Horse Overpopulation in the U.S.

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Horse Overpopulation in the U.S.
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• Dana DeRego

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Horses are the National Symbol of Freedom..
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Yet they live in a world subjected to neglect,
inhumane treatment, and death
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Objective

• This presentation aims to raise awareness about
  the increase in horse overpopulation in the U.S.
  due to
• Slaughter house closures
• Failing economy

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Overview

• The following will be looked at more closely
  throughout the presentation
• Current Situation
• Consequences if nothing is done
• Possible Solutions

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Current Situation
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Where does horse overpopulation originate?

• Overpopulation of horses comes from the abundance
  of unwanted horses in the U.S.
• Horses become unwanted for a number of reasons
• Lack of finances to keep a horse
• High supply of horses, low demand for horses
• Uneducated owners
• Irresponsible breeding
• Old, sick, or injured horses
• Horses that are no longer useful racehorses, old
  schooling horses, extra breeding horses, etc
• Horses with bad behavior
• Horses that did not meet their owners
  expectations

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Why Cant the Extra Horses Just go to Rescue
Operations?

• Think about it.
• The average horse rescue facility can hold less
  than 30 horses some hold as few as 5, some as
  many as 1000
• Previously, horse rescue operations could count
  on horses being adopted out, but with factors
  such as the poor economy, people are not adopting
  horses, especially unwanted ones
• Rescue facilities are now faced with higher
  expenses feed prices going up, more horses,
  etc. and a surplus of horses
• USA Today published a great article about
  unwanted horses and the effect they are having on
  horse shelters. Click here U.S. Shelters Saddled
  with Unwanted Horses

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Effects of the U.S. Economy on the Horse Industry

• As you may know, the economy is currently in a
  recession
• This has huge effects on everyone, horse owners
  included
• Many owners are facing home foreclosures, tight
  budgets, and even job loss
• This makes it nearly impossible to keep a horse
• Many owners cannot face the thought of
  euthanasia or simply cant afford it, and if a
  rescue facility cannot take their horse, they
  often abandon it
• King 5 News did a great story on the effects of
  the economy on horse owners. Click this link to
  read it make sure you watch the video and read
  the article Horse Owners Hit by Economy
• Another great clip on surplus horses can be seen
  here Horse Dumping Oklahoma's Disturbing Trend

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U.S. Horse Statistics

• Currently there are 9.2 million horses in the
  United States
• 92000 horses/year were slaughtered 1 of
  population

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Wild Horse Statistics

• 29,500 wild horses as of Feb, 2008
• The appropriate management level is approximately
  27,300 BLM
• The estimated current free-roaming population
  exceeds by some 5,700, the number that the BLM
  has determined can exist in balance with other
  public rangeland resources and uses BLM
• 30,000 horses at short term/long term holding
  facilities

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Wild Horse Stats (cont.)

• For more data on horses removed from 1998-2008
  click here Wild Horse Stats '98-'08
• For detailed data on horses removed in 2008 click
  here 2008 Horse Roundup

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American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, 2008

• Passed by a vote of 263 to 146 on Sept. 7, 2007
  in the House of Representatives
• There are now NO horse slaughterhouses open in
  the U.S.
• Horses must now be transported to either Canada
  or Mexico for slaughter
• To read more about the Horse Slaughter Prevention
  Act click here Horse Slaughter Prevention Act

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Horse Slaughter 89-07

• On the following slide, a graph represents the
  number of horses slaughtered in the U.S. through
  the years 1989-2007.
• Notice the gradual decrease in the number of
  horses slaughtered over the years
• For a more in depth look at these statistics,
  click here Horse Slaughter Stats

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Horse Slaughter 89 07
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Shipment to Mexico Canada

• The following slide shows the dramatic increase
  in exports of horses to Mexico and Canada for
  slaughter following the closure of U.S.
  slaughterhouses

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Shipment to Mexico Canada
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Review

• True/False Horse overpopulation comes from an
  abundance of unwanted horses
• True/False The BLM statistics show a decrease in
  wild horses
• True/False The number of horses slaughtered has
  been gradually decreasing since the 1980s
• True/False Shipment to Mexico/Canada is the same
  as it was a few years ago

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Review

• True/False Horse overpopulation comes from an
  abundance of unwanted horses
• True/False The BLM statistics show a decrease in
  wild horses
• True/False The number of horses slaughtered has
  been gradually decreasing since the 1980s
• True/False Shipment to Mexico/Canada is the same
  as it was a few years ago

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Consequences of Overpopulation
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Consequences of Overpopulation

• Cost of Upkeep
• Abandoned horses
• Horses being shipped to Mexico Canada for
  slaughter
• Poor nutrition/healthcare

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Yearly Costs of Owning a Horse

• Click Horse Costs to do an interactive exercise
  that shows what it would cost to keep the 92,000
  horses not slaughtered

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Horse Abandonment

• Throughout the U.S., ranchers, horse rescue
  operations, and owners are seeing an increase in
  the number of abandoned horses on their property
• "It's a huge problem," Wannie MacKenzie says.
  "What am I gonna do with them? I don't want 300
  head of horses on my ranch."
• Some ranchers resort to shooting them, but many
  cannot bring themselves to do that
• Abandoned horses often suffer from
  malnourishment, hoof problems, and eventually a
  slow and painful death

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Things You Should Know about U.S. Horse Slaughter

• While still gruesome and sad, the U.S. had very
  strict animal welfare laws in place
• Horses were required to be completely stunned,
  usually with a captive bolt
• This renders them unconscious, and insensitive to
  pain
• Killing at the slaughter house was performed
  under strict veterinary supervision

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Mexican Horse Slaughter

• Mexican slaughterhouses do not have the same
  animal welfare laws in place as the U.S.
• This provides inhumane conditions for the horses
• To read an article published by the New York
  Times on the shipment of horses over the border
  click here Horses Spared in U.S. Face Death
  Across the Border
• Does sending horses to Mexico for inhumane
  slaughter justify shutting down US slaughter
  houses?
• You decide
• This link takes you to The Humane Society of the
  United States webpage where you can view a video
  on Mexican horse slaughter Horse Slaughter
  Cruelty Uncovered
• WARNING this video is not for the faint of
  heart.

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Mexican/Canadian Slaughter
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Neglected Horses

• The following two slides depict want happens to
  abandoned or mistreated horses
• Some owners feel that letting their horse go
  free is more humane than slaughter
• Most of these horses suffer for a prolonged
  period of time before dying from starvation,
  disease, hoof neglect, etc.

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Malnourished Horses
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Hoof Neglect
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Review

• Which of the following is the cheapest option to
  deal with unwanted horses?
• Slaughter
• Feeding/Keeping them
• Euthanasia
• True/False Most horse owners abandon their
  horses with good intentions
• True/False Slaughter is more cruel than
  starvation or disease

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Review

• Which of the following is the cheapest option to
  deal with unwanted horses?
• Slaughter
• Feeding/Keeping them
• Euthanasia
• True/False Most horse owners abandon their
  horses with good intentions
• True/False Slaughter is more cruel than
  starvation or disease

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Possible Solutions
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Possible Solutions

• Reopen Slaughterhouses
• Start a Euthanasia program
• Find funding to support horses
• Birth control for current wild population
• Educate owners!!!

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Horse Slaughter a Necessary Evil

• Until the day when there are no unwanted horses,
  horse slaughter is going to remain a prevalent
  form of disposing unwanted horses
• Horses that are not slaughtered are now subjected
  to a longer, more painful death due to
  abandonment, neglect, or starvation
• The clips below depict the pro-slaughter
  argument, one worth listening to
• Pro-Horse Slaughter
• Necessary Evil

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Euthanasia Program

• A program like this would require government
  funding or private donations
• This type of program would need to provide free
  or very low cost euthanasia for horses that would
  otherwise be sent to a slaughterhouse, neglected,
  or abandoned
• To read more about how a horse is euthanized,
  click here Horse Euthanasia

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Funding to Support Horses

• Supporting horses is the choice most of us would
  like to choose
• However, funding is not available
• If funding were available, more sanctuaries could
  be opened, and less horses would suffer a
  gruesome fate
• The U.S. simply cannot come up with the
  338,560,000 per year to keep all of these horses

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Birth Control

• Several studies have been done evaluating the
  effectiveness of birth control in wild horses as
  a means of population control
• This article, published by the University of
  Nebraska, looks at three possible contraceptive
  methods to use in feral horses
• Click here to read the study Evaluation of Three
  Contraceptive Approaches for Population Control
  in Wild Horses
• The study shows that contraceptives are a
  feasible solution to control the population
• Careful administration and monitoring could be an
  effective means to prevent the population from
  getting any larger than it already is

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Owner Education

• Owner education is one of the most important
  preventative measures one can take to prevent
  unwanted horses
• Many owners accept the responsibility of owning a
  horse without the proper feeding, healthcare, and
  everyday knowledge to keep a horse
• Many allow their horses to breed, creating
  unnecessary unwanted horses
• Often, owners do not realize that obtaining the
  horse is the cheapest part of ownership. Some
  subsequent costs include feed, vet bills, farrier
  bills, and other costs.
• If potential owners take the time to add up the
  costs, educate themselves on general horse care,
  and realize that a horse is not like a dog or
  cat, unwanted horses could start to become a
  thing of the past
• Responsibility among future and current owners
  will greatly reduce the problem of overpopulated
  horses in the U.S.

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You Can Help

• Thank you for taking the time to learn about the
  current situation of unwanted horses
• The Unwanted Horse Coalition is currently
  conducting a survey to measure the scope of this
  problem.
• If you would like to participate in this survey,
  please click here Unwanted Horses Survey

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References

• Jenkins, Nate. More Horses Sent Abroad for
  Slaughter After US Ban. 26 Nov. 2008. 3 Dec. 2008
  5irKCD4wPC-ev1_YmY6p_WuwRpscwD94MGQVO1.
• American Horse Defense Fund Inc. Horse Slaughter
  FAQ's. 2006. 3 Dec. 2008 ghter08.htm.
• Dorell, Oren. U.S. Shelters Saddled with Unwanted
  Horses. 24 Mar. 2008. 3 Dec. 2008
  rses_N.htm.
• Einhorn, Catrin. Horses Spared in U.S. Face Death
  Across the Border. 11 Jan. 2008. 3 Dec. 2008
  ?_r2hporefslogin.
• Becker, Geoffery. "Horse Slaughter Prevention
  Bills and Issues." CNS Report for Congress
  (2007)
• J. Loren, Horse DumpingOklahomas Disturbing
  Tend. 18 Nov. 2008. 3 Dec. 2008.
  http//www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S9343686
• American Veterinary Medical Association. News
  Articles and Other Resources Regarding Unwanted
  Horses and Horse Slaughter. 2008. 3 Dec. 2008
  d_horses/news_articles_bydate.asp.
• Animal Welfare Council. THE UNINTENDED
  CONSEQUENCES OF a BAN ON THE HUMANE SLAUGHTER
  (PROCESSING) OF HORSES IN THE UNITED STATES James
  J. 15 May 2008. 3 Dec. 2008 arecouncil.com/html/pdf/consequences.pdf.
• National Agricultural Statistics Service. Equine
  Slaughter. 26 Sep. 2008. 3 Dec. 2008
  .
• Bureau of Land Managment. Wild Horse and Burro
  Quick Facts. 4 Dec. 2008. 3 Dec. 2008
  urro/Fact_Sheet.html.
• American Horse Council. NATIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT
  OF THE U.S. HORSE INDUSTRY.. 3 Dec. 2008
  .
• Equine Protection Network. Horse Euthanasia
  Procedures. 3 Nov. 2007. 3 Dec. 2008
  m.

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Picture References

• http//www.organic-horse-feed.com/images/hands_sma
  ll.jpg
• http//ngm.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/0
  2/04/0201_os_2.jpg
• http//environment.airports.com.mv/animals/Running
  20Horses.jpg
• http//www.blue-horses.com/modules/horses/images/i
  mg4647520af3197.jpg
• http//www.retirementboarding.com/dead_horse_again
  .jpg
• http//www.duiops.net/seresvivos/galeria/caballos/
  Herd20of20Horses.jpg
• http//www.wildhorsepreservation.com/images/archiv
  e/sheldon1.jpg
• http//img1.ifilmpro.com/resize/image/stills/films
  /resize/istd/2803200.jpg
• http//farm1.static.flickr.com/121/283243690_17fec
  37d96.jpg
• http//english.pravda.ru/img/idb/photo/sochi_horse
  .jpg
• http//farm1.static.flickr.com/121/283243690_17fec
  37d96.jpg
• http//www.herveybay.qld.gov.au/images/community/s
  trayHorse.jpg
• http//tuesdayshorse.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/h
  s-mexico.jpg
• http//hsus.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/
  10/05/184x265_horses_trailer_mex.jpg
• http//cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0dRrapk1rb1OH/
  610x.jpg
• http//www.frankpicchione.com/.a/6a00e55000aed2883
  300e5538f66af8833-800wi
• http//adifferentvoice.files.wordpress.com/2008/04
  /starving-horse.jpg
• http//www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5434057
  ,00.jpg
• http//i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/flyguyinthe
  sky_photos/DeadHorse3.jpg