Retired veterinarian 'conflicted' on horse slaughter

Gayle England and horses in Oklahoma
(Brandy Simons, The New York Times) 

There has been much commentary about passage of the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture appropriation bill, which could lead to reopening of horse slaughterhouses. Most commentaries are on one side or the other, but retired veterinarian Nell Ahl of Middle Tennessee provides another perspective on the issue throughher column in The Hickman County Times of Centerville, and she reflects the conflicted feelings many of us have on the subject.

Ahl writes that she was appalled to learn in vet school that horses were slaughtered for meat, mainly for export, but after a professor explained some realities to her, she saw things a little differently.

"I had never though about what happens when a horse gets old, is unable to work or is just not wanted anymore," Ahl writes. Her professor explained that horses are expensive animals because of hoof care, hay costs and medical concerns. Horses are often left to starve to death over a long period of time, suffering a lot of pain. "Just remember, a truck ride of 100 miles or less, a quick bullet to the head, and all this pain is averted. The professor's arguments made sense," she says.

She recounts horrors horses faced when Congress forced the closure of horse slaughterhouses after 2006 by withholding money for inspecting the abattoirs, a stand recently reversed. Horses were often stuffed two-high into trucks and driven for thousands of miles to Canada or Mexico where slaughterhouses remained open. Now that they may be poised to re-open in the U.S., Ahl says she's still conflicted about the issue, but one thing's certain: "If it can help the suffering of neglected and abandoned horses in Hickman County, maybe it's not such a bad idea." (Read more)