Equine Slaughter Reinstated in Some States and Tougher Soring Penalities
Horse slaughter is being reinstated in some states. Stay tuned for Open Range . I’m Susan Allen. A horse slaughter plant is slated to be re-opened by the end of the summer in Rockville, Missouri. In recent press reports horse rendering plant Unified Equine Missouri announced it would be a humane slaughter facility regulated and inspected by USDA to ensure all horses are humanely transported and processed according to federal regulations. They also claims the plant will follow guidelines that go above and beyond minimum government requirements developed by the International Equine Business Association that include video surveillance to ensure humane handling and a market-driven testing and traceability protocol. It is believed that with stricter standards no stolen horse will be mistakenly processed and all horses processed for human consumption would be verified free of residues or other contamination. In another ruling regarding humane handling of equines, The U.S.D.A has amended regulations to require horse industry organizations to assess minimum penalties for violations of the Horse Protection Act meant to eliminate the cruel practice of Soring, causing irritation or pain to a horse’s pasterns or hooves to increase the height and reach of the show-ring gait, after . Hidden-camera footage inside Tennessee Walking Horse trainer, if you can call him that Jackie McConnell's stable brought the abhorrent practice into the public eye when it aired on ABC's Nightline last month causing extreme outrage. This man needs maximum not minimum penalties and be pernanalty banned from owning horses.
