A Horse Like Model
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act: Taking a Stand
One of the most emotionally charged animal rights issues in recent memory centers on the legislation regarding the slaughter of horses. In question is The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. This Act will prohibit the transporting of horses to be slaughtered for human consumption. In September, 2006, the Bill passed in the House of Representatives with votes of 263 to 146. It has yet to be acted upon in the Senate.
The remaining foreign-owned slaughter houses for horses have been shut down. The French-owned Bel-Tex Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas; the Dallas Crown in Kaufman, Texas and Cavel International in DeKalb, Illinois (both which were Belgium-owned) are no longer in operation. These facilities collectively slaughtered over 100,000 horses in 2006 for meat export to countries such as Belgium, France, Italy and Japan.
The shutting down of the slaughter houses have not ended the slaughter of horses. They are being transported across the border to Canada and Mexico to be butchered.
The pros and cons argued on both sides of the problem are many.
Some of the factors raised by those advocating the passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act include:
The Humane Societyof theUnited States
One of the most emotionally charged animal rights issues in recent memory centers on the legislation regarding the slaughter of horses. In question is The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. This Act will prohibit the transporting of horses to be slaughtered for human consumption. In September, 2006, the Bill passed in the House of Representatives with votes of 263 to 146. It has yet to be acted upon in the Senate.
The remaining foreign-owned slaughter houses for horses have been shut down. The French-owned Bel-Tex Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas; the Dallas Crown in Kaufman, Texas and Cavel International in DeKalb, Illinois (both which were Belgium-owned) are no longer in operation. These facilities collectively slaughtered over 100,000 horses in 2006 for meat export to countries such as Belgium, France, Italy and Japan.
The shutting down of the slaughter houses have not ended the slaughter of horses. They are being transported across the border to Canada and Mexico to be butchered.
The pros and cons argued on both sides of the problem are many.
Some of the factors raised by those advocating the passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act include:
- The role that horses have played in the building of this Country. Horses have made their contribution as a primary source of transportation in early days in addition to working the farm fields for planting and harvesting crops.
- Many healthy horses are sold to middlemen at auction with intention of sending them to facilities for slaughter. Many times an owner will sell a horse at auction, thinking that it will be bought for adoption or sold to a stable where it will be cared for. The owner is unaware of the potential fate of their horse.
- With the closure of slaughter hourses we are now faced with the problem of a 300% increase in the number of horses that are being transported to Mexico and Canada for slaughter.
- Passage of the Act will result in a substantial increase the number of unwanted horses. They project that this will tax the financial resources and space available in rescue organizations for the care of these horses. The result is increase abandonment of horses by owners who will be left to starve to death.
- Horses will have to endure grueling conditions as they travel hundreds of miles for slaughter in Canada and Mexico. Transport trucks are often hot, over crowded, and the horses travel without access to food or water.
- Horses slaughtered across the border face more gruesome deaths. Once a horse crosses the border into Mexico or Canada, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) no longer has control over the fate of the horse.
- Horses slaughtered in facilities located within US Borders fell under the supervision of the USDA which regulated the conditions and procedures under which horses were transported and slaughter.
- According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), horses killed in American slaughterhouses died quickly with the steel pins that pierced their brains. The AVMA considers this a humane method for killing horses.
In parts of Mexico, horses are disable, in contrast, by being stabbed with knives to sever their spinal cords. This process may involve several attempts before the horse is disabled causing much pain and suffering for the horse. - The slowdown in the economy have caused economic hardship for many owners who cannot afford the increase prices in hay and grain feed.
Some of the organizations in favor of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act include:
- Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights
- The National Show Horse Registry
- Wild Horse and Burro Freedom Alliance
Those who oppose the legislation include:
- The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA)
- the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP)
- the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
Both sides raise valid points, but can be interpeted in very subjective ways. Call me emotional, illogical, and not objective, but I am with the first group. I oppose the slaughter of horses and transport of horses across the border for slaughter. I think about Horses Like Model who have a lot to give us in terms of companionship, love, loyality and who only want to be adopted from rescue and be given a loving home. I am very passionate about the Belgian Draft Horse, The Gentle Giant.
If you have not made up your mind which side you support, it is time to examine both sides of the issue and take a stand. One day the US Senate might get serious and move from their state of stagnation on the Legislation. For your love of horses, you will have to get off the fence.
Labels: Rescue
¶ 11:25 AM 0 Comments
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Another Focus
I am not sure of the solutions, but I want to do what ever I can to improve the lives of these horses. I think this refocus will meet with Model’s approval.
When I started this Blog, I wanted to shed light on the challenges and joys of owning and training a rescue horse. My daughter’s horse, Model, is a rescue horse. When you look at Model’s photo, when she first arrived, you can see how underweight and frightened she was.
Model has made a great deal of progress since her adoption last year. She is now at her proper weight and is achieving many milestones in her training. My strategy in writing this Blog was to increase awareness of the hundreds of horses, like Model, who are waiting for love, support, adoption. So I started posting on topics such as training and grooming and our overall experiences with Model.
My focus in writing this Blog has started to change. The more I read about the problems facing horse rescue groups and cases of abandoned and abused horses, the more I began to think about the meaning of the Blog’s title, A Horse Like Model. I know that Model is loved and her everyday needs are being met. But I am saddened by the flight of other horses, like Model, who are still in rescue shelters and in need for adoption. I am frustrated about the neglected and abused horses that are falling victim to the economic climate we are facing. I have decided to spend more time focusing on the needs of rescue organizations and ways to advocate on behalf of horses in need of adoption and financial support.
Model has made a great deal of progress since her adoption last year. She is now at her proper weight and is achieving many milestones in her training. My strategy in writing this Blog was to increase awareness of the hundreds of horses, like Model, who are waiting for love, support, adoption. So I started posting on topics such as training and grooming and our overall experiences with Model.
My focus in writing this Blog has started to change. The more I read about the problems facing horse rescue groups and cases of abandoned and abused horses, the more I began to think about the meaning of the Blog’s title, A Horse Like Model. I know that Model is loved and her everyday needs are being met. But I am saddened by the flight of other horses, like Model, who are still in rescue shelters and in need for adoption. I am frustrated about the neglected and abused horses that are falling victim to the economic climate we are facing. I have decided to spend more time focusing on the needs of rescue organizations and ways to advocate on behalf of horses in need of adoption and financial support.
I am not sure of the solutions, but I want to do what ever I can to improve the lives of these horses. I think this refocus will meet with Model’s approval.
Labels: Rescue
¶ 10:22 AM 0 Comments
Monday, March 10, 2008
More on Clicker Training
Clicker training is a systematic process. You define the targeted behavior and set the criteria for rewards. While it is a simple approach, in concept, it is important that you are reading your horse overall demeanor correctly as the click-behavior-reward cycle is implemented. You may have to make minor adjustments periodically to find the best combination of timing, rewards, and sequence of steps that works best for your horse.
Mistakes will be made as the start of the process. Just remember that mistakes are part of the learning curve, not an indication that system does not work. Use what you have learned as feedback to determine corrective action needed to improve the methods you are using and opportunity to learn more about your horse.
Implementing clicker training should be part of the total context of how your horse will be trained in the long term. It is a good starting point for overall groundwork training in which you are trying to establish your authority with your horse.
As training progression, the cues you use to get responses will vary. The clicker should give way to the use of physical signals, verbal commands, and finally to the application of pressure to get response.
Groundwork training sets the stage for advanced training. . Some of the major components of groundwork training include: yielding, leading, longing, round penning, lateral movement and trailer loading. Each area of activity is taking your horse to a higher level of preparation for riding or performing in horse shows.
Regardless of the level to which you plan on training your horse, you should develop an overall plan on how the training will be scheduled, where it will occur, and what equipment will be needed at the various stages. Use clicker training to observe how your horse is reacting to the skills you is trying to teach. What is his body language before, during and after the click-behavior-reward process? How is his breathing, his muscle tone? How is he holding his ears, his tail? Being in tune with your horse is ensuring that he is relaxed and in pain or not under stress while training.
Remember you and your horse are a team. Training should be a rewarding experience for both of you and used as an opportunity to strengthen the bond between you.
Resources
¶ 2:03 PM 0 Comments
In the previous post, we described the basis of clicker training. By teaching your horse to associate specified behavior with rewards initiated by the sound of a clicker, is conditioned to repeat the behavior for the positive consequence of receiving a reward. The behavior-reward pattern should then move from fixed intervals (rewarding the horse immediately) to a variable-reward pattern (in which the horse is rewarded periodically instead of every time he exhibits the expected behavior).
Clicker training is a systematic process. You define the targeted behavior and set the criteria for rewards. While it is a simple approach, in concept, it is important that you are reading your horse overall demeanor correctly as the click-behavior-reward cycle is implemented. You may have to make minor adjustments periodically to find the best combination of timing, rewards, and sequence of steps that works best for your horse.
Mistakes will be made as the start of the process. Just remember that mistakes are part of the learning curve, not an indication that system does not work. Use what you have learned as feedback to determine corrective action needed to improve the methods you are using and opportunity to learn more about your horse.
Implementing clicker training should be part of the total context of how your horse will be trained in the long term. It is a good starting point for overall groundwork training in which you are trying to establish your authority with your horse.
As training progression, the cues you use to get responses will vary. The clicker should give way to the use of physical signals, verbal commands, and finally to the application of pressure to get response.
Groundwork training sets the stage for advanced training. . Some of the major components of groundwork training include: yielding, leading, longing, round penning, lateral movement and trailer loading. Each area of activity is taking your horse to a higher level of preparation for riding or performing in horse shows.
Regardless of the level to which you plan on training your horse, you should develop an overall plan on how the training will be scheduled, where it will occur, and what equipment will be needed at the various stages. Use clicker training to observe how your horse is reacting to the skills you is trying to teach. What is his body language before, during and after the click-behavior-reward process? How is his breathing, his muscle tone? How is he holding his ears, his tail? Being in tune with your horse is ensuring that he is relaxed and in pain or not under stress while training.
Remember you and your horse are a team. Training should be a rewarding experience for both of you and used as an opportunity to strengthen the bond between you.
Resources
