clover
Novice Poster
Posts: 13
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Post by clover on Mar 11, 2009 21:15:31 GMT 1
With due respect Lynette, if there is any illegal activity, why not report this to the relevant authorities rather than put this on a forum,.
Horse are transported across europe all the time, do you think, border control officers are going in to check passports and microchips, and check on their health , They wouldnt know or care if they fell in the box or were dying, maybe a hundred thousand horses a year going to Italy, from Poland, yugoslavia, france belgium, spain, there is a loop here as well. It is a fact of life, horses will go for meat, here we will have to recognise this. at least two of the slaughtehouses we have left are still open, what would happen otherwise, to the ex rachororses, moorland ponies, new forest ponies. They should be slaughtered close to source, not always an option, the Eu countries have a different attitude, once their useful life is over, they have have no option, either breed them for the purpose, or send them for slaughter. , surely the point is here to stop, the live meat trade to Italy and across Europe, Horses are going to be sent to slaughter,that is a fact, the question is how can we make it better for them.
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lynette
Intermediate Poster
Posts: 212
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Post by lynette on Mar 12, 2009 10:46:22 GMT 1
As you may not know Clover I am a professional horse transporter who regulary works abroad transporting horses and yes we have on occasion been stopped at Border controls and checked. On this occasion it has been reported to the relevant authorities both in France and here.
I can assure you that the French Farmers take far more care of their animals that are being produced for meat than what was happening at the supposed safe haven. It is a fact of life that the French treat horses as an agricultural animal not a pet in that it is produced for the table. I still remember going into a farm that breeds Comtois horses and asking him how many horses he had to be told he had 280 on his farm. It puts rather a different perspective on it doesn't it and that was just one of many French farmers who breeds the heavies and may I say also responsible for keeping the breeds going that, without the meat trade, would have died out many years ago
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shelley2
Grand Prix Poster
Thats my boy!
Posts: 1,471
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Post by shelley2 on Mar 12, 2009 15:40:58 GMT 1
clover the facts are plain and simple any horse transporter that is prepared to travel a horse without a passport is acting illegally, more than that any horse transporter that is prepared to travel an animal that is unable to stand wants shooting
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clover
Novice Poster
Posts: 13
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Post by clover on Mar 13, 2009 18:30:23 GMT 1
Thank you Lynette for a thoughtfull response, the fact is, horses, ponies and donkeys are being sent to Italy, for slaughter, often not transported well, you take care of them and make sure they are well cared for, are the transporters of the meat horses, going to do the same as you, I doubt it,, they travel the horses only as a job, their welfare, is not a prime requirment.. The french farners dont take care of them, they are bought as potential, horse meat from markets, or bred for the purpose, then grossly overweight, to sell them for meat, either way it just cant be justified, they are not saving the heavies and keeping the heavies from dying out, it is a trade that has gone on for many years, sending them to Italy, is not nice, they should if anything, have them slaughtered close to home, not an option if they want a higher price for them, They breed them and send them to Italy. France does not pay a high price for horse meat, Italy does, as well as mares in foal, the hormones in the meat, makes the meat have a different flavour, mares in foal are slaughtered, the meat from the foals is considered as veal, often sent to Japan, the mares can be slaughtered in Italy with a foal in utero, up to any gestation, the meat is prime for horses at 18 months, for the consumer. The overweight horses who are classed as meat, are bred for that, and tranported through europe as a..
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lynette
Intermediate Poster
Posts: 212
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Post by lynette on Mar 13, 2009 20:03:35 GMT 1
Like I said the Farmers, and I have been into many of them in France ,on a whole take very good care of their horses. However the dealers are another matter and I think you are confusing the two.
Would you like to comment on the last rescue that took place for ERR from safe haven to England as to why those horses were kept in transit for over 45 hours Tuesday lunchtime to Thursday morning. Unloaded for 2 hours whilst the lorry was cleaned out and then reloaded again for delivery around the UK. One pony was so weak after this she had to be carried off the lorry. This breaks all the EU Laws and was done by an Englishman.
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Post by circusdancer on Mar 13, 2009 21:29:35 GMT 1
For clarity, Lynette, are you suggesting that the high profile of the plight of these horses is responsible for furthering the suffering because it isn't being regulated? Or are you more concerned that European laws are being flouted without any system of monitoring?
Obviously both will be at the forefront of your objections but it's a question of how to tackle the problem really. I'm not sure I can see the answer but breaking it down into pieces, rather than viewing the whole problem, could highlight areas that might be effectively tackled.
I don't know, it's just dire!
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clover
Novice Poster
Posts: 13
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Post by clover on Mar 14, 2009 9:30:59 GMT 1
Thanks Lynette I am confusing the two it is the dealers who are making a bad situation worse. I dont know anything regarding the safe haven or last rescues, but I am glad someone is on top of this and keeping an eye on these matters, I presume this was highlighted by people concerned for the continuing import of French horses and the conditions. I bought French horses over a year ago and have been pretty much out of touch with things until recently. Thank you for your insight, it does help for more clarity.
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Post by trinket on Apr 14, 2009 11:20:33 GMT 1
Please have a look at this forum. z8.invisionfree.com/French_Rescue_Forum/index.php?act=idxIt was set up to discuss the issues surrounding both viewpoints about the way the 'rescue' sites import horses, and the impact on the UK horse population. Some of the threads have become heated, but there is a lot of information on it. Of particular interest is the discussssion of the sites' claims that all the horses go to Italy. Feel free to register and join the discussions.
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