Horse People and Cattle People

“Horse People”, why does that need to be a term?  Those of us in the general livestock world understand, there’s just plain “Horse People”.  Those that just have horses and think they’re somehow special for that reason.  I belong to and follow some forums, some based on cattle and some on horses.  I read and post occasionally.  But its observing and comparing the two that’s so interesting.  The cattle people are for the most part all so friendly.  Sharing and discussing cattle.  Talking prices and weather.  Then there’s the horse forums.  To quote Austin Powers “Spectacles, Testicals, Wallet and Watch”.  Where do I even start.  The conformation nazies that pick apart everyone elses horses.  The anti-slaughter wingbats cursing out anyone that believes different and telling the breeders they’re the most evil beings on earth for over-populating the horse world.  The ones that keep their horses blanketed and stalled thinking everyone else is abusing their horses.  The people obsessed with papers and lines.  And of course the know it alls.  Can’t forget the know it alls.  “Horse People”.  Why?  Then there’s real world.  I attend cattle sales fairly regularly for feeders in the fall and the occasional horse sale to look at some potential new saddle horses.  Cattle sale, we all visit, joke with each other, discuss prices and such.  Horse sales, whole other ball of wax.  Rudeness seems to run abound.  Last sale I went to I witnessed a horse owner yelling at one of the auction employees because their horse was put within sight of a stud.  Wasn’t even beside it’s pen, just within sight to make them act up.  It’s a horse auction, that’s what happens.  It’s not a horse auction just special for your damn horse.  But no, demanded their horse be moved to a special pen far away from any studs.  I made a mental note of the horse’s number and watched it later be sold to the meat buyer for the going rate.  Would it had been any different if it hadn’t been moved, NO.  “Horse People”.  And that’s just one experience I’ve had at horse sales.  Makes me not really want to go to horse sales anymore, just so I don’t have to be around these “Horse People”.  I don’t know, maybe I’m just getting older and less tolerant of this new society.  I’ve often said I can’t wait to be the old guy in the rocking chair on my deck, complaining about the world.  But I think I’ll find my saddle horses online from now on but they’ll have to have one requirement.  They must also own cattle or some other kind of livestock so I’m not dealing with “Horse People”.

Bill C-322 to Ban Horse Slaughter in Canada introduced to legislature Oct 5, 2011

Oh where do I start with this.  Let me first say, I love horses.  Horse slaughter is terrible, but it’s necessary.  The fate of thousands of horses without it is just plain unimaginable.  My views on horse slaughter is to end it, we must eliminate the need.  If the need isn’t there, it will ban itself.  Now let me explain this ridiculousness nonsense.

On Oct 5, 2011 a private members bill was introduced by the NDP agriculture critic, Alex Atamanenko.  It’s summary reads,

This enactment amends the Health of Animals Act and the Meat Inspection Act to prohibit the importation or exportation

(a) of horses for slaughter for human consumption; and

(b) of horse meat products for human consumption.

 

Now this bill was introduced like I said by Alex Atamanenko who won the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior for the NDP.  Alex is a retired teacher.  He has his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, a teaching diploma, and a Master of Arts degree in Russian.  I won’t list all his highlights but let’s just say absolutely none of them have anything to do with agriculture or horses.  He lives with his wife in the town of Castlegar, BC.  The closest thing he has to livestock is his dog, Cyrus.  Yet this is the NDP’s agriculture critic responsible for this bill?

Let’s be honest, he’s just a patsy.  We know who’s behind this, the groups hell-bent on getting rid of horse slaughter in the U.S.  They’ve realized they need to extend beyond their borders to get this done.  How to do that, fund a group in Canada that can influence naive Canadian politicians like Mr. Atamanenko into coming up with bills like this.  Think about this quote from the explanation of a private member’s bill from Wikipedia,

A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member’s bill or a member’s bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the legislature. In the United States and other countries in which the executive is formally separated from the legislature, all bills must originate from the legislature and are therefore all proposed by members of the legislature.

They’re even using the American style of introducing the bill.  This is purely Americans attempting to get their way by changing our laws.  It’s wrong.  Even read their first amendment they want to make to the health of animals act,

14.1 No person shall import horses for slaughter for human consumption.

 

Import?  Why are we concerned about imports?  Wasn’t this about all the horses?  Oh that’s right, it’s American’s, so all they’re concerned about is the imports from their own country.  Stop this attack on our laws.  Isn’t this our country?  This bill, even though it will highly likely be defeated, should have never even come this far.  Contact Alex Atamanenko and tell him it’s wrong to pander to American influence.  Shouldn’t Canadian agriculture policy be up to Canadian farmers.  Not retired teachers with no agricultural background playing agriculture critic coming up with proposed bills of American influence.  Just plain wrong.

The Backyard Horse Rescue

It should be a new term.  The “I want to rescue horses from slaughter” people who visit a horse auction once and think they can save them all.  We’ve all seen them.  What’s wrong with these people?  Do they not realize the resources it takes to do something like this?  That they’re not going to turn over every horse to a wonder home in a matter of days.  Not every horse is rescue-able, some really do need to meet their ultimate fate a little sooner then others.  But getting back to rescue.  Sure all rescues start small and buy from auctions.  But most have good backing to them, hay production, donars, grants, charity status, etc.  They’re not just someone with a trailer and $400 lying around.  Or that minus the trailer and a nice neighbour.  Hey, let’s start a rescue.  Hay, pens, shelter, water, we’ll worry about all that later after all someone will agree with the rescue cause and donate money for that.  We better get cracking and get 10 to 20 rescues to eat up all that hay.  Seriously, we need people around at auctions to pick these people out and escort them out before they end up causing more trouble then they’re trying to solve.

Equine massage

Another equine massage ad?  Is everyone doing this now?  And they seem to be getting more and more desperate.  “Your local friendly equine massage therapist”  Go to their page and they’re 500km away.  How is that my “local” therapist?  Come on people.  I even came across a website offering to “certify” people online after taking a course online.  Unbelievable.  I’m sure there’s a place for it and I’m sure in some cases it’s quite beneficial to the horse but seriously, do we need hundreds of these people offering it?  How about doing something useful and taking a farrier course and doing some trimming.  Now there’s something in demand.  But no, that would require work and effort.  Something lacking in the new generation of horse people.  We’ll just come to your place and pet your horse for you.