Baxter Black: An imaginary interview between yours truly and leaders of the animal rights extremists

Let me welcome you to our unending discussion on the Unintended Consequences of Unwanted Horses in the U.S. including Wild Horses.

BB: Since 2008 when horse slaughter ceased in the U.S., to 2016, 1,151,000 (one million one hundred fifty-one thousand) head have been exported to Mexico and Canada for slaughter for human consumption, primarily in Europe. Is it more humane to transport unwanted horses far away for slaughter, or closer?

AN RITE: We expect within 20 years (another 2,000,000 horses exported for slaughter), people all over the world will quit eating horsemeat.

BB: In your survey of 1,000 random U.S. citizens, 80 percent declared to be anti-slaughter. Less than 2 percent (2 million) actually own a horse. 978 people you surveyed did not own a horse; 20 did. Random surveys in the U.S. show that 97 percent eat meat; 3 percent are vegetarians. If you wanted to get a good recipe for vegetables, who would you ask?

AN RITE: That’s like comparing apples to oranges.

BB: This fall the board advising the BLM on Wild Horse and Burro Program voted 8-1 to allow euthanasia to control over-population of the 67,000 burros and feral horses today. 27,000 would be an acceptable number to maintain the ecosystem. Today the BLM spends nearly $50 million ($50,000,000) annually for upkeep. In ten years since the slaughter ban, adoptions, rescues, chemical neutering, pleading and even your contributions have not slowed the Unwanted Horse problem. Why have the AN RITES taken opposition to the BLM’s plan to save itself?

AN RITES: You don’t get it. Do all of you ‘animal users” think reason and common sense, even unintended consequences, mean anything to urban America? It’s not worth one sad-eyed puppy in the commercials.

BB: When they shut down horse slaughter plants in 2007, almost every equine-related association predicted dire consequences. They have all come true, and they’ve all been to the detriment of America’s horses. In good conscience, how much longer can you contribute to this on-going tragedy?

AN RITES: As long as the money keeps rollin’ in! Nope, I’m just kiddin’! Really, as long as we can convince the urban donors to feel sorry for other people’s horses we’ve got it made. Oh, and we can’t thank enough the truck drivers, sale barns and Indian tribes that still keep the unwanted horse population under control by hauling them out of the country; 150,000 last year! If it weren’t for them we’d be in one ‘heck of a wreck!’

BB: What do you think has been your greatest asset?

AN RITES: Cowardly politicians.

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