Abstract
This paper discusses the sensitive and controversial topic of horse slaughter for human consumption and zoo animals, although, currently banned in the United States due to key legislative acts in 2006-2007. The argument addressed will touch on the advantages, and disadvantages of lifting the horse slaughter ban in the U.S. The advantages include but are not limited to, horse welfare, economic revenue and profit, and restoration of the failing horse market. Disadvantages are, again, welfare depending on how you view the topic, as well as drug and medication regulation due to the fact that horses are not raised specifically for their meat products. Introduction Horses have been used for numerous activities, duties, and jobs over thousands of years. These uses in early years range from field work like plowing, to transportation, as well as aiding and assisting during war. As civilization became more advanced, horses were needed less and less for utility. Horsemanship slowly converted into more of an art form with the purpose of enhancing the horse’s strength and beauty (Mutsune, 2012). In the modern world of 2015, horses are purchased as equine athletes for many different horse events such as showing, racing, or rodeo to name a few in general. Most of the time, these animals are being used for recreational hobbies or pure enjoyment, as economic profit in the horse industry is rare. Most equine businesses struggle to operate due to the current economy. Horses can live to be 30 years old, and need to be provided with proper nutrition and health care, just as other animals or pets. They are generally quiet, docile creatures, unless frightened and their “fight or flight” mechanism engages and they become dangerous to those around them, horse and/or human. The responsibility these animals take can be overwhelming for some, and rarely does a novice horse owner consider the future burdens they may bare, between losing interest in the hobby, the horse becoming aggressive due to lack of training or care, or no longer being physically capable of performing.
Through the years, horses have become more of a pet or companion compared to a utilitarian as in the 19th and 20th century, people have forgotten that horses are legally classified as livestock, although not directly raised for meat products. Livestock is defined as domestic animals (such as cows, pigs, or horses) raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities, such as food, fiber or labor. Such animals are generally raised for financial profit and are considered useful. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture of the United States conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), there are over to 3.6 million horses in the U.S. Which brings us to the matter at hand, the United States is faced with an unwanted horse problem. Prior to 2006, horse slaughter was legal and regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), just as cattle, swine, poultry, and other livestock processing is.
Horse slaughter in the United States was established decades ago and has provided a channel of removal for horses of insufficient value in the market, or possibly harmful animals with no chance of rehabilitation without injury to themselves or others. There were sixteen horse slaughter plants in the U.S. in the 1980s, with a major decline to four in 1994, and by 2002 there were only two plants in operation. Beginning a decade ago, the horse slaughter industry became a controversial issue, animal rights activists and groups concerned with animal welfare launched a campaign to ban horse slaughter in the United States. The industry was questioned because the U.S. does not consume horse meat, nor is it culturally acceptable here. The horse meat once produced in the United States was exported overseas to Europe or Asia, or used as zoo meat in the U.S. In 2006, there were 3 slaughter houses in business processing just under 105,000 horses annually (Taylor and Sieverkropp, 2013). Two facilities were located in Texas and the other in Illinois, exporting over 17,000 metric tons of horse meat valued at about $65 million in their last full year of operation (Cowan, 2013).
In 2005, the first attempt to amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) was made, by attempting to ban the use of government funds for USDA plant inspections, which is required for legally authorized slaughter and production of meat sold for human consumption or zoo meat. The USDA meat inspectors are responsible for ensuring the meat is safe, wholesome, and properly labeled as well as enforcing the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act which states that livestock (except poultry) be successfully confirmed as unconscious prior to slaughter (Cowan, 2013). Typically, this is done by using a captive bolt gun to stun the livestock, before being bled out (North, 2004). Following the amendment, an approved appeal was made by the 3 remaining facilities to allow voluntary inspection to be paid by the plant owners. In January 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a 1949 Texas law banning the sale of horsemeat, therefore closing two of the three remaining horse slaughter plants in the United States. The final plant in the U.S., located in Illinois, closed down in May of 2007, after the Illinois state legislature passed a law banning horse slaughter in the state according to the Government Accountability Office of the United States.
Figure 1. Number of U.S. Horses Exported for Slaughter to Canada and Mexico (Taylor and Sieverkropp, 2013)

According to Taylor and Sieverkropp and the graph provided, U.S. horses are still being sold for slaughter:
“The forced closure of U.S. horse slaughter plants did not eliminate the purchase of U.S. horses for slaughter. Exports of horses to slaughter facilities in Canada and Mexico have grown to more than four times their pre-ban volume, as shown in Figure 1. By 2010, the number of horses exported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter was equal to the total number of horses slaughtered domestically (104,899) and those exported for slaughter (32,789) in 2006, the last full year of U.S. slaughter.” Although domestic horse slaughter has ceased for the time being, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Slaughter Horse Transport Program (SHTP) is active. According to the USDA’s website, the goal of this program is the same today as in 2001 when it was established: if a horse must be transported commercially to slaughter, then it will travel in a safe and humane fashion. The program is often cited as a model for the future development of humane transportation programs for other species. There has been a handful of attempts to federally ban horse slaughter and derail any future buying, selling, or transporting of horses for slaughter. There have also been a few failed attempts to lift the bans in above mentioned states with no success, leaving the horse slaughter issues at a standstill.
Advantages
Horse processing facilities were once regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture when still operational, as are other livestock slaughter facilities producing meat for human consumption, which gives the U.S. an advantage in welfare of the horses. This means that the facilities in conjunction with the USDA closely monitor, document, and regulate the welfare of the livestock. They also regulate the slaughtering of said livestock and packing of the meat and meat products here in the United States. We are only able to regulate and control the process in a humane and ethical manner if performed here in the U.S. We are unable to provide a safe environment for horses sold for slaughter once they cross the border into Canada or Mexico. We no longer have the authority to oversee their welfare and enforce our laws related to humane and ethical treatment. Since the ban of horse slaughter in 2007, exports of these animals has increased 148 percent and 660 percent to Canada and Mexico according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which means U.S. horses are still being sold for slaughter, ban or not. If the ban on horse slaughter were lifted, the U.S. would have total control of the welfare of horses sold for slaughter, because the fact is, it is still happening and will continue to happen in other countries without strict regulation comparable to the USDA.
The ban lift would also eliminate long stressful trailer rides to Canada or Mexico. Before domestic slaughter ceased, horses traveled an average of 550 miles after being designated for slaughter. After the ban, in 2008 and 2009, the GAO analysis showed horses intended for slaughter traveled an average of 753 miles. This is an increase of about 203 miles.
Another positive outcome of lifting the horse slaughter ban is increased revenue and jobs in the United States. According to the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association referenced in Geoffrey Becker’s 2008 research article, “market demand for horsemeat for human consumption is almost certain to continue and may grow in the foreseeable future. It is therefore proper and necessary that we continue to work with national and international groups to provide humane care for horses intended for slaughter and maintain as much consensus and practicality on these issues as possible.” As stated earlier in this discussion, horse slaughtering is a $65-million-dollar industry in the United States. It is currently costing the U.S. money to support Horse Rescue Facilities, as 100,000 unwanted horses have nowhere to go annually according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. In Geoffrey Becker’s article, he referenced the The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) with estimated findings that the cost of a horse’s basic care approximates $1,825 annually, exclusive of veterinary and farrier care. A more recent study estimated the annual cost of caring for an unwanted horse at $2,340.
Lastly, the horse slaughter ban lift would improve and restore the horse industry to a more profitable and humane market as it was before the ban. Studies have shown, the horse prices have declined by 8% to 21% since the ban, if not more (Vestal, Lusk, Cooper, Ward, 2013). Not only were horse prices negatively affected, but the overall welfare of the animal declined as well, people that are unable to provide proper nutrition are simply letting horses starve to death. It has also lead to an increase in horse abandonment cases, where horses are being set free and causing vehicular accidents in less rural areas. This is being attributed to the cessation of horse slaughter in 2007, although the extent of these declines are unknown due to lack of comprehensive and national data as indicated by the GAO.
Disadvantages
The other side of this argument is that horse slaughtering is, in itself, inhumane and should be completely eliminated from the United States, this includes buying, selling and transporting of any horses intended for human consumption or zoo animal meat. Horse meat is not demanded nor culturally accepted in the U.S., and horses are creatures of elegance and dignity. The U.S. does not breed and raise horses strictly for human consumption. A quote from Iowa Rep. Steve King from the Wall Street Journal puts things into perspective for us, saying “What is the distinction between a steer, a hog and a horse?" Last time I checked the history books, George Washington didn't sit astride a hog during the American Revolution, Paul Revere certainly didn't gallop in the night on a steer and neither a hog nor a steer have competed at Grand Prix Dressage in the Olympics. These noble creatures have loyally served man, and they deserve more dignity than being slaughtered and served up on someone's dinner table.” The next argument is that horses are often given drugs and medications that are not regulated for human consumption. And since horses are not raised for slaughter they can be administered steroids, hormones, Lasix and pain killers such as phenylbutazone within days of making the trip to the sale barn to be sold to “kill buyers”. These substances are not recorded of regulated by the seller and could potentially harm future consumers (North, 2013).
Discussion
The fact that there is an emotional stigma attached to horse meat and the taboo it is here in the United States, should not affect our opportunity to export horse meat to other countries, where it is culturally acceptable and considered a delicacy for some. This begs the question, why is it acceptable in the U.S. to slaughter and consume beef, pork and other livestock, but not horse?
Position
Horse slaughter is a necessary evil, it stirs up very sensitive emotions and can create heated battles, but looking at the facts makes it more digestible. The facts tell us that there is an unwanted horses issue in America and irresponsible owners are not being held accountable. There is an overabundance of equine being neglected or abused, transported long distances outside the U.S. to unregulated slaughter plants, and not enough resources in the U.S. to sustain all of them properly. Horse slaughter, if properly regulated, is a logical solution to the growing unwanted horse problem, as well as a failing equine economy.
Conclusion
If Europe and other horse consuming countries no longer desire our horse meat, and there is not enough demand to sustain the industry, then the free market economy will bring horse slaughter to an end naturally. Until then, the United States should retain the rights to control humane treatment and welfare of horses within our border, although this cannot be accomplished until the ban is lifted. Lastly, “allowing horse slaughter to resume will increase economically attractive options for horse owners wanting to sell horses they can no longer afford to care for. This may reduce the number of horse abandonments and improve welfare for some horses in the United States” (Taylor, 2013). References
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