NEWS &VIEWS You Can Use
Horse Breeding’s Ugly Side: Increased Numbers of Unwanted Horses And the Unintended Consequences of the Cessation of Domestic Slaughter
Although this issue of T e Equiery celebrates the
joys of foals and unabashedly supports the breeding industry in Maryland, it would be irresponsible of us not to acknowledge the negative side of the breeding business: breeding more horses inevitably means creating more unwanted horses. Most breeders consider themselves to be responsi- ble breeders; it always seems to be “the other breed- ers” who are irresponsible. But unless a breeder is going to microchip a foal and track it for the rest of its life, it is extremely diffi cult to ensure that a horse one breeds never ends up unwanted, abandoned, neglected or sent to slaughter. Nevertheless, it is in- trinsic to human nature to believe “I am not the problem; someone else is the problem.” We even once knew a stallion owner who worked tirelessly for a lobbying organization that promoted zero popula- tion growth of domesticated animals (specifi cally, horses, dogs and cats), and yet this owner (now de- ceased) just as tirelessly promoted her stallion as a breeding sire…never once acknowledging the con- tradiction because she believed she was diff erent, she was responsible; it was all the other breeders who were irresponsible. For her employer, she also worked stridently to ban slaughter, confi dent that all the horses “saved” from slaughter would easily fi nd good homes. Many years after her death, her desire to ban
slaughter in the U.S. was achieved, albeit indi- rectly. Unfortunately, her belief that all the pretty horses would fi nd good homes has not come to frui- tion, as our own Maryland rescues and sanctuar- ies can attest and as the American Horse Council’s Unwanted Horse Project has documented. We have no doubt that every one of Maryland breeders loves their horses, believes in their breed or their breeding program, and truly believes that the wonderful qualities for which they are breeding will ensure that their horses are always in demand and will always have a home. T e intentions are good, honest and sincere. Nevertheless, the problem of the unwanted horse is greater than it has ever been. T e Government Accountability Offi ce has issued an analysis of the horse industry after the cessation of slaughter in the United States. Victoria Car- son, herself a breeder (Flying Chesterfi eld Farm), is the chairman of the Maryland Horse Council’s Unwanted Horse Project, and she has prepared the following summary of the GAO report.
You may have heard that on June 22, 2011 the
U.S. Government Accountability Offi ce (GAO) released report 11-228 entitled “Horse Welfare: Action Needed to Address Unintended Conse- quences from Cessation of Domestic Slaugh- ter.” Many of us in the horse industry have been interested in seeing what the GAO report has to say. T e 68-page report covers a number of complex issues, which I’ve attempted to sum- marize below. Regardless of your opinion about horse slaughter, the report contains valuable information. Read on to understand why the study is important, what the GAO found, what changes were recommended, and what all this means for the horse industry.
Background and Purpose of the GAO Report
Each year since fi scal 2006, Congress has
prohibited the use of Federal funds to inspect horses being transported for slaughter and horses intended for human consumption at slaughtering plants. Each time a budget passes
with that restriction, horse slaughter in the U.S. is eff ectively prohibited for another year. T e legislation does not prohibit the transport and export of horses for slaughter outside the U.S. During the past few years, numerous questions have been raised about the welfare of horses in the U.S. as a result of the economic down- turn, coincident with the cessation of slaughter within U.S. borders. With the continuation of horse export for slaughter, additional questions have been raised about the number of horses being exported and their welfare, particularly when transported over long distances to for- eign slaughterhouses. In early 2010, at the urging of many con- cerned horse welfare organizations, Congress directed the GAO to examine horse welfare from 2007 through 2010, focusing on: 1) Eff ect on the U.S. horse market since the cessation of domestic slaughter; 2) Eff ect of changes in the U.S. horse market on horse welfare, state and local governments,
continued on page 12 34 More Charges Filed in Canterbury Neglect Case
On Tuesday, July 19, Queen Anne’s County State’s Attorney, Lance Richardson, fi led an ad- ditional 34 counts of criminal neglect against Marsha Parkinson, owner of Canterbury Farms in Centreville, Maryland and of the herd of horses seized on April 29, 2011. 34 initial charges were fi led on June 18, and authorities had hoped that Parkinson might be willing to work out a plea agreement. With no plea agreement in sight, additional charges will continue to be fi led. A trial date has been set for September 12, 2011. For background on this story, please visit equiery. com, scroll down and in the right hand column, under “Categories,” click on “Welfare: Neglect and Cruelty Cases” for the archives stories.
$20,000 in Horse Industry Grants
From August 1, 2011–September 30, 2011, the Maryland Horse Industry Board will accept grant applications for 2012 research, education and promotional projects that support horses or the equestrian community in Maryland, or develop new opportunities for the Maryland Horse Industry. Funding for these grants and for the Maryland Horse Industry Board is provided by “T e
Maryland Feed Fund.” Since the “Feed Fund” was established in 2002, MHIB has awarded close to $200,000 in grant monies to over 175 projects throughout Maryland. Organizations eligible for MHIB grants include (but are not limited to) non-profi t organiza-
tions, clubs and associations, businesses, farms and stables, government entities, schools and educational institutions. Projects of interest to the Board include (but are not limited to) those that develop new opportunities for the Maryland horse industry. Projects will be evaluated for their value to the industry, degree of industry promotion, size and scope of activity, fi nancial need, potential for matching funds, benefi ts and quality of the written presentation. T e Board recommends that grant requests not exceed $10,000. T e larg- Bits & Pieces continued on page 79
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Be sure to include your full name, phone number and address. All submissions become the property of The Equiery.
www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 AUGUST 2011 | THE EQUIERY | 9
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