Report: Horse welfare worse after slaughter ban

A recent report from Congress' investigative arm indicates that horse welfare across the U.S. has declined following the closure of domestic horse slaughter plants. Horse slaughter has effectively been banned in the United States for the last four years. Federal lawmakers since 2006 have prohibited the use of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds for inspecting horses slaughtered for human consumption. The ban on domestic slaughtering, combined with the impacts of a national recession, has led to a depressed market for horses and a decline of the animals welfare, according to a report released June 22 by the Government Accountability Office. It confirms what many have feared would result from the ban, and recommends that federal lawmakers reconsider use of USDA funds for inspection. The report notes that between 2006 and 2010, U.S. horse exports to Canada for slaughter increased by 148 percent, and by 660 percent to Mexico. In fact, nearly the same number of U.S. horses were transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter in 2010 (about 138,000) as were slaughtered domestically in 2006. Further, data supplied by state and local governments and animal welfare organizations indicate an increase in investigations for horse neglect during the same time frame. For example, Colorado data showed that investigations for horse neglect and abuse increased more than 60 percent - from 975 to 1,588 - between 2005 and 2009, according to the report. Lifelong Gunnison-area rancher Lee Spann views slaughtering as the most humane method for handling a horse that's past its prime - much more so than "putting it out to pasture." "Old horses die hard",� he said. "Their teeth are gone, and they fight the cold. They get thin. Pretty soon they can't walk and they die. You're not doing them any favor by keeping them until they can not function."...more�