The images in the following
program are very sensitive and may be as disturbing to viewers as they
were to us. However, we have to show the truth about cruelty to animals.HOST:
From time immemorial horses have been among humanity’s closest animal
companions, as they are highly social and intelligent and possess
human-like traits. These elegant, beautiful beings enrich our lives
through their unconditional love, affection and friendship, and in
times of need bring us comfort and
patiently listen to our worries and concerns.
Maiccu Kostiainen (f):
They are the most sensitive, most caring and loving creatures. And I
think from my perspective, horses have come to the Earth to show us
beauty. They have given themselves to us to enjoy their companionship.
It’s an honor that they let you come into their atmosphere or into
their energy.
They can touch you, your heart, your feelings,
your emotions and that, for me, it’s been a good thing to learn. That
is how much they can affect our lives.
HOST: On this edition
of the Stop Animal Cruelty series we’ll examine the abuse and senseless
slaughter that many of our noble equine friends experience each day
around the globe.
As horse slaughter is banned in the US, every
year tens of thousands of these serene, gentle beings, including riding
horses, carriage horses, race horses, wild horses, retired circus
horses, farm horses and even stolen horses are inhumanely transported
across the border and brutally slaughtered in Canada and Mexico.
In
2009 approximately 30,000 horses were shipped to Canada for rendering,
with about the same number going to Mexico, their carcasses destined
for human consumption or processing as pet food.
According to
the US-based Animal Welfare Institute, 92% of the horses murdered for
meat each year are young, healthy animals who could have enjoyed long
lives with loving families, their average age being seven years or
younger.
In addition about 100,000 horses are sent annually
from Central and Eastern Europe to France, Italy and Belgium to have
their lives callously ended for meat.
『Kill buyers』 as they are
called in the US, sometimes purchase horses without telling sellers
that the innocent ones will soon have their lives ended for their
flesh, or knowingly buy stolen horses and then heartlessly send them to
slaughter.
Other sources for the dreadful rendering industry are
slaughter auctions, where animals are crammed together in chaotic
environments to be sold, causing enormous stress that can result in the
animals accidentally injuring one another.
Once bought, the
wounded horses are forced onto old, overloaded trucks, sometimes with
two decks meant for pigs or cows, and thus the horses lack adequate
headroom. The animals are then transported under extremely cruel,
unconscionable conditions,often without food,water and rest.
The
suffering can last for days and there is no protection from extreme
weather conditions during the journey. As the trucks shake
continuously, the horses struggle to stand and maintain their balance,
with many collapsing from weakness during the trip.
As the
helpless animals struggle in the filth piled on the floor, their
inhumanely tight quarters put them in danger of being trampled. Blood
stains the railings as tears flow from the frightened animals' eyes,
and some simply expire after enduring unending anguish and pain.
Horses
may also get their delicate legs stuck in the slats on the sides of the
carriers, as their limbs are repeatedly pulled and twisted while the
trucks move along winding roads.
At staging posts, the horses
are forced off the trucks and made to stand outdoors in all types of
weather. Some are unable to stand as their legs have been broken during
the nightmarish ride.
On arrival, horses that cannot walk are
dragged to their deaths with chains or subjected to violent abuse to
induce them to stand. This can involve beating with sharp metal rods,
kicking or ear pulling.
Each year over 30,000 horses are
transported under such conditions from Poland to Italy for rendering.
The following is an excerpt from a documentary produced by the UK
animal welfare group Vegetarians International Voice for Animals (VIVA)
called 『Journey to Death: The Live Export of Polish Horses for Meat,』
which exposes the horrendous, heartless treatment of horses during transport to slaughterhouses.
For more information on horse protection,
please visit the following websites Vegetarians International Voice for Animals
www.VIVA.org.ukThe Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses
horseracingkills.com