattle are with us, they have a good life.

Horses could be thought of in the same way to some aspect. The quality of their life is the most important thing. I would think their lives could be better.

 

[BethR]

@BethR I don’t think of it that way, but we run cattle. Most of the calves will be purchased for slaughter. I don’t believe they know what it coming, and they are pushed down chutes before, so it’s simply a part of life to them. I’ve seen the horses pushed down chutes for vaccinations, and it’s very similar.

I think that death is a part of life, and what is more important than how something or someone dies is how they live. We all don’t want to die suffering, but hope for a quick death. I know while the cattle are with us, they have a good life.

Horses could be thought of in the same way to some aspect. The quality of their life is the most important thing. I would think their lives could be better.

Yes Knave I see your point.

 

[Zimalia22]

Guys, it takes A LOT to be able to ship a wild horse to the can. What I told you in my above post is absolutely true. How do I know this? I have friends that haul canners. And I have been to and seen with my own eyes holding pens. One such place had over 20K head of them. Age doesn't matter. If they are not "adopted", they go to a holding pen. They used to get 3 times to go to events for "adoption", and if they were not "adopted", they were sent to the holding pens to live out their lives.
Now figure out the cost of holding them! The last figure I saw on that was over $17,000 per horse per year. Add that up. BLM has a tiger by the tail and it's staring them right in the face. They can't send them to the plants, they can't afford to keep them in the pens. Most of their yearly budget goes to keeping those unadoptable horses.
And yes, the ones in the holding pens are inspected quite often as well.
Its not just the feed, you figure in vet visits. Each horse has to be put in a chute to be able to do that. And if it's a procedure such as teeth, they have to be sedated. It all adds up.

 

[ClearDonkey]

I'd encourage you do your research before spreading misinformation.

I'd be willing to bet if all the wild horses in holding pens were released and were allowed to multiply unrestricted, there would be a huge overgrazing issue and many walking skeletons in no time. The BLM is doing what is necessary to manage these herds.

 

[Zimalia22]

I'd encourage you do your research before spreading misinformation.

I'd be willing to bet if all the wild horses in holding pens were released and were allowed to multiply unrestricted, there would be a huge overgrazing issue and many walking skeletons in no time. The BLM is doing what is necessary to manage these herds.

There already IS a huge overgrazing issue, and walking skeletons.
I spent a few years as a relief driver on a bull wagon. We went all over the western half of the United States. I have seen a good many wild horses. This time of year, it's sickening. There are just WAY too many of them. Their ranges are bare dirt. You'll see mares that you can see every bone in them nursing foals. The foals are skinny too.

Every few years, they double in population. It's an ongoing problem. No one can agree what needs to be done.

 

[Knave]

They gathered our range last year. That’s where I picked Queen up. I adore her by the way, and I ride Cashman too, who came from another area. I don’t find either of them any more difficult than any other horse, and they each have their own advantages.

Anyways, before they gathered the horse numbers were out of control. It wasn’t the small herds you imagine, but it was herds of hundreds. I am not over exaggerating. We are in a drought, and if they had not been gathered I’m sure many would not have made this coming winter.

They let the allotted number back out. I really like seeing horses when they are managed. Many have such a distaste for them unmanaged that they don’t feel the same, but for me, running into a small herd makes me super happy.

The day before yesterday we were on the side of a mountain looking for pairs, when cattle magically started pouring from the trees. Hot on their tail were three young mares. Husband got ready to spook them off, but I asked him to wait for a minute. He wasn’t happy, because he didn’t want to chase those cows off the mountain, but the mares saw us and took off, and then this stud eventually made his way out behind them. I knew him. I saw him when they left him behind, and it made me happy to see him. He was in poor shape last fall, and now he was doing much better.

That’s how the horses should be. Small herds that make you excited to see them. Not herds of hundreds eating too little.