Equine Protection Network
August 31, 2006
E-Mail Address Changes!
HR 503 Update
Cover Story on Horse Slaughter in Long Island Press

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SUPPORT HR 503

Supporters of HR 503, The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act,
should beware that we do not have a repeat of the 1996 Commercial
Transportation of Horses to Slaughter Act which legalized every
inhumane practice identified in the transport of horses to slaughter
and put the very people identified as the abusers and several of whom
have been convicted of cruelty to horses, in charge of the horses'
welfare.

In 1996 I was contacted and urged to support a bill( with no
amendments) that would ban double deck trailers, require a veterinary
fit to travel certificate, require water, food and rest every 12
hours, non skid flooring, separation of stallions and other
aggressive horses and prohibit pregnant mares from shipment to
slaughter. I supported a bill that I believed would accomplish all of
the above. Instead HSUS and other animal welfare groups compromised
the bill, and the horses in the words of Cathleen Doyle,(CA Equine
Council,Save The Horses & HoofPAC), "didn't even get rubber mats".

Fast Forward to 2006 and HR 503 The American Horse Slaugter
Prevention Act. We are again being urged to support and gain more
support for HR 503 with no amendments. What assurances do we have
this time around that the sponsors of this legislation will have the
fortitude to Kill the Bill if hostile amendments are offered?

No hostile amendments can be accepted and if HR 503 becomes toxic due
to hostile amendments than the following MUST happen immediately:

· Congressmen's Sweeney & Whitfield MUST Kill the Bill!!

· The animal welfare organizations MUST immediately withdraw their
support and KILL the BILL!!!

· All organizations MUST withdraw their support and Kill the Bill!

If not we will all hear the following from the sponsoring
organizations just as we did in 1996 with the Commericial
Transportation of Horses to Slaughter Act:

"something is better than nothing"

"we will come back and fix the language or get the bill amended"

(never happens - just look at the Commerical Transportaion of Horses
to Slaughter Act which is nothing more than a "Paper Tiger".
Enforcement records prove that repeat violators are reprimanded with
verbal or written warnings. The injured horses are still slaughtered
and the violators are still profiting.

"I've worked too long and hard to have nothing pass or to show for it"

After an amended version is passed press releases will be released by
the animal welfare organizations misleading the public and supporters
to believe everything is fine, the horses are saved, and send us more
money.

In reality the slaughter of America's Horses will continue. Instead
of banning the practice the amended version will regulate the
practice of horse slaughter. Donors will continue to send money and
horses will continue to be slaughtered.

For the horses sake, I hope I am wrong.

We must not let History repeat itself;
We must not let a compromised version of HR 503 off the House Floor!!

Christine Berry
EPN


For more information on the history of the Commercial Transportation
of Horses to Slaughter Act visit the Legislation section of our
website.


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SAVING THE HORSES
Americans Wake Up To Equine Abuse
BY ALICYN LEIGH 08/31/2006 10:45 am


http://www.longislandpress.com/?cp=40&show=article&a_id=9572

Imagine traveling to Japan, Belgium or France, sitting down to dine
in a fine restaurant and finding that the special on the menu is
American Thoroughbred.

In 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
94,037 horses were slaughtered for human consumption at the three
foreign-owned horse slaughter plants in this country (two in Texas
and one in Illinois).

Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The Humane Society of
the United States (HSUS), says he believes the numbers are even
greater than that.

"An additional 34,796 horses were exported to Canada, Japan or Mexico
for slaughter," he explains. "So, in total, an outstanding 128,833
American horses were slaughtered for food, either within or outside
the United States."

Severe equine abuse occurs every day, as these magnificent,
intelligent animals continue to be betrayed by humans. According to
USDA statistics, seven out of every 11 horses will be slaughtered,
says Christine Berry, president and founder of the Equine Protection
Network (EPN) in Friedensburg, Pa. Horses have given their lives to
the human race for centuries, and have served in wartime, in law
enforcement, as carriage horses for transport, providing therapy for
the disabled, providing companionship and so much more.

(correction of statement by Berry - "The average age of horses sent
to slaughter is 7-11 years old according to the USDA.)

Money is what many experts say is the reason behind abuse and
slaughter. A horse sold at auction in America for 40 cents per pound
can rake in up to $15 per pound on the retail market. European
restaurants charge as much as $40 for a horsemeat entrée.

"When the combination of money and horses come together, our horses
suffer," states the EPN's Berry.


Serving It Up

The three U.S. slaughterhouses that export horsemeat for human
consumption are Cavel International, in DeKalb, Ill., owned by Velda
N.V. of Brussels; Beltex, in Fort Worth, is owned by Multimeat N.V.,
also of Brussels; and Dallas Crown, in Kaufman, Texas, is owned by
the French company Chevideco. The slaughterhouses have had an effect
that goes beyond their borders, though: For several years, people who
live in Kaufman have complained of the health hazards. One resident
stated that she finds horse blood "in my bathtubs, sink and toilets,"
a result of the blood spills and overflows that clog up the local
wastewater treatment plant and septic systems. The complaints have
led a city commission to unanimously rule that the plant be closed by
September.

Billionaire oilman and Texas rancher T. Boone Pickens and his wife,
Madeleine, heard about horse slaughter for human consumption four
months ago, while aiding in the rescue of some 800 pets from
Hurricane Katrina's devastation.

Pickens says that "horse slaughterhouses receive USDA oversight that
costs taxpayers millions of dollars—all for horsemeat that is sold
and consumed as a delicacy in high-dollar markets and restaurants in
Europe and Japan."

Apparently, these slaughterhouses use accounting loopholes to pay
little or no taxes, shipping 100 percent of the horsemeat and the
profits abroad. The largest customers are France, Belgium and Italy.
The plants sell to importing companies that are owned by their own
parent corporations, and thus adjust their income so as to avoid
paying American taxes.

"Last year the Dallas Crown slaughter plant in Kaufman, Texas, paid
only $3 in taxes," says John M. Holland, an independent horse
advocate from Shawsville, Va. To add insult to injury, after the HSUS
prompted Congress to cut the funding for equine slaughterhouse
inspectors, the USDA avoided those good intentions by "permitting
slaughterhouses to pay for their own independent inspectors,"
according to Markarian.


Racehorse-rescuer Paul Sorvino with, 5-year-old Mr. Quick, who is
being, trained as a children's riding horse.

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA)/H.R. 503

Pickens testified on July 25 before the U.S. House of Representatives
Energy and Commerce subcommittee in support of the American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act (HSPA) (H.R. 503), a strongly bipartisan
bill designed to end the slaughter of horses in this country, as well
as their export, for human consumption.

"Horse slaughter is un-American. It's a black eye on our nation that
demands action," says Pickens.

At present, the AHSPA has about 180 co-sponsors in the house, but
U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) has yet to let it out of committee.
And time is running out on this bill.

"People can help by contacting their representatives and telling them
that it is unconscionable that a bill with such overwhelming
bipartisan support both from the people and Congress should be
blocked by a few powerful men at the behest of a group of foreign-
owned companies," pleads Holland. The vote on H.R. 503 is scheduled
in the House of Representatives for Sept. 7, and then the Senate will
vote.



Responsible Racehorse Ownership

Ferdinand, the 1986 Kentucky Derby winner, ended up in a
slaughterhouse in 2002, with his highly

prized meat ending up in Japan. Chris E. Wittstruck, Esq., founder of
the Racehorse Ownership Institute at Hofstra University, in
Hempstead, teaches responsibility through his invaluable program, the
only course available for Thoroughbred and Standard-bred racehorse
owners. Wittstruck also
discusses issues relevant to estates and the fate of horses in
disability and their disposition at death. He reflects on how
Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro shattered his leg at the Preakness and
says: "People who would send a dozen roses to Barbaro wouldn't give a
damn about the horse who pulled up lame yesterday at their local
racing oval."

Wittstruck's continuous mantra is that if you want to buy a
racehorse,

the last thing you should do is buy a racehorse. One needs to first
be immersed in every aspect of the business and industry (tax,
insurance, licensing, acquisitions, claiming, auctions, race
conditions, illness, injury, etc.).

"My course includes raising awareness—that responsibilities don't end
once the racing career is over," says Wittstruck. "You have a 1,000-
pound living animal. It needs constant care and attention. What
provisions are you making that it won't fall into the hands of
killers when taken to auction?"



The Road To Slaughter

Equine Protection Network founder Berry began her quest in 1995,
determined to make a difference in the lives of abused, neglected and
slaughter-bound horses. Berry says that she founded the EPN after she
witnessed the violation of New York law regarding the transport of
horses in double-deck cattle trailers, known as "torture trailers,"
and what she describes as horrible living conditions for horses at
the New Holland Sales Stables (NHSS) in New Holland, Pa.

"I could not understand why hundreds of weekly visitors to the NHSS
stood by doing nothing, while sick, injured and lame horses were
loaded into inhumane trailers," says Berry. Privately owned NHSS is
the largest public horse sale facility on the East Coast.
Approximately 200 to 400 horses, depending on the time of year and
the
market, go to the sale weekly, and 25 percent to 40 percent of them
are bought directly by so-called "killer buyers," for slaughter.

"New Holland may be the largest sale of its kind east of the
Mississippi, but it is not the only one," shares Berry, who has many
disturbing memories of the animal abuse she has witnessed. She's seen
horses being loaded onto double-deck trailers, horses whipped
viciously in the face (two pony mares actually spun around and ran
over their foals) and more. She has seen horses that had broken legs
or untreated injuries, as well as some who were emaciated

and nothing more than skeletons. She saw one downed horse on the
ground, crippled and in so much pain that he could not rise to drink.



Celebs To The Rescue

Amanda Sorvino and her dad, well-known actor Paul Sorvino, have been
rescuing large canines for the past five years.

Referring to the image of sides of beef hanging in a meat locker,
accomplished horsewoman Amanda says, "Since we moved to a 58-acre
equine compound in rural Pennsylvania, we've been sparing ex-
racehorses a hanger at the meat locker, with our new organization
called HorseFellas, a privately owned division of www.dogfellas.net."

HorseFellas offers lodging, pasture, training, rehabilitation and
advanced vet care to once slaughter-bound Thorough-breds and
Standardbreds. Some of the horses are being retrained to become
children's riding and show horses by HorseFellas trainer Valerie
Wierzbicki.

"The horses will then be adopted out to approved homes. The others,
having sustained serious injuries on the track, will either remain in
the family or be adopted out to 'friend and pasture' homes," says
Amanda.

Paul Sorvino sends a message to the horse show kids and their
families: "Never obtain a horse that you do not intend to keep
forever. If your horse is no longer 'in the ribbons,' don't get rid
of it to make room for your next horse. Make sure it gets placed in a
reputable home."

Amanda and Paul do know of some trainers/owners, such as friend Bob
Kotenko, an ex-jockey-turned trainer from Penn National, Pa., who
places slow runners or injured horses in new homes after their time
is up at the track. But the Sorvinos still believe that "horseracing
is not the sport of kings, but the sport of death."

"It's a black mark against a society that is so empathetic towards a
near Triple Crown winner, but turns a blind eye to the plight of less
accomplished racehorses," says Paul. "These lesser lights [horses]
suffer injuries every day at tracks across America and land in
slaughter plants like Dallas Crown. If a horse can't race its way to
the Triple Crown, it could end up at Dallas Crown."

Pictures at website:

A pinto horsehide coming off
the Dallas Crown slaughterhouse conveyor.

Premarin Mares

Holland, a lifelong horse owner who works with many humane groups,
became an outspoken opponent of horse slaughter in 2003. He and his
wife, Sheilah, read a story about the plight of the pregnant mares'
urine (PMU) horses used to create Premarin, a female horse urine-
based drug used in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to ease the
symptoms of menopause in women.

"We decided to adopt a PMU mare from a site run by United Animal

Nations. The mare was so undernourished that she lost her foal in
transport to our farm," Holland says. The HSUS estimates that there
are at least 50,000 production mares on the 500 PMU farms in North
America.

Peter Touham (not his real name), an undercover investigator who
works on animal-abuse-related issues, became more aware of the abuse
of Premarin horses when he was sent to North Dakota and Canada to do
a full-scale investigation. There, he learned just how bad a life
Premarin mares must endure.

"I became an advocate for Premarin horses while in the course of
doing an investigation into Premarin," he says. Mares used to produce
Premarin (named for its source, pregnant mares' urine) are usually
either Percherons, Belgians, Quarter Horses or some combination
thereof, who are tied up to a urine collection device for at least
150 straight days, starting in September every year.

"In order to produce PMU, mares are impregnated and confined to tiny
stalls for the duration of their pregnancy," describes Touham.

At the PMU farms, urine is collected from mares of all ages chained
inside narrow stalls who are forced to stand on concrete floors and
unable to turn around. A harness keeps them held in place to a rubber
collection cup, and they sometimes get so tired that they go down but
are unable to avoid lying in their own feces. There is little or no
hoof care. "I have personally seen cases where the front hooves have
been so neglected that they grow out and curl back up," says Touham.

Women can help to prevent the abuse of female horses by asking their
physicians or gynecologists not to prescribe Premarin. Instead, women
can choose from other hormone replacement drugs not manufactured from
the urine of pregnant mares.

"Alternative choices made synthetically, such as Cenestin, Estratab,
Estraderm or Ortho-Est, do have similar efficacy when used to treat
hypoestrogenic [estrogen-deficient] states," says Dr. Jill Rabin,
chief of ambulatory care at the obstetrics and gynecology department
of Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park.


Premarin Proof Positive

Equestrian enthusiast Lesli Hiller has been in the saddle for more
than 30 years. Every day, she rides a privately owned horse, stabled
at North Shore Equestrian Center in Greenvale. Her experiences are
unique because the horse she rides, Oatmeal, was a Premarin foal.
Hiller has been riding and caring for Oatmeal since he was 3 years
old; he is now 5. She says that horses "can be highly intelligent.
Oatmeal knows words such as 'good boy' and he knows what 'back' means
[to back up]." If she repeats an exercise more than once he gets it
right away. Oatmeal also knows his grooming routine and picks up his
feet for cleaning even before she asks for his hoof. Hiller says she
is inspired to be with these gentle giants because she "really loves
them. Once they know you, it's like having a big dog. When you are
riding, there is a level of trust I have for the horse, and vice
versa: We are one. And when I am on his back, he does anything I ask
him to do—it is truly an amazing feeling," says Hiller.

Because Oatmeal was not raised in normal conditions—his mother was
unable to move about while her urine was being collected—he has
quirks. "He will not let anyone else get on him to ride him, and his
temperament can be unruly," says Hiller.


What To Do

Equine abuse must stop. Every horse deserves to be treated with
kindness and respect for all that the animal has given to society
throughout time.

"Issues like slaughter and rescue don't usually present well unless
somebody is doing a Sally Struthers-like 'Save the Children' exposé,"
states the Racehorse Ownership Institute's Wittstruck. The EPN's
Berry advises those who still don't see the harm in animal abuse to
read the book Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell, which encourages people
to treat animals with less cruelty. She says, "In Black Beauty, the
character, Joe Green, recognized Beauty and brought him home from the
auction. But for 5 million American horses, including Ferdinand and
Excellor [a champion racehorse who was sent to a slaughterhouse in
Sweden], there was no Joe Green at the auction—and they were forced
with whips and electric cattle prods onto double-deck cattle trailers
on a one-way ride into hell, forgotten and betrayed by the owners
they gave their lives for."



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Help The Horses Now!



After voters approved a 1998 law outlawing the killing of horses for
human consumption, California became the first and only state in the
country to ban the practice.



1) Get active in the anti-horse slaughter movement in the political
arena, and support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act
(AHSPA/H.R. 503): http://www.HR857.com.



3) Fund lobbyists who will fight to end the slaughter of American
horses.



4) Adopt a slaughter-bound horse or send monetary donations: See
www.dogfellas.net, click on SLAUGHTERHOUSE 5 and meet five slaughter-
bound horses in need of approved homes.



5) Contact Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Inc., at 1-800-666-7248, to
express your outrage over Premarin production methods.



6) Stop traveling to foreign countries that consume the most
horsemeat, such as France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and
Mexico.


7) Web Sources:

• Equine Protection Network (EPN), Christine Berry, president and
founder,
P.O. Box 232, Friedensburg, PA 17933, Phone: 570-345-6440, E-mail:
EquineProtectionNetwork@..., www.equineprotectionnetwork.com
and www.saveamericashorses.com.



• Standardbred Retirement Foundation, www.adoptahorse.org



• Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses
(CANTER): www.canterusa.org



• Racehorse Ownership Institute, Chris E. Wittstruck, Coordinator,
Hofstra University/250, College for Continuing Education, Hempstead,
NY 11549-2500, 516-463-5993, E-mail: WittstruckC@...,
www.hofstra.edu/Academics/
UCCE/ucceBusinessStudies/ucce_bs_racehorseownership.cfm



• T. Boone and Madeleine Pickens, www.endhorseslaughtering.com.
John M. Holland, independent horse advocate, works with AWI, HSUS,
UAN and other groups. P.O. Box 386, Shawsville, VA 24162, 540-268-
5693, E-mail: hollandtech@...



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