Tuesday, April 30, 2013

URGENT: Tell Congress to Ban Horse Slaughter Once and for All TODAY! | Straight from the Horse's Heart

URGENT: Tell Congress to Ban Horse Slaughter Once and for All TODAY! | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Action Needed:  Call and email your U.S. senators and representative in Washington, D.C., today to ask them to cosponsor the SAFE Act. Please thank them if they are already cosponsors!

Recent revelations that horse meat accidentally entered the food chain overseas have put a media spotlight on the issue of horse slaughter. It seems that horse slaughterers are incapable of preventing horse meat from mingling with their other products. If it can happen there, it can happen here. We’re happy to tell you that Congress is responding.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Equine Advocates Meet in NY to Take Stupidity and Horse Slaughter to Task | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Equine Advocates Meet in NY to Take Stupidity and Horse Slaughter to Task | Straight from the Horse's Heart

CHATHAM, N.Y. — Speakers at the  Equine Advocates’ 2013 American Equine Summit are voicing concerns and begging for government leaders to take action against horse slaughtering in the U.S.

The nonprofit organization Equine Advocates rescues, protects and prevents the abuse of equines and is currently working to ban the slaughter of American horses for food sold outside the country.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Robert Redford Calls for Ban on Horse Slaughter | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Robert Redford Calls for Ban on Horse Slaughter | Straight from the Horse's Heart

CHATHAM, NY, April 22, 2013 – On the cusp of the 2013 Annual American Equine Summit hosted by the New York-based national equine protection organization Equine Advocates, the call to ban horse slaughter permanently has received much needed support from Robert Redford.

Actor, director, environmentalist and founder of the Sundance Festival, Redford wrote a letter to Equine Advocates President Susan Wagner to support the unequivocal stance that horse slaughter must be banned in the US.  “Horses are acquired for slaughter without disclosure and often through fraud and misrepresentation.  The entire slaughter process is cruel, inhumane and perpetuates abuse and neglect without consequences, in addition to condoning a violation of our nation’s cruelty laws,” said Redford.  “As Americans, we have the right to oppose both the return of horse slaughter to the US and the transport of our wild and domestic equines to other countries for the purpose of slaughter.”

Front Range Equine Rescue Discovers Would-Be Horse Slaughterer Falsified Federal Application, Has Committed Multiple Felonies | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Front Range Equine Rescue Discovers Would-Be Horse Slaughterer Falsified Federal Application, Has Committed Multiple Felonies | Straight from the Horse's Heart

(April 22, 2013)— Front Range Equine Rescue (“FRER”) notified the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) that the owner of Valley Meat Company, in Roswell, New Mexico, recently made blatantly false statements about his criminal record on two applications to begin slaughtering healthy American horses.  If USDA grants Valley Meat’s application, it will be condoning the kind of conduct that jeopardizes the health and safety of consumers, increases the chances of horse meat showing up in American beef, and threatens the integrity of the federal meat inspection system.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Wild Horse Advocate Takes Top Honors in Equine Photo Competition | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Wild Horse Advocate Takes Top Honors in Equine Photo Competition | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Long time Wild Horse and Equine advocate Terry Fitch, co-founder of Wild Horse Freedom Federation,  has garnered 11 awards for her photographic artistry in the prestigious Equine Photographers Network‘s International 2013 Winter Photography Contest.

Ms. Fitch’s artistic subjects ranged from her own horses, Mongolian wild horses to the Royal Outer Mongolian Mounted Guard.  With an eye for the emotion evoked by an equine Fitch captured images that likewise capture not only the eye but the heart of the viewer.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The Good and the Bad About the Boston Bombings | Straight from the Horse's Heart

The Good and the Bad About the Boston Bombings | Straight from the Horse's Heart

t was impossible to escape the bad news about the Boston bombings of several days ago.  We were actually out on our horses, riding quietly on our trails when my iPhone developed a life of it’s own as it began to regurgitate one news flash after another

I asked Terry to stop for a moment, pulled the phone from under my chinks and scrolled through the many messages coming in about a disaster at the Boston Marathon.

Terry asked what was wrong, Moose did underneath me, too, as he could feel the tension in my legs and seat.

EWA & WHFF Investigation: FSIS FOIA on New Mexico Permit Request | Straight from the Horse's Heart

EWA & WHFF Investigation: FSIS FOIA on New Mexico Permit Request | Straight from the Horse's Heart

This FOIA contains information relating to the request for communications on the permit requested by de los Santos for a horse slaughter permit. Included in the FOIA are email exchanges, photos of the property condition and documentation of violations. The emails are quite detailed and provide some very interesting exchanges. In particular, the pile of carcasses was of concern to FSIS throughout the exchanges. The photos of the piles speak for themselves.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

It’s Not Cool To Be Cruel | Straight from the Horse's Heart

It’s Not Cool To Be Cruel | Straight from the Horse's Heart

I have been thinking about how people think that if guys like animals that it makes them “uncool” or “whimpy”. The message out there seems to be that is ok to be cruel to animals if you’re a guy. I don’t think this is right at all and I know that that is not the truth. It is VERY COOL to like and help animals, even if you’re a guy!

I decided to start a new project and I need your help! I went to the New Hampshire SPCA today to talk with guys I met there to see what they thought about it. I also brought a sign I made that says “REAL MEN are kind to animals” and asked if I could take their picture. Everyone was impressed with my idea and they were happy to help and let my professional photographer (my mom), take their picture! My idea is to use the pictures for a special project and here is where YOU can help! You can do the same thing I did, make a sign and talk to guys about how they feel about animals and ask them if you can take their picture. I bet you will be surprised by the answers you hear and it will be great to spread the word, that “IT’S NOT COOL TO BE CRUEL”. Women can help me too! Hold up your sign and let everyone know that you think *REAL* Men Are Kind To Animals too! Please post your pictures and stories here on Children 4 Horses, so I can use them for my project :-) I have set up a special album on my page for all the pictures titled “IT’S NOT COOL TO BE CRUEL” and I can’t wait to add yours!

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Wyoming State Rep Defies Logic, Reason and White House in Quest to Kill and Eat Companion Horses | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Wyoming State Rep Defies Logic, Reason and White House in Quest to Kill and Eat Companion Horses | Straight from the Horse's Heart

HEYENNE — State Rep. Sue Wallis says the Obama administration’s proposal in its 2014 budget that would effectively ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption is “a pretty sorry situation.”

The Republican legislator and rancher from Recluse, in northeast Wyoming, leads the International Equine Business Association and has promoted and proposed operating horse slaughter plants in Wyoming and Missouri. She doesn’t think Congress will follow the budget recommendation of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to ban such slaughter.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Obama Moves to Block Horse Slaughter | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Obama Moves to Block Horse Slaughter | Straight from the Horse's Heart

The Obama administration has included a proposal in its 2014 budget that would effectively ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

Technically, the proposal would prevent money from being spent on inspection of horse slaughtering facilities. Without inspections, facilities could not legally operate. The proposal was greeted enthusiastically by horse lovers and animal advocacy groups.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Vickery Eckhoff on Huff: No Market for U.S. Horse Meat | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Vickery Eckhoff on Huff: No Market for U.S. Horse Meat | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Five states looking to snag millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to inspect horse meat plants may want to rethink their plans in light of a precipitous drop in demand.

The drop is a reflection of the number of horses going from the U.S. to Mexico for slaughter. That number plummeted 62% in the first quarter of 2013 following a steady two-year increase, USDA figures show.

Market for Slaughter Horses Plunging in Wake of “Burger-gate” | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Market for Slaughter Horses Plunging in Wake of “Burger-gate” | Straight from the Horse's Heart

EWA (Chicago) – USDA data for the first quarter of 2013 indicates a precipitous drop in the number of horses going from the US to Mexico for slaughter. The flow of horses south had been increasing steadily for over two years but dropped 62% between the first full week of 2013 and the end of the first quarter.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Equine Advocate/Photographer Secures Ten Photo Slots in Finals for International Competition | Straight from the Horse's Heart

Equine Advocate/Photographer Secures Ten Photo Slots in Finals for International Competition | Straight from the Horse's Heart

I am proud, and immensely moved, to announce that my better half, Terry, has three years running been selected by the Equine Photo Contest as a finalist with TEN (10) of her photos earmarked for final awards.  What a trip.

A decade and a half ago I dragged this poor woman smack-dab into the middle of the Horse Slaughter and Wild Horse & Burro issues with her only response being to document what we see and experience in photos.  (quietly I do MY job which is to backpack all her gear and to take pictures of the photographer taking pictures)