The Death of A Young Thoroughbred Horse – Two Years Old and Sent to Slaughter

This week I attended the horse auction at the infamous New Holland auction house. It was not my first trip. In fact, I have been there numerous times in the last year. I had no illusions about what I would see. I knew there would be some beautiful horses that would command good prices. I knew there’d be a few bone wrecks, worn out buggy horses and draft horses worked into the ground. And, I knew there’d be race horses.

I wasn’t there long before I found two thoroughbreds tied next to one another. Both had obvious ankle issues. #396 spoke to me with his sad eyes. He was very friendly, albeit confused. He was used to a stall. His coat was still shiny and well groomed. He laid his head against mine and searched for comfort. I spent quite a bit of time with him. I found myself drawn to him again and again. He was just so kind and loving.

I asked someone far more educated than myself if he could be rehabilitated. The sad answer for both of the Thoroughbreds was that they should have been euthanized at the track they came from. Both only two years old, and both destroyed by an industry that by and large seems conscienceless. Whoever sent them to New Holland wasn’t satisfied with what they’d already taken from these two young horses. They wanted those last few dollars for their bodies.

The end of the auction at New Holland is always the most difficult for me. That’s when the kill buyers pull the shoes off the horses they are going to kill. It’s emotionally devastating to watch.

I didn’t watch them pull the shoes off #396 – I could not. However, after they led that sweet gelding off to take his last ride, I went over and picked up his shoes and took them home with me.

I can’t look at them without feeling despair and heartbreak. How can we American’s have left our horses down so badly?

My husband said, “Why do you do this to yourself?”

Because I never want to forget. I want to feel the pain and anger that will inspire me to keep fighting to end horse slaughter. I will continue to fight for the American Horse Slaughter Protection Amendment (S 311/HR 503) as long as I draw breath. I will keep those horse shoes highly visible so that this kind, young horse’s death will not be in vain.

#396 never had a chance. His people used him up and threw him away for a few dollars.

RIP #396...I will never forget you.

Save America's Horses From the Shocking Cruelty of Slaughter

PLEASE CROSS POST

Equine Advocates

www.equineadvocates.org

Monday, April 23, 2007

Red Hot Emergency Alert!!!

Strong & Decisive Action Must Be Taken All Day Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

To Move the Ban on Horse Slaughter Forward in the US Senate with S.311

And Reinstate the Protection of America's Wild Herds with H.R. 249

Massive Public Outpouring Needed Immediately!

1) Wednesday, April 25, 2007 will mark the day that the members of the Senate Commerce Committee review S.311, the Senate version of The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. At that hearing, the language and provisions will be decided upon for presentation to the full Senate. It is urgent and imperative that you contact the committee members and voice your full support for this legislation in its original form where horse slaughter for human consumption is banned in the US, as well as the transport of horses from the US across the Canadian and Mexican borders for the purpose of slaughter.

*** Contact the members by clicking here Please call, fax and email them immediately. Urge them to vote for the bill and to allow the original language to remain intact.

*** Contact the two sponsors of the bill, Mary Landrieu (D-LA) (202) 224-5824; Fax: (202) 224-9735; Email here

and John Ensign (R-NV) (202) 224-6244; Fax: (202) 228-2193; Email here

*** Contact your own two US Senators and urge them to support this legislation as well. To find the contact information for your two Senators by name or by state, visit www.senate.gov. You will be able to find all of that information, in addition to each Senator's individual web site. To view the current list of co-sponsors of S.311 and read the text of the bill please click here. If one or both of your Senators are co-sponsors of S.311 and/or members of the Senate Commerce Committee where the bill will be reviewed on Wednesday, please ask them to work extra hard to get this bill passed this year.

2) Thursday, April 26, H.R. 249, which would reinstate the protection of America's precious wild horse and burro herds will be voted on by the full House of Representatives. If you remember, the deadly Burns Amendment was surreptitiously attached to a 3,000-page spending bill and signed by President Bush in December 2004, stripping away over 30 years of protection of our wild mustang and burro herds. These animals were cruelly privatized and allowed to be sold for commercial purposes, including slaughter. This must be reversed! Thanks to a very dedicated sponsor in Nick Rahall (D-WV) and others in the Congress who vowed to overturn this horrendous amendment which passed against the overwhelming sentiment of the American people, we are now at the point where this can be overturned. Please call, fax and email your representative in Congress. Find all the contact information by going to www.house.gov. Please ask your rep to vote for H.R. 249 unamended and restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses and burros.

*** Please visit Equine Advocates' official web site at www.equineadvocates.org for more information about horse slaughter and other important equine issues.

There is absolutely no time to waste!

America's horses are suffering and dying more than ever before in Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses because the Senate leadership last year refused to allow this vital legislation to come to the floor for a vote after the House did its job and the bill was ready for passage.

All was lost when the Senate refused to act and consequently both bills had to be reintroduced and they were in January 2007.

We must pass S.311 and the House version this year to finally stop a practice that goes against our very culture.

We must pass H.R. 249 on Thursday and begin the process of reinstating the protection of our wild herds.

Please take action now and spread the word!