Montana Farm Bureau Express Serious Concerns about Equine Industry, Processing Legislation

FROM: Ag News Weekly

BOZMEN, Mont. - The Montana Farm Bureau Federation is expressing serious concern about a bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., that would make it a federal criminal offense to knowingly move, sell, purchase or transport a horse for human consumption. That bill was introduced via the House Judiciary Committee’s Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee last week.

“Although it’s called the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, it would actually work against the welfare of horses in the U.S.,” Bob Hanson, vice president of MFBF, said in a press release this week. “For many horse owners, taking a horse to an auction is the only recourse, and many times you don’t know where that horse will end up. Why should anyone who transports or sells horses for what is considered “human consumption” be punished? We first need to address the growing problem of abandoned horses before causing more unintended consequences by further restricting how horse owners may dispose of unwanted animals.”

In a letter addressed to the Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee, the Farm Animal Welfare Coalition (including the American Farm Bureau) said, “If the intent of this legislation is to prevent cruelty, how humane is it to abandon 60,000-80,000 horses to starvation, predation and disease? In the case of conviction, the bill actually assigns to the Attorney General the responsibility to ‘provide for the humane placement or other humane disposition of any horse seized … .’”

Even the animal-rights movement acknowledges there are too few “sanctuaries” to assimilate these animals. This means in the first year alone, the United States would need a minimum additional 2,700 such facilities, according to the American Association of Equine Practitioners. At the same time, care standards at existing facilities are not set by USDA and are lower than those at dog and cat shelters.

This leaves euthanasia as the only “humane” disposition of these animals. It is ironic that USDA-regulated slaughter is “cruel,” but Department of Justice-regulated euthanasia is acceptable to the animal rights movement, Hanson said.

In light of the strong concern about the epidemic of abandoned horses, the new Horse Welfare Committee that emerged from a recent forum on horse welfare hosted by USDA is going to document incidents of unwanted horses in the United States and determine if the trend is directly related to the closure of U.S. horse-slaughter plants. MFBF members Kail Mantle & Renee Daniels-Mantle were appointed to serve on this committee and are involved in the information collecting process.

“Reports of unwanted horses are widespread and many, but until now, not adequately documented or verified,” according to a news release from the committee. “The committee recognizes this is a highly emotional issue for many, but is urging people to fully explore the issue in terms of facts and logic before coming to a conclusion.”

Farm Bureau members with information about unwanted and abandoned horses are urged to report it on the submission form on the Web site and/or by e-mailing the committee at info@horsewelfarecommittee.com.

With only 16 days left in Congress after their August recess, it’s unlikely there will be imminent action on the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, the press release stated.

The Montana Farm Bureau is the state’s largest agriculture organization representing over 13,000 member families. Farm Bureau is the voice of agricultural producers at all levels.