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UP TO THE MINUTE HORSE NEWS !
Well, here is the result of banning horse slaughter in the U.S.A The Associated Press Published: October 3, 2007 WASHINGTON:: Horses are filling some state-owned livestock pens along the Texas-Mexico border before they head to a grisly slaughter for their meat in Mexico.With the only three horse slaughter plants in the U.S. closed, the industry has turned to Mexico and Canada to kill horses for their meat largely for export abroad for food. As of this week, the U.S. exported 20,196 horses from Texas for slaughter in Mexico. That's up from 1,109 over the same period last year, U.S. Agriculture Department statistics show. Through the week of Sept. 22, the latest date for which statistics were available, 29,741 horses had been exported to Mexico for slaughter from Texas and New Mexico, compared to 6,331 for the same period last year. Arizona and California showed no exports of horses for slaughter. The Humane Society of the United States criticized the Texas Department of Agriculture for allowing companies to use taxpayer-funded pens to help get the horses to slaughter. The group planned to hold a news conference Thursday to show video collected at the pens and a Ciudad Juarez slaughter plant. It is pushing for a national ban on the shipment or export of horses for slaughter. The House in August passed a $91 billion (€64.11 billion) farm and nutrition spending bill that would make it illegal to transport or export horses for slaughter so their meat can be eaten by people. The Senate has not voted on its version of the bill. Another Senate bill protecting horses from slaughter was approved in committee and a House version is pending in committee. "The state should have absolutely no role in facilitating slaughter given the existence of a statute that forbids the practice," said Wayne Pacelle, president of The Humane Society of the United States. A 1949 Texas law bans the sale or possession of horse meat for human consumption or transferring horse meat so it can be sold for human consumption. The law does not address live animals. The Humane Society used that state law to successfully sue for the shutdown of a Beltex Corp.-owned horse slaughter plant near Fort Worth and a Dallas Crown plant in Kaufman. An Illinois law, upheld by a federal appeals court, bans horse slaughter for human consumption and the import, export or possession of horse meat designated for human consumption. Beverly Boyd, spokeswoman for the agriculture department, said the agency's pens are a rest stop for animals headed to Mexico and South America. She said the agency is required by law to accept all animals as long as state and federal laws and the department's pen policies are being followed. Animals eat, drink and rest at the pens after traveling hundreds of miles (kilometers). They also are checked by Mexican veterinarians before being shipped south. The agency has several pens along the border for exporting livestock to Mexico. "A lot of these animals going into Mexico or Canada have traveled a long distance. You don't want them on the trucks all the time," Boyd said. About four to six trucks carrying approximately 30 horses each were arriving at the state pens at the time, said Kathy Milani, The Humane Society of the United States' vice president for investigations and video. The loads were being delivered by Beltex Corp. Beltex also runs a Panhandle feedlot in Morton, Texas, about 300 miles (483 kilometers) northeast of Socorro. Truck drivers also told the animal protection group's employees they had driven from Morton. Beltex did not respond to phone messages requesting comment. The horses arrive at around daybreak, some with injuries. In early afternoon, Mexican trucks arrive at the pens to load the horses and take them to Mexico, she said. Some horses are walked across the border at nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico to San Geronimo, Mexico. They are loaded into double- decker cattle trailers that the U.S. has outlawed and driven further into Mexico, Milani said. Opponents of efforts to ban horse slaughter had warned during previous congressional debates that closing the plants in the U.S. would lead to the export of horses into Mexico and Canada. "The U.S. plants had, certifiably so, the most humane way to end the life of unwanted horses available to those horse owners who did not object to horse slaughter and we turned our back on it," said Charlie Stenholm, a former Texas congressman who now lobbies for the horse slaughter industry. "Now we are transporting horses hundreds of miles and it's all because some people object to horse slaughter," he said READ MORE: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5189793.html US wins bid to host 2010 World Equestrian Games THE International Equestrian Federation (FEI) yesterday awarded its coveted 2010 games to Lexington, Kentucky, the US, the first time the World Equestrian Games will be held outside Europe. FEI president Pilar de Borbon of Spain chaired the federation meeting held in Bahrain on the sidelines of the World Junior Endurance Championship scheduled from December 15 to 18. The FEI had to chose between the US and France who were vying to host the fourth edition of this prestigious event which was last held in 2002 in Spain. The decision was made after the FEI members were briefed by representatives of both countries on their preparations. Germany will host the 2006 event from August 22 to December 3. Freddy Serpieri, vice-president of the Lausanne, Switzerland-based federation, announced that Lexington had won, but said federation rules did not allow disclosure of how the nine-member board had voted. Largest: The 2010 World Equestrian Games, first held in 1990 in Stockholm, will be the largest sporting event ever to be held in Kentucky, larger even than the annual Kentucky Derby, the world's most famous thoroughbred race. Officials at the Kentucky Horse Park, where the games will take place, have projected attendance at more than 300,000 during a two-week period, with 800 athletes from 40 to 50 countries competing. Kentucky Horse Park executive director John Nicholson said the games would generate $100-million. Nicholson said the operating budget for the games will be about $33-million. The games include seven disciplines - show jumping, dressage, eventing, driving, endurance, vaulting and reining. Hauling horses can get hairy Written by Rusty Evans Of all farm animals, horses are moved around more than others. It is not unusual for a show horse to log thousands of miles annually. Even showing locally in Tennessee, and/or surrounding states, one can add up the miles fast. A University of California-Davis research study looked at new transportation research. This article deals with their findings: A commercial van was used to transport 15 mature, healthy geldings on a 24-hour road trip. The horses were observed for 24 hours of recovery after the trip. During the 24-hour recovery period, the geldings were allowed to rest in individual stalls. The horses' physiological responses were studied during recovery to determine the impact of the transportation phase. Body weight, rectal temperature and white blood cells were measured as an indicator of health, and the horse's ability to handle the stress of hauling in the heat of summer. The horses lost about 6 percent of their body weight but recovered half this amount in the 24-hour recovery period. This weight loss was likely due to sweat loss, heat dissipation and decreased gut fill during transit. Other studies have also noted a slightly lower weight loss from hauling. What can you as a Tennessee horse enthusiast learn from this study? Start with a healthy horse. Horses with subclinical or clinical respiratory diseases should not be hauled except in emergencies. During long hauls (greater than six to eight hours), do not elevate or restrict the movement of the horse's head and neck by cross-tying. Placing horses in a small box (stall) where they can lower their heads minimizes stress and susceptibility to disease after hauling. Ration adjustments are not necessary in horses hauled short distances. Horses hauled long distances (six to eight hours or more) should have water and feed on a regular schedule. Feeding hay while hauling is a common practice. In short hauls, feeding grain is not recommended before or during hauling. Due to the stress that some horses may have, owners may want to wait at least an hour after hauling to feed grain but can immediately feed good-quality hay. Provide only hay that is Environmental temperature and relative humidity can rise in stationary closed trailers and vans. Horses should be unloaded upon arrival or during stops to reduce thermal stress, which is especially a problem in summer. Respiratory problems, such as shipping fever and pneumonia, may not show symptoms for two or three days after transportation. Depression, lack of appetite, and a cough or nasal discharges may be signs of shipping fever. Rusty Evans writes a weekly column for The Leaf-Chronicle. The University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service office in Clarksville can be reached at 648-5725. Equine Equity Act Introduced in Congress By the American Horse Council The American Horse Council (AHC) reports that the Equine Equity Act has been introduced by Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jim Bunning (R-KY) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR). “My legislation will remove the unfair tax burden on horses that discourage investment in the horse industry,” said Senator McConnell. Specifically, the Equine Equity Act would: (1) make horses eligible for capital gains treatment after twelve months, similar to other business assets; (2) place all racehorses in the three-year category for depreciation purposes; and (3) make horses eligible for federal emergency assistance under circumstances presently enjoyed by other livestock and crop producers. “This legislation is well-named,” said Jay Hickey, President of the AHC. “It would eliminate the disparate treatment that horse owners and breeders receive under several out-dated and ill-conceived federal laws, including the federal tax code. The horse industry appreciates Senators McConnell, Bunning and Lincoln recognizing this and initiating a change.” Reduction of Capital Gains Holding Period Under the federal tax code, gains from sales by individuals of property used in a trade or business, including horses, qualify for long-term capital gains and are subject to the maximum capital gains tax rate of 15%. Since the individual tax rate can go as high as 35%, the lower rate is a real advantage. Unfortunately, horses held for breeding, racing, showing or draft purposes generally qualify for the 15% capital gains rate only if they are held for 24 months. All other business assets (except cattle) qualify if held for 12 months. Passage of this legislation would end this discriminatory treatment of horses under the tax code and allow horse owners to enjoy the reduced rate upon sale after holding the horse for 12 months, rather than twenty-four. “Reducing the holding period by half would give horse owners and breeders more flexibility to sell and market their horses,” noted Hickey. “It would mean that every sale of a horse which is held for at least twelve months would qualify as a capital gain or loss unless that horse is held primarily for sale.” All Racehorses Could Be Depreciated over Three Years Presently racehorses are depreciated over either three or seven years, depending on their age when “placed in service.” A horse is generally deemed to be placed in service when it begins training, which is usually at the end of its yearling year. Current tax law provides that racehorses that begin training at the end of their yearling year are depreciated over seven years, even though most will not actually race for seven years. “The legislation introduced by Senators McConnell, Bunning and Lincoln recognizes the economic reality that few horses actually race more than three or even four years. It would change the tax code to allow owners to depreciate all their racehorses over three years, rather than seven, regardless of when they are placed in service. The change would provide for a more equitable depreciation schedule for racehorses, one that better matches the realities of the situation,” said Hickey. Making Horses Eligible for Federal Emergency Funds This legislation would also make horses eligible for federal emergency relief similar to other livestock and crops. It would specifically repeal the restrictive definition of livestock under the old and outdated Agricultural Act of 1949, which defined “livestock” to consist of various animals, including “equine animals used for food or in the production of food.” The exclusion of horses from relief under the various federal livestock assistance programs instituted since then seems to have followed that same definition and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has followed suit in administering them. Losses from natural disasters affect horse breeders just as they affect other livestock and crop producers. If a breeding farm or ranch loses horses because of flood, drought, tornado or other natural disasters, it has lost its “crop” and has nothing to sell. If a drought causes feed to become more expensive, it affects horse ranches as well as cattle ranches. In cases of natural disasters, federal emergency payments and loans could help some horse owners to keep operating, rather than having to sell their horses or their business. “This legislation would end this unfair discrimination and provide that in future emergencies horse breeders would be eligible for emergency assistance that producers of other crops and livestock have enjoyed. Broadening the current emergency assistance programs to include horses will rectify the unfair economic situation now facing horse owners and breeders versus other livestock producers in the aftermath of a natural disaster,” said Hickey. ~~~ CDC recommends alternatives to DEET OUR HEALTH: REPELLENT WATCH The chemical DEET is no longer the only game in town when it comes to repelling mosquitoes and avoiding Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidelines for effective repellents, anointing two additional ingredients with its seal of approval.They are picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus.Picaridin, has been used for years in Europe, Australia, Latin America and Asia. It is comparable to DEET in effectiveness, according to the CDC. Oil of lemon eucalyptus, a plant-based chemical compound, provided protection time similar to low concentrations of DEET in two recent studies. Identification Program According to Amy Mann, director of regulatory affairs for the American Horse Council, the proposed national animal identification program "is intended to be a standardized animal identification system. We know that the way you identify cattle is not the same way you identify horses."The goal of the program is to provide traceback on animals within 48 hours if it is suspected that an animal has been exposed to a foreign animal disease that could be a threat to the industry. Information on the program and its progress can be found at http://www.usaip.info/. Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue And Retirement Facilities" Released by the AAEP Because of the vital services provided to unwanted and neglected or abused horses by equine rescue and retirement groups, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has developed a new resource guide titled "Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities." The guide is designed to help the non-veterinary caregiver successfully provide care to a rescued horse or a horse in need of rehabilitation. Subjects addressed in the guide include basic health management and nutrition, refeeding the starved horse, caring for the geriatric horse and determining when euthanization is necessary for humane reasons. The guide was developed by the AAEP Equine Welfare Committee. "With thousands of unwanted horses in our country in need of care, equine rescue and retirement organizations are often the only facilities that can offer assistance," explained Larry R. Bramlage, DVM, MS, president of the AAEP. "The AAEP commends the work of these groups and hopes the guidelines will benefit the hundreds of volunteers who donate their time and resources to helping unwanted horses." "Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities" is available free of charge from the AAEP office. To request a copy, call 800-443-0177 or send an e-mail to aaepoffice@aaep.org. US Senate votes on horse day -- (Dec 3) The US senate has passed a resolution designating December 13, as the "National Day of the Horse." The bill was sponsored by Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, and it encourages people to be mindful of the contribution of horses to the economy, history and character of the nation. Campbell said the horse was "a living link to the history of the United States, whereas without horses, the economy, history and character of the United States would be profoundly different." |
The statute provides legal immunity
*if* 2 or more signs, conspicuously
posted, declaring "YOU ASSUME THE
RISK OF EQUINE ACTIVITIES
PURSUANT TO PENNSYLVANIA LAW",
and *if* negligence is not present, and
*if* the equine is not vicious.
Click HERE to order signs
*if* 2 or more signs, conspicuously
posted, declaring "YOU ASSUME THE
RISK OF EQUINE ACTIVITIES
PURSUANT TO PENNSYLVANIA LAW",
and *if* negligence is not present, and
*if* the equine is not vicious.
Click HERE to order signs
