From: shonette@master.CNA.TEK.COM (Shonette Rogers)
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian
Subject: Slaughter Houses (LONG)
Date: 6 Oct 92 23:37:45 GMT
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton,  OR.

In article <1astdhINNo9@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu> pallas@cephalo.neusc.bcm.tmc.edu (Sarah Pallas) writes:
>  I imagine that horses are
>also cremated because of the legal risk if an owner would find that
>the carcass had been sold for meat.  Also, meat coming from a vet is
>usually assumed to be infected with a contagious disease by the health
>department. 
>
>Sarah Pallas

My ex husband worked for the local slaughter house while we were
married.  I learned a lot about the things that go on at places
like this and what kind of rules they have to follow.  One thing
they made clear is that if the horse could not walk "of its own
accord" (meaning, it wasn't carried) into the "kill floor", then
it could not be used for human consumption.  The vet in our area
calls the local rendering plant which comes and disposes of the
animal (it does this for cattle that die on ranches also) in
whatever way they do.  (I don't know much about rendering plants).
Anyway, any horse that could not make it up the walk way at the
slaughter house was destroyed and the rendering plant was called.

While I'm on the subject I'm going to subject myself to some
flames (nothing new!).  I learned a lot about the slaughter business
those 2 years my husband worked there.  When he first got called to
work there (as a meat cutter), I, of course, was opposed to it.  But
he had been out of work for 6 months and wasn't getting called by
anyone to work.  (He never applied to this place, btw).  After getting
to know the managers of the place (it was owned by people in
Belgium--still is), I started taking an interest in what actually
went on there.  Here's what I found out:

These horses were fed as well as I feed my own.  The condition the
horses arrived in was atrocious.  I could really tell you horror
stories.  In my opinion, these horses were better off where they
were going.  These particular managers would sell horses from here
although the owners didn't approve (they've since been replaced
because of this).  I purchased a sorrel gelding from there myself.
(I fattened him up--he weighed 700 lbs when I bought him and he
was a pretty tall boy and sold him to a 12 year old girl since my
husband wasn't riding him.  He was a great beginner horse).  I was
a lot angrier at the people who used to own these horses than I was
at the people who were, in my opinion, going to put them out of their
misery.  These places do have some good points.  It is GOOD that these
horses are not being "wasted" as they would be if someone just decided
that they didn't want the horse anymore, destroyed it (or had the vet
put it down), and then called the rendering plant.  Some good is
coming from them in that they are being utilized.  The only thing
that was wasted was the blood.  All other parts were used for 
*something*.

I am aware that some of the injuries these horses had at arrival
were obtained in transit.  But there is no WAY the injuries that
most had could have happened then.  (I could give gory details,
but I won't).  I do agree that we need to make the transport of
horses to slaughter more humane.  I also think that a bill of sale
should be provided for each horse.  The slaughter house here has
a USDA inspector and a brand inspector on site.  I think they should
all have this.

I've really rambled on long enough.  I'm sure someone will take
exception to something I've said and I'd be happy to constructively
debate points.  I will not, however, engage in a flame war (so if
a topic degenerates to that, I'll just stop responding).  The reason
I'm putting this paragraph in is that I know this is a VERY
sensitive topic.  I've been on the opposite side of the fence so
I'm in agreement that both sides have legitimate gripes.

That said,

Shonette Rogers
  and Miss Lady Linton 
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian