Archive: Equines

The Animal Welfare Institute commends the Illinois General Assembly’s House of Representatives for reaffirming their commitment to equine welfare by opposing an attempt to overturn the state’s 2007 ban on horse slaughter on the House floor today.

On April 1, just after the day’s business began, state Representative Jim Sacia called for a vote on his bill to overturn the horse slaughter ban, which closed the last remaining slaughterhouse in 2007. However, when he realized he did not have the necessary 60 votes for passage, he employed a technical procedure called “tabling,” which removes the bill from consideration before failure. He did this so he could have more time to try and gain additional votes. He had until the end of the day today to try and have the bill considered before the House, which proved unsuccessful. However, the General Assembly remains in session until May 31, so we must remain vigilant to ensure this legislation does not come up again.

“It is a real shame to see Rep. Sacia waste so much of his colleagues’ time on an issue advocating horse abuse, with so many pressing issues to consider before the end of the session. The original ban was strongly supported by the residents of Illinois and the majority of Americans. Overturning it would reestablish a cruel industry and only benefit a foreign owned horse slaughterhouse,” said Chris Heyde, AWI’s deputy director of Government and Legal Affairs.

During the floor debate, advocates of horse slaughter told tall tales of horses being dumped all over the state and one even said without slaughter, residents would soon see cars hitting horses on highways. Sadly, fear and emotional spin are all horse slaughter advocates have on their side when debating this issue.  None of the claims about increased abuse and abandonment have been proven true in Illinois or elsewhere. Certainly, subsisting one form of abuse – slaughter – for another – abandonment – is no excuse. The truth that horse slaughter is cruel and perpetuates irresponsibility is irrefutable, which is why support for ending horse slaughter remains high. The majority of legislators in Illinois realize this is a bad bill and we are sure this sentiment will continue to hold.

“Maintaining the state ban in Illinois is crucial because it closed the last operating horse slaughter facility in the US,” noted Heyde. “This, along with the immediate passage of the federal Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S. 727) will ensure an end to one form of preventable cruelty.”

Representatives from dozens of national and state-based equine protection, advocacy and rescue organizations gathered April 9 and April 10 at Bally’s Las Vegas for the third annual Homes for Horses Coalition Conference to discuss the re-homing of at-risk horses in America and other equine welfare concerns.

The conference was held in conjunction with The Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Care Expo, which included two equine welfare workshops on Wednesday, April 8. Immediately following Homes for Horses 2009, coalition member Best Friends Animal Society hosted an “Equine Sanctuary Basics” workshop April 11 and April 12 at Best Friends Horse Haven in Kanab, Utah.

“The equine rescue community in the United States is hard at work every day to provide care and futures for America’s homeless horses, and the Homes for Horses Coalition helps this community to excel in its mission” said Keith Dane, The HSUS’ director of equine protection. “Coalition members attending this conference were provided with many ideas and tools that will enable them to ensure that every horse has a home, and no horse must ever endure neglect, abandonment or the horrors of being sent to slaughter.”

Formed in 2007, The Homes for Horses Coalition is dedicated to ending horse slaughter and other forms of equine abuse while promoting growth, collaboration and professionalism in the equine rescue and protection community. Sponsored by the Animal Welfare Institute and The HSUS, the conference featured a wide range of equine protection issues including: innovative programs for re-homing at-risk horses; fundraising strategies; community outreach; emergency preparedness and a new accreditation program for equine rescues and sanctuaries.

“This year’s conference truly marked a turning point for the equine welfare community”, said Liz Ross, the Animal Welfare Institute’s federal policy advisor. “With the announcement of a forthcoming accreditation program for equine rescues and sanctuaries and wide participation from a diverse range of groups, we are moving towards an increased level of professionalism and wider reach in our work to aid at-risk horses.”

The Homes for Horses coalition member organizations represent a wide array of equine welfare organizations including equine rescues, sanctuaries and retirement homes, as well as programs that work directly with children, law enforcement and community groups to provide second careers for at-risk horses. All of the coalition’s members are active supporters of The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 (H.R. 503/S727), which, when passed, will prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the US and the export of American horses for slaughter. To learn more about the coalition, please visit: homesforhorses.org.

The Restoring Our American Mustangs Act (H.R. 1018) today passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee. Known as the ROAM Act, the bill was introduced by Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV) and National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) earlier this year. It is intended to restore protections for America’s wild horses and burros that were stripped out of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act in recent years.

“Protection and management of the wild horses and burros on our public lands is an important federal responsibility—but it is clear that the federal government has not been adequately meeting that responsibility,” said Chairman Rahall (D-WV). “This legislation will remedy many of the critical lapses that are taking place under the 1971 Act by invoking a number of commonsense measures, including preventing the BLM from resorting to slaughter as a solution for management.”

Originally intended to prevent the sale of America’s wild horses and burros for commercial purposes, a key provision of the original 1971 Act was gutted when then Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) attached a midnight rider to an Omnibus spending bill in 2004 that instructed the Bureau of Land Management to sell horses “without limitation.” In reality, this meant that the captured animals were destined for livestock auctions where they would be purchased for slaughter.

“Ever since the Burns rider became law it’s been a game of constant vigilance for the American public and members of Congress. The simple and right thing to do is to restore this provision while revamping and improving the larger statute. Not only will the ROAM Act ensure that our mustangs and burros are once again protected from slaughter, but it seeks to reclaim land—some 19 million acres—taken away from these magnificent animals since the 1971 Act was signed into law,” said Chris Heyde, Deputy Director of Government and Legal Affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute. “The Animal Welfare Institute is immensely grateful to Chairman Rahall and Chairman Grijalva for their leadership on this responsible legislation.”

At a time when there are nearly as many wild horses and burros in captivity as there are in the wild, the legislation has met with enthusiasm from the public and within the humane and wild horse advocacy community. Passage of the ROAM Act will mean that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which currently has primary authority for managing these animals, must focus on managing them as an integral part of the thriving natural ecological balance.

“It is imperative that we protect and preserve America’s wild horses as a ‘living national treasure,'” said Subcommittee Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva. “The antiquated policies concerning these magnificent creatures must be change to reflect what Americans want for these horses today.”

The ROAM Act now moves to the full House of Representatives for consideration.

In a decisive move, the US House of Representatives today approved a measure to restore basic protections for America’s wild horses and burros.

Led by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall, Jr. (D-WV), Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY), and Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-NM) the Restore Our American Mustang Act, or ROAM Act (H.R. 1018), passed by a vote of 239 to 185.

“At a time when nearly as many wild horses are in captivity as are on the range—a situation which is unacceptable in terms of both animal welfare and fiscal responsibility— the Animal Welfare Institute welcomes this action, and we are grateful to the bill’s champions and supporters,” says Chris Heyde, Deputy Director of Government and Legal Affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute.

In FY08, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency responsible for the animals in question, spent nearly 75 percent of its $36 million budget warehousing horses removed from the range. The new legislation, which must now pass the US Senate, would encourage the reopening of certain public lands to the mustangs, thus potentially decreasing the number in captivity. The bill also restores a crucial protection to keep wild horses from going to slaughter, which was stripped away several years ago. Although Congressional intent and public sentiment are clearly against sending wild horses and burros to slaughter the BLM has recently threatened to kill more than 30,000 horses in holding areas as a cost-saving measure.

“The BLM’s wild horse program and policies are broken. The ROAM Act offers an opportunity for the agency to restore its credibility when it comes to managing America’s mustangs,” says Heyde.“We urge the Senate to act swiftly before the BLM takes further actions of detriment to the horses.”

Yesterday State Representative Jim Sacia (R – Freeport) pulled his bill to legalize horse slaughter from the agenda for this legislative session. The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) appreciates his recognition of horse slaughter as a controversial issue and his decision to withdraw it from consideration.

This was the third time in as many years that Representative Sacia had introduced legislation aimed at overturning the state’s widely supported ban on horse slaughter. In the two previous years, the House voted against his proposal. Support for maintaining the ban remains strong with the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor.

“We are much relieved by Representative Sacia’s decision.  We look forward to working together with all the members of the Illinois General Assembly on ways to improve the welfare of horses in the state.” said Chris Heyde, deputy director of Government and Legal Affairs for AWI. “We are looking at positive options and slaughter is certainly not the right step.”

The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is pleased to add Country music artist Clay Canfield’s support to the organization’s ongoing efforts to protect America’s wild horses. Clay is donating a percentage of proceeds from his song, Wild Horses, to AWI.

“We can’t thank Clay enough for his support and commitment to protecting America’s wild horses. Animal welfare organizations often talk about providing a voice to those who have none, but with his song and music, Clay is literally doing just that,” said Chris Heyde deputy director of Government and Legal Affairs for AWI.

For decades, America’s wild horses have faced tremendous pressure from the government, ranchers, the livestock industry, state wildlife agencies and others who do not support the protection of these iconic animals on Western rangelands. The situation turned catastrophic when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it was considering mass slaughter of wild horses in holding facilities as a means of balancing its books. Instead of restoring rangeland to the horses, a new proposal was recently offered by Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar to simply create additional holding facilities in the Midwest and East costing even more money and warehousing additional horses.

“Let’s raise our glass to the spirit, and hope that it never will die…to the cowboy inside us, who shines through and guides us and helps all our dreams to fly. Together we have to preserve these wild horses which now are an endangered symbol of the American spirit.”

Clay first noticed and fell in love with wild horses during a tour of the West in the 80s. Moved by the plight of wild horses after viewing the Marilyn Monroe/Clark Gable classic film “The Misfits,” he was compelled to make America aware of their troubles. He wrote and performed the song, Wild Horses, during concerts in the early 90s but never recorded the song until just last year when he wanted to help raise awareness.

“The BLM seems incapable of protecting and maintaining these national treasures on the public lands that are their home,” said Heyde. “Yet, the answer is simple and inexpensive: wild horses need less intervention by the BLM, more non-lethal management when necessary, and more freedom to roam their legal and traditional ranges.”

Equine welfare advocates from around the country gathered this week in Nashville to discuss horse rescue outreach at the fourth annual conference of the Homes for Horses Coalition. Sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States and the Animal Welfare Institute, the conference attracted more than 40 individuals representing 25 equine welfare organizations from 18 states.

Panel discussions spanned a wide range of topics vital to horse rescues, including methods for increasing the adoptability of rescued horses; working effectively with law enforcement; preparedness for participation in large-scale seizures; using social media to increase awareness and funding; and how to become a nationally accredited rescue or sanctuary through the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

Saving America’s At-Risk Horses
“The members of the Homes for Horses Coalition are on the front lines in the battle to save America’s at-risk horses from horse slaughter, neglect and other forms of cruelty” said Keith Dane, The HSUS’ director of equine protection. “They shared their successes, best practices and war stories at this conference, and reaffirmed their commitment to always put the welfare of the horse first.”

The HSUS premiered a new public service announcement featuring world-renowned natural horsemanship trainer, Pat Parelli, urging potential horse owners to consider adoption to help save horses’ lives.

“The Homes for Horses Coalition and its member horse rescues have done a fantastic job of promoting the adoption of rescued horses,” said Christine Sequenzia, federal policy advisor, AWI. “This along with the support of horse trainers and equine enthusiasts is imperative to advocating for the passage of a federal ban on horse slaughter.  The HHC has debunked the idea of an unwanted horse with its list of available horse sanctuaries and rescues along with their extremely active adoption programs.”

Horse Rescues Must Work Together
Major themes that emerged from the conference included the need for greater communication and collaboration with stakeholders in the horse industry, and an emerging emphasis on natural horsemanship techniques to rehabilitate rescued horses.

“It is exciting to be part of this movement as it gains the professional momentum it needs to assist more equines,” stated Janet Steinhaus and Roxanne Schwartz, from New York’s Amaryllis Farm Equine Rescue. “It is evident that all rescues, big and small, can and must work together to keep this movement going forward.”

“The conference brought together rescues from Maine to California and states in between with similar goals, problems and interests, and provided training and tools to build solutions,” said Mona Jerome, president of Ever After Mustangs, a Maine-based equine rescue.

Founded in 2007 by AWI and The HSUS, the Homes for Horses Coalition is dedicated to ending horse slaughter and other forms of equine abuse while promoting growth, collaboration and professionalism in the equine rescue and protection community. The coalition currently has more than 150 members and is the only professional organization dedicated to providing training and support to the nation’s equine welfare community.

The fifth annual Homes for Horses Coalition conference will be held in May 2011 in conjunction with the 2011 Animal Care Expo at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla. To find out more visit: www.homesforhorses.org.

The need for federal legislation ending the slaughter of and providing safer transportation for American horses came to the forefront again last Tuesday, as we witnessed another horrific accident involving an overturned cattle trailer carrying 30 horses.

At around 6:00 am on May 18, 2010, Christopher Dobbin of Missouri fell asleep behind the wheel of a stock cattle trailer hauling horses bound for slaughter in Mexico to a temporary feedlot in Texas. Eleven of the 30 horses died as a result of the careless and inhumane transportation methods used by Dobbin, who was issued a reckless driving citation. This unfortunate accident underscores the desperate need for quick and thorough legislative action to end the slaughter of American horses and provide safer transportation for equines.

“This unfortunate incident is one more unwelcome reminder of the need for swift movement on federal legislation. Pending bills would require better treatment of animals being transported, provide safer roadways for drivers, and criminalize acts that lead to the slaughter of America’s horses,” said Christine Sequenzia, federal policy advisor, Animal Welfare Institute (AWI).

AWI is actively working to achieve passage of the Horse Transportation Safety Act (H.R. 305), sponsored by Congressmen Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Steve Cohen (D-TN).  H.R. 305 was introduced as a response to several earlier horrific accidents, including one in Illinois involving 59 draft horses being hauled in a double deck cattle trailer, 13 of whom died as a result. The Horse Transportation Safety Act would ban the transportation of horses in double deck trailers designed for shorter-necked species.

The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (S. 727/H.R. 503) was introduced by Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and John Ensign (R-NV) in the Senate and Congressmen John Conyers (D-MI) and Dan Burton (R-IN) in the House. This bill would finally put an end to sending American horses over US borders to be slaughtered for human consumption. Horses have not been slaughtered in the US for human consumption since remaining plants closed their doors in 2005. However, killer-buyers are still able to purchase American horses at US auction houses, condemning more than 90,000 equines to inhumane transportation, grueling holding facilities and, finally, the cruelty of slaughter.

The Animal Welfare Institute commends advocates for speaking out against the inhumane transportation methods used to haul the horses involved in this incident and denounces sending American horses to slaughter. To learn more about what AWI and our efforts to end horse slaughter, visit http://www.awionline.org/.

Philanthropist and businesswoman Madeleine Pickens was joined today by the ASPCA, the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, the Animal Welfare Institute and many other organizations expressing their outrage over the deaths of at least seven mustangs in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundup conducted Saturday in the Owyhee Complex in northeastern Nevada. The wild horses died of dehydration-related causes—including brain swelling, colic and acute water intoxication—as a result of being stampeded by helicopters for up to eight miles in 90+ degree desert heat.

In a sign on letter addressed to President Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Mrs. Pickens and the groups also harshly criticized the agency for cracking down on public access to observe and videotape roundup operations. The advocates released footage of a BLM representative stating publicly that public video of a prior roundup caused the agency to have “a really hard time trying to explain what’s happening.”

“The BLM simply does not want the American people to see what its wrongheaded policies are doing to our mustangs,” said Mrs. Pickens. “The horrific deaths of Owyhee horses recall the tragedy earlier this year in Nevada’s Calico Complex, where over 100 wild horses lost their lives and dozens of mares spontaneously aborted their late term foals in another deadly roundup.”

“We are calling on the President and Secretary Salazar to immediately instruct the BLM to suspend all summer roundups to avoid a repeat of the tragedy at Owyhee,” Mrs. Pickens continued. “The entire wild horse program must be fundamentally reformed. America’s mustangs are still waiting for change.”

Over the next four months, the BLM intends to capture and remove 6,000 wild horse and burros from six Western states. At least half of these roundups are scheduled to take place in desert environments in the hot summer months. Public access to observe the roundup operations will be severely limited to a handful of staged opportunities, with broader access given to small number of handpicked “experts.”

The crackdown on public observation comes in the wake of public outrage and international media coverage of the Calico roundup, which ended in February. The controversy was fueled by release of photographs and video showing of wild horses, including young foals, heavily pregnant mares and older horses, being forcefully driven by helicopter out of the mountains of Nevada and into BLM trap pens.

“The BLM’s crackdown on public observation of roundup activities is unacceptable, and makes a mockery of President Obama’s stated commitment to open government and transparency in government operations,” added Suzanne Roy, Campaign Director of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, whose grassroots efforts are endorsed by a coalition of more than 40 horse advocacy, animal welfare, conservation and historic preservation organizations.

Other supporters signing the letter include Mrs. Pickens’ Saving America’s Mustangs Foundation, The Cloud Foundation, Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, Return to Freedom, American Wild Horse Sanctuary, and In Defense of Animals.

The BLM wild horse program has been harshly criticized for its lack of fiscal sustainability. The agency now stockpiles more wild horses in government holding pens and pastures than are left on the range. The cost to taxpayers for this program is expected to exceed $70 million next fiscal year.

Wild horses comprise a small fraction of grazing animals on public lands, where they are outnumbered by livestock nearly 50 to 1.

The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) applauds Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN), of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for bringing the Horse Transportation Safety Act (H.R. 305) before his Committee and supporting its swift unanimous passage.

“We are especially grateful for the leadership and commitment of the bill’s sponsors Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Congressman Steven Cohen (D-TN). Both have been incredible champions for the welfare of America’s horses,” noted Christine Sequenzia, AWI federal policy advisor.

Several bipartisan cosponsors spoke in support of H.R. 305 during the hearing, including a poignant opening statement by Congressman Cohen. H.R. 305 passed by a voice vote with no amendments and is now headed to the House floor.

This crucial bill will ban the hauling of horses on double deck livestock trailers. Double deck trailers were designed to accommodate livestock, such as cattle, swine and other shorter necked species. According to USDA, horses can stand 8 feet tall and up to 12 feet when rearing. Consequently, the American Veterinary Medical Association’s literature review recommends that horses have a minimum of 7-8 feet of clearance. Double deck trailers, on the other hand, can have ceilings as low as 4 feet 7 inches. Currently, these trailers are being used to haul horses in overcrowded conditions – and, in most cases, to slaughter.

These unaccommodating conditions are not only dangerous for the horses, but to drivers, as well. Several catastrophic accidents involving double deck trailers have occurred in recent years. In 2006, a double deck truck hauling 41 horses in Missouri crashed and resulted in the death of 16 horses. In 2008, a double deck trailer carrying 59 horses in Illinois struck another vehicle after blowing through a stop sign. It took five hours to rescue the horses from this mangled truck; 9 horses died at the scene, and an additional 6 died later due to injuries sustained in the crash.

Today’s vote was critical to the safety of horses being transported, safety of drivers on our roadways, and safety of first responders who generally are not trained in equine medical attention. The USDA stated, “We do not believe that equines can be safely and humanely transported on a conveyance that has an animal cargo space divided into two or more stacked levels.”

“Thanks to horse champions such as Chairman Oberstar and Congressmen Kirk and Cohen, we are one step closer to more humane methods of transport for equines and safer roadways for drivers,” said Sequenzia.