The Humane Society of the United States would like to see an end to horse slaughter for human consumption. Congress seems to be in favor of this effort, but progress is slow in coming. In the meantime, there are some things you can do to help.
- Write to your local and state government officials and ask them to support state and national efforts to ban horse slaughter.
- Write to your local and state government officials and ask them for stronger protections for slaughter-bound horses until horse slaughter is banned entirely.
- If you are a horse owner, don’t send your ill or injured horses to the auction and risk their ending up at a slaughterhouse. A veterinarian can perform humane euthanasia for a horse that is too sick or in too much pain to live. Set aside funds for euthanasia now, rather than risk being forced to send your horse to the auction.
- Look into equine rescue organizations; some take unwanted horses and help find them new homes. Volunteer, donate money, adopt your next horse, or lend your support in some other way.
- Support retirement homes for race horses! The horse racing industry now charges the Ferdinand Fee to ensure that racehorses don’t end up at the slaughterhouse after retiring.
- Join the Humane Society of the United States in the effort to end horse slaughter.
- Oppose the over-breeding of sport horses and pleasure horses!
- Don’t think of injured or surplus animals (of any type) as expendable. A reduced number of surplus horses would reduce the number of horses going to slaughter.
- Think before you breed your horse.
- Think before you buy a horse. Look into an equine rescue organization and adopt your next horse.
- If you are on hormone replacement therapy to ease menopause symptoms, you may want to talk to your doctor about alternatives to Premarin. Premarin is produced using the urine of pregnant mares; the resulting foals are often unwanted and sent to slaughter.