Can there be grey?
and has about 25 member organizations from various
scenario right now?” said Camie Heleski, coordinator
breeds and disciplines, has focused on education given
of the Michigan State University Horse Management
the fact it can’t issue mandates. The coalition published
Program. “The public doesn’t always have all the facts
an “Own Responsibly” guide, while the AHC issued in
when it comes to making decisions, and that has com-
booklet form care and handling guidelines for horse
plicated the issue even more.”
owners.
The Humane Society of the United States, which has
Former Congressman Charles Stenholm of Texas took
b e e n quite active on the slaughter issue, has an
it even further. Stenholm, current a senior policy ad-
equine division and
viser at Olsson Frank and Weeda, a Washington, D.C.,
prints horse-care
law firm that specializes in regulatory affairs, served as
guides. But the
a member of the House Committee on Agriculture for
HSUS position
26 years and spent a lot of time on the slaughter issue.
often is at odds with horse
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion,” Stenholm said,
industry groups given its campaign to end
“but everyone is not entitled to their facts.”
slaughter.
Stenholm, who has been a lobbyist for the three U.S.
“We are definitely anti-slaughter,” said Holly
slaughter plants, said the issue of the unwanted horse
Hazard, chief innovations officer for the
as it relates to horse slaughter is in need of hard facts
HSUS. “Our position is slaughter is inhu-
rather than emotion, which he said has led to anti-
mane. I think the issue really is whether
slaughter legislation in Congress. Stenholm said those
slaughter is adding to our ability to
in the animal industry “all agree today that all animals
create a more humane world for horses.
should be treated humanely from birth to death,” but
I don’t see that’s true.”
there are various opinions on what qualifies as hu-
And that’s the major split: Does the
mane. The former lawmaker said the HSUS “did a
shutdown of U.S. slaughter plants help
beautiful job politically” in lobbying for anti-slaughter
address the un- wanted horse issue or
measures. But those who disagree, he said, see a prob-
make it worse?
lem that could only worsen.
“Is there a chance things could become worse than the
How about private property rights?
“At some point, you are going to have horses that have
no place to go,” Stenholm said. “When you begin to ad-
dress the real world, I do see a little problem. This has
become a 50-state issue...Horses are livestock, folks.
Be careful of arguing that horses are pets, because you
might get what you wish for. Pets are not tax deduct-
ible.” Stenholm said he is disappointed the Supreme
Court, in its Illinois slaughter ruling, didn’t address
private property rights in terms of horse ownership.
“We’re getting on very thin constitutional ice that has
serious ramifications,” he said.
States are now studying the unwanted horse and
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