In spite of last minute attempts by animal rights extremists to slander an entire segment of animal agriculture by introducing Congressional action (S. 541 - a bill to prevent human health threats posed by the consumption of equines with others to follow...) that offers zero solution whatsoever to the dire circumstances facing the horse industry--the truth is that horse people are moving forward to provide a better future for horses and horse people. Radical groups, led by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and their supporters on Capitol Hill and inside the White House seek to destroy what vestige is left of the U.S. horse industry. Nonetheless, the Law is the Law, and right now the Law is behind the horse industry allowing us to move forward with positive, humane systems, that ensure the highest standards of verified food safety, preserving the value, and incentivizing the proper care of all horses in the United States.
Several horse processing plants in the United States are set to begin operations very soon. These plants have accomplished most or all of their required modifications to their facilities and will be requesting final walk through inspections, approval to begin operations, and the assignment of inspectors. USDA has indicated that under current law they will be providing the necessary regulation and inspection. These plants, and others that will be follow, have modified not only their physical plants to accommodate the unique characteristics of the equine species, but their Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans and their Standard Operating Procedures to include extremely rigorous, thorough, and scientifically validated testing of every carcass that will ensure that no drug residue can ever enter the human food chain, and that every plant has installed humane handling systems and procedures that go above and beyond theU.S. Humane Methods of Slaughter law.
There are eager markets awaiting the opening of these facilities both here in the United States and internationally. Cheval, which is the common term for meat from the equine species in the same way that beef is the term for meat from cattle, and pork is the term from hogs, is highly sought after by ethnic, gourmet, health and nutritionally interested, and value conscious consumers.
Strong support nationwide for the horse industry is perhaps most evident right now in Oklahoma where a pair of pro-horse industry bills that will allow processing to begin in that state are sailing through the State Legislature. Just this past Wednesday more than 400 articulate supporters of the legislation led by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and a host of other Ag organizations showed up for a rally at the Capitol, and not a single anti-slaughter activist! The week before a pathetic showing of anti-horse advocates at what was billed to be a "massive" rally against the bills achieved numbers barely above single digits, outnumbered by the media covering the event, illustrated the out of touch mentality of these extremist groups.
Attached to this press release is a report originally produced by IEBA last Fall, the Promise of Cheval, and updated regularly as new science and information becomes available, as well as a Facts and FAQs document that answers common questions about the ethical and responsible production of cheval.
Below are documents testifying to the position of the States and the Tribes in regards to this issue--powerful entities that stand solidly behind the broader horse industry in this struggle to ensure that horses and horse owners have humane options that provide value, and therefor ensures the welfare of horses in the U.S.
