Post by carol on Aug 10, 2007 10:51:35 GMT 1
As you would expect, news of this campaign has reached the H and H forum, and as usual some people are against it and some for. The following has been posted by sombody very much in favour, and I thought I would copy and paste it here. It's to the pont, and very good. I have the poster's permission to do it by the way.
"I have read the other thread, but this is sadly real, and I am in the process of getting a little unbroken rose grey Lusitano 4yo from 41. A lot of these horses are there because the owners for what ever reason just don't want them and send then off to the sales. This time of year, especially in Spain, there is no grass for them to eat. The continental attitude to horses is very different to the UK. Many owners just want rid of them if they are no longer needed, cannot be bothered with them, or cannot do their job any longer. The guy at the fattening farm only makes so many trips a year anyway, and it is no skin off his nose whether they go for meat or to a buyer. He is not charging any more for them from the farm than he would get from the abbatoir. There are unscrupulous dealers who do that, but £450 is meat money. So I do not believe that we are particlarly increasing his trade. Yes the slots will be filled, but I don't believe at any quicker a rate than he would have done anyway. I live in France, and I understand the psyche here. Animals are not treated the same as in the UK. For the last two summers I have watched two gorgeous Percheron foals grow up 3km away from me, and disappear in the autumn. They go 15 mins down the road to the abbatoir. Whilst that upsets me, they have had a lovely life to that point and it is a short journey to the end, so it is no worse than what happens to cattle. I don't like it, but it is not cruel. Apparently 80% of Percherons bred in France go for meat, but mostly they are killed locally, not enduring the journey from hell. I eat meat, not horses, but beef, pork and lamb, so I cannot condemn those that eat horsemeat. But horses bred for meat, as most of the other livestock around here, have no other knowlege of a life. The horses that have been brought up and handled are different.
What happens to these pregnant mares with foals at foot travelling to Italy is cruel. They choose the slighter built horses rather than cobs because the meat is not so full of fat.
They buy pregnant mares as they are heavy without the meat being fat and the hormones add to the taste of the meat. Also the foals are meat whether killed before or after birth has occured. They are sent to Italy because they eat more horsemeat and will kill pregnant mares, which they won't do in France.
At present the law states that a mare cannot travel beyond 90% into her pregnancy. As I'm sure you're aware, mares can easily foal that early. I have friends who work for the ILPH, and have seen these slaughterhouses, and the trampled newborn foals, and the mares. Please don't knock those people trying to do a bit of good, and raise the awareness of the horrors of transporting horses for meat to Italy.
The IHDG ( the link at the top) is another horse forum, with concerned people trying to save some of the horses. The actual nouvelle de vie site is a French site with normal horses for sale, but also with a section devoted to the horses that are at the last stop before slaughter. These are not people out to make money, they are only trying to save these horses from what is unfortunately a horrible long journey to a horrible end, without adequate provision, as horse welfare in transit is not governed by the the same legislation as livestock transit. Legally agricultural animals have to be regularly checked, but the horse can legitimately travel for 24 hours with no stops or checks. How else would our riders get home in a day from International shows on the continent?
I am fully aware that the problem needs to be addressed at the root level, ie the transport of horsemeat must be ''on the hook'' not ''on the hoof''. I have fundraised with my work in the past for the ILPH, and am in the process of doing so again, thanks to someone drawing my attention to what is happening to these animals on another site. So however disparaging any of you want to be about what we are all trying to do, we are at least trying. In the process of heated debate, the issue is being read about by a lot more people, so if nothing else we are raising awareness for the campaign by having our reasons discussed here."
There is more, to read it go to the H and H forum and look at 'Latest news' section.
;D
