My freshman year of high school, I was a part of 50 4-H members and chaperones to attend the first Missouri 4-H Equine Tour. Our group was visiting the top Missouri equine facilities to listen to experts and to learn about careers in the horse industry. We were all high school students, passionate about horses and currently debating the hot topic of 2007- horse slaughter.
In 2007, the U.S. horse industry drastically changed when Congress banned domestic horse processing. Funds that supported processing facilities were cut from the national budget. For five years the U.S. has not processed a single horse, and the results to the equine market have been devastating.
Then, on November 18, 2011, President Obama signed the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act for 2012 to provide federal funding for the reinstallation of horse processing.
But, on the Equine Tour bus the new legislation was caused a stir. Words such as “companion animal” and “pet” were being debated, and I found myself and my best friend, Sonja Perry, fiercely defending the rights of horses. In reflection we were speaking out of passion. We thought we were protecting horses-the horses we knew.
When we heard the words “horse” and “slaughter” we made the mistake that Congress and most American made. We categorized our horses, the purebred animals we raised and showed, with the bottom market feral equines that were used for processing purposes. In actuality, the processing of horses was helpful to the horse industry.
Fast forward to that fall. Once again I was in front of a crowd but this time it was a different situation. I was competing in the Missouri FFA district speech competition. The speech I was presenting was defending horse processing.
After attending the Equine Tour and listening to horse breeders predict the disastrous effects of a horse processing ban, my mind was quickly changed. This time I had done the research, I had the facts and I knew my purpose. When I presented my speech to the panel of judges I was confident that my message was correct and represented the view points of my fellow agriculturists.
Since then, I have spoken with numerous Missouri horse breeders and equine experts who have been negatively impacted from the processing ban. I have also seen the disastrous effects evident in my own community.
Looking into my own pastures at my family farm, I can see the negative effects of the horse processing ban. I may be able to separate the emotion of horse processing with the issue at hand. But I cannot distinguish the drop in value of my own trained horses have encountered because of the harmful legislation.
I grew up in a rural community surrounded by horse breeders and equine enthusiasts. Yet, soon after the ban of horse processing I noticed a change. There were fewer foals in pastures, less participants in the local rodeos and horse shows and fewer members of our local Saddle Club attending trail rides and events. Last year there were under ten participants, including my younger brother, at the Daviess County horse show. When I was in 4-H it was one of the larger horse shows in northwest Missouri.
I have heard stories of families taking their horses to a rodeo and coming back with additional horses in their trailer. No one knows what to do with animals that can no longer perform or that they cannot afford.
As with many controversial topics, everyone has a viewpoint, and there is much misinformation in circulation. I discovered many untruths about the equine industry and agriculture as a whole during my research of horse processing. In the end, I knew horse processing would be beneficial to the U.S., and I would support it.
A few years ago I was willing to “protect” my horses from a national horse slaughter ban. Today, I am more knowledgeable and have been exposed to numerous agriculture resources to form a more factual opinion about horse processing. I credit youth agriculture organizations such as 4-H and the National FFA Organization and the individuals and mentors I met to help me expand my views. I also credit first-hand experience for realizing the catastrophe a lack of horse processing caused.
I have learned that as agriculturists we have every right to defend our passion and way of life. But it is essential to research both sides of an issue, no matter what our personal views may be. We must be aware of the changes occurring within all aspects of our industry.
I know that there are honest producers who harbor a passion for horses in the Missouri equine industry and are ready to take back their livelihoods. In fact, they have now been given the chance to do so with the lifting of the national horse slaughter ban. The controversial debate of U.S. horse processing began as an issue centered around feeling and has ended as an issue of facts.
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