King rescue facility saves 13 horses

December 3, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
“There is a touch of divinity even in brutes, and a special halo about a horse, that should forever exempt him from indignities.”
Herman Melville
For many of our equine gentle giants, the end of the road is a distasteful one indeed.
Horses who have outlived their usefulness often end up at horse auctions, sold by the pound for their meat.
But a group of animal rescuers from King’s Horse Haven/Dog Tales, made a difference in the lives of 13 animals last week, saving them from the slaughterhouse.
Georgette Dunn, media relations direction at Dog Tales, said their organization purchased 11 draft horses, one mule and one Arabian horse, loaded them up and brought them to their new King home. While they may have ruffled some feathers at the auction house, they were simply carrying out their mandate – saving horses and giving them a comfortable place to live out the rest of their days.
Dunn said many of these animals tend to be long-service working draft horses, who’ve performed their menial tasks faithfully for years. Their last stop, she said, is the meat buyer.
While some meat is sold in Ontario, most is exported to foreign markets. Some horse meat is used as byproducts in pet food.
There was a sense of relief when the animals were unloaded at the local farm and let out to pasture. Some were quite distressed but they’re now finding their feet and enjoying a stress-free life of leisure.
Danielle Eden, who leads the efforts at Horse Haven, said some of the animals were scared and timid, indicating they may not have been treated well by their previous owners.
She was quite shocked at the auction process and how the animals are sold. One of their rescues still has the auction number glued to its rear haunches.
The facility can accommodate 30 horses and they have nine stalls remaining.
These equine rescues are not ridden or adopted out, but rather live out their lives in comfort. Most are older, perhaps 20. They live upwards of 25 to 30 years.
Dunn noted Ontario and Quebec are the “worst offenders” when it comes to slaughtering horses for meat. It’s banned south of the border, but that doesn’t stop our American neighbours from bringing their animals here to be sold.
“It’s just crazy to me,” Dunn said. “I’ve bought horses to ride, not for meat. It’s shocking.”
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada reported that 71,961 horses died in Canadian slaughterhouses in 2013 – more than 1,380 per week. There are five federally licenced plants in Canada, but none in Ontario.
Almost 60% of these horses originate from the U.S. where horse slaughter ended in 2007.
The Orangeville-based Canadian Horse Defence Coalition works to protect horses from slaughter by raising public awareness. They’re pushing for legislation that will ban such practices in Canada.
At the auction, potential buyers are told some of the horses are dangerous, meaning their only useful purpose is for meat. But Dunn contends no horse is born that way, quite the contrary.
Horses tend to be quick learners and can be very loyal companions to their owners.
Horses become confident and learn from positive experiences. Many young or inexperienced horses become anxious because they are uncertain and therefore more suspicious of new objects, sounds or new situations. Horses are herd animals and love the company of one another within a group.
Eden noted she considers herself a voice for these animals. Their facilities are limited, however, so they currently concentrated on the hard cases – horses that no one else will take.
And in just a couple of hours, they made a difference.
The 48-acre property has plenty of room to roam and the animals are also encouraged to socialize with one another.
Eden also criticizes breeders who cast off the less-than-perfect specimens. There are no limits on breeding horses and Eden likens some breeders to puppy mills.
Dunn pointed out the plight of horses reached a low point two years ago when low hay production saw skyrocketing prices and many animals starved.
Horse Haven paid roughly $500 to $600 each for the horses. While these have been saved, the fate of other “gentle giants” is very sad.
But for Horse Haven, it’s “just the beginning.”
The prestigious facility, likely unrivalled by anything in the world, boasts all the comforts of home, the proverbial “dog hotel” if you will. Eden and Robert Scheinberg have spared no expense, for the simple reason that our four-legged friends deserve to be comfortable.
For more on the rescue efforts of Dog Tales/Horse Haven, visit www.dogtales.ca.