" What's next? Hay costing more than the actual horse? How sad... "

" Did somebody say drought, What drought after the last few days. "

" Cmon people. You live in Illinois for goodness sake. You shouldn't have horses anyway. If the only land you have available for riding your horses is public tax payer supported land, then maybe its time to realize that the days of the wild west are long gone. Stop playing cowboy and realize you live in a modern society. I for one would welcome a return to reality. It's already bad enough that what little public land there is...is being fought over by enviromentalists, bird watchers,loggers, ranchers, horseman, campers etc etc. Maybe this shortage is just what we need to finally knock the horse lobby into oblivion. I long for the return of a time when the only persons who could be found in the backwoods were the rugged energetic outdoorsman who got there under the power of their own legs. Its truly sad. Nowadays you can hike 10 miles into the wilderness and you still can't escape the lazy "pretenders" on their ATV's...or horseback. Cmon people...if you are too lazy to walk a few miles to see the beauty of nature, do me a favor and stay home. The same goes for those "pretenders" who call themselves hunters or outdoorsman... then hop on their ATV to drag their deer out of the back forty. You guys wouldn't last 24 hours in a true wilderness. You sure don't belong in the Shawnee. Geez. "

" Sounds good for the gle industry. Better run out and cash in on the glue market. "

" Yeah, "H-Puckey" is right: there is no such thing as as global warming, no such thing as an overabundance of horses: just keep on burning fossil fuels and keep on buying recreational horses. What possible harm can come of that? "

" Horse Poopy is correct about the drought affecting the hay crop. That said, the “goofy set” will then blame that on global warming. "

" Im glad that this article brought light to the ever reeling horse market. Its pretty simple really. If you can't afford the horse you have many options. MANY options.
#1-selling for LESS-stop trying to squeeze every penny.
#2-Rescue groups. Yes they are overwhelmed but if you call enough you will find room.
#3-free lease
#4-Euthenize--yes EUTHENIZE
Owners who can't afford it need to stop whining, and saying "we have no choices!!!!"...you do have choices and you need to step up and take responsibility. Why risk letting the horse go into the wilderness with the HUGE possibility of severe injury OR injury to someone else.

Being a horse owner, a responsible one, I have made plans in the event I can no longer care for my horses. Everyone should do the same. "

" Let's take all the horses out to Wyoming and let them run free.

Another idea is to use the horses as target practice for hunters. "

" I'm sick of all you bleeding hearts when it comes to horses. To suggest that last years hay crop was down due to high corn prices is ridiculous. Do any of you remember the severe cold snap we had in the spring and the drought in summer? We were lucky to get two cuttings of marginal hay for our cattle. Thanks to all of you who forced the closing of our horse slaughter houses the problem of excess horses will continue to be a bigger and bigger problem. You want to talk about cremation, how about we bring a bunch of dead horses to your back yard pile them up and burn them all you horse huggers can form a circle and sing kumbya. I thank the good Lord above you crazies don't leave near me. "

" The reason for the hay shortage is a dry summer last year. Everything cannot be blamed on a recession. "

" Golly gee Kucera maybe the insurance companies haven't gotten on the bandwagon because no one has hit a 1,000 pound abandoned horse. And maybe that's because there aren't any horses running loose. The actuaries at insurance companies have to deal with the truth, not bogus claims.

I think I'll call Progressive and Allstate and see if they can run some numbers... what a joke this entire article is. And regarding horse depreciation duhh when homes depreciate 10% no wonder overbred quarterhorses lose their value.

There's an idea why doesn't the AQHA just open their own slaughter facility for that breed alone? At the entrance they can feature the poster of the little girl holding her mare and their slogan "a friend for life." "

" I'm surprised no one is discussing that $3.8 Billion dollar figure. Please consult the Horsemen's Council of Illinois and ask how much of this $3.8 Billion is generated by parimutuel betting (gambling on horse races) and show horses.

I am also amazed that those who so fervently supported George W. Bush and his economic policies are not chiming in here. Instead I see glue being the distractor. Face it. A $12 Billion per month war, the scam of ethanol being presented as viable alternative energy with an ongong addiction to fossil fuel and other disasterous economic and energy policies are the true sources of the problems facing the horse industry and horse lovers. Spend more time researching than bickering and these things become apparent. "

" It has only just begun,cat's dog's horse's rat's, who cares I am a survivor grow a pair and be one too. I am waiting for the day for everyone to quit crying and eat the rich!! "

" As usual, a pro-slaughter article brings up the alleged abandoning of horses on state land, which again is unsubstantiated. A couple monhs ago, news reports were rampant about horses being "set free" in KY. The reports were false, as they seem to be here--another case of sensationalism without substantiation. Patently false and reported as "truth."

In addition, horses are still being slaughtered, they are now being shipped to Canada & Mexico- - shipped and sluaghted in a highly inhumane fashion--the US generally treats unwanted dogs and cats better. In fact, prices for horses bound for slaughter is UP, as so many horses have been sent, there is a shortage of 'slaughterable horses"--young, healthy, meaty horses--not the ones that the layperson thinks go to slaughter. Due to this, healthy rideable horses are more expnesive to buy than they were 8 months ago.

The $5 & $10 horses tend to be the ones too emaciated &/or too sickly/old to be commercially viable for slaughter--they won't survive the trip, non-ambulatory and and not enough meat on them, - - even the meatbuyers won't take them--they have no value to them either.

Horse owners and BREEDERS need to take responsibility for the horses they own and produce. If there's no market, as you state, stop breeding those marginal mares to marginal stallions and creating babies with no commercial value as HEALTHY, SOUND, GOOD-TEMPERED riding horses!!!!

So, to blame the state of affairs of "unwanted" horses on the lack of US slaughter plants is ludicrous. Grow up people. If horse owners act responsibly, there is no "need" for slaughter and there will be no unwanted horse problem.

"

" For starters horses are being bred for slaughter, PMU farms, feedlots that's where your 100,000 is coming from then you have the so called unwanted mixed in. Responsible breeding and Ownership laws have to be put in place and the PMU farms that send foals to auction(slaughter) must go. Hay and everything else is high and you can blame the recession for that. Horse owner and lover Stop the Slaughter
American Disgrace "

" So you horse folks don't believe the ideas promulgated by Garry Jenkins and Frank Bowman, spokesmen for a couple of your prominent equestrian organizations? I'm shocked; especially regarding Jenkins. He was quoted in a Daily Register article saying that horseback riders on the Shawnee National Forest may not obey the law because the Bible (Genesis) gave them the right to do whatever they want in matters concerning the earth. And now you guys don't believe him? Oh, how low the mighty have fallen. "

" "However, representatives for the Shawnee National Forest and the Land Between the Lakes Federal Lands earlier this week reported no cases of stray horses."

More pro-slaughter propaganda. Horses are not being turned loose. These stories have consistently been refuted by local officials.

The fact is that if you can afford a horse, you can afford to humanely euthanize that horse.

In addition, perhaps the breeders will finally realize that when they breed, they are just contributing to the food chain for Europe and Asia.

Americans don't eat horse meat and we don't want our horses slaughtered.

Please ask your representatives and senators to co-sponsor HR 503 and S 311.

"

" Breeding horses is adding to this problem. Unwanted horses means there is an overpopulation. Unless the dam and sire have incredible bloodlines and performance points the foals will likely be worth nothing. Please reconsider before breeding grade horses. "

" As a kid growing up in war-torn Europe, I recall that all meat products were strictly rationed, though one could purchase twice the amount of horse meat than other meats. One of my favorite meals was roasted potatoes mixed with ground horse meat. Delicious. As to those of you that might shutter at such a diet, allow me to suggest that you don't know real hunger. Horse meat when compared with eating cats or dogs--which we also consumed--are a true delicacy. ps: Men’s pants larger that size 32 were unheard of. "

" This is a boilerplate article. Fill-in-the-blank name of the journalist, the state horse council spokesperson, the name of the state, and the heartbroken lady who can be A) vet whose clients are cattlemen, or horse breeders, or B) overwhelmed horse rescuer, plus fill in where the horses are being abandoned (desert, forest, reservation, state park). The "boilerplate" articles come out once a mo. around the country. This was one of them. They never give facts, or verifiable #'s. Why can't the breeders put their horses down on the farm, like the regular horse owners do? It doesn't cost much more to euthanize & dispose of a horse in most states than it does to euthanize a dog. It isn't drought or the blizzard, but the record corn acreage & prices that are driving hay & other crop prices up, & they know it. The regular owners just pay more board, or cut back on MP3 downloads. The breeders produce as if this were the 1800's, when the lifespan of a horse was 10 yrs if it didn't die working or in war. It is now 25-30+. AQHA just bragged they registered 10,000 last yr. & got more tax incentives in the new farm bill to produce MORE. Their business is about 200 yrs out of date. The "abandonment" issue is a hoax. There are strays and a few evil abandonments every yr, of course. But the #'s are only slightly up in some areas, and slightly down in others, & no one knows why they just speculate. "

" Dear "Horse Owner",
I'm sure you know the difference between slaughter and humane euthanasia already. If you don't, there are plenty of videos that show the difference -- easily found via a google search.

If you are a horse owner, then you'll seriously want to consider the following ...

US Horse Meat is Unsafe for Human Consumption

The main problem with slaughtering US horses for human consumption is that the meat is unsafe because of the medications that horses receive. These medications are not approved for use in any food animals by the FDA and the USDA. The medications are legal for horses as they are not considered food animals by either of these agencies. If we are to continue to allow the 1% of the horse population to be slaughtered by foreign companies for human consumption overseas, then we must either 1) lose an estimated 70% of the current medications that US horse population receives so that the drugs do not enter the food supply or 2) implement a tracking system for the 9 million horses in the US, like the passport system that Great Britain has had to do recently, to ensure that these medications are not used in horses sent to slaughter.

Why is American horse meat unsafe for human consumption?
* Horses are not raised nor regulated as food animals in the US. They routinely receive medications that are banned from food animals such as Phenybutazone or "bute", the aspirin of the horse world. Addition medications include Clenbuterol, Ivermectin, fluphanazine, fluoxetine, methylprednisone, dipyrone, gentamycin sulfate, ketoprofen, Regumate and Lasix -- all clearly labeled, "Not for use in animals intended for food."

What is the usage of bute in food animals in the US?
* According to the FDA, there is no tolerance for bute in food-producing animals, and they and their by-products are condemned when it is detected. Dairy producers must not use this drug in food-producing cattle and if it is found, those producers will be subject to FDA investigation and possible prosecution. (http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/03-4741.htm). Since horses are not considered food animals in the US, bute is widely administered to horses by veterinarians and horse owners.
* The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (A National Food Safety Project administered through the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture) prohibited the extralabel use of bute in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older as of May 29, 2003 because of the likely adverse effect in humans. With this action the use of any phenylbutazone in an adult dairy cow becomes a violation of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act and one of FDA's highest regulatory priorities. (http://www.farad.org/prohibit.html). Again, this does not apply to horses because the FDA and USDA do not view them as food animals. Therein lies the issue. US horses are not raised nor regulated as food animals, yet 1% of the 9 million American horses ARE being slaughtered for human consumption overseas.
* Veterinarians should be in violation of their own AVMA law by administering bute and almost all of the other medications they give to horses -- "Extralabel drug use is not permitted if it would result in a violative food residue or any residue that may present a risk to public health." (http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/oct00/s100100a.asp)

What are the side-effects of bute?
* Phenylbutazone has been determined to be a carcinogen to humans by the National Toxicology Program (NTP).
* Phenylbutazone is also known for its ulcerogenic, nephrotoxic, and hemotoxic effects in humans. It is known to induce blood dyscrasias, including aplastic anemia, leukopenia, agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and deaths.

Is bute ok for use in food animals in the countries where US horse meat is consumed?
* No. In the European Union, any horse that has EVER received bute in it's lifetime is banned from entering the food supply. They have had to implement a costly and complex "passport system" in Great Britain (a country that is also overwhelmingly against horse slaughter) in 2004 to address this very issue for the 8,000-10,000 horses that go to slaughter for human consumption in the EU each year.

How is the collection of slaughter horses different from cattle?
* US slaughter horses are mainly purchased at auction through independent "killer buyers" contracted by the three foreign-owned horse slaughter houses in the US. The horses are bought from many owners across the country. There are NO medical records to go with these horses. In contrast, farm veterinarians are required to hold each cattle herd's medical records for 2 years for trace back requirements of drug records, illness records, etc.

Aren't there inspections on horse meat at slaughterhouses?
* Yes, there are random inspections of horse meat, but horses are not purchased from one owner in one herd like cattle are. They are bought from many owners at many locations and with no medical records. The horse slaughter houses would need to test EVERY horse to make sure they are free of toxic and carcinogenic drugs. This is NOT BEING DONE. At present, there can be NO ASSURANCE that US horse meat is safe for human consumption. According to our own laws, it is clearly illegal. "

" Lori Hackman, please explain the difference between "humane euthanasia and killing an animal for its caloric value." Then, if you don't mind, kindly explain the difference between killing a chicken, a cow, or pig...and try doing this logically and without the usual "noble animal" claptrap. "

" This subject of how much it costs to feed a horse every month is pretty much nonsense to someone like me who has 2 dogs that eat a minimum of $100 a month in just basic food. That doesn't count treats either. AND they eat that year round--no grass for them in them summer! My costs keep going up too; what cost me 50 cents a can a few months ago is now 60 cents so the impact of fuel prices has hit all of us, not just those who buy hay.
What's next--opening a foreign-owned dog and cat slaughterhouse to accommodate those who can't afford to feed them and might want to make a few bucks before they appear on someone's dinner plate? If we don't advocate for that, why do so many advocate for horse slaughter? If it is cultural difference between dogs, cats and horses as food in America and other countries, than refusal to slaughter dogs and cats for food should carry over to horses. If we don't supply dogs and cats, why should we supply horses? Foreign diners can eat what they want but to the best of my knowledge, the climate and topography of Europe allow horses to survive quite nicely; let the French supply their own.
I am curious where the veterinarian arrives at her figure of 100,000 "unwanted horses" being 200 times worse than the issue of homeless dogs and cats. It can't be because of the numbers; millions of dogs and cats are euthanized every year. Is it because of the size of the horse or just more exaggeration on the part of pro-slaughter?
I find the final statement in this article to be interesting for what is implies: that someone is going to hit an abandoned horse running in the highway. How ridiculous! It is just as likely that a horse running loose has escaped its pasture or lost its rider. And based on valid research and as stated in this piece, horses are not being abandoned; these stories continue to appear and when investigated, are unfounded. Verbal "reports" keep coming though. Will American citizens believe me if I report a squadron of UFO's over New York City and make a run for the hills? Hardly. But that's the reaction pro-slaughter wants from us when they speak of the horses! It's called fear-mongering, one of the essential tools of those who have no good arguments to substantiate their claims. and, unfortunately, there are enough journalists who print what they are told as being factual. At least this writer made it clear that no abandoned horses have been reported in Illinois; other states have reported the same. The threat of hundreds of abandoned horses is all a fairy tale, the Chicken Little mentality. Too bad we have so many Henny Pennys in this country.
"

" Horse are livestock. The end. Cooked slow they might make a decent burger. "

" Each horse purchase should be accompanied by a "license" fee that includes the cost of humane euthanasia.A horse accumulates the equivalent of several license fees paid during its lifetime.SLAUGHTER IS NOT AN OPTION!Euthanasia w/disposal, costs approx the same as two months of hay. This should be reserved at the initial purchase,for the sake of the hose.THIS is responsible ownership. "

" Bowman said "top amateurs to move their operations out of Illinois to more horse-friendly states." Heck Bowman, no one is more "horse friendly" than the Illinois Legislature...oh wait, I forgot that our legislators just emulate one end of a horse. You know, the one that's found at the other end from its head. "

" I would like to see the police reports about these 'abandoned' horses. Many articles have been written about this 'problem', but when followed up on to see if they are true, NO abandoned horses have been found! [Sounds like a scare tactic from the pro-slaughter side to me!] Abandoning a horse is a crime and should be punished as such.

For others that are having a hard time feeding or selling their horses, consider HUMANE euthanasia (not slaughter). This can be done for a very nominal fee by the U of I:

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
College of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Teaching Hospital
1102 West Hazelwood Drive
Urbana, IL 61802

Telephone: 217-333-2000

Euthanasia, necropsy and disposal $85. Private off-site cremation services are available.

Be responsible people! If you do not have the money for this, you should not own a horse in the first place. Many rescues are also now starting humane euthanasia funds (which I contribute to) for those horses whose owners cannot afford it.
"

" First off, the comment about the IL Horse Council setting up an emergency hay hotline are spot on. Frank Bowman and Co. need to be looking to solve this problem rather than whine about the closing of slaughter plants.

Secondly, slaughter didn't exist here to solve the "unwanted horse" problem. These companies were simply here to supply a foreign demand for horsemeat.

When the slaughter plants were in operation, USDA statistics show that these plants actually imported horses from Canada for slaughter in the US. How cou;d these plants be here to solve an "unwanted horse problem" if they had to import horses?

The reality is that it's a supply and demand business. According to a company called Interbev Equins, a French company which promotes horsemeat, demand is on the rise due to their marketing campaigns.

Don't be fooled by the Horsemen's Council of IL that slaughter is necessary. The horse slaughter industry has always been an unecessary evil in this country. "

" When true horsemen have horses that cannot be kept in a comfortable manner we call the vet and have them humanely euthanized.
The 'abandoned horses’ story is just that, a story. The pro-slaughter minority has been using this story for a very long time, yet no such cases have been documented or verified by state authorities.
The 100,000 horses that were slaughtered (yes SLAUGHTERED, not harvested) represent substantially less than 1% of the total equine population in this country. The vast majority of horse owners do NOT send their horses to slaughter.
Bowmans's statement regarding government policies being responsible for the loss of 'professionals' is absurd. If a nearby slaughter facility is needed by these self-proclaimed professionals, I strongly urge horse owners to investigate the 'professionals' they are sending their horses to.
There is a huge difference between the equine industry and that of dogs and cats. Mares are only able to produce one foal per year which is in stark contrast to the two litters a female dog or cat can produce each year.
A challenge to the AQHA, APHA, AAEP and AVMA: Become part of the solution. Get involved in supporting low-cost gelding and euthanasia programs offered by many rescue organizations. Most importantly, start telling the truth about slaughter. Slaughter is only about MONEY. Horses are being slaughtered by owners who are trying to squeeze the last few dollars out of their horses and by 'professionals' who want a way to quickly dispose of their 'mistakes'.
"

" It became clear a long time ago on issues relating to equestrian damage to the Shawnee National Forest that the spokesmen for equestrian organizations cannot be trusted to tell the truth. There is no reason to believe them now. "

" This article is very disturbing. Just like dogs and cats, it sounds like we need to stop breeding horses. Slaughtering horses is terrible! "

" There was a time in Illinois when one could sell a horse--just as other livestock--to a slaughter house. But thanks to our goofy legislator, our even goofier governor and a heard of emotional so-called horse lovers, this is now not possible. When has it become the domain of government to tell anyone if and when we can sell livestock on the open market...and will chickens or cattle be next? Will the clowns in Springfield never learn to examine their law-making decisions more intelligently? But then, using ones brain in our capital city has become a lost art. "

" Perhaps the Horse Council should set up an emergency hay hotline such as the KY Horse Council has done. Perhaps the Horse Council should start educating horse owners to breed more responsibly as other Horse Councils are doing.

Perhaps the Horse Council should actually start doing something positive for horses and horse owners in Illinois, instead of devoting all its time to whining about the slaughter plant closing!

Its a new dawn for horse owners throughout the country. We have saturated the market with tens of thousands of mediocre horses, because when slaughter was an option, it provided and easy out for irresponsible horse owners and breeders. Thank goodness this barbaric practice is no longer an option. Now it is up to us...Illinois horse owners need to reassess our breeding practices and allow time for the market to self adjust. We need to breed better quality horses (rather than quantity) and spend more time training them properly so that these horses will be more marketable.

We need a Horse Council that is going to offer Illinois horse owners real life solutions to our real life problems. Perhaps its time we start by cleaning house at the Horse Council and bring in some new blood that is forward thinking, and get rid of the current crew who seem to only be interested in lobbying on behalf of the horsemeat industry. "

" The poor me, I'm just a victim" seems to be a popular stance today amoung some horseman. Let's look at the real figures. The average 1000 pound horse needs 10-20 pounds of hay a day. In the summer when there is grass they will eat little or none and in the winter they when it is cold they will need more. But to error on the side of maximum cost lets use the 20#/day for 365 days of the year. If a 75# bale costs $4, the horse would consume 97.3 bales of hay per year at a cost of $389. Now the price of hay has doubled so the cost is $778.

Now in additon to hay, a working horse needs grain, shod every 6 weeks (about 8 times/year a $75=$600, yearly coggins tests if it is leaving the farm, immunizations, (together with the farm call about $150) and vet care when injured (from $50 for a simple farm call to over $10,000 for colic surgery).

Now these poor victims who have to pay a maximum of $389 additional for hay (but probably half that because winter will be over soon and if they have adequate pasture the will eat grass) can no longer afford their horse because the responsible horsemen moved to stop the slaughter market and stopped them from getting $5-600 for their horse when they wanted to dump it. Euthanasia costs $50-$150 and they can't afford that? "

" oh please stop with the nonsense that people do not know what to do with horses they want to discard. horse slaughter is still much available. it is too bad they can't make their hundreds off the poor horses they are so accustumed to send to slaughter. it is not called harvesting is slaughter. there are no reports of horses being let loose. it is just the pro slaughter propaganda. the issue is a declining economy and nothing to do with the closing of cavel. "

" Again I am reading about horses being turned loose all over..this time it is SUPPOSEDLY in ILLINOIS!!I live in this State and it is news to me ..Where are these horses??I am an avid news reader Have NOT heard of any horses running loose..Perhaps another PRO-slaughter story in the making would be my guess!! "

" Sorry Karen but if this isn't a plant initiated by the pro slaughter advocates or even Cavel lawyers themselves, then I don't know what is. MOST of the horse people in MOST states are not in favor of horse slaughter. From what I've heard, it wasn't any freeze that affected agricultural products but last summer's drought. Somebody needs to get their stories straight. Basically, from what I've been seeing, it isn't either of the two. Hay did ok last summer in spite of the heat and lack of rain. I hope not to offend you but if it was me, I'd do more research into a story before I'd allow it to go into print. It has been discovered that MOST of the abandonment stories are nothing more than media hype with no backup (no police reports, animal control reports, etc. to back up the stories). It shouldn't surprise you to find this out though. AND Farm Bureau has taken a pro slaughter stance as has the head of the Ag. Dept. at Illinois U. because the university made money from each horse that they slaughtered (not harvested) in Illinois from Cavel... does it make you wonder why they would be so in favor of slaughter rearing its ugly head again?

All these stories disgust me to no end but the pro slaughter groups will continue to lie (because that is what kept the horse slaughter industry alive for so long) to the public because it's in their best interest.. and the foreign country who owns the slaughter houses and profits from the blood of our horses. "

" From the SF Chronicle, 10/24/98, regarding California's Prop. 6:

"Critics also fear that many of the horses that now go to slaughter, about 3,000 last year, will be abandoned and left to starve".

Just as California never had 3,000 abandoned horses following Prop. 6, America will not end up with 100,000 abandoned horses.

These reports of abandoned horses are propaganda from supporters of the horse slaughter industry, and intended as a scare tactic. Horse councils, farm bureaus, and livestock auction dealers are supporters of horse slaughter.
There's more articles spreading fictitious rumors of abandoned horses than there are abandoned horses. Every U.S. state has legislation making abandoning a horse a crime, either a misdemeanor or a felony, and each case must be filed with the proper agency.
Go to http://www.kaufmanzoning.net/horsemeat/, and read Deleting the Fiction:Abandoned Horses, and The Short Paper. Part 2, covering results from all states will be released in 2 days. There is no crisis of abandoned horses. The real crisis is media manipulation by the slaughter industry's supporters, poor journalism from reporters not verifying information by failure to get documentation or evidence before releasing these articles of rumor and propaganda.
The good news is that American horse owners are not the criminals the horse slaughter industry would like everyone to believe. "