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Straight from the Horse's Heart

The Senseless Capture of Cloud’s Herd: One Year Later

September 7, 2010

R.T. Fitch Horse News, The Force of the Horse, Wild Horses/Mustangs animal cruelty, BLM, Bob Abbey, Bureau of Land Management, Cattoor, cloud foundation, cloud's herd, ginger Kathrens, government corruption, Ken Salazar, pryor mountains, roundup, stampede, Wild Horse, Wyoming 10 Comments

(In My Humble Opinion) by R.T. Fitch ~ author of “Straight from the Horse’s Heart“

A Turning Point in Wild Horse Advocacy

It was a year ago today, September 7^th, that myself, Terry, Ginger Kathrens, Makendra Silverman, Ann Evans, Pam and Tom Nickoles, Carol Walker, Elyse Gardner, Sandy Elmore and many others sat silently on a bluff overlooking the Britton Springs BLM Holding Facility in Wyoming and watched the cruel Cattoor Helicopter drive Cloud and his family into the awaiting holding pens.

Cloud, captured Sept. 7, 2009 ~ Photo by Terry Fitch

I felt the world shift on its axis just a fraction of a degree, at that pivotal moment, and I can see the change in the magnetic field of wild horse advocacy at work one year later.

Last year I turned to our BLM Security escorts and told them that they had just messed up; they had captured the magnificent Cloud of whom every little girl has a model of on her dresser and tonight those little girls would be crying. And when the little girls cry the mothers are tense and when Mom is stressed Dad is pissed beyond all means and on that night, there were a lot of pissed off Dads across America. I thought that to be a big deal and would thereby culminate into the main impact of the BLM’s indiscriminate and unnecessary harassment of Cloud’s herd. But I was wrong; it runs much deeper than that.

Cloud’s abduction brought together a small handful of people that clung to one another and each brought to the roundup a special collection of talents and contacts. By using those contacts and the power of the internet a cross roads or tipping point was achieved and the issue of Wild Horse Advocacy was brought to a higher level of awareness not just across the United States but around the World in general.

Ginger Kathrens, Ben Sussman, Sandy Elmore, Terry Fitch, Pam Nickoles and Elyse Gardner ~ Photo by Tom Nickoles

One year later and have we made any difference in slowing down Ken Salazar and Bob Abbey’s voracious Wild Horse Harvesting Machine, the BLM? Not that one can see on the surface, but swimming against the current with great tenacity is a movement that is beginning to make the corrupt managers of insidious federal agencies a tad bit nervous. It’s only a matter of turning up the volume and keeping the pressure on the accelerator and sooner or later, someone with the authority will pull the plug on the BLM and its special interest driven calamity.

There is a part of me that wants to thank the BLM for their mismanaged mess that they called the Pryor Mountain gather of ’09. They tortured dozens of horses and tore many families apart but they did not kill any horses, that we know of. But above and beyond that, they brought us together and by behaving so recklessly and without scientific basis they galvanized an advocacy that is driven by truth, honesty and facts. If not for the careless stupidity of the BLM’s attack upon Cloud we might not have managed to pull together such a professional team of educated and dedicated advocates.

So I will, begrudgedly, tip the brim of my hat to the BLM for their own unprofessional behavior because due to their ego driven recklessness they managed to amplify something that Ginger Kathrens had been doing for years. They put a face and a name on the Wild Horse issue and turned “Cloud” into a household word across this nation. That’s worth millions in free publicity and to this day, the BLM does not have a clue as to how they played right into the hands of those who so vehemently oppose their broken policies.

They just don’t get it.

Click HERE for the thoughts and feelings that occurred one year ago, today.

Click HERE to read about the most recent attack upon Cloud’s life.

4 Worthy Opinions

Moratorium on Wild Horse Roundups Is Essential

September 7, 2010

R.T. Fitch Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs Wild Horse, BLM, Animal welfare, Horse, Bureau of Land Management, Ken Salazar, Death, government corruption, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Cattoor, Bob Abbey, Data Quality Act, Office of the Inspector General, Carrol Abel 4 Comments

by Carrol Abel ~ President of The Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund

Live Link to Roll Call News

Survivors of Twin Peaks Stampede ~ Photo by Terry Fitch

Escalated removals of wild herds from the West are categorized as necessary by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management officials. In a recent article, BLM Director Bob Abbey cited the need to “protect wildlife habitat, the horses themselves and the public rangelands from the environmental effects of herd overpopulation” as reasoning behind what appears to be a mad rush to clear the herds from publicly owned Western rangelands.

There are four elements involved in deciding how many animals are “excess,” thus satisfying criteria for their removal: current population, appropriate management levels, rangeland health and multiple-use requirements. Sound decisions on how many mustangs are to be removed, if any, and how frequently the gathers occur must be justified by solid science. The BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program is fraught with scientific uncertainty associated with these critical management assumptions.

Animal welfare advocates are not alone in questioning the science behind the massive wild horse and burro removals currently in contention. The Interior Department’s Office of the Inspector General released an evaluation report in April titled “Interior Lacks a Scientific Integrity Policy.” It states, in part, that “without policies to ensure the integrity of its scientific research, Interior runs the risk that flawed information will reach the scientific community and general public, thereby breaching the public’s trust and damaging Interior’s reputation. The time for a comprehensive scientific integrity policy at Interior is, therefore, long overdue.”

Establishing appropriate management levels for wild horse and burro populations is an example of scientific integrity lost. A 2008 Government Accountability Office report states that the bureau “has not provided specific formal guidance to field offices on how to set AML.” Equitable multiple-use policies also come into question with GAO findings that 27 percent of BLM field offices in its survey did not consider data from actual forage use by livestock when setting appropriate management levels. Clearly, the ability to properly determine appropriate management levels with current methods is questionable.

The U.S. Institute of Environmental Conflict Resolution was recently hired by the bureau to develop an effective strategy to engage the public in Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. Published findings in April cite the National Research Council’s 1982 perspectives on “data gaps, the role of social factors in decision making, the persistence of conflict over values, and research priorities,” as remaining relevant today. Its extensive interviews with BLM employees show internal skepticism, as revealed in the following statement, “BLM hiring and staffing for the program does not reflect a priority on scientific expertise. The questions, data gaps, and research issues identified by the committee as priorities to support effective management do not appear to have been addressed.”

Abbey’s announcement in June of an “unprecedented new direction” for the Wild Horse and Burro Program and the request for public comment on Salazar’s new initiative was met with a degree of hope from animal welfare advocates. But the June publication of the bureau’s handbook on wild horse and burro management shattered that optimism.

The handbook, which is the first of its kind and was undoubtedly in its final stages when Abbey made his announcement, quotes the legal requirement for maintaining a wild horse’s free-roaming behavior — but provides for their removal should they migrate from their designated areas. Further damaging public trust, the creation of nonreproducing herds on their home range — a decision that was supposed to come after September’s closure of public comments — has already been made and is outlined in the document.

The Data Quality Act of 2001 was passed to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility and integrity of information disseminated by federal agencies. Published guidelines for the BLM state, “Information presented or submitted to Congress, which is simultaneously disseminated or previously disseminated to the public is exempt from these Data Quality Act guidelines.” Lawmakers and their constituents concerned about wild horse issues should ask questions — and then further question the answers given.

The bureau’s past actions give the impression of an attitude of omnipotence. By all appearances, the agency has disregarded recommendations from the GAO, Office of the Inspector General and the National Research Council pertaining to the Wild Horse and Burro Program.

Congress now shoulders the moral obligation and the responsibility to intercede on behalf of the American public. A nonpermanent moratorium on wild horse and burro roundups and removals, barring emergency conditions, is an appropriate action at this historic crossroad. Review of the scientific evidence on which wild horse and burro policies are based is crucial to the well-being of America’s wild herds — and the re-establishment of public trust.

5 Worthy Opinions

NYT catches Dave Cattoor on Tape Conspiring to Hide Wild Horse Injuries/Deaths from Press and Public

September 6, 2010

R.T. Fitch Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs Wild Horse, BLM, Horse, Wild Mustang, Cruelty to animals, Bureau of Land Management, Death, government corruption, Cattoor, New York Times, Conspiracy 51 Comments

(The News as We See It) by R.T. Fitch

Documented Deception by BLM’s Contractor Dave Cattor

Click on Image to view Video ~ Photo by Jim Wilson NYT

The recent New York Times video report of the BLM’s destruction of the Wild Horse herd of Twin Peaks captures Helicopter Stampede contractor, David Cattoor, clearly stating how he and the BLM will shoot and hide the death of an injured horse so that “we aren’t going to give them the shot that they want.”

Obviously conspiring, on video, to hide the truth from the public and press Cattoor speaks on a cell phone and to personnel directly on how to “shoot” a horse with a broken leg, “slide him into the trailer and take him to town”.

The BLM and the Cattoors are currently fighting a maelstrom of lawsuits and complaints regarding their secretive and covert stampedes of our national icon, the wild horse. Two thirds the way through the video report Cattoor shows his true intentions and method of operation to disguise and hide the truth from the world. Caught on video by the New York Times the Cattoor’s put on the true face of their predatory and deceptive business.

Clear and documented evidence of the BLM/Cattoor’s active conspiracy to subvert the First Amendment rights of the American Public and Press.

Editor’s Note: “The Cattoor interview footage was shot early on the morning of August 27th by Clare Major of the New York Times. Unbeknown to Laura Leigh, Terry Fitch and myself Clare had made special arrangements to gain access to the Cattoors early before we arrived with our BLM escorts. The “THEM” that Dave Cattoor is discussing getting proper photographic “shots” is Laura, Terry and myself as we were the only press and observers for the day, along with Clare. So there is a little personal “dig” in it for our Horseback team, also.” ~ R.T.

24 Worthy Opinions

BLM Speaks Out of Both Sides of Mouth on Issue of Press “Access” at Controversial Wild Horse Stampedes

September 6, 2010

R.T. Fitch Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs Wild Horse, Mustang, Horse, Wild Mustang, R.T. Fitch, Bureau of Land Management, Horseback Magazine, Terry Fitch, Laura Leigh, Twin Peaks, Dave Cattoor, New York Times, Jesse McKinley 17 Comments

(The News as We See IT) by R.T. Fitch

Documented on Film, BLM Violates First Amendment

New York Times Close-Up of Twin Peaks Stampede ~ Photo by Jim Wilson NYT

The long awaited New York Times article written and shot at the BLM’s destruction of the Twin Peaks Wild Horse herd hit the internet, yesterday. Although the story attempted to tell both sides it lingered far too long with the musings and philosophy of multi-millionaire helicopter owner, Dave Cattoor, BLM contractor hired to stampede the wild horses into traps for removal from their rightful homes.

But perhaps more enlightening than two very separate points of view (one driven by science and compassion and the other motivated by greed and lack of education) is the very obvious selective press “access” that the BLM and the Cattoors grant and how severely the First Amendment is subverted by the federal agency and it’s contractor.

This is WHY the NYT photo is upclose and personal, BLM/Cattoors allowed NYT INSIDE the trap chute and on "Private Land" while "doublespeaking" the rest of the press and public ~ Photo by Terry Fitch

On Tuesday the 24^th of August Horseback Magazine correspondents Laura Leigh and R.T. Fitch arrived at the Litchfield BLM facility along with Horseback’s Chief Photographer Terry Fitch. Likewise, NYT correspondent Jesse McKinley was present with his lead photographer, Jim Wilson.

Press and public observers, alike, were forced to endure a heavy handed, ego driven speech from BLM’s Chief of Security Jason Parker about why observers are kept close to a mile away from the trap site and how things would be carried to “the next level” if the small band of press and tax payers did not abide by the BLM’s rules. The main driver for the distance from the trap appeared to be the issue of “safety” for the personnel and for the horses. How that would apply to horses being driven by a helicopter at break neck speed in the heat is still difficult to compute but that is the pat and obviously twisted reason.

Once escorted to the site it was obvious that only closer access or ultra-complex telephoto lens could capture any of the mayhem and possible misconduct of the BLM’s helicopter contractor. Yet during the early morning observers were all kept the distance until the NYT press was escorted down the trap area and caught on camera by Terry Fitch being allowed WITHIN the actual trap chute itself AND on private land, one of the reasons the BLM used for keeping the observers far away was that they were not granted permission by the private land owner to allow personnel on the site due to “liability issues”. Meanwhile the Horseback Magazine contingent was held back at the extreme distance and not granted the same access as the New York Times.

Horseback Photog Terry Fitch (left) listens to BLM officials while being taped by NYT reporter Clare Major, distant trap site located far below in background ~ Photo by R.T. Fitch

Both the BLM and the Cattoors were caught in a very serious subversion of the First Amendment as the entire debacle was/is clearly documented. This unlawful violation of First Amendment rights was further aggravated and agitated by the fact that both the BLM and the Cattoors violated a Federal Court order to grant Horseback Magazine correspondent Laura Leigh fair access to the secretive Owyhee Stampede, last July, and that violation now sits on the Judge’s desk as a contempt charge against the BLM.

Horseback Editor Steven Long contacted the head of BLM’s public affairs office in D.C., Tom Gorey, and was then told that the Horseback reporters would be granted fair and equitable access to future roundups. Steven Long issued a letter, stating such, to Chief of Security Jason Parsons and reporter R.T. Fitch contacted the local BLM PR rep. Jeff Fontana of their intent to present said letter to the BLM the following day at the next briefing where New York Times videotographer , Clare Major would be present.

The following morning, said letter was presented by R.T. Fitch to Jeff Fontana, the 3 representatives from Horseback were present, one rep from the NYT was a new comer and two video personnel from HSUS were on hand, a total of 6 press and no public observers.

A sampling of the vehicles that were protecting the BLM Contractors from the four members of the press, 3 women and 1 man (Your Tax Dollars at Work) ~ Photo by Terry Fitch

That morning Mr. Parker failed to give the same safety briefing and with video cameras on him he refused to utilize his infamous “carry this to the next level” line. Instead he said, “You all have been out there you know the rules” and when we tried to highlight the fact that 50% of the press had not been out to the site, yet, he simply shrugged it off as “you are all professionals”. But yet another aspect of the briefing changed, Jeff Fontana informed us that this site would have “single access” which means that only one spot for photographing and one spot only, for press and public alike. Funny how the rules changed with Horseback personnel are on the ground and recognized.

We were also told about what a wonderful spot we would have, looking right down on the trap. Not so. We were sequestered between two Juniper trees and behind a jute fence so that not only were we a long way from the trap but we had no visibility of the area in front of the chute or of the entrance to the chute itself. It was miserable.

Horseback Reporters R.T. Fitch and Laura Leigh discuss inability to do their job ~ Photo by Terry Fitch

The situation did not change the following day when only the three Horseback reps were on hand along with the NYT videotographer. The four reporters were surrounded by armed security and BLM personnel while the NYT agent asked, “why am I being kept so far from the site” and her reply from the Horseback contingent was simply, “because you are with us”. In an effort to keep Horseback away the BLM and the Cattoors ensured that no one would have access. Fair and equitable; once again a farce.

The link to the Times article is HERE and please watch the video where you will pick up fair and sane information from Laura Leigh and also hear BLM’s Jeff Fontana stumble all over himself about the issue of access.

Documented, on the record, the BLM and their contractors have, are and will continue to subvert and twist the First Amendment in an effort to keep the public from seeing and hearing the truth about their unlawful war against the few remaining American wild horses on our public lands.

It is not only a travesty, but a crime.

11 Worthy Opinions

Reader Challenges BLM “Staged” Rancher Engagement at Twin Peaks Wild Horse Stampede

September 4, 2010

R.T. Fitch Horse News, The Force of the Horse, Wild Horses/Mustangs Wild Horse, BLM, Mustang, Horse, Wild Mustang, Equine, Bureau of Land Management, Interior Department, Death, roundup, government corruption, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Cattoor, Twin Peaks, stampede, New York Times 46 Comments

(In My Humble Opinion) by R.T. Fitch ~ author of “Straight from the Horse’s Heart“

“He Said/She Said” ~ But We Were There!

Quiet Wild Horse Advocates Seconds Before the Arrival of the BLM "Rancher Plants" - Photo taken by R.T. Fitch's iPhone

It’s rare that I either have the time or the inclination to personally respond to individuals who take issue with what we publish and question the depth of our convictions. Most assaults come from phony email addresses and are only meant to damage or demean with four letter words used in rants; so it goes for the opposition. But today I received an email from a woman who claims to be the wife of one of the “ranchers” who set upon the female observers, last week, at the Twin Peaks debacle. Being that I was there, listened, recorded, photographed and elected to disengage during the conversation I feel that it is necessary to respond to this individual, who will be known as “Linda” during this conversation.

I would like to make it perfectly clear, once again as Linda did not seem to get the point, we are not against ranching or the cattle industry in the United States. Nor are we “anti” any agricultural business as we are horse owners and in the business of being grass farmers ourselves. We buy our seed, fertilizer and feed at the same store and drive a yellow and green John Deere tractor while wearing a traditional straw hat. We are just dead set against the concept of welfare ranching, (letting your cows run free on our public lands for next to nothing), while my neighbor pays taxes for and is forced to maintain his personal property where his cows reside. It just is not fair. Plus, the welfare ranchers should be siding with us because once the wild horses are gone, the cattle go next. The issues are the same.

So onward with Linda’s letter regarding the magical appearance and engagement that took place during the Twin Peaks Stampede while the New York Times Reporter was present, last week. (Linda responded to the wrong post, by the way) Here is her letter in its entirety and I will attempt to answer from within.

Linda: Well, I am amazed how people view events differently.

R.T.: That’s what makes the world go around, ma’am, no insult intended.

Linda: The “Ranchers” visit to the BLM gather was quite interesting. My husband was one of the “ranchers” and believe it or not he and the other 2 were in fact ranchers, there be no need of quotations.

R.T.: Quotation marks in place so not to offend other ranchers as I am still not convinced that they represented the overall opinion or attitude of a broad base of law abiding American citizens. PLUS, one of the “ranchers”, that would be at least one of 3, was confirmed to be a BLM retiree, by the BLM.

Linda: That was the most spiteful and rude article about a serious event and well-intentioned people than I’ve ever seen.

R.T.: There was nothing more spiteful than a handful of men going out of their way during a highly emotional experience to attempt to discredit and discount the opinion of a group of women who were off on their own, minding their own business…I have the tape.

Linda: What is wrong with people having opinions from the other end. They went to see the gather as did you. They had every right to be there.

R.T.: They were truly from the other “end”, alright, the business end that produces the manure, not the truth from the “horse’s mouth” end. No problem with them being there, but their staged approach with the help of the BLM security person puts the entire scenario in doubt. The BLM PR people and sympathizers were set up under one tree, some distance away, and the handful of quiet women trying to document the event were alone in another area, these guys came over and began with insults and engaged these women with full intention of causing a problem…again, I have the tape and you can see the pictures here.

Linda: Yes, they may have known some of the BLM – as ranchers and BLM do talk and they have both been in this area for years. Susanville is not New York. We know people who are involved in some aspect of our business. Just as the ranchers could have been upset that you seem to know the NY Times guy.

R.T.: I know all about small rural towns, I live in one. Ever heard of the bustling metropolis of Magnolia, Texas? Our main, elite hot spot is the local diner and feed store. And for your information, I never spoke with the NYT reporter, I stayed away and not one of the women had ever met him before. Perhaps he gravitated to them because they were professional in their demeanor and used multi-syllable words when they spoke. No one was from NY but all of the ladies had traveled to witness this travesty at their own expense for the sake of the horses.

Linda: Neither my husband or the other two ranchers approached the NYT journalist. They talked to the photographer as he came up to them first. I am going to make sure that people with differing opinions see this web site.

R.T.: Where have your husband and the other boys been for all of the other days of the stampede? Funny that they just “happened” to show up on the day, and at the appropriate time, that the big city reporter showed up. Please, feel free to let your friends and family know about our site. We welcome them as we speak the truth and see through the smoke. As taxpaying American citizens we are all in this together and right now the BLM has the wool pulled over your eyes and maybe even prompted you to write this note, only you know that for sure.

Linda: Oh, by the way I think the Ranger may have been under the tree because it was quite warm that day and he was what they call “shading up”. Your drama is disgraceful.

R.T.: What is disgraceful is the fact that the Ranger in question sat in his air conditioned truck for days while that trap area was being used and only went down to “stand by” when he sent the “Ranchers” in. You know, there is a lot to fear from those educated and articulate wild horse women. Don’t want them getting the upper hand in discussion with the good ole boys, wouldn’t look correct now, would it?

A Citizen Observer challenges "Rancher" comments while BLM security observes from behind tree in background ~ Photo by R.T. Fitch

With all due respect, Linda, you only know what you were told and you obviously bought it hook, line and sinker. That in itself speaks volumes, so when you next care to engage myself or any other advocate please ensure that you have your facts straight and being that you were not even present during this charade, your opinion carries no weight. Your active defense of your husband on issues that you have only garnered the alleged facts from his mouth is more of a tragedy and far more drama than any article I could possibly hope to write.

Please get your house in order before you throw rocks at mine.

20 Worthy Opinions

More Nevada Roundups Planned Despite Pleas from Congress

September 3, 2010

R.T. Fitch Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs BLM, Bureau of Land Management, Cruelty to animals, Equine, George Knapp, government corruption, Horse, Ken Salazar, Mustang, Nevada, United States Secretary of the Interior, Wild Horse, Wild Mustang 54 Comments

Chief Investigative Reporter George Knapp and Chief Photojournalist Matt Adams

Click (HERE) to View Video and Leave Comments

Wild Horses of Twin Peaks ~ Photo by Terry Fitch

LAS VEGAS — Government contractors have fired up their helicopters for yet another roundup of Nevada wild horses. The latest gather targets a remote area north of Ely, Nevada.

Four more roundup operations are on the schedule in our state this year. They will not only thin the herds, but wipe them out altogether.

2010 already ranks as one of the most aggressive in the history of Bureau of Land Management horse roundups, with a lot more to come. Operations which proved deadly for the herds have already scooped up thousands of mustangs from public ranges, but with no commensurate reduction in the number of private cattle allowed to stay.

The next round seems are designed to wipe out the horses altogether.

The Moriah Herd area near Ely will result in the removal of every one of the 72 horses living on thousands of acres. Two other Nevada herd management areas will be completely zeroed out of horses, and two others will see more than 90-percent of the mustangs taken away, even though federal law set aside those ranges as places where horses could roam forever.

Critics of the program say it looks as if BLM is in a race to grab every horse it can get before the program gets shut down, which is exactly what is needed according to a letter sent to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and signed by 54 members of Congress, including Nevadans Shelley Berkley and Dina Titus.

The letter harshly criticizes the roundups, calls for an immediate moratorium, and seeks an outside study of the science behind the gathers, or lack thereof, by the National Academy of Sciences.

BLM says it will cooperate with such a study, but Director Bob Abbey told Congress he has no intention of stopping the roundups.

“We signed the letter because we need to stop the roundups and the slaughter so we can study the policy. It hasn’t worked and they know it, we know it, the horses know it. We asked that they allow for a study but they won’t stop and I worry because these studies can take years,” said Rep. Titus.

Titus worries that by the time the study is complete, more herd areas could be wiped out by BLM. The roundups themselves can be deadly to horses.

“You see these pictures of them running to death and the colts and it breaks your heart,” she said.

A separate review of the horse program is already underway. The inspector general of the Interior Department is actively soliciting information from the public, including horse advocates, about all that’s wrong with its implementation — a review that can’t be seen as good news within BLM.

On another front, philanthropist Madeleine Pickens is hoping to move forward with her plans to build a sprawling horse sanctuary in northern Nevada. Pickens has already put millions of her own money into buying a large ranch near Elko and now has an agreement to buy a second property as well.

She will need the cooperation of BLM if she wants to put captured mustangs on the land so she can open an eco-tourism attraction, although BLM has said in the past it does not wants the horses to remain in Nevada, even in a sanctuary.

Director Abbey has agreed to meet with Pickens this month to talk about her plan but has made no promises.

Titus says she has already introduced legislation to force BLM to use options other than roundups, such as more adoptions, birth control, and a program to encourage ranchers to allow horses to graze on private range. But BLM continues to use roundups as the primary focus of the program.

Here’s a list of recent gathers:

Herd Area	# of Horses	# Removed
Moriah	72	72
Montezuma	139	139
Paymaster	45	45
Reveille	250	198
Silver King	600	545

3 Worthy Opinions

The Perfect Time to End the Slaughter of American Horses

September 2, 2010

R.T. Fitch Horse News, Horse Slaughter Horse Slaughter, Animal welfare, Equine Welfare Alliance, Horse, John Holland, Equine, Horse Meat, Jockey Club, Canada, United States, Mexico 24 Comments

by John Holland, President of The Equine Welfare Alliance

John Holland

At the moment, the news is rife with stories about the level of equine neglect in the United States, with many of the articles blaming the “unintended consequences” of closing the US horse slaughter plants and calling for them to be reopened. But in reality, we are coming up on a once in a lifetime opportunity to get rid of this abominable practice once and for all. To understand this apparent paradox, one needs to get past unsubstantiated myths to the real forces at play in the market.

First, one needs to understand that it is completely impossible to blame the current glut of excess horses on the closing of the slaughter plants because the closings simply sent the horses over the Mexican and Canadian borders for slaughter. In 2006, the year before the closings, 142,740 American horses were slaughtered, and that number only dropped by 14% the year the plants were closed. By 2008, slaughter was back to the second highest level in almost ten years.

Next, it is necessary to understand what really causes neglect, and that is unemployment. After years of studying the relationship between neglect rates and slaughter volumes, I had concluded that there was no relationship whatever. Then I looked at the rates of neglect in Illinois in comparison with unemployment in the state. The correlation was striking.

Like most such revelations, it should have been expected, but it was still striking. It perfectly explains the mystery of how the number of American horses slaughtered in the US between 1989 and 2002 could have dropped from 377,078 to 77,713 (almost 80%) with no negative impact on either neglect or horse prices.

This correlation also tells us what we can expect as unemployment goes both up and down. At the moment the US is experiencing high unemployment with national rates hovering just under 10%. As predicted from the above graph, this is causing a high rate of neglect.

So why can I say with complete confidence that we are coming up on the perfect opportunity to end slaughter without significantly impacting the horse market?

There is a second factor at work. As the market for horses remains depressed, many breeders are throwing in the proverbial towel. Every day brood mares and stallions are being sold at auction and on internet sites like Craig’s List. This is temporarily increasing the supply and further depressing prices.

The result of this further depression in prices is to convince even more breeders to quit producing. Statistics show breeding is down dramatically in virtually all breeds. The Jockey Club, for example, recently predicted the 2011 foal crop will be the lowest since 1973. Similarly, the American Quarter Horse Association’s annual reports shows a 15% drop in revenue for new registrations between 2006 and 2009.

This trend will continue until the economy begins to recover significantly, or the market eventually reaches a new balance. Slaughter cannot help reduce the over supply of horses because the horse meat market is also depressed. Although the export of US slaughter horses in 2008 brought the annual slaughter back its level before the plant closures, the subsequent recession caused a 25.8% drop in exports between 2008 and 2009. The reduction in demand for slaughter horses will likely continue as the effects of new EU drug residue regulations begin forcing horses to be quarantined for 6 months prior to slaughter.

But these two trends are about to merge and provide a wonderful opportunity to end slaughter with little or no impact on the market. As the smaller foal crops reach market age, there will be a reduction supply, and when the economy finally begins to recover, it will bring with it more carrying capacity (demand) for horses. With less supply and more homes available, the number of surplus horses will dip to a record low.

Moreover, there will be a move toward quality. In a recent interview, a struggling breeder in Canada complained she had to sell her horses to slaughter because the market was so low, but in the very next sentence she explained “You have to breed 100 horses to get two good ones.” Clearly that business model has been a big part of the problem that gotten us to this point, but few “lotto breeders” appear to be surviving the current market.

Only a deep and prolonged recession could have brought us this opportunity and we have certainly been experiencing just that. It would be a tremendous shame if we missed this coming opportunity.

What is needed is for congress to pass HR 503 / S 727, banning the slaughter and export to slaughter of American horses. This action could be placed in abeyance until a trigger was reached of unemployment dropping significantly (perhaps under 8%). The result would be a smooth transition to a much more humane equine industry.

Horse slaughter is not a “necessary evil”, merely an evil. Now is our opportunity to resign this practice to the dust bin of American history.

John Holland is a freelance writer, the author of three books and an industrial consultant in the field of intelligent automation and knowledge engineering. He frequently writes on the subject of horse slaughter from his small farm in the mountains of Virginia, where he lives with his wife, Sheilah, and their 12 equines. Holland is president of the Equine Welfare Alliance and serves as senior analyst for Americans Against Horse Slaughter, an organization composed entirely of volunteers.

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