To Euthanize or not to Euthanize, - Quality verse Quantity.-

Before I start this blog, I know many people will get upset with my point of view. Some will call me a murderer, and all sorts of other nasty names.
Please read this blog to the end and the other blogs I refer to, before writing a comment, because I ask for your opinion and input on many things.
I promise to return the the same consideration, when you make comments and offer your opinion.

First lets get one thing clear,  I believe the best option for any horse is to be raised and enjoyed  by one family, then kept into retirement as a respected member of the family and allowed to die a nature painless death.

Just because I believe that is the best, and I strive to make that a reality for a majority of horses, does not mean I am gullible and believe that is the way all horses will live.

If you read my blog called "In a perfect world every horse would be knee high in their favorite grass" you will see I suggest that everyone is given free will.
 
No one is forced to think the same as I do, we have laws that protect horses from abuse. Those laws are never right in everyone's opinion  either.
Some consider the laws to restrictive, on how they can care for and train their animals, others consider the laws to lax. That is the reality of  any type of society that is forced to coexist.

My point here is that when we deal with a problem, (desire to actually make positive change) we have to consider the problem from all angles and opinions.

If our goals is to just get rid of something we do not like, with no consideration for the real problem we can do that easily. We take pictures and video of all the bad things that are happening, make people sad and disgusted, forcing rules that hide the disgusting stuff.
This is called treating symptoms and is very easy to do, the challenge, if you accept it, is to treat the problem. The problem I have is despite thousands of big hearted individuals, and 100's of equine rescues, there are 1000's of horses each year still suffering more than they were before we had slaughter houses in the USA banned.

Are you part of the problem or the solution?

Are you treating symptoms 

for your own well being?

 Are you efforting to develop the best possible solution so animals do not suffer 

undo stresses and discomfort!

To develop the best possible solution, we first have to understand other opinions..  

Below are a list of concerns I hear from both sides of the horse slaughter and rescue issue:

1. Every horse deserves to live out their days surrounded by people who love them.
    I agree totally, unfortunately peoples lives change, not everyone is able to, or willing to care for horses for their whole life.
   Some say lets make a law, "Everyone has to be responsible for the horse for life"
   Even with children we give people an out, they are only held responsible for the child till it turns 18. I feel very bad for kids, whose parents are not good parents. The same as I feel bad for horses whose owners are not responsible horse stewards.  
   Making a law that people have to be responsible for life for animals or kids, will do nothing but fill up our prisons. We can not force people to be responsible. We can only educate, and do our best to clean up their mess.
2. There are to many horses that go hungry, there is no way for people to get rid of the horse when they no longer want them.
   This is the reason we have sale barns and thus kill plants. Here is a quote from "In a perfect world". "There will always be more horses that need rescuing, than there are rescue dollars to rescue them".
3. Killing any animal is cruel murder.
   But letting them starve and go through life in pain is not? There are 2 sides to this issue, only looking at one, leaves you as part of the problem and not the solution. 
4. Killing an unwanted, hungry animal that no one can afford to feed is more humane than letting them go hungry.
   Here I agree, Euthanasia is the second best choice many times. I would love to be able to feed and care for all the horses. That is the reason I effort to help rescues raise funds, and also to develop horses into adoptable partners. 
5. We need to stop irresponsible breeding, When I hear this I just have to laugh.
   I am sorry, I agree irresponsible breeding is a huge problem, but exactly how do you propose we change that?
   Irresponsible breeding is a huge problem in both people and domestic animals of all types. Wild animals have a natural selection process that keeps their numbers down.
   In people and domestic animals we eliminate the predators and never replace that managing factor with anything but wishes and fairy dust. 
6. The shipping of horses to slaughter is cruel, and to many get hurt and stressed.
   I agree, those laws should be tougher and enforced more effectively, until a better solution for the horses that rescues can't save can be developed. 
7. The way slaughter houses kill horses sometimes fails, the horse is left alive for to long, the death is not instantaneous and they suffer.  
   Even with drugs and vets some horses thrash and suffer in the last few minutes. This is an ugly reality that no means of euthanasia is perfect. The best we can do is effort to make the euthanization method we chose as painless and swift as possible.  

Here are 3 main reasons that horses need rescuing or find themselves at sales, where they are at risk of going to the slaughter house.:

1. Owners can not afford the time or money to look after them properly, Peoples lives change and not always for the better. This is always a sad thing for both the people and the animals.
2. Owners are not educated enough to know how to properly care for a horseThis is also sad ,but mostly for the animal and why I support rescues who try to educate people about animal husbandry. 
3. Owners get tired of them and turn to other interests.
   Sellers should always make sure the buyers or adopters know the responsibility they are taking on. But again we have free will and not all sellers are as conscientious as I would like.
4. There value as a riding or driving animal was never developed, their only value is emotional or by the pound.
   Finding homes for a horse is easier if the horse can be rode or driven.  

BY now I am sure many big hearted people are spitting and sputtering at how cruel and narrow minded I am, 

 To those people, 
I applaud you in your strength to read something you are morally and ethically opposed to. 

That is why I am going to ask for your input, and help in solving a huge problem.  You have shown strength and a willingness to think, and try to understand an other point of view by getting this far.

I agree with the sentiments about treating animals fairly, and with respect. The only difference is I still see 1000's of horses suffering and starving still. 

For those horses your wishes for happiness and comfort for all, are just that wishes and fairy dust.  I want us to work together to help those horses.

Here is the reality of the problem we face. 

1. Thousands of horses still go hungry and suffer debilitating injuries and diseases each year.
   Sorry to say, this is a fact and you cant ignore it or wish it away. 
2. Rescues can not raise enough money to feed and care for them all.
   Again a fact that we cant just wish away or throw fair dust on.
    Unless you buy my fairy dust.  I mention my fairy dust at the end of "In a perfect world" , I donate the proceeds to rescues, sell enough fairy dust and we may be able to feed and look after all the hungry and abused horses?   
3. The horses that the rescues can't save, continue to suffer till they are euthanized.
   Here we get to the crux of the issue,
   I do not want to see horses suffer.
   I do not want to hide my head in the sand and ignore it.
   Yelling for someone to fix this problem is pointless, since we all have free will and not everyone feels as I do.
   The only answer for many horses, is to keep their suffering to a minimum. That unfortunately must include some sort of ending life program. 
4. Many many horses get euthanized at the slaughter plants because someone is able to make a profit from their meat.
   Because we do not like the idea of euthanizing horses we go after the slaughter plants and close them down here in  the USA.
   Now these horses have to travel many more thousands of miles and suffer even longer.
   We still have not stopped 1000's of horses each year from being killed.
   We have not offered people an option to getting rid of the horses they do not want.
   Rescues are still not saving them all.

What options can we develop that can help all the horses, 

not just wish they were better off? 

The solution should be:

1. Affordable for those who can not afford to pay the vet and disposal fee's to euthanize when that is the best option for that horse.
2. Pays someone at least the price of horse meat per pound in Europe for their horse, Then even the people who do not care if their horse suffers as long as they get their few bucks will chose to use the program. 
3. Be accessible in most counties around the country, thus removing the need for long trailer rides with large numbers of other horses crammed in.

Any other type of program is not considering all the reasons horses suffer,

 it is just throwing hopes and wishes at a serious issue. 

"In a perfect world" this would not be a needed program, but it is not a perfect world.

MY suggestions: 

1. Stop all shipping of horses out of the country for slaughter.
2. Stop the shipping of horses more than 100 miles, in any trailer that does not allow them individual space.
3. We ban the export of horse meat from this country.   
4. Approve a method of euthanization that does not taint the meat with drugs,
5. Have locally trained and approved people to deliver the euthanization and remove the carcass.
6. Sell the carcass to Zoo's for their big cats. or give it to local dog and cat shelters.
7. Have local meat packers approved to care for the carcass prior to shipping.

These suggestions 4 -7 are unsavory and far from the perfect solution, 

BUT they would facilitate all of the needs of a 

BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTION, IN OUR IMPERFECT WORLD.

1. I suggest that we stop wishing and hoping for more money and more shelters. 
2. I suggest that we stop hoping for more laws that will hold people responsible. 
3. If we wait for those pie in the sky solutions to be enough, 1000's of horses are suffering more than they need to.

I am not recommending these changes as an alternative to raising money for rescues, or for education of both the horses and owners. I am suggesting they are needed as an alternative for the slaughter plants, and long distant rides to euthanizing.
I am not even suggesting that people who pick one or 2 sick or crippled horses to save should stop. They can chose to save any horse they like, and I applaud them for it. I even offer discounts on coaching and training for rescue horses.
  
But until there are enough of those people to save all the horses, we need a better solution for the ones they cant!

Like I said in previous blogs we cant save all the horses, but we can save many more than we are by spending the money rescues have more wisely.

Now for all of you who feel I am cruel and  should be shot, if you have a viable alternative to offer please suggest it in the comments.

If you do not have a viable alternative then please, buy gallons of my fairy dust to help your wishes come true!

I sell it for $25 an ounce and all proceeds go to one of my favorite equine rescues. You just sprinkle a gallon on each horse you want rescued every month and they will magically be cared for.

Have a great day and please support an equine rescue. My favorites based on what they do and their practical approach is the Alaskan Equine Rescue and The Colorado Horse Rescue Network.
If you support a great rescue that has a practical approach, please let me know so I can give a shout out to them and offer my help.


Rod