Every year, there are approximately 75,000 wild mustangs and burros that roam across our country (Masters, “The Future of America's Wild Horses: The Options”). The majority of these wild animals live in the western United States grasslands, where they continue to reproduce and strip the land of viable grasses. A countless number of those mustangs and burros have to be removed from their homeland because of the fact that there is simply not enough resources there to sustain all of them. The problem with removing them is that there is no place to take them after leaving the grasslands. To protect the land, ensure a humane death, and avoid overpopulation regulated horse slaughter is a necessity in the United States. A law was put into action in the United States to ban the slaughter of horses and ban the consumption of horse meat in America in 2007 (Lawler and Geyer). This may have seemed like a good idea initially, until you take a broader look on the issue and …show more content…
Ben Masters, a National Geographic writer, states, “The ecological consequences of poor grazing management in the desert ecosystems of the American West’s Great Basin can be severe...This creates a massive problem for the rangeland because the horses are putting unmanaged pressure on forage all day, every day, for the entire year. Eventually, that landscape reaches a threshold where native high-forage-value plants lose the ability to compete with unpalatable, undesirable, or nonnative species.” When the high-forage plants are eaten by the wild horses, this leads to invasive species moving in and taking over the once valuable land. This isn’t to say that there should be no horses eating the grasses but if the numbers were cut down so that there wasn’t an overgrazing problem, the land would be able to maintain itself at a quality
The current situation today, is that horses and donkeys have exceeded the amount needed to maintain an ecological balance; from 26,600 wildlife to 38,300 wildlife. The horse program, enacted by the bill passed in 1971, costs the government approximately $49 million a year. It takes the majority of the budget to manage the already captured horses; taking into account the life of the horses, it has been concluded that the total cost would be closer to $1 billion (Dean Bolstad, Roundup of Wild Horses.). A federal law, allows the Bureau of Land Management to kill “excess horses to maintain what it calls ‘a thriving natural ecological balance’” (Ginger Kathrens).
Estimates are that at the turn of the twentieth century over two million wild horses roamed free in the western United States. However, having no protection from their primary predator, man, by the 1970’s there numbers had dwindled to less than thirty thousand. In 1971, after a massive public uproar, Congress by a unanimous vote enacted the “Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act” (Act) that characterizes wild horses and burros as national treasures and provides for their protection.
For as long as there have been horse slaughterhouses in the United States, they have been an issue of controversy (Associated Press State and Local Wire, 8/7/01). Currently, only two slaughterhouses that produce horse meat intended...
There are numerous pros for horse slaughter and to legalize these factories. One reason being wild horses cause damage to property and eat crops and forages saved by the people for domestic animals. According to the On Fate of Wild Horses, Stars and Indians Spar article by The New York Times, “Free-roaming horses cost the Navajos $200,000 a year in damage to property and range, said Ben Shelly, the Navajo president” (Santos). A second reason is the United States could make millions of dollars a year by exporting the horsemeat to other countries that do religiously consume horsemeat. Wikipedia stated, “About 90% of the horsemeat is exported for human consumption overseas, where it sells for approximately the same price as veal. The rest goes to zoos. Horsemeat was outlawed in pet food in the 1970’s” (Equine). The thought of horse slaughter to many people is inhumane and unfair to the horses. What is to be done with the chronically ill, elderly and abused horses? This is...
An excited crowd waits expectantly to see the horse, cowboy, and calf burst out of the chute. Within seconds, the cowboy has the calf roped, on the ground, and tied. The action appears effortless. Two wranglers release the calf, and it trots out of the arena, seemingly unharmed. The question remains, are rodeos humane? That does the calf think of all this excitement? Contrary to what many people assume, PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) sanctioned rodeos treat their livestock humanely.
More than 100,000 U.S horses are sent to slaughter each year for their meat. The meat is then shipped overseas to Europe for human consumption. Horse slaughter is a big issue in the equine community. Many people in the equine community say it’s inhuman by the way the horses are killed, but many equestrians also say its moral due to population control. so which is it, is horse slaughter bad or good? This report will look at what horses usually go to slaughter, how the U.S and other countries view horses, how different people view horses and what would happen if slaughter ended.
The underlying issue of wild horses is the overpopulation of a particular species, which is contributing a serious ecological disaster, overgrazing. The degradation of the land has a domino effect, which will lead to more issues. It is important to maintain a balance between the need of the species, and what is healthy or the environment. The issue created controversy, is central to the passing of laws, and creates an opportunity for the government and the community to work together. There are many way to solve the issue of the wild horses and the issue that are created due to their existence. Issues such as a reduction in the number of the horses removed from the range. Increased use of birth control, a partnership with the Humane Society,
Grand champion! I was riding Fancy, a paint horse, at the Dallas County Fair in the Horsemanship class. In this class, I had to complete a pattern and it was judged on how well each horse and rider completed the pattern. The judge felt that Fancy and I performed best and awarded me with a big purple ribbon and a trophy with a horse on top. At the end of the fair, all of the grand champions were announced before the races. That was the final reward for successfully showing a horse in competitions.
Christopher McCandless’ long, fascinating, but ultimately fatal journey into the wilderness of Alaska is depicted in the biography, Into the Wild, written by Jon Krakauer. Late in the of summer of 1990, a very young Christopher McCandless left his ordinary world in Annandale, Virginia to pursue a solitary life in the untamed wilds of Alaska. Many will insinuate that Christopher McCandless’ actions were childish and idiotic, but a stronger argument would be that his unconventional thinking and desire to live life on his own terms allowed him to reach self-actualization.
There are many different ways to show off your equines skill and ability and competitions are one of them. For years humans have been entering their equines in competitions to show off their grace, beauty, and strength. There's an abundance of competitions to show off your equestrian and each require a different type of training, horse, and skills. Three of the more popular competitions are rodeos, dressage, and show jumping. These competitons can include either speed, agility, skill, or even all three at one time!
For decades, Scientists have contemplated the idea of using horses for the personal gain of children and adults with needs such as autism, heart conditions, anxiety, stress, and other disorders that have yet to be curable. Horses such as Chester, a twenty year old gelding has encouraged more young riders who face difficulties such as social skills, behavior skills, and those who are physically indisposed. The phrase confidence is key, becomes important when people of all ages interact with a horse. Learning confidence may not be as easy as it sounds but is a necessary step to bond with a horse; without it, there can be no trust and most importantly, no bond between the equine and its rider.
Just as the well being of humans, horses have a right to the same care and respect. We cannot just use them as entertainment. But as you will see, sadly, that is not the case. Approximately 12,000 foals are bread for specifically horse racing each year in England and Ireland. And normally only 50% are acceptable for racing. The rest of the horses are either sent to slaughterhouses, shot, or lead in a life of abuse. *(see down below) Many a cases show horse meat being sold as "beef" or "pork". Many fast food restaurants buy the horse meat because it is a lot cheaper, and consumers can hardly tell the difference between the two. It is illegal to sell horse meat as another type of meat. So it is not just awful, but illegal. Have you ever had horse meat? You could have in your “beef” or “pork” (because they sell horse meat as those in Canada) but let’s hope not, because it is poisonous to humans. The meat we eat day to day could be horse meat, and poisoning our bodies. Moreover, years of inbreeding cause the horses legs to be small and flimsy. Their ankles are the same sizes as humans, and their full bodies weigh more than 1,000 pounds. If they can hardly hold their own weight, how should they be able to hold the weight of their riders? Also,...
Equestrian Riding, also known as horseback riding is a sport. Some people may argue that is not because they think the horse is doing all of the work. However that is not true. People do not realize that it takes a lot of to ride a horse and the rider does a lot of work as well and its good exercise too.
Tom Regan, “The Case for Animal Rights,” in In Defense of Animals, ed. Peter Singer (Oxford: Blackwell, 1985), 21. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistical Services, Livestock Slaughter. 2005 Summary, March 2006: USDA, NASS, Poultry Slaughter: 2005
Taken from the only place you've ever known. Away from the only family you have. Kept in crates and cages to be sold. Removed from their home, exotic animals are put in yours for personal amusement.This act is ruinous an inhumane, it violates the basic rights of human and animals. Exotic animals have a rightful place in their natural habitats, not as pets, because they endanger the community, become sick, and their owners abandon them.