Horse Slaughter and Bill C-544

So I normally try and avoid politics and controversial subjects in my blog.  But a funny thing happened on my way home from the office tonight.  I stopped by my friends French bistro for a glass of wine and outside was a large group of loud, angry protesters with megaphones protesting the slaughter of horses.  You see my friend owns a restaurant that serves horse on the menu.  Now...before I continue it needs to be understood that I eat meat.  Like most of the world I enjoy the consumption of flesh.  I like my meat healthy, organic and well treated...but not simulated nor replaced with soy.  That being said I eat soy too!  I also hunt and fish and believe in the practices of ethical farming, local food, and ethical slaughter. I believe in these things because I know that the flesh of well treated animals tastes better, is better for me and harms the world and the well being of the animals less.  I can say this because I have killed animals and understand the seriousness of such a task.  My friend's restaurant believes pretty much the same thing.  He goes out of his way to find local farmers who grow their own livestock, treat them well and slaughter them ethically.  Apparently the "horse" crazies have attempted to adopt the wave of politics around ethical farming to promote their crazy horse freedom agenda. 
These groups feel that horses are "pets" . Subjugation for human use, and as pets is fine but eating...no no.  As such they have gone out of their way pressure the U.S. government to pass laws banning horse slaughter for food.  This has resulted in the inhumane treatment of horses in the U.S. where Americans are shipping their "pets" long distances for slaughter in Mexico and Canada. In Mexico they dont exactly regulate horse slaughter.   By severly limiting the commercial use of horses these groups are creating stressed economics for the sale and processing of horses.  Rather then encouraging investment in the industry and improvement of  conditions, they are pushing the slaughter of horses to unregulated markets and substandard conditions.   For some reason these anti meat groups feel that rather than making sure that animals are well treated and slaughtered humanely...they prefer to  ban horse slaughter entirely.  Last year in Canada 93000 horses were slaughtered for consumption in the  European and Asian markets.  The anti horse people present this industry as though it is some exotic meat industry like eating monitor lizard or raw monkey brains.   90000 horses....that is a lot of wasted agricultural resources.  You can trust me that from the perspective of both history and the leather industry, horses have been a valuable agricultural commodity in North America for centuries.  Horses were not pets, they were work animals.  Yes,  hopefully they are loved and cared for by their owners, but at the end of their lives they had been a valuable historic resource for leather and meat.  All the vegan ism in the world cannot change this.  There are many many people whose jobs and industries depend on agriculture and agricultural products, and horses are part of that process.  Horse leather was, and is the best leather in the world for garments and shoes.  Mistreated horses make for bad hides.  Nobody in the world wants to eat mistreated animals, or make leather from abused horses, abused horses have scarred skin which is useless.  Unfortunately the people behind Bills to ban slaughter are not interested in horse well being, they are interested in horses as pets, and people as vegans.They will come after you for your beef and chicken next!






Comments

  1. I myself am a vegetarian but have no problem with people who choose to eat meat.I do have a problem with the mis-treatment of animals and the intensive farming of those animals.I also don't like the addition of steroids and other growth hormones into the food chain.I believe in peoples right to protest,but to victimize a small local business in this way is tokenistic and unfair.If they really have a problem there are political processes through which they can persue their cause.

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  2. Heres the thing...your are right on...Shamez the owner of the restaurant believes in all the same values...the anti-meat lobby here has tried to co opt the message of a healthy food system into their "dont eat our pets" message. Its really dispicable. I dream of a day when we can all live in star trek world...unfortunately we live more in a world like Soylant Green. I would hope activism was more honest and truthfull than the powers that they are fighting. This is a very cynical form of demonstration.

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  3. The fact is that drugs which are prohibited for use during the life of any animals destined for the human food supply are routinely being administered to horses. It is irresponsible for Canada to allow the sale of meat from horses as a food item when they have never been raised in accordance with the food safety practices for all other animals. Bill C-544 addresses this issue and this is the primary reason why North American horses should not be consumed by humans. La Palette's horses are sourced out from U.S. auctions by kill buyers who haul them to Quebec (Richelieu Meats and La Petite Nation). These horses are not purpose bred. Many auction sourced horses come straight from the racetracks - horses doped with any number of banned substances. The majority of sport and pleasure horses have received drugs banned from human consumption by the CFIA. This is why the EU has implemented a new Equine Identification Document (EID) system as of July 31, 2010. The more you research this, the more you'll see that horses are not intended for human consumption.

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  4. responding to the Advocate: the comments are partial true but completely ingenious. Of course some horses come from questionable sources...certainly 93000 horses do not. That would push me to advise gamblers anonymous. Secondly banning horse slaughter has little to do with hormones..improving the food system and the quality of life for horses. This is a new scare tactic..propaganda at best..or throw the baby out with the bath water politics. If your groups wanted to improve the life of horses or the quality of the food system you would take your energies and work with agricultural producers, slaughter houses and regulators to improve regulation and control and treatment of the animals. People who irresponsibly demand bans (shame on the N.D.P. for attacking farmers and tanners and food producers and their jobs) are cleary representing other agendas. The horse as pet argument is no longer a reasonable position and not accepted by reasonable people who are more and more concerned about the food system. La Pallette spends time working with their suppliers to get the finest, greenest, healthiest food for their customers. I have helped them source some of the finest local farm produce Ontario has to offer myself. That is more then I can say for your group!

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  5. And as a side note...people have been eating horses for a long long long time..It is insulting to me to suggest otherwise..I have 20 years of research regarding horses, horse leather and horse consumption.

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  6. Please regarding this issue: I am not a forum for pet owners, or vegans to express their views. I believe in the agricultural industry and clearly do not support the ban of horses for slaughter. I would appreciate that if there is a comment that contributes useful information regarding this issue you are welcome to send it along. If it reiterates topics already discussed I will not publish it unless it adds to the conversation. I would also appreciate civility (regarding some comments I have recieved)

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  7. http://www.betterfarming.com/online-news/no-help-dealing-deadstock-and-looming-provincial-debt-1992

    removal of the deadstock subsidy ...a related issue. The decreased market for disposing of old and unwanted animals will result in ecological and economic issues for farmers and others with older animals. Also, there are subsidiary industries and jobs depending on the supply of horses such as abattoirs and tanneries. As well the majority of the products produced in the industry are exported which is good for the diminishing Canadian economy and the agricultural sector. Just a few notes around the economics of ending the slaughter of horses

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  8. Note the most recent email sent Anonymously as per usual...insulting me...and requesting that I become a theist....very rational and healthy argument...all the animals we eat are smart and beautiful creatures which is why we should respect them all

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