"When They Mark You . . .

and assail you, nothing earthly will avail you."

(Goethe)

Slaughter plants provide those owning horses with a third party method of disposal, a systemic security blanket that when we, for whatever reason, are unable to continue as horse owners there's somewhere for the animals to go.

Let's be clear. We breed horses for a purpose. Racing, showing, jumping, color, you name it. At some point horses lose their purpose. I have one right now named Groovin' Wind, age 13. He's done racing. I love the horse, but, now my attitude toward him has changed. Wind has lost his central purpose. These days Wind is but a daily burden. He's staying till one of us dies in repayment for years of effort and spirit, but, a lot of owners lack that resolve or basically are unable to support any such resolve they may have. Nor does every horse merit this.

Stated differently, if something were to happen to me, I'd probably want my horses dead. I simply am unable to abide the thought of any of my spirited animals confined to a 10 x 10 stall with a couple of flakes a day, water whenever, month after month, year after year with an occasional weekend visit by some abusing mindless teenager. That's OTB, folks. In general with some exceptions, it's other than a pretty sight. I have forever emblazoned in my consciousness walking through those dark show barns observing those abused horses. The bolt gun'd have done them all a big big favor.

Then there's "anti-slaughter", a well intentioned, gone awry movement that was commenced without due thought. They took the cart before the horse.

They object to bolt guns but want to eliminate the plants. They want to eliminate the plants BEFORE they do any solid research on the effect on horses. Vickie's junior H.S. arguments aside (see below) (they smack more of politics than horse welfare but it would take a book to explain).

Method of death is what they object to as well as transport. In this regard instead of attacking what they object to they instead attack the in place system of unwanted horse disposal without understanding or documenting the effect.

If indeed bolt guns are inhumane, simply eliminate them. That Cavel uses them hardly makes bolt guns the last word. How about simply shooting the horse in the head. Messy? I think that technology easily could solve that problem. And, I'm without a doubt that several other humane ways of slaughter might be conjured.

I hate the thought of any dying thing suffering. But, is it in truth as Goethe's spirit Grey Care chants to the 100 year old Faust facing death--When they mark you and assail you, does it really matter how you go?

As a horse owner I never want to call my Vet to euthanize a horse, and, I'm 100% positive he'd refuse to do so even where I to ask. If I do have to "dispose" of a horse, then I want to give that horse a chance at a sale. I'd like to think in that sale the horse will find a new and caring owner. Deep down I know that will never happen, and that the horse is better off going to the kill buyer. I'll never know what happens to my horse in the sale, and I'll have at least the thought to carry me that the unwanted animal had a chance.

(I posted this prior to reading comments to last post. I'll read them now. Please note that I said Vickie's arguments--some of them--are Jr. HS. These are the common arguments being used, and are without reflection on Vickie, whom from her post, I respect.)

Training:
Wed. 6/18: Art trot-galloped 1.25 miles Nob says he's refusing to change to his left lead probably related to him also refusing to lift the hind rear for hoof picking. Probably injured in a recent run in with a fence. We're investigating. Art being held back again. Rod galloped riderless lightly for about 10 min off and on.