horse slaugther in tennessee need our help ASAP

[michelle haynes]

PLEASE HELP STOP EQUINE SLAUGHTER IN TENNESSEE
The Tennessee house Agriculture committee will pass a bill to establish and permit the equine slaughter and processing facilities in Tennessee ( house bill 1428, SB 1898 ) this Tuesday May 12 at 9am. The bill also includes that joining property owners can not file action against a slaughter operation with no public appeal. Please call everyone on this committee ASAP if you do not want horse slaughter in Tennessee.

Committee meets May 12, 9 am call ASAP

About the Agriculture Committee
The House Agriculture Committee is charged with two somewhat different responsibilities. The committee ís first function is to process legislation which is agricultural in subject matter -- control of equine infectious anemia, euthanasia of animals, the use of state funds for cash awards at state and local fairs, etc. More »
Committee Officers
• Stratton Bone, Chair 615-741-7086
• Dale Ford, Vice-Chair 615-741-1717
• Willie Butch Borchert, Secretary 615-741-6804
Members
• Eddie Bass 615-741-1864
• Chad Faulkner 615-741-3335
• Curtis Halford 615-741-7478
• John Litz 615-741-6877
• Steve McDaniel615-741-0750
• Frank Niceley615-741-4419
• Johnny Shaw 615-741-4538
• Terri Lynn Weaver 615-741-2192
• John Mark Windle 615-741-1260

[chase mcbay]

i think we need the slaughter market. since they cut out alot of the killer markets..people have all these horses they cant feed and cant get rid of people are dumpin them out everywhere to starve to death. id much rather see one die in a slaughter house quick then starve to death.

[vicky]

i think it is cruel to take a horse to the slaughter house. people should be held accountable for there actions if you cant afford your animals stop breeding them especially if you know the market is not good right now and if you cant sell them instead of letting them starve give them away i see ads and post all the time people wanting to buy or give horses a good home. alot of people have dog should they send them to be killed simple because that don't want them anymore or they didn't get the quality for show that they wanted. a lot of people have kids that shouldn't have kids and they don't want them should they be destroyed simple because they aren't wanted anymore PEOPLE WITH ANIMALS HORSE DOGS ETC SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR THERE PETS THAT THEY SUPPOSEDLY LOVE. AND IF THEY CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THEM THERE SHOULD BE LAWS THAT ARE INFORCED TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE

[Duane Lovett]

I know this will stir up a stink, but I agree with Chase fully on the slaughter market. Just think about why the horse market is the way it is, you can't go 1 mile down the road, any road, that you don't see horses. The horses aren't being cared for properly, they aren't vaccinated, they aren't ridden or even fed. The problem is you can buy horses cheaper than you can buy dogs and the reason is there is no market for these old put out cull horses that nobody wants. If they open up the slaughter market at least these horses will be worth something and they won't have to live their last days neglected.

[chase mcbay]

its awful. i had a buddy take 3 horse to a sell....it was gonna be awhile before he could run them through so they dropped the trailer and went to eat lunch...came back and there was 6 horses on his trailer....people are dropping them off everywhere....and now...there are so many of these cull horses out there....that u cant sell them. in the walking horse world...a good brood mare used to be worth something....now u cant give them away.

[katie reed]

i dont understand why they keep breeding them than. i see walking horse show trailers full of horses and ive heard that 1/2 of them never step foot off of the trailer. and its not just with walking horses im not picking on that particular breed b/c quarter horses aint moving either. the only horses moving are the ones that are world champions. i think there should be a limit on the breeding. there i said it and ill get off my soap box! he he

[Rook]

I agree.I'm fortunant to have horses and care for them,there are lots of people who can't care for them or don't know what to do with them.whether you agree or disagree,theslaugter needs to be open.you didn't have all this when the market was open.

[julie]

I have to disagree. Slaughter is not a fast death. It is horrible, go watch it. There have always been horses starved, abused, and not taken care of. True you can't give away many horses now. But the truth is, the GOOD bred horses are still selling for a high price and are selling. What I have seen... backyard breeders have stopped breeding!! You can't breed a mare, raise a foal, and sell it if it is crap now. This is exactly what needs to be done. In the long run, horses will benefit. People who can't afford to keep them properly will not have them, and there won't be as many "cull horses". I have rescued many horses, and own 4 "crap" horses now. One is a filly, the owner of the mare I bought swore she wasn't bred. She has a great reg. mom, but not knowing what the dad is she is unregistered. I couldn't give her away if I tried.
I am not against horse slaughter in general, but the way the horses are handled and killed is horrible. If they could come up with a humane way to do it, fine. It is not that expensive to euthanise a horse. They are lots of rendering plants that will take the carcass. Shooting the horse is way more humane than the way a slaughterhouse treats them.

[dusty414]

I think what we need is responsible breeding.........that would take away the need for slaughterhouses. If people would stop breeding their poor quality horses to just as poor quality stallions the problem wouldn't exist to begin with.

[chase mcbay]

im not sayin the slaughter houses couldnt be more humane i agree there. but we do need them. fact is...with walking horses i knw, about 1 out of 500 might make a show horse...the rest are not worth anything anymore. when the slaughter market was up....if a walkin horse did not make a show horse...it was still worth something as a brood mare or a trail horse, but without the slaughter houses.........there are so many of them that they are not worth anything....

[julie]

If 1 out of 500 may make a good show/trail/cutting/barrel/whatever horse, let's stop breeding the other 499 horses! Imagine how fewer horses in 2 years there would be. Prices would shoot back up, no more worthless horses, and no need for a slaughter market!!

The truth is some people are too lazy to properly care for horses. To some, if they can't make a dollar, they would rather them starve. They are the same ones with old cripple studs breeding to unregistered or poor conformation mares. Most horses don't need to be studs, and most mares don't need to be bred. If you feel you need to breed a horse, be responsible for the offspring.
Young horses around here are selling for $50 to $100!! Registered! Is it worth the trouble to breed a mare for that?

[katie reed]

yes! people also jump into buying a horse and dont even have a clue how to care for it properly. ive taken 3 horses in that were culls. i fed them, and trained them one being a mustang. they are all now ridable and in good homes luckly. ive seen good horses sold to piss poor owners and thats so sad knowing that, that horse had potential and it just got in the wrong hands. uuuuuuuuuuuuhhhh!! so depressing!

[katie reed]

thank you !!