Initiative to Ban Horse Slaughter

Re “Riding to the Rescue of Horses,” Jan. 30: Redwings and other sanctuaries do a very difficult and important job, and legislation to stop the slaughter of unwanted horses is a worthy cause, but it is closing the barn door after the horse has been dragged out.

The glut of horses for slaughter in 1989, to which the article referred, was a direct result of horrendous overbreeding of horses for profit. Polo, racing and the quest for “just the right” color, spots, speed, cow sense, movement, size, etc. all contribute to the “creation” of many more horses than there are loving homes. Given a finite number of homes for horses, every foal that is born represents one “surplus” horse.

As long as we do not accept responsibility for the lives we encourage, no amount of sentimentality can undo the damage. The transport of 200,000 horses to slaughter is inhumane, probably almost as bad as the transport of many millions of cows, pigs and chickens. We pay other people to kill our food for us and we don’t care how they do it. The inhumanity of the process is matched by environmental and economic unsustainability and horrible human health problems. The real cost of our food cannot be measured by dollars at the supermarket.

GARY PAUDLER

Summerland

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The backers of the initiative left out one minor detail to the cost of having a horse euthanized. The vet fee may only be $100, but the cost to have the dead horse carted off is a minimum of $250. You do the math.

TOM WALSH

Reseda