Bits and Peices...

I am passing on a survey being used to gather data for the Government Accountability Office.
Please go to -
http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2o7kpqog3xazol3/a021lyg4ycc4j2/greeting , to take the survey. Whatever your involvement with the industry or opinion on the issues this is an opportunity to make those known.
Pay particular attention to the “Do Not Slaughter”. Very simple way to protect horses for life from the evil doers don’t you think?

The United Organizations of the Horse works hand in hand with our nonprofit wing, the United Horsemen's Front, a 501(c)(3) organization to provide accurate and timely information, and in the development of programs such as a nationwide 'Do Not Slaughter' registry that will allow those who choose to have their horses permanently identified to be checked at processing facilities, and at borders, to allow the registrant 72 hours to retrieve the horse. This protects the wishes of those who prefer not to have a horse processed...as well as not impeding the right of others to market their horses in a way that provides financial return, and a valuable commodity, high quality meat, that is welcomed by a worldwide market.
The H.O.R.S.E. Act is being proposed to include the following:

*Require that all horses to be euthanized must be humanely killed using a method that is approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP).

*Remove regulatory roadblocks to providing USDA inspection of horse meat in humane processing facilities.

*Recommend that state and local agencies responsible for overseeing equine rescue, recovery, and retirement operations (that accept unusable and unwanted horses, as well as horses that owners cannot support, for a fee or for no charge), follow AAEP “Care Guidelines of Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities.” State and local livestock agencies should ensure that horses are cared for appropriately and that owner’s stipulations are being adhered to in terms of the disposition of the horses that have been surrendered.

*In terms of the transportation of horses, the concern should be for safe transportation, not regulating horse owners out of business. Repeal current laws restricting the use of double deck trucks transporting horses bound for slaughter. Require that the compartment of any transportation conveyance used for horses be sized appropriately for the size of horse being transported with a minimum of 6" of clearance above the withers.

*Require and provide for training and certification for employees at equine processing facilities involved in the actual humane euthanasia of horses prior to processing.

*Require signage at auctions and sales facilities that do not have a $1,000 minimum bid requirement that indicate that horses sold may go to slaughter.

*Require that sellers to processing facilities present the plant, or a border inspector, with a document stating the seller consents to processing; if they have owned the horse less than sixty days (a “canner buyer”), they must present a similar document from the original seller, unless the horse was purchased at an auction with signage mentioned above.

*Require inspecting horses at the plant, and at international borders, and holding those with lip tattoos or microchips that match numbers or chips that an owner has registered with a national “do-not slaughter” registry. Such horses to be held for seventy-two hours to allow the owner to claim the horse by paying for costs.

*Mandate that any regulatory investigation and action be initiated within ten days of alleged infraction of regulations, and that any fines levied or injunctions issued must be within no more than thirty days of alleged infractions.

http://www.tsln.com/ is the website of an ag-based weekly newspaper. The students in the Equine Issues and Leadership course tought by Rebecca Bott, Ph.D at South Dakota State University held an open forum on the horse slaughter issue on campus at Brookings. Most of what was discussed and presented has been hashed and rehashed on this blog and many more. I found this one fact very interesting.
Ninety percent of the United States population has been off the farm for at least three generations and therefore tend to view horses as pets.
New to the Tri-State Livestock News publication is a column called the Outside Circle written by Jan Swan Wood. Not only is she a very talented writer, she is a horsemen in the truest sense of the word and has actually ridden that outside circle more than once. We featured her article called, Stallions, All Business sometime ago. It was informative, factual, and well written. Judging from the number of comments we received it, like most other informative, factual, and well written articles, was of no interest to the *NAHSC.
If you would like to read some information written for and by the ten percent of the third generation who did not leave the farm/ranch you can drop by the Tri-State website once in awhile.
Shortly after we started blogging we posted a piece about Steve Hindi. He and the HSUS (and we know the HSUS would never spread anything less than truth and light) had worked up a totally inaccurate “study” designed to “prove” rodeo rough stock (the broncs and bulls) was forced to perform with hotshots, flank straps, and a variety of torturous methods. I felt this was an insult not only to the fine people of rodeo but to the great animal athletes as well. Former multiple world title winning bronc rider Marvin Garrett is heading up http://professionalroughstock.com/ . I don’t have cable so haven’t watched the Blue Highways Network program promoting rodeo rough stock and the cowboys. However from what I have heard and seen of Mr. Garrett it will be top shelf.

Is there a point in all this today?????? Yes…..it’s this…..
I am tired of hearing the *NAHSC referred to as horsemen. They are not.
I am tired of having an industry filled with people I truly respect being identified and degraded by those who have dismally failed in their horse endeavors. Failed until the NAHSC rescue committee declared we pull off our saddles, hang up our spurs, stop using our horses, and believe as they do. Failed even when all they assigned themselves to do was keep the animals in their care healthy, alive, and comfortable or put them down to end further discomfort.
I recently read a forum thread where after the original opinion was given the discussion failed to even mention horses at all for over 20 posts. The subject was who said what to whom on which rescue forum. Interesting, huh?
So if you have some time to spend, check out the sites above. They will talk about horses/livestock/and the people doing something with them. People I can read about, relate to, and respect.

By RH1
*NAHSC - New Age Horse Savior Cult