These are pictures of a cattle operation in my neighbourhood, that has been an... Well, other cattle farmers just roll their eyes and shake their heads.. Right, Fern? This is another one of those pesky borderline cases.
Horses are chickens are cows are pigs are sheep are ducks are...Dogs and cats are, too.
There are no laws on the books to prevent any animal from living in it's own excrement 24/7. None. Zero, zip, nada. I'm going to re-post the link to the documentary, Food Inc.
Please watch it. Food Inc.
Paddy quotes in the previous comments:
"from the Ontario code of Practice from the 1980 Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. It states that one of the basic elements for horse comfort is the "opportunity for reasonable movement". This article also said adhering to the Code is voluntary,".
Yeah, you don't have to, if you don't want to.
If you don't want to, it is not illegal.
I've said, since I started typing out into the atmosphere, that humane treatment is possible, in all animals. Even slaughter-bound animals. Especially slaughter-bound animals.
I will never say that horses can NOT be slaughtered. Not my job to stop someone else's business. If that business ever disappears, I will indeed rejoice.
I'll continue to advocate for humane treatment for them all. ALL animals. Not just horses.
Horses are chickens...
Animals will be eaten. As they have been, for kabillions of years. Okay, lots of years. More than I've been around, anyway. Yes, ThaT long.
Horses are chickens. Okay, turkeys. You see, they are all animals, and all animals have to hope we will care for them properly, voluntarily.
OH, and I saw a commercial for antihistamines.. The example for a pet, was of course, a beeyootiful grey horsie. Lying placidly, his legs all tucked under him, on a mound of straw. His owner curled beside him. Throwing a blankie over him. Tucking him in for the night. I love reality based advertising...
Horses are often considered pets. My current rule of being able to carry my pet in an emergency precludes me from owning 800 pounds plus.
Horse owners would do well to stop the insistence that horses are pets, and as such are precluded from slaughter. Horses should be included in the list of animals always treated humanely, to a standard that can ensure health, both physical and mental. I don't think it's too much too ask.
But I could be wrong.
I feel like I'm living beside, and in the neighbourhood of, the Anti-Temples of the world.
Horses are chickens. For some reason, that mantra calms me right down.
25 comments:
I once had a little argument with a young vet ,She was treating the neighbors horse and I was helping. The question "should we bring her into the house" was posed to me ,I said no ,she is a horse . The vet launched a tiradew "she is not Just a horse! " I said , no not JUST a horse , but it is July and I don't sleep in the pasture ands she doesn't sleep in the house ! a barn or shelter ,possibly but... WHen people finally realise you can love a horse ,/cow/chicken etc. and still treat it with respect for what it is and where it will be most safely managed we will finally be getting somewhere! until that time I think we will continue to see ridiculous houseing and lack of appropriate care . As for the farmer posted, good grief! He better throw a magnet down those cows on spec with all the metal debris, and he must have hellish cases of hoofrot and goodness knows what else!
OMG! Is that their water source? Eeck!!!!
I hope to God nobody is growing spinach downstream of that, E.Coli anyone?
As you know GL - BIG APPLAUSE OF APPROVAL.
And FV - that's kinda scary that a VET wanted to bring the horse into the house. Um, maybe she should concentrate on small animal? I ran across a column about a year ago online talking about "how to train your horse to live inside." I thought it was a joke. But then, I started reading the comments. If it was a joke -other people were apparently not in on it!
Hello????? Horses (or any other animal for that matter!) ARE NOT HUMAN! This means horses both do not need the same things HUMANS might to survive (i.e. a heated shelter!), yet might also need things humans DON'T NEED to survive - i.e. PLENTY of space for one (although, I would argue that humans need that too, really...). It does seem to me the ultimate in egotistical human nature that we seem to believe our beloved "pets" MUST have the same things that bring us comfort yet we ignore the things they really need. I'm so, so, tired of seeing heavily blanketed horses in tiny little paddock runs. Last winter, we had a wet snow. I was driving home, past several horse farms where the blanketed horses were standing in their tiny, muddy (huh, wonder why?) paddocks looking MISERABLE with heavy, soaking wet blankets. I get home, to see my 2 and a 1/4 (Shetland is a 1/4 horse, I figure...) fluffed-out hair monster equines running around like crazy in their 2 acres of grass pasture. They thought it was the most fun ever!
And now offf to go brush my shedding horsies...
I always adhere to the premise that if the snow is plumped up on their backs, they have enough insulation to keep them warm!! Have no idea who told me that; but I have only had two horses shivering in the winter--the dinky little Arab mare and a thirty year old Walker gelding. The old boy was blanketed and had extra hay, the mare came in and had extra hay. IF the weather is shitty raining, they come into the barn early to heavy straw bedding and go out again in the a.m. Cold rain in the spring and fall usually necessitate that. That cattle operation is why I only buy beef from someone I know raised them in the kind of conditions they should be kept. That cattle lot is hideous.
There are two groups in the US that I know of that are promoting Humanely raised animal products. Not only meat but milk, eggs and wool too.
One is Certified Humane Raised and Handled program and the other is Animal Welfare Approved.
Neither of these groups sound like fronts for nut groups. I haven't investigated completely yet.
But is a place to begin. I don't mind eating meat that has been humanely raised and slaughters. I want the people working the farm humanely treated too. I would rather pay more and eat less. I do use CSA or farmers market when possible.
Kaede -
The other really good one is Food Alliance. That is kinda considered the "superstar" of certifications for organic growing standards, humanely raised, fair treatment workers, etc...
Unfortunately the certification that has the most marketing power "Organic" is the one that is the most abused...
"Unfortunately the certification that has the most marketing power "Organic" is the one that is the most abused..."
Yes, that's the only part of the Food Inc. program that got farmer Husband all huffy.
The other 90% he was shouting his agreement with.
Organic.
snort, dirt is organic, too.
Yeah, GL, tell your hubby I'm in agreement. However, I'm currently thinking about getting my organic status. Why? Because it would qualify me for a bunch of government money PLUS it would make marketing easier for the grocery stores I sell too...
But I feel kinda like it's dancing with the devil. We shall see, I haven't actually started up the music yet...
Plus, I HATE the way we have stratified farmers into "organic" vs. "conventional." Sure, there are a lot of "conventional" practices I find frightening, but, in the end we are all just farmers and most of my "conventional" farming neighbors do a heck of a good job managing their land, I believe, (and trust me, I've watched them for years). At least for those who have an investment in their land, we all know that if we don't take care of the soil it doesn't take care of us.
I could go on and on...But,I have to get the kiddies off to school so I can plant 15,000 onion starts today! Woo-Hoo!
Have a fantastic day GL.
My uncle used to be a trucker, and delivered feed to feedlots. Freaked him out that they were actually feeding the cows things like chicken manure and sawdust. They now have eggs that are high in the proper omega fats. How do they do that? Feed the chickens flax seed and a proper diet.
FV, scary vet. I have visions of horse going through floor...
I find the unhappiest horses are often the horses most anthropomorphized. Let them be a horse. With horsey friends, and room to move.
I haven't yet been allowed to watch Food Inc. I want to, but timing is for shit for me on so many things lately.
Fern- that's just crazy, but a vet of all people should be the voice of reason! At least you would hope...
When we were working for the vet and helping with joint injections and everything, sometimes you just had to bear the burden of keeping your mouth shut. Any idea how hard that can be sometimes? Anyone?
The older horses, lame as can be but the owner wants them injected so they can keep riding and working them were some of the toughest. Then it was the kids JR Rodeo horses. Yep, we want to teach kids that you just use and abuse until there is nothing left and toss them out like trash and get another one.
Horses may be chickens GL, but they sure in the hell ain't Kleenex or Charmin!
Proud to say- not one of ours has been or has needed to be injected. If it comes to that point- not only are we doing something wrong, but the horse deserves to rest or retire.
As far as the animals standing in slop-> remember the disgusting mire next door to my work? Um, yeah... the animals were eating that stuff. Then big business sells that to the grocery stores. Milk, butter, eggs, cheese, pork, poultry- all consumables that have been consuming some horribly nasty shite. Oh, yummy...
And on that happy note, something is coming up in the pot I planted tomato & lettuce seeds in. The potatos are producing and the carrots are going well too. I am so proud and happy about that! Maybe I will plant my pumpkins and get an earlier start this year. So the bees can pollinate them this time.
Funny how when you feed them poop, they taste like poop.
Julia Child decried the swelling of the avian breast, and the loss of flavour.
Oh, it's a great hook, PF, Absolutely, go for it. More power to ya! We've been messing with agriculture for a very long time, and one thing my husband and I will clash on are the herbicides and pesticides. Because of the sheer quantities demanded, CHEAPly, what else can a farmer do?
He's been able to keep his farms "clean" for a long time.
Drives him nutso, seeing a "mess" in a field.
I worry about resistance, and super bugs. Like I don't worry enougH. I have read far too much Stephen King.
I am ripping out the english tea roses this year, (muttering the whole time that I didn't want them in the first place), after husband finally admitted they can't really survive here without chemicals. Which I Do NOT want in MY garden. We draw lines in the dirt alot:)
I wish you were leasing our land, PF! It's hard to find people who give a crap about dirt;)
I didn't get the back fields cleaned (i.e. ALL garbage picked up) in time, before the worker guys came in and plowed some more plastic back into the field.
That drives us nutso too.
OH, remind me to blather about powdered food.
or not;)
Horses are not Kleenex is not helping, CNJ.
:)
My mantra is helping. Not helping the horse much, but I've really done all I can do, short of um, well, you know.
The wrong thing.
He's for sale, anybody wants to buy him, I hear.
Horses R ChickenS.
so there.
Dogs need me:)
They are more like a seal/otter combination, than a chicken.
GL -
Ha, ha! My dad and I have had the same argument for years. He LOVES a nice clean field. Round-up is his special friend. If it takes a whole truckload of chemicals to achieve that - heck, more the better! Or, at least, that is the farming he grew up with.
What, however, has opened his mind toward the "natural" practices I follow, even if I do tolerate more weeds than he likes? Money. Ya see, my Dad went broke farming. Even with all the chemicals he could want. Now, I'm certainly not making a fortune, but I'm doing okay. So...Dad is reconsidering! Money talks...Which is why the movement for healthy, local food is such a powerful thing!
14th just for you GL!
Got this from Deb, of Never too Old
http://nfacc.ca/Projects/Detail.aspx?id=5
National Farm Animal Care Council website.
Sorry no linkies
I do do Linkies
Horses are Chickens.
Horse people disgust me sometimes.
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okay, better.
The TB sympathy is truly deafening, isn't it, for this poor lad...
Derby coming, and I sure as hell won't watch it.
Out of respect.
For that Horse.
I suggested the seller go see Chief.
Her reply.
"I have been to see him, except for his bed , he looks fine has lost some muscle tone but thats expected, had big hay net, lots water, lots air, seemed very happy..certainly not hungry."
He must have lots of air! He's still breathing!
Could someone please demonstrate air currents to this..
What's been good about my bitching, he HAS had a full-hay net. He empties it, and it's shit hay, but whatever.
Kindly couple cow hay.
"except for his bed."
yeah. It's shit, his bed.
The literal real kind. I haven't seen it, but I knew that.
poor old black bear dog....
(shakes head sadly).
I wish I could come take that big ol' horse out of the hole he dwells in and relieve your stress levels there GL. And help pull down those bushes while I was there. And help pull all of the plastic out of the dirt while I was at it. And the list goes on...
Horses are chickens. In a way, I agree. They need their 'free range' and clean air, room to move and be, well, A HORSE! But they are certainly not a Kleenex or Charmin to be tossed in the trash or flushed away when they are no longer useful to the one who has used them up.
The Derby IS this weekend now isn't it... It always sneaks up on me, since I don't so much pay attention to the game of racing. I couldn't even tell you who won last year, let alone who ran. The Belmont or Preakness? No idea.
The 'Sport of Kings' fills the can and the septic tanks with all they discard, long before they, the horses, ever have their day in the sun.
Sad :(
To the horses.
All of them.
Hey, I caught up on a late comment by Liz with a Reddi update.
I had to laugh. The description of Reddi saying "Um, lunging makes NO sense to me!!" reminded me of my husband's old red-bone coon hound, he did the EXACT same thing on leash. Sorry, if you were silly enough to put a leash on him.
A WHAT?? I no walk on no leash, lady. Talk about an affronted expression..
Reddi just doesn't get it. Fair enough. It is a rather pointless exercise, and it may be hard on her, circling a Lot.
Straight ahead horse, ya know?
Ah, hah!
Sorry. Just had a call from Mrs. Kindly Couple, anyway, I must clear up an inaccuracy in my reporting.
Neighbour owns her own hay, she stores it on these other people's property, and she bought it from this guy with his cows.
So, there is your quality standard, right there.
Mrs. KC is hard to understand, with her accent.
She's discovering how useless a registered letter can be. Gotta catch her first!
Keep all fingers crossed.
Mrs. KC delivered the mare's evic. notice this am.
More is bubbling, but...
My hands are sweating...
..................................
I truly hope for the sake of the mare- the outcome of the eviction notice is the mare is either kept by Kind Couple or sold to someone more responsible through a feed lien sale.
One can hope. And I AM!
Things a brewing, GL. I promise you.
Oh, YAY. A couple was at the garage yesterday pretty much all afternoon with neighbour.
AC got outside, AND his stall mucked (!!!!) AND another hay-net hung.
Hope he's found a great home!
I had to keep dogs in of course, as Flip'nBlaze would have been far too interested in such smelly goings on.
That's okay, AC got OUT!
Blaze learned how to roll in gopher guts this weekend!
Another yay!
;)
I'm reading.
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