Saturday, August 23, 2008

Bad days for horses

Horses are in the news this summer, and it usually isn't good news
Take a look at undercover video from "Exposed Truths" that reveals horrific conditions at the stables of J.C. Cutters, which bills itself as Chicago's "premiere carriage company."

Consider the story of Heavenly Perfect, a 5-year-old mare who was raced to death.

The horrors of the slaughterhouse have struck a nerve with people. A Boston racetrack has enacted a zero-tolerance slaughter policy. [TheHorse.com; free registration is required]
Now it should take a cold hard look at the common practice of running horses to death.

It's been a deadly spring and summer for horses that pull buggies in rural or less heavily traveled areas, with accidents in Nappanee, and Goshen, Ind.; Lawrenceberg, TN; Lancaster and Meadville, PA.; Mercer County, Ohio; and Alamosa, Colo., to name a few. Human lives were lost in a number of these crashes, at least one of which is a consequence of a drunken motorist who plowed into the buggy.

Conditions cannot be made safe or humane for New York City carriage horses, who travel miles in noisy, heavy traffic. Support a full ban, which is advocated by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Friends of Animals, and the Humane Society of the United States, among a host of others. Let your City Council member hear from you. If you are not a New York City resident, contact the mayor's office and voice your concern for the horses.

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