As Congress reconsiders ban on horse slaughter, GAO studies whether ban leads to more neglect

The Government Accountability Office is studying if there is a correlation between neglect of horses and the effective ban on horse slaughter in the U.S, reports Wendy Reuer of The Forum of Fargo.

"Although a ban to prevent horse slaughter in the U.S. was meant to protect horses, many say it is only hurting them," Reuer writes, quoting Charlotte Tuhy, above, owner of Hightail Ranch and Rescue in Hawley, Minn.: “I think they would be much better off as far as the horses are concerned to have horse slaughter in the U.S. because we can govern it.”

Horses can still be "sold for kill" and shipped to Canada or Mexico, where equine abattoirs are "often lightly regulated," Reuer reports, adding that the Animal Welfare Council says shipments now exceed 100,000 horses a year. Medora rancher Doug Tescher said horses that would once bring $300 to $400 for U.S. slaughter bring only $25 to $50, and sale costs average $30.

Reuer explains that "a 2007 federal appropriations bill blocks funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to inspect equine meat," and notes that the House Appropriations Committee voted only 24-21 to continue the ban recently. The GAO study could influence the outcome, but it's unclear when it will be released. The full House will vote on the USDA spending bill this month, Reuer writes.