http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/18/world/europe/opinion-owers-horsemeat/index.html?eref=edition
Came across this today on CNN -- it really paints a horrible picture of how we treat horses and I suppose other animals --- we transport across the continent ------for food. I had thought the EU had stopped this type of transportation in cattle , dogs , sheep, etc --- but apparently not ---- Can we sit back and watch this happen ---
Now I am not adverse to eating beef , Horsemeat, chicken, duck etc -- but not when they are treated like this --- there seems to be something immoral in their treatment --- so maybe it is time for the ordinary person on the street to do something about this????? But what?
I don't know why a well behaved dog in a restaurant is a problem? I like that here. Some EU regulations are over the top and others need to be enforced. But I do hate the idea of horses being used for meat, when you have owned them and know their intelligence; I am sure they are petrified when going to slaughter. I cannot watch any of the videos or documentaries because I would spend all my time upset.
If only Glen. My ex-neighbour near Newmarket replied to an email when I asked her about this earlier today. They still take the horses in overloaded transports most nights. Veal crates are the pits. It is the one real reason I avoid eating the stuff.
As for your geography point, been doing Corsica with my daughter today. Nothing about the place being sold to France over the will of the people, nothing about the UNESCO listing of Corsican as one of the most endangered languages in the world and the fact that learning it is still forbidden in the education system.
I suggested avaaz too, petitions do work with enough signatures and new ones rather than actions from established initiatives have been changing it very successfully of late.
I am so pleased that the scandal that has arisen over horsemeat is now bringing awareness to so many people of the plight of these poor horses, the way they are transported around Europe, the conditions under which they travel and the sheer awful horrible cruelty of the way they are treated is beyond belief and if you've ever seen some of the pictures that are posted on the websites campaigning to stop this - well it will make you sick, physically and mentally.
Please any of you who have any consideration at all for animals, and at this time, especially the horses, start signing some of the petitions readily available online. What we humans do to animals is totally unacceptable in a so-called civilised society.
I agree it is the welfare of these animals that is the problem. Transporting them over such long distances in awful conditions. I don't know how the drivers sleep at night, they can have no conscience. It was supposed to have been tightened up but no one seems to do much about it. It still goes on.
Perhaps, in a strange way, this uproar may help the welfare of animals, providing it is not forgotten very quickly! Indiscriminate breeding of all animals also causes the problem. So many factors but apart from protests and petitions to show our disgust I am not sure what else can be done.
A lady has moved in to our area to protest against the halal slaughterhouse they want to open at Gueret. There is mass opposition for this so I am hoping that the protests will have the desired effect, only time will tell.
Some organisations are already out there fighting against the cruel practice of long distance live transport such as on the following links where you can find lots of current information instead of the rubbish being fed by the regular media ;
http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/
http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/information/latest-news?view=show&content_id=5424
Compassion in World Farming ; http://www.ciwf.org.uk/
The best thing we can all do is know where our meat comes from
Like Celeste I'm wondering how much we don't know about the conditions and suffering of other animals transported long distances for slaughter. I remember when you could hear cattle lowing at night on the Brittany Ferries boats. They didn't sound happy. Part of the answer has got to be buying from farmers' markets and local butchers. If I buy carefully in my local farmers' market (Wirral, Cheshire) it's cheaper than in the supermarket, but unfortunately it's only once a month.
You won't stop it all the time that money and ego are at stake. The racing industry has a lot to answer for.
Milk mares being one of the worst abuse by humans.
If breeding were controlled there would not be the excessive excess of horses to dispose of.
I can't go there mentally, I choose to rather put the energy into local horses around me that I can make a difference for, although at times that's not always the case either :-(
Awareness is key especially with things like "Premarin". I am sure most woman would choose an alternative supplement in favour of this drug if they really knew how it was made.
I take my hat off to those that do campaign at slaughter houses/transport stations and give up their lives to turn up daily to moniter and try to alleviate/change some of the practices used and occasionally buy out a few of the lucky ones.
If people took horses from rescues instead of buying them from breeders, they wouldn't have the market they do. Equally if people stop supporting the races, they wouldn't take place!
The world is waking up although perhaps a little too late. Horsemeat being added to other meats has been going on for years....at least now that has been exposed. With the media we all have access to today, it's getting harder and harder to hide the truth :-)
I too am happy to sign any petition that fights for the animals to have a voice and a right to a humane existance and ending.
This has been going on a very long time, 22 years ago I held a sale and coffee morning to raise money for the International League for Protection of Horses (ILPH) who were campaigning against Equine transportation for slaughter, it wasn't very successful as people found the posters too distressing!
I have no problem with eating horse or any other meat, but I do have huge issues with how animals live their lives and die, any animal should only be travelling short distances to an abatoir, the long distances being undertaken when it is dead.
I spent many years, until 2004 precisely, living just outside Newmarket. That is the 'racing capital of the world' in terms of breeding, training and so on, for flat racing at least. There is a fair bit of jumper breeding and training too plus polo ponies. So there are thousands of horses. Relatively few make the grade for the course but very few people question their fate. I have tried to buy a couple in my time, but it doesn't happen. The place I was trying to get them from was less than 400m from my door, 200m if I take it from where my allotment was. I asked my neighbour, a polo pony breeder, but even after 20 years knowing each other he would not give a straight answer. However, a head stable lad was retired off by one yard, took badly to it and began to talk. He told several people in the village that they were sold on to other countries such as Ireland as breeding stock. In fact, as he said, that included geldings who had no breeding value but after the sales nobody questioned. They went there or on elsewhere for slaughter.
It was always fairly obvious that given the number of horses bred locally to begin with that the racing industry could hardly sustain large numbers so we simply made our own picture in our minds. My neighbours who are strict vegetarians and compassionate about animal cruelty were always delving. Beyond hearing panicked animals in the transporters we never really knew. Most people just did not want to know, a few did.
The sad truths have emerged over recent years and the horse meat issue is bringing more out into the open. There are probably far more people engaging now than before. It is possible to draw attention to the issue by putting up something on avaaz or change.org who both allow individuals to start campaigns, indeed want it. I'm suggesting that as a means of perhaps getting somewhere with the issue but would not put it up myself because I already have other issues up. Put up too many and over too many areas and get a name for being just a 'moaner'. However, I would sign if it was running and believe many, many people would too.