The slaughter debate

People keep asking me ... Tess what do you think about horse slaughter? Recently a man said he wouldn't subscribe to my magazine unless I revealed my mystery opinion on the issue of slaughter.
My opinion is no mystery ... I hate the idea of killing a horse, any horse, in any way. Sometimes we have to "put down" our horses. I've lost two personally in the last 5 years. One we were able to have a vet give a shot and the other ... we couldn't get the vet out in time to ease suffering so we took care of it ourselves. Not me, my husband ended the life of our sweet Tosca with a single bullet to her head then he prompty threw up his lunch. It's not pretty, its not neat and you can't tie it with a bow ... EVER! Slaughter is an easy way out for some, not only will they get a little money for their horse but they can wash their hands of the situation. I guess some people can erase it from their minds too. I can't. I couldn't, I wouldn't.
So, is there a humane way to slaughter horses? ... probably. Are there other solutions? ... sure, why not.
Whether or not we have a slaughter house in the US won't matter to my horses. But it'll matter to a lot other horses that aren't just no-count old swaybacked nags. I don't take the position that any horse that doesn't have a good quality of life health wise should linger on year after year. In fact, we waited too long to have Rhett our TN Walker that came from Cheryl Flanagan's rescue Savethehorses.org put down. He was so arthritic he could barely walk and supplements were no longer helping him. Right before winter he laid down and wouldn't get up ... as if to say, I am done. I held his head in my lap, I sang to him and fed him sweet feed and sugar water in an effort to change his mind but he wouldn't get up. It was time for him to go.
Is slaughter a neccessary evil? I think it only seems like that now. I think when times are hard in the horse industry there are those that miss the easy money of the killer buyer. Granted, a lot of times that money went to buy feed for the other horses still at the barn. I think it's hard for folks to absorb the cost of disposing of a horse that they would have sold for slaughter - especially when they may need to spend that money on hay. Economically, it's easy to see why folks are upset! Ah, but people like me - we aren't being reasonable, right.
Generally I am pretty reasonable, ask anyone who knows me.
I don't picket for the feelings of fish and if someone wears fur, sorry it doesn't offend me. It doesn't make me jealous either. I just don't see a horse any different from a dog. I wouldn't take my dog to the slaughter house and sell her for a buck a pound (granted she only weighs 50lbs). I guess there are horses that I didn't bond with ... one that bit me a long time ago ... I try hard to be objective and think about a horse that I had no emotional attachment to. But my mind wont work that way ... I know that horse that bit me was sold to a lady and her little boy and he was loved and cared for.
So my opinion, I wouldn't slaughter my horse or sell it for slaughter. But I wouldn't take any of my horses to a sale either. But that's just me! Not everyone has the same resources and not everyone is so emotionally attached. I can live with that. But I can't condone the way horses where slaughtered in this country or any other. I honestly don't know if I can condone it at all.
That's my truth ...
I also think that a real solution has to be found if slaughter is resended it will not empty out the rescues. FOlks will go back to saving horses from slaughter ... those numbers will not change. A large part of this industry is based on profit and that's fine. We just have to get it all out on the table and figure out solutions for all the problems that plague this industry. We are so scattered and niched off we can't even agree on what type of saddle to use or what method of training works best ... perhaps it is wishful thinking to even state that we need to work together to solve this obvious problem.
But I don't think so. Maybe this is the issue that will finally unite horse owners - because I think the vast majority of us have a genuine love for the horse.

That's my 2 cents - no solution - just my scattered opinion (sorry for the rambling, I am taking some pain medication!)

Tess

Going green ... one step at a time

At the end of this month I am attending a conference in North Carolina, hosted by one of the only certified "green" printers in America.

As a magazine publisher, I have always been conscious of the amount of paper and waste I create by printing HorseSouth. This is why it is extremely important to me that HorseSouth always has excellent, original and quality content. If I reprinted articles or syndicated articles ... I am wasting valueable paper and killing even more trees. I have turned down distribution house's offers to mass distribute HorseSouth to Barnes & Noble and grocery chains across America. Why? Because the resale rate on the magazine stands of America is less - actually WAY less than 10%. I've never been able to live with the thought of that much waste. Yes, those extra zines are recycled. BUT you should smell my house when the new magazines come in. A part of me loves the smell of fresh printing but I know it's harmful to the environment and even my own body.

Don't get me wrong. I am not fanatical about too much (except visible ear wax in my children's ears!!) I won't be fanatical about going green, I will not likely become a vegan, I'll probably still use dryer sheets. But I am growing a garden, I am recycling, reusing and rethinking the way I do things. One of the things I am rethinking is how I care for my own horses. I have been researching for a new article called My Big Green Barn ... which compounds on the wild horse model and introduces green living principles to the barnyard. Here's small example. On Friday I have "Patch", our paint horse (who is 80% white) a bath. I used Baking Soda, Glycerin and Lemon juice and warm water to wash him. It was going to rain in about an hour ... so i didn't waste water to rinse him off. Before he rolled ... MAN he was white! Even his tail and mane! I dumped the bucket and for once didn't feel bad about it. No detergents, no grass killing! Why hasn't that been a clue for us in the past ... where ever we dump the wash water ... the freakin grass dies!! DUH

Another one of those things I am changing is the way HorseSouth is printed. Right now, we print about 56,000 copies of the magazine. All but about 800 copies are "consumed". Meaning 24,000+ are mailed to someone on request or subscription order. The rest go to nicer tack and feed stores all over the country. Of those, my reports tell me that there is almost NEVER a single copy left.

But, I have to look at it this way. Giving 28,000+ copies away doesn't help me pay the considerable printing bills that go with having the magazine. Yes, people do subscribe because of it but not in the appropriate ratios. I love for people to enjoy it. I hope when they are finished they recycle it ... but I can't gaurantee that. SO - I am looking at moving to printing on recycled paper, and printing less copies to give away.

Recently, I've registered a new domain name that will center around taking care of our horses and our barnyard environment in a green and natural way. I'll be working on this site, with the help of a few key people and I hope we can make an impact together.