WFLF Study Reveals Disturbing Number of U.S. Thoroughbreds Slaughtered Each Year « Straight from the Horse's Heart

WFLF Study Reveals Disturbing Number of U.S. Thoroughbreds Slaughtered Each Year « Straight from the Horse's Heart

The case study is based on data published by the U.S. government and the Jockey Club. According to the study, an amount equal to 70% of the annual Thoroughbred foal crop, on average, die at slaughter each year.

“The polls have shown that the vast majority of those in racing want an end to the transport of their horses to any slaughterhouse,” said Jo Anne Normile, founder of Saving Baby Equine Charity and CANTER, the first organization to take Thoroughbreds right from the track to safe havens. “But for every Secretariat, for every Seabiscuit, there are tens of thousands of racehorses whose experiences on the back lots of the country’s tracks tell a different story.“

Contraceptives For Wild Horses Are Just What The Government Ordered « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Contraceptives For Wild Horses Are Just What The Government Ordered « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Here’s a $70-80 million-dollar-a-year welfare program sure to bring out the wild beast in every taxpayer, regardless of religious or political affiliation. Private accommodations for unwed mothers, fathers and their offspring? Check. Free food? Check. Free contraceptives, sterilization and medical care? Check. Check. Check.

Before you go accusing Obamacare of promoting immoral behavior at taxpayer expense, let me clarify a few things: The program got started under the Nixon administration; its recipients have been protected by law since 1971; and it’s brought to you by a government agency usually associated with allowing large oil and mining companies to despoil public lands without paying either you or me or the rest of the public much for the privilege.

Update: Animal’s Angels Recent Horse Slaughter Auction Investigations « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Update: Animal’s Angels Recent Horse Slaughter Auction Investigations « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Investigators attended the monthly horse auction in Middleburg, PA. There were approx 150 horses present in the pen area. The “slaughter prospects” were kept in groups of 4 – 6 horses per pen in the darkest area of the barn. Several of them were thin, one mule had a swollen hind leg and one chestnut mare had several open sores on her body. The sale started at 11:48am. The usual kill buyers Rotz and Moore were present and buying many of the horses under $500.00. An unknown buyer with the buyer number 500 was purchasing several horses the kill buyers didn’t want for as low as $10. Brian Moore was there with his large tractor/trailer and so was Bruce Rotz.

Illinois Politicians Try to Slaughter Horses, AGAIN! « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Illinois Politicians Try to Slaughter Horses, AGAIN! « Straight from the Horse's Heart

For those of you that have been with us for quite some time, y’all know what Ground Hog Day is in Illinois. For those of you new to our email group, Illinois has its very own Ground Hog Day. That’s the day that state Representative Jim Sacia introduces his annual “Let’s overturn the state law banning horse slaughter” legislation. This year there is a twist. Sacia was able to get a newbie (2011), Richard Morthland (R) to do his bidding. Yes, we have yet another bill to address, HB 5382.

Horse-Eating Cult Attacks Children, Education and Learning Institutions « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Horse-Eating Cult Attacks Children, Education and Learning Institutions « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Several months ago, a young boy became agitated, frustrated and upset over the idea that the inhumane act of slaughtering companion animals (horses) for human consumption abroad could be returning to the shores of the United States. Growing up in a family that knew the difference between food animals and pets the young man decided to take things into his own hands and began a letter writing campaign to the members of Congress in an effort to head off the agenda of a few twisted alleged citizens funded by foreigner’s bloody money. His idea picked up momentum and through the support of the Equine Welfare Alliance and The United Federation of Teachers Humane Education Committee not only did the letter writing campaign blossom but lesson plans on the subject were developed and the young ones are now teaching their elders a thing or two about appropriate advocacy and matters of the heart.

An Equine Odyssey: How a Girl Lost — and Found — the Horse She Loved « Straight from the Horse's Heart

An Equine Odyssey: How a Girl Lost — and Found — the Horse She Loved « Straight from the Horse's Heart

A dark bay, nearly black, with a dramatic white blaze on her forehead, everyone thought Burma — the diva of the barn — was a beauty.

But, though friendly and affectionate, the 6-year-old thoroughbred was practically impossible to handle. High-strung and feisty, she swayed impatiently in her stall, chewed the wooden doors, got tangled in her harness, stuck her nose into any box or bucket she could find. She had proved hopeless on the track, despite having a distant blood connection to the great racehorse Man o’ War. She had ugly feet that required special shoes, and an alarming tendency to colic.

To 16-year-old Megan Chance, she was perfect.

Radical Wyoming Politician’s Horse Slaughter Plans Challenged in Missouri « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Radical Wyoming Politician’s Horse Slaughter Plans Challenged in Missouri « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Virtually within hours of notorious Wyoming State Rep. “Slaughterhouse” Sue Wallis’ announcement of plans for a foreign owned horse slaughter plant to be built in the community of Mountain Grove, MO the local citizens have mobilized though the Community Preservation Project (CPP) to stop the plant’s approval and what would be the resulting destruction of their community.

Chief Wyoming Horse-Eater Pawns Alleged Horse Slaughter Plant Off onto Missouri « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Chief Wyoming Horse-Eater Pawns Alleged Horse Slaughter Plant Off onto Missouri « Straight from the Horse's Heart

rue to form, Wyoming’s Renegade State Rep. Sue Wallis has launched a rumor in the news that she is behind the opening of a predatory horse Slaughter plant in Missouri before the people of the state, and local community, are even aware of it. We have all heard the assumptions and false predictions in the past but what is amazing is that anyone in the media community would actually pay attention to her miscues and innuendo. Wallis even goes on to expound about how the bloody meat will be distributed, within the year, within the U.S. full knowing that the meat of US horses is banned in the EU due to drug contamination and that the overall all public consensuses is 80% opposed to the killing and feasting upon flesh of companion animals.

Salazar, Obama’s BLM Stick It to the Wild Horses, Burros and the American Public « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Salazar, Obama’s BLM Stick It to the Wild Horses, Burros and the American Public « Straight from the Horse's Heart

While trusting Americans calmly slept all snug in their beds dreaming of freedom, blue skies, green grass and the thundering of distance hooves the grotesquely distorted and immoral monster, known as the Department of the Interior (DoI), was plotting on collusive and divisive ways to kill off the national icon of American freedom and independence; the wild horses and burros of the western United States.

Equine Welfare Organizations Join Forces to Demand Ouster of BLM Board Horse Slaughter Promoting Appointee « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Equine Welfare Organizations Join Forces to Demand Ouster of BLM Board Horse Slaughter Promoting Appointee « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Join thousands of concerned and caring Americans around the country.

Protest Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s appointment of Callie Hendrickson to the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board[1] as the General Public Representative.

Background: Callie Hendrickson is the Executive Director of the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts representing ranching interests, many of whom have permits to run livestock on public lands in Northwestern Colorado. The organization successfully petitioned to become an intervenor on the side of BLM to completely remove the West Douglas Wild Horse Herd on the Western Slope of Colorado.

Saving Horses from Slaughter: NH Boy Blogs, Testifies before Legislature about why Practice must be Halted « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Saving Horses from Slaughter: NH Boy Blogs, Testifies before Legislature about why Practice must be Halted « Straight from the Horse's Heart

GREENLAND — Nine-year-old Declan Gregg is on a mission to save as many horses from reaching the slaughter houses as he possibly can.

Over the past few months, Declan’s interest in horses has grown dramatically after being exposed to the methods used to slaughter horses throughout the United States.

“I thought it was mean and gross that they would do that stuff to them,” Declan told Foster’s.

No Jail for Pennsylvania Woman Accused of Selling Rescue Horses to Slaughter « Straight from the Horse's Heart

No Jail for Pennsylvania Woman Accused of Selling Rescue Horses to Slaughter « Straight from the Horse's Heart

HARRISBURG – A Chester County woman accused of selling thoroughbreds for slaughter after promising to put them up for adoption will avoid prison by agreeing to enter a first-offender program.

Kelsey Lefever, 24, of Honeybrook, abruptly waived her preliminary hearing on four counts of theft by deception Tuesday in a Dauphin County district court. Prosecutors withdrew a fifth charge, that she had engaged in deceptive business practices.

Through Children’s Eyes « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Through Children’s Eyes « Straight from the Horse's Heart

here comes a time when we, as adults, need to take a few steps back and look at the world through the eyes of our children.

Our life prejudices, at times, prevent us from recognizing there are lessons to be learned from those who are able to see without the fetters of blinders. In many aspects of life, as adults, we see things from a jaded perspective, colored by many things: inherent greed, mistrust, fear and broken promises. This is not to say we should don our rose colored glasses. For a moment let us not only look, but see with the trust, love, honesty and compassion we find to be inherent in children.

Horse Meat “Snake Oil” Salesmen Fool Cattle Ranchers « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Horse Meat “Snake Oil” Salesmen Fool Cattle Ranchers « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Cattlemen who fought against the USDA’s National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and thought they squelched it until the USDA revived it as Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) , are donating money to the United Horsemen and the International Equine Business Association (IEBA), which, ironically, seem to be bringing in NAIS/ADT through the back door.

Horseback Commentary: BLM Again Gives Stunning Tin Ear Demonstration « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Horseback Commentary: BLM Again Gives Stunning Tin Ear Demonstration « Straight from the Horse's Heart

HOUSTON, (Horseback) – The tin ear of the federal Bureau of Land Management is clearly so out of tune to the desires of the American public and so in tune with the wants of corporate agriculture, hunting interests, and natural resource exploitation that the agency, and its titular head, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, has made appointments’ that not only mock public opinion but create a fetid cesspool of criticism where it now wallows – a pool of its own making.

Dear Horse Advocate: An Open Letter from Former Mayor Paula Bacon « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Dear Horse Advocate: An Open Letter from Former Mayor Paula Bacon « Straight from the Horse's Heart

When I was mayor of a city with a horse slaughter plant, the support, information and backing of horse advocates encouraged me, strengthened my convictions— you were essential to me and frankly kept me going. I want to thank you for your advocacy for horses. It is because of you that elected officials feel compelled or wise to support a ban on horse slaughter.

Cupid Shot an Arrow for the Wild Horses and Burros « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Cupid Shot an Arrow for the Wild Horses and Burros « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Upfront a surprise gift was granted to us on the 14^th with the ruling from the 9^th District Court of Appeals which pounced on the fact that Laura Leigh’s First Amendment appeal was validated and will be sent back to the Reno, NV courtroom as her complaint was not moot and the local circuit Judge may not have best protected her free press rights under the First Amendment.

Public Outraged Over BLM’s Anti-Horse Appointee on Wild Horse and Burro Board « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Public Outraged Over BLM’s Anti-Horse Appointee on Wild Horse and Burro Board « Straight from the Horse's Heart

The BLM recently appointed Callie Hendrickson to the BLM National Advisory Board. The American public opposes and rejects this appointment. Tom Gorey, spokesman for the BLM, chose to attack and insult the public over its concerns rather than convey the extremist thinking of Callie Henrickson to which the public takes exception.(See the Atlantic Monthly article: The Lasso Tightens Around America’s Wild Horses by Andrew Cohen) Callie Henrickson is to assume the position of “General Public” advocate on the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board, but do her views represent the opinions of the public or for that matter, of the Congress, BLM employees and contracted employees?

Preventing Horse Slaughter – a Personal Evolution « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Preventing Horse Slaughter – a Personal Evolution « Straight from the Horse's Heart

A few years ago, when I was still serving in the Senate, I was asked to support legislation that would ban the practice of slaughtering horses for human consumption. My initial reaction was cool to the notion that the federal government should be mandating or telling owners of these horses what they can or cannot do with their animals. However, my initial instincts on such a policy were outweighed by the personal and practical experience that horse owners brought to my attention, including my son, Chet.

Obama Proposes Public Lands Grazing Fee Increase « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Obama Proposes Public Lands Grazing Fee Increase « Straight from the Horse's Heart

OLO. SPRINGS, CO (Feb. 16, 2012) – The Obama Administration proposal to increase public land grazing fees from the regulatory minimum will do little to match the administrative costs of the program according to the Colorado-based, Cloud Foundation (TCF). The fee would increase by $1.00 per month for a cow/calf pair or five head of sheep. TCF has long advocated for a dramatic increase in the fees for “welfare” livestock ranching on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service lands.

Judges Rule for Wild Horses « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Judges Rule for Wild Horses « Straight from the Horse's Heart

RENO, Nev.—A photographer and leading wild horse protection advocate who says her First Amendment rights were violated when she was denied access to mustang roundups in Nevada has scored a victory in the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

Federal Court of Appeals Sides With the Wild Horses « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Federal Court of Appeals Sides With the Wild Horses « Straight from the Horse's Heart

SAN FRANCISCO (Feb. 14, 2012) – The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today handed an important Valentine’s Day victory to wild horse journalist Laura Leigh, supported by the Wild Horse Freedom Federation, in her important First Amendment battle with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), over the BLM’s limitation on observation and access to the facts of brutal roundups of wild horses across the West. Leigh alleged the BLM illegally restricted her ability to document the roundups, based on their concerns about the disclosure of pictures of the inhumane treatment perpetrated on the wild horses, treatment the BLM does not want made public.

NH Boy Joins Fight to Save America’s Horses « Straight from the Horse's Heart

NH Boy Joins Fight to Save America’s Horses « Straight from the Horse's Heart

GREENLAND, NH — A shy, soft-spoken local boy is raising his voice to tell his representatives in Concord and Washington that horse slaughter is cruel and inhumane.

Nine-year-old Declan Gregg has already testified in front of the N.H. House Environment and Agriculture Committee and next month will travel with his mother, Stacie Gregg, to Washington, D.C., to present letters to Congress as part of the Million Horse March children’s letter-writing campaign to stop horse slaughter.

Zebra Stripes: Are They Nature’s Fly Repellant? « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Zebra Stripes: Are They Nature’s Fly Repellant? « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Sunday is always “Special Interest Day” here at SFTHH and it is customary to publish a feel-good story to help re-charge us for the following week of equine advocacy. This weekend we shot the gun a little early with publishing Cheyenne Little’s story, yesterday, so today we would like to share with our readers an interesting and rather educational story on our domestic and wild horses’ cousin, the Zebra. Now I know that I, for one, have always wondered why flies appear to be more prevalent on one horse versus another out in our pastures. I took it to be a simple matter of perhaps scent and the fact that maybe one’s personal hygiene was better than the next (those guys can burn through the toilet paper) but a team of scientists have come up with another reason and it got me to thinking. So, sit back and relax as the BBC attempts to enlighten us on the mystery that lies beneath the stripes of Zebra, it might get those brain cells churning, today.

14 Year Old Offers Solution in Beleaguered Horse Slaughter Debate « Straight from the Horse's Heart

14 Year Old Offers Solution in Beleaguered Horse Slaughter Debate « Straight from the Horse's Heart

“Six weeks ago we featured an article on the efforts of a 14 year old California girl who was attempting to stem the tide of a handful of special interests attempting to ram the concept of butchering companion horses for human consumption down the throats of the American public; said article was one of the more popular publication for the month of December here at Straight from the Horse’s Heart. Now, as the misguided few assault children and the public majority in an effort to forward their cause of eating their best friends the same 14 year old, Cheyenne Little, has brazenly offered a potential solution that, to date, has not netted her any hate mail or threats from the dark underbelly of predatory horse slaughter and reaped great praise from folks around the world. Chey’s petition, in it’s entirety, and the appropriate signature link are entered, below, along with a thoughtful video produced by Chey, herself. The young ones give us hope.”

Petition Posted to Stop Children’s Horse Saving Campaign « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Petition Posted to Stop Children’s Horse Saving Campaign « Straight from the Horse's Heart

HOUSTON, (Horseback) – An anonymous author has posted a petition aimed at stopping publicity about a children’s letter writing campaign to Congress in support of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Children’s petitions and letters have been particularly effective in moving Washington politicians when citizen action couldn’t. In fact, it was a similar movement that resulted in unanimous passage of the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horses and Burro Act.

PA Fraud Case Shines Spotlight on Horse Slaughter Issue « Straight from the Horse's Heart

PA Fraud Case Shines Spotlight on Horse Slaughter Issue « Straight from the Horse's Heart

A young Pennsylvania horse dealer was charged with defrauding horse owners by posing as a rescue and instead sending their animals to slaughter.

The Super Bowl Means Clydesdales in America’s Heart « Straight from the Horse's Heart

The Super Bowl Means Clydesdales in America’s Heart « Straight from the Horse's Heart

As an adult I never had the time nor the inclination to sit down and watch a group of grossly overpaid men play with a ball on a field of green grass on a Sunday afternoon; there always seemed to be something more meaningful or important to do. But never the less, regardless of what part of the world or what strange country I might be in I would endeavor to get before a computer keyboard, the following week, and attempt to find online the Clydesdale commercial that had played during the game. That has become my Super Bowl tradition and one that I look forward to with great relish.

USDA Threatened with Suit if Court Order Not Followed Should Horse Slaughter Resume « Straight from the Horse's Heart

USDA Threatened with Suit if Court Order Not Followed Should Horse Slaughter Resume « Straight from the Horse's Heart

The Humane Society of the United States cautioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a letter that the agency must comply with a 2007 ruling from the D.C. District Court prior to resuming the inspection of horse slaughter facilities—a crucial matter because such inspections could open the way to new horse slaughter plants in the U.S. The HSUS warned that it will consider taking aggressive legal action against USDA to enforce those obligations if the agency fails to follow the court’s order.

Anti-Horse Group Stumbles in Attempt to Justify Horse Slaughter « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Anti-Horse Group Stumbles in Attempt to Justify Horse Slaughter « Straight from the Horse's Heart

On February 1^st of this year the American Society for the Prevention for Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) released the results of a poll compiled by one of the country’s most respected pollsters, Lake Research Partners, which clearly identified that 80% of the U.S. public is resolute in the fact that horse slaughter should not be reintroduced into the United States. Within 48 hours of the ASPCA’s news release the latest in a long list of dubious horse slaughter “front” organizations headed up by infamous Wyoming State Rep. “Slaughterhouse” Sue Wallis, the International Equine Business Association, issued a hollow and fact-free press release attempting to “Repudiate” the qualified and quantified ASPCA report only to fall flat on it’s face as it repudiated nothing and supplied no evidence to counter the ASPCA’s poll results.

Poll Finds Big Ag Horse Slaughter Promotion Has Backfired « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Poll Finds Big Ag Horse Slaughter Promotion Has Backfired « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Chicago (EWA) – A poll conducted in January by Lake Research Partners for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) found that 80% of Americans are strongly opposed to horse slaughter. The highly respected research group based its survey on 1,008 voters giving the results a 3% margin of error. The poll found opposition was consistent across all sectors, including horse owners.

Mustang Monday « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Mustang Monday « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Not pretty? This is just a small example of the hundreds of needless deaths and injuries that occur when the BLM rounds up wild horses.

Breaking News: ASPCA Research Confirms Americans Strongly Oppose Slaughter of Horses for Human Consumption « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Breaking News: ASPCA Research Confirms Americans Strongly Oppose Slaughter of Horses for Human Consumption « Straight from the Horse's Heart

NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced in a newly released poll conducted by Lake Research Partners that 80 percent of American voters are opposed to the slaughter of U.S. horses for human consumption. The nationwide survey reveals that Americans oppose horse slaughter overwhelmingly regardless of their gender, political affiliation, whether they live in an urban or rural area, or their geographic location. Further, it confirms that a vast majority of horse owners are also against the slaughtering of our nation’s equines.

Animal’s Angels Investigates European Horse Meat Trade « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Animal’s Angels Investigates European Horse Meat Trade « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Animals’ Angels went to Europe and met with veterinarians and other animal welfare organizations to discuss the issues involved with the horse meat imports from Canada and Mexico. Animals’ Angels believes that it is of utmost importance to create more awareness among European consumers in regards to where the horses meat is coming from, the cruelty involved in this trade as well as the potential risk of drug residues. The meetings went well and we are excited about the possibility of a campaign on both sides of the Atlantic.

Pro-Horse Group Releases Paper on Horse Slaughter « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Pro-Horse Group Releases Paper on Horse Slaughter « Straight from the Horse's Heart

Many American horses go to abattoirs because unsuspecting owners sell their horses to kill buyers, a group opposed to the slaughter trade says.

For the Wild Horses: Clog the Fax « Straight from the Horse's Heart

For the Wild Horses: Clog the Fax « Straight from the Horse's Heart

After we were in Court, last week, Laura Leigh and I visited BLM’s Palomino Valley holding facility north of Reno. We were compelled, that day, to attempt to explain to the advocacy just what had occurred in court and we are likewise motivated to share with you what we saw that had just been run in off the range at Flanagan by the very same stampede contractor that we had addressed in court, Sun-J. What we observed was not pretty; many lame horses, injured horses and the babies…