HORSE MANURE
Congress continues its fight against horse slaughtering despite the need for it
BY LEWIS WHITTEN

A spending bill with an amendment that could temporarily ban horse slaughter for human consumption has passed the House 318-63. Republican Edward Whitfield of Kentucky opposed the spending bill because of the meat- inspection amendment.

The House and Senate overwhelmingly voted for the amendment that prohibits the Agriculture Department from spending money on horsemeat inspection. Whitfield contends that the amendment is vague and confusing.

"We had four different lawyers look at this language, and we've come up with four different answers," Whitfield explained. Even Agriculture Department lawyers said the provision was vague, he said.

The bill's language does not directly ban horse slaughter or prohibit the export of horses bound for slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada. U.S. slaughterhouses are exploring the possibility of paying USDA inspectors themselves.

Next the bill goes before the Senate and is expected to pass. Now the backlash of anti-horse slaughter sentiment is starting to build.

Buyers are starting to back out of BLM horse sales for fear of prosecution for reselling the wild horses to slaughterhouses. BLM horses can be bought for a low as one dollar; still the BLM is now experiencing a sharp drop in sales.

Currently the government is holding about 24,500 unwanted horses at a cost to taxpayers of about $20 million a year. Nevada is home to about 16,000 wild horses and burros, which is about 2,000 more than the range can sustain, according to agency scientists.

Ranchers are calling the activism "misguided compassion" and worry about how this legislation will affect their operations. Carrie Stadheim, executive director of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association points out that old and injured horses are often sold to the slaughterhouses.

"There's not going to be an outlet for horses who are crippled or even dangerous to humans," Stadheim said. "Really, you don't have another option."

To some, the newfound compassion seems appropriate given the current political climate: Our founding fathers embraced the bald eagle, a majestic creature that sits at the top of the food chain and soars free above valleys and forests.

Today, the horse seems a far more appropriate American mascot. Horses can double their population every five years and only survive because of constant government handouts.

Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), who helped to draft the horse- slaughter amendment, has now introduced legislation that would ban the transport of horses across state lines for slaughter. LW