How do horses end up at slaughter?
Pet horses aren’t the only ones in jeopardy. Healthy racehorses end up in the slaughter pipeline when their owners abandon them because they are injured or aren’t turning a big enough profit. “Many of these horses served their owners for years, and they deserve better,” Pringle says.
Why is horse slaughter cruel?
Horse slaughter is inherently cruel. Because horses’ instinctual flight response makes them ill-suited for stunning, they often endure repeated blows and sometimes remain conscious during dismemberment. The road to the slaughterhouse is also rife with cruelty and suffering.
Why do horses go to slaughter?
Horse slaughter is the practice of slaughtering horses to produce meat for consumption. Equine domestication is believed to have begun to raise horses for human consumption.
Is it legal to slaughter horses?
Last year, approximately 40,000 American horses were trucked over our borders to be slaughtered for human consumption. Until this practice is banned and Congress passes a law against slaughter here in the U.S., no horse is safe.
How much are kill horses worth?
The kill buyers can sell the horses to slaughter plants for about 60 cents a pound, according to McBarron, but first try to find online buyers. “Don’t nobody buy them, then we ship them to slaughter,” said McBarron, who also has shipped donkeys and mules for slaughter.
What do kill buyers pay for horses?
More than 90% of the horses shipped to slaughter are healthy. People known as “kill buyers” look for healthy horses to meet their quota for meat production, because they are paid by the pound. These kill buyers buy rescued domestic horses at auction, very often outbidding people who are looking for a new riding horse.
Who buys horses for slaughter?
Brokers called “kill buyers” send trailers full of horses into Mexico and Canada, where slaughter is legal. Fabrizius buys 90 percent of his horses at auctions. Sometimes, he says, he buys from individuals, including dude ranchers who need to get rid of an elderly horse.
Who uses horse meat?
In 2005, the five biggest horse meat-consuming countries were China (421,000 tonnes), Mexico, Russia, Italy, and Kazakhstan (54,000 tonnes). In 2010, Mexico produced 140,000 tonnes, China – 126,000 tonnes, Kazakhstan – 114,000 tonnes.
What is horse meat worth?
Every year over 100,000 American horses are transported to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered and their meat shipped to Europe for human consumption. Horse meat is considered a delicacy in Europe costing around $20. per pound.
Where do kill pen horses go?
58 cents per pound and U.S. kill pens routinely ship all the horses they can gather to Mexico and to Canada to be sold as meat. The practices for killing them are brutal and inhumane — and if you find this difficult to believe, please look online at Youtube for horse slaughter videos.