Healing With Horses

I just love the stories I find about horses helping children and adults with disabilities.  Horse are great healers and listeners!!  ~Declan

Beach Magazine, News|Chelsea Sektnan|January 20, 2013 6:05 am

Healing with Horses [PHOTOS]

Sinclair, who battles cerebral palsy, came to the program with a phobia of touching. Anthony gave him small pony gloves and now he is able to hold the reigns and is even able to use verbal cues. “Some come to us as little heaps,” said Anthony. “And before they know it they’re riding. It’s amazing. A lot of non-verbal kids even start to talk.” According to Anthony, a lot of the kids progress to riding independently and others just enjoy the movement of the horse. “I give them confidence and as much instruction and horse knowledge as I can give them.”

Almost 20 years ago, two friends went out for coffee. They were both horsewomen and one of the ladies had a child with special needs. She wanted to pass on her love of horses to her son, but didn’t know how to start. They brainstormed ideas and soon a group of Peninsula friends put together a program to teach horsemanship to people otherwise unable to participate. Later in the year, their afternoon of coffee turned into the South Bay’s only therapeutic riding program, called Ride to Fly.

“Horses are quiet and non-judgmental— it’s a safe place for them,” said instructor Lea Anthony. “These kids get judged everyday in their lives… These horses do what they want to do.”

Now, the program that is located in Portuguese Bend has helped hundreds of children and adults succeed in ways they never imagined possible.

“There’s this little tiny person and this big horse is doing what they ask,” said Anthony. “It gives empowerment to individuals that have virtually no power in their lives. It gives them something that they feel good and positive about and it radiates to other parts of their life. They get better at school and it goes out like a ripple effect.”

Visit ridetofly.com for more information on how to participate or volunteer.

“Horses heal in quiet ways,” said Anthony. “Each client finds something in a horse that helps. Some clients love to trot, hold on, brush and hug them. Some don’t get in the saddle for weeks, but they all just love their horse.” To begin the program clients have to pass an evaluation process and their name is put on a rotating waiting list and eventually passed onto the scheduler.

Alyssa Metcalfe, 21, rides Cochise during a 30-minute lesson. Ride to Fly has a client list of 63 but only takes about 27 students per 10-week session. Most lessons last 30 minutes and are only a maximum of two students per lesson. Volunteers are always on hand to help.

Jean Metcalfe watches her daughter Alyssa’s lesson. “It’s a special experience for the parents to see their kid do something they didn’t think they could do,” said Anthony. “They get to watch their child succeed and they get a time to just sit and relax. It’s an escape.” Metcalfe comes to the program to socialize and gain confidence.

Contaminated Horsemeat Sold for Food, FSA Admits

Finally people are starting to understand how dangerous the drugs used in the care of horses can be to humans who eat horse meat!  The FSA (Food Standards Agency in the UK) has confessed phenylbutazone is a carcinogen, and other people also need to start telling everyone the truth about horse slaughter and the meat!!  

"Bute" was originally made for people to use as a pain reliever and fever reducer in 1949, but when they discovered it had serious side effects including aplastic anemia, they stopped making it for people.  ~Declan


** For more frequent updates on the European horsemeat scandal, please also visit Children 4 Horses on Facebook, where more articles and updates are also posted.  **



24 January 2013 Last updated at 15:15 ET  As posted on BBC News UK
Contaminated horsemeat sold for food, FSA admits

 

Mary Creagh has called for action to stop any more horses with bute entering the food chain

A drug that Labour says can potentially cause cancer in humans possibly entered the food chain via horses slaughtered in UK abattoirs, it claims.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh said "several" UK-slaughtered horses had contained phenylbutazone, which she described as a carcinogen.

The Food Standards Agency said its checks had prevented horses containing bute from entering the food chain.

And one expert has disputed the claim, saying the drug does not cause cancer.

The news comes after traces of horse and pig DNA was recently found in some burgers.

Some of these were sold in Tesco, Iceland, Lidl, Aldi and Dunnes stores in the UK and Irish Republic. Tesco took out adverts in British newspapers apologising for selling some of the burgers.

There is no suggestion that these burgers contained phenylbutazone.

'Right to know'

Phenylbutazone is an anti-inflammatory drug which is given to horses for the treatment of lameness, pain and fever.

It is banned from entering the human food chain within the EU - it is thought to cause bone marrow disorders in rare cases - and horses that have been administered the drug should have the information recorded on their passport.

But Labour claims the issuing of horse passports in the UK is fragmented, as there are 75 approved issuing organisations in the UK, with no national database to track the information.

Ms Creagh told agriculture minister David Heath in the Commons: "I am in receipt of evidence showing that several horses slaughtered in UK abattoirs last year tested positive for phenylbutazone, or bute, a drug which causes cancer in humans and is banned from the human food chain.

"It is possible that those animals entered the human food chain."

When Ms Creagh asked if Mr Heath was aware of the phenylbutazone cases to which she referred, the minister replied: "The Food Standards Agency carry out checks in slaughterhouses to ensure that equine animals presented for slaughter are fit for human consumption in the same way as they do for cattle, sheep and other animals.

"In addition, the FSA carry out subsequent testing for phenylbutazone and other veterinary medicines in meat from horses slaughtered in this country.

"Where positive results for phenylbutazone are found, the FSA investigates and takes follow-up action to trace the meat."

Ms Creagh then asked if that meant Mr Heath was aware of the issue.

"I'm astonished that you have not raised this and I think the public have a right to know," she said.

She also said the news was a "very serious development" and demanded action to ensure that "illegal and carcinogenic horsemeat stops entering the human food chain".

And she called on the government to reverse a "reckless" decision to end the National Equine Database.

But Mr Heath replied: "There is no difficulty in tracing the use of a horse passport. To suggest the National Equine Database was required to do that is simply erroneous."

Horses checked

A Food Standards Agency spokesperson said: "Food Standards Agency checks successfully prevented horses containing bute which had been slaughtered in the UK from entering the UK food chain.

"We also informed the authorities in France about horses which had tested positive for bute and had been exported there.

"The FSA carries out checks in slaughterhouses to ensure that horses slaughtered in the UK are fit for human consumption."

Alastair Hay, professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Leeds, disputed Ms Creagh's claims.

He said there was "no convincing evidence" of phenylbutazone's carcinogenicity in humans "because in the individuals studied many other drugs had also been taken and any one of these might have caused the cancers seen".

And there is no animal evidence either that it is a carcinogen, he added, saying that "phenylbutazone is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity" according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

"The reason the chemical is not for human consumption appears to be rare and idiosyncratic responses in humans to the chemical. These include aplastic anaemia and some other disorders of the bone marrow. But these are not cancer events."

AnalysisDavid ShukmanScience editor, BBC News

For horsemeat containing bute to get into the food chain, several safety processes have to fail.

First the horse's passport tracking its drug history has to be misleading - an illegal act in itself.

Then the horse has to get past the spot checks - relatively easy because not many are carried out.

Finally, the meat has to end up being processed and sold for human use - almost always on the Continent, very little being eaten here.

The numbers involved in this scenario cannot be large since only around 8,000 horses are slaughtered each year.

But checks since 2007 do show bute turning up in small but consistent quantities. And the stuff is best avoided.

A specialist Defra committee says it has "serious adverse effects". Real harm is very unlikely, but the episode once again raises awkward questions about the international meat trade.

Shetland Ponies and Their Fair Isle Jumpers

This story really brightened my day and made me laugh.  These two Shetland ponies couldn't be any cuter in their "jumpers"!!  Plus, I have a special interest in the UK, particularly Scotland, as that is where a large part of my family is from.  My name is actually Gaelic and means, "full of goodness"  :-)  

I think Fivla of Finnister and Millhouse Vitamin are GREAT ambassadors for Scotland - don't you!!  ~Declan

So how DO you get a cardigan on a pony? Sow-JUMPERS combine Shetlands' favourite exports

• The Shetland pony and the Fair Isle jumper are beloved across the world  
• Now the two have been combined to promote the Year of Natural Scotland
• 
  

By VICTORIA ALLEN   As posted on Daily Mail UK

PUBLISHED: 19:55 EST, 21 January 2013 | UPDATED: 15:57 EST, 22 January 2013

They are the two things Shetland is most famous for – so it’s perhaps surprising no one had the idea before.

Shetland ponies and Fair Isle knitwear are beloved across the world, so why not combine the two? 

The result is two cosy-looking mares dressed in button-down Fair Isle jumpers to promote the Year of Natural Scotland.

Scroll down for video

Shetland ponies and Fair Isle knitwear are beloved across the world, so why not combine the two? These two cosy-looking mares have been dressed in button-down Fair Isle jumpers to promote the Year of Natural Scotland

The ponies, named Fivla of Finnister and Millhouse Vitamin, were bang on trend, following Victoria Beckham and Rihanna who have also stepped out in Fair Isle designs

The jumpers were made by Shetland designer Doreen Brown a little longer in length and shorter in the arm than she is used to. They are hand-knitted using wool from native Shetland sheep

The ponies, named Fivla of Finnister and Millhouse Vitamin, were bang on trend, following Victoria Beckham and Rihanna who have also stepped out in Fair Isle designs.

However, sadly the ponies got their jumpers rather a lot more muddy and had to take them off for washing.

Jo Tonkinson, co-owner of Thordale Shetland Driving Centre, which provided the ponies, said: ‘It was quite simple – we sent the ponies’ measurements to the knitter, who sent back two jumpers.

‘We just had to put their two front legs in and they buttoned under the stomach.

‘It was perhaps an odd request, to get the ponies in Fair Isle, and a bit silly, but they were perfectly happy. Hopefully these pictures will make people smile.’ 

Fivla and Millhouse are used to wearing harnesses so were completely comfortable in their new clothes

The jumpers were made by Shetland designer Doreen Brown – a little longer in length and shorter in the arm than she is used to. They are hand-knitted using wool from native Shetland sheep.

Fivla and Vitamin are used to wearing harnesses so were completely comfortable in their new clothes. 

Ponies from Thordale have previously starred in Norwegian drama series Himmelbla and in a travel series with BBC journalist Paul Murton.

The photo shoot was dreamed up by tourist board Visit Scotland to launch 2013 as the Year of Natural Scotland.

Events taking place this year include Up Helly Aa on Shetland, which is Europe’ s largest Viking fire festival.

That will be followed by illuminated woodland trails for next month’s Snowdrops by Starlight at Cambo Estate in Fife and family treasure hunts on horseback during the Wild Spring Festival in Dumfries and Galloway this March and April. 

The Spirit of Speyside whisky festival comes in May, followed by the 173rd Royal Highland Show in June.

Bear Grylls is hosting his first Survival Academy in the Scottish Highlands this year, the Cairngorms national park turns ten years old and visitors can stargaze at the UK’s first Dark Sky Park in Dumfries and Galloway.

 VIDEO  Shetland ponies wear jumpers for VisitScotland launch 

If the video isn't working click here.

Kentucky Voices: It's Time to End Walking Horse Abuse

Soring is cruel and inhumane and it must STOP!!  These horses have such a beautiful natural gait, there is no need for such cruelty!  ~Declan

Ky. voices: It's time to end walking horse abuse

Robin Webb defends, excuses behavior

Published: January 22, 2013  As Posted on Kentucky.com

By Pam Rogers

Kentucky has a proud tradition of celebrating horses. It also harbors a dark reality of abuse toward the beautiful, gentle Tennessee walking horse. This contradiction became more clear last week with the news that state Sen. Robin Webb became embroiled in such abuse.

Padded front hooves and chains can be seen on a Tennessee 

walking horse at Tattersall's in 1999.  Herald-Leader file photo

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/01/22/2485407/ky-voices-its-time-to-end-walking.html#storylink=cpy

Webb and her horses' trainer have reportedly been cited for violating the federal Horse Protection Act by entering horses showing signs of abuse into a competition. Specifically, the animals were allegedly subjected to a cruel training method known as "soring."

Soring is the painful application of chemicals or other training methods to force the animals to perform an artificial high-stepping gait — known as the "Big Lick"— for show competitions.

Despite being made illegal by the federal Horse Protection Act in 1970, soring continues to be prevalent in the walking horse show industry, and Kentucky horse owners and trainers have the second-highest number of citations, after Tennessee.

The Humane Society of the United States is dedicated to seeing the law properly enforced and the practice of soring come to a long-awaited end. But we need legislators like Webb to join the effort to crack down on this criminal practice, not disavow or defend the cruelty that exists.

In response to the allegations of horse abuse, Webb has taken the path most traveled by many in the Big Lick industry — deny, deny, deny. She has also made an appalling attempt to defend the actions of an admitted violator of the Horse Protection Act, Tennessee walking horse Hall of Fame trainer Jackie McConnell.

An undercover investigator for The HSUS caught McConnell on camera soring horses as well as beating and shocking horses' faces. The story made national headlines and McConnell ultimately pleaded guilty in federal court to a felony. While horse lovers around the country were horrified and irate over the video, and lawmakers in Congress are working to improve protections for Tennessee walking horses, Webb called the defenseless horses "dangerous," and blamed the hours of damning undercover footage for "demonizing" the breed.

The real demons are trainers like McConnell, and he is not alone. There is no question that the cruel practice of soring is widespread in the Big Lick horse show industry. Unscrupulous trainers apply caustic chemicals to horses' ankle area, then ride them with chains on their ankles that hurt their sensitized skin with every step. "Stacks" — like high-heeled horseshoes — are nailed to the horse's front hooves to add weight and height, and are frequently used to conceal objects and methods used to inflict pain to the soft tissue of a horse's hoof.

These practices force the horse to snatch his feet off the ground in an attempt to relieve the pain, creating the Big Lick that is rewarded by judges. Major veterinary groups, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, have called for a ban on these devices.

Instead of defending horse abusers like McConnell, Webb should be working to protect horses by supporting stronger laws to crack down on such criminals. Soring has no place in Kentucky, the Horse Capital of the World and the heart of Tennessee walking horse country. A December 2012 Mason-Dixon poll indicates that the majority of voters support federal legislation to strengthen the Horse Protection Act and state legislation making soring a felony offense.

Soring also has no place at the Kentucky Horse Park, which Webb is lobbying to host a sale later this month that would showcase Big Lick Tennessee walking horses. Horse advocates are disturbed that this state-run park would provide a venue for a horse show discipline frequently associated with such extreme cruelty.

Tennessee walking horses have a beautiful natural gait that has been grotesquely exploited. They are forced to endure this pain throughout their entire show careers. Due to weaknesses in the federal law and a failed system of industry self-policing, the trainers who are caught inflecting the torture pay little penance. It's time for a change.

---

Pam Rogers of Louisville is Kentucky state director for The Humane Society of the United States.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/01/22/2485407/ky-voices-its-time-to-end-walking.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/01/22/2485407/ky-voices-its-time-to-end-walking.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/01/22/2485407/ky-voices-its-time-to-end-walking.html#storylink=cpy

Robin Webb defends, excuses behavior

By Pam Rogers

Kentucky has a proud tradition of celebrating horses. It also harbors a dark reality of abuse toward the beautiful, gentle Tennessee walking horse. This contradiction became more clear last week with the news that state Sen. Robin Webb became embroiled in such abuse.

Webb and her horses' trainer have reportedly been cited for violating the federal Horse Protection Act by entering horses showing signs of abuse into a competition. Specifically, the animals were allegedly subjected to a cruel training method known as "soring."

Soring is the painful application of chemicals or other training methods to force the animals to perform an artificial high-stepping gait — known as the "Big Lick"— for show competitions.

Despite being made illegal by the federal Horse Protection Act in 1970, soring continues to be prevalent in the walking horse show industry, and Kentucky horse owners and trainers have the second-highest number of citations, after Tennessee.

The Humane Society of the United States is dedicated to seeing the law properly enforced and the practice of soring come to a long-awaited end. But we need legislators like Webb to join the effort to crack down on this criminal practice, not disavow or defend the cruelty that exists.

In response to the allegations of horse abuse, Webb has taken the path most traveled by many in the Big Lick industry — deny, deny, deny. She has also made an appalling attempt to defend the actions of an admitted violator of the Horse Protection Act, Tennessee walking horse Hall of Fame trainer Jackie McConnell.

An undercover investigator for The HSUS caught McConnell on camera soring horses as well as beating and shocking horses' faces. The story made national headlines and McConnell ultimately pleaded guilty in federal court to a felony. While horse lovers around the country were horrified and irate over the video, and lawmakers in Congress are working to improve protections for Tennessee walking horses, Webb called the defenseless horses "dangerous," and blamed the hours of damning undercover footage for "demonizing" the breed.

The real demons are trainers like McConnell, and he is not alone. There is no question that the cruel practice of soring is widespread in the Big Lick horse show industry. Unscrupulous trainers apply caustic chemicals to horses' ankle area, then ride them with chains on their ankles that hurt their sensitized skin with every step. "Stacks" — like high-heeled horseshoes — are nailed to the horse's front hooves to add weight and height, and are frequently used to conceal objects and methods used to inflict pain to the soft tissue of a horse's hoof.

These practices force the horse to snatch his feet off the ground in an attempt to relieve the pain, creating the Big Lick that is rewarded by judges. Major veterinary groups, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, have called for a ban on these devices.

Instead of defending horse abusers like McConnell, Webb should be working to protect horses by supporting stronger laws to crack down on such criminals. Soring has no place in Kentucky, the Horse Capital of the World and the heart of Tennessee walking horse country. A December 2012 Mason-Dixon poll indicates that the majority of voters support federal legislation to strengthen the Horse Protection Act and state legislation making soring a felony offense.

Soring also has no place at the Kentucky Horse Park, which Webb is lobbying to host a sale later this month that would showcase Big Lick Tennessee walking horses. Horse advocates are disturbed that this state-run park would provide a venue for a horse show discipline frequently associated with such extreme cruelty.

Tennessee walking horses have a beautiful natural gait that has been grotesquely exploited. They are forced to endure this pain throughout their entire show careers. Due to weaknesses in the federal law and a failed system of industry self-policing, the trainers who are caught inflecting the torture pay little penance. It's time for a change.

---

At issue

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/01/22/2485407/ky-voices-its-time-to-end-walking.html#storylink=cpy

HSUS Forms New Responsible Horse Breeders Council

The HSUS is putting together a new Responsible Breeding Council.  I am very happy they are doing this as it will help to keep horses from ending up in the slaughter pipeline by promoting and helping breeders be more responsible.  If breeders are more conservative, and more thoughtful about their breeding practices, less horses will be at risk of slaughter.    ~Declan

January 18, 2013

The HSUS Forms New Responsible Horse Breeders Council

Council will develop strategic initiatives to keep horses out of the slaughter pipeline

The Humane Society of the United States is forming a Responsible Horse Breeders Council composed of horse breeders around the country who are dedicated to improving horse welfare. The goal of the council is to decrease the number of horses in the U.S. who are at risk of being neglected, abused or slaughtered for human consumption. Council members will work with The HSUS to discourage overbreeding and to promote responsible horse ownership and nationwide horse rescue and rehoming efforts. 

“We have a responsibility to every horse born, and for some time now there has been a crisis of overbreeding that is having a terrible impact on the welfare of horses,” said Keith Dane, director of equine protection for The HSUS. “Horse slaughter has been used as an outlet for irresponsible breeders to continue to overbreed horses and to treat them as disposable commodities. The Humane Society of the United States is working to end this unnecessary slaughter of horses, and we commend the responsible breeders who have chosen to be part of the solution.”

“As a breeder of Arabian horses for 30 years, I believe that responsible breeding means not only breeding for the finest conformation and behavior, but also ensuring that our foals lead happy, productive lives,” said council member Melissa Forberg. “This commitment to the welfare of our foals must be lifelong and unwavering.” 

As a first step, the council is encouraging horse breeders to sign a pledge to be a responsible breeder. In doing so, they agree to take back any horse they have bred should the horse become homeless or at-risk of being abused or sent to slaughter. More than 800 breeders have already joined the responsible breeder’s list. Horse breeders can join the initiative here or email vpringle@humanesociety.org. Horse owners can also use this list to search for their horse’s breeder in the event that they need assistance in continuing to humanely care for their horse.

Facts:

• Approximately 100,000 American horses are sent to slaughter each year. This represents about1 percent of the total population of American horses, as the vast majority of horse owners do not choose slaughter as an end-of-life option for their treasured companions.
• National polls show that 80 percent of Americans favor a ban on horse slaughter.
• In June, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved an amendmentoffered by Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., to block spending by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to inspect U.S. horse slaughter plants in Fiscal Year 2013. The spending prohibition had been in place since 2005, but was not renewed last year by a joint House-Senate conference committee, leading to concerns that horse slaughter plants could reopen within the U.S. at a cost of about $5 million annually to U.S. taxpayers.
• The horrendous end for these American icons sold for slaughter begins at an auction, where horses are corralled, sold and crammed into trailers. The journey to slaughter can involve confinement in a trailer at temperatures in excess of 100 degrees for thousands of miles without access to food or water, and can often result in serious or even fatal injuries, as horses fight, kick and trample each other in these cramped conveyances. Once unloaded, the exhausted, dehydrated and often battered horses that survive the trip are recklessly shoved into kill boxes where they suffer abuse and violence as workers’ repeated and often misguided attempts to render the panic-stricken animals unconscious cause additional suffering.
• Horses, whether wild or domestic, are routinely treated with drugs that are banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for animals slaughtered for food and are potentially dangerous to humans. Current USDA rules do not require sufficient testing or documentation to ensure that former companion, work and sport horses slaughtered for human food do not contain or have not been administered prohibited substances.
• In 2012, The HSUS launched the Safe Stalls program, a nationwide network of horse rescues, professionals, and enthusiasts who provide emergency care and shelter for horses in cruelty or natural disaster situations.
• The HSUS is a member of the Homes for Horses Coalition, which is dedicated to ending horse slaughter and other forms of equine abuse while promoting growth, collaboration and professionalism in the equine rescue and protection community.

Media Contact: Stephanie Twining, 301-258-1491, stwining@humanesociety.org

Animals' Angels FOIA Request Provides Windfall of Information Re: Cavel Horse Slaughter Plant in DeKalb, IL From 2004-2007

WARNING: THIS REPORT CONTAINS DISTURBING INFORMATION ABOUT HORSE SLAUGHTER  PLEASE SCROLL DOWN AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION


People need to hear and see the TRUTH about horse slaughter!  ~Declan

"The Myth

Some would still like you to believe that the conditions for transporting horses to slaughter in the US would be better than crossing our borders to Mexico or Canada. This evidence, once again, unmistakably proves otherwise. The photos we received at Animals' Angels highlight how in recent history horses suffered intense pain, injury, and intolerable conditions -all for slaughter within our very own country."  ~Animals' Angels

New Release from Animals' Angels as posted on their blog.

For the full report of violations documented at the Cavel Horse Slaughter Plant in Ilinois, please go to the Animals' Angels website here. 

Animals' Angels FOIA Request Provides Windfall of Information January 2013 Animals' Angels PO Box 1056 Westminster, MD 21158      New evidence secured refutes the myth surrounding the return of horse slaughter in the U.S.    In a windfall of information, Animals' Angels recently received over a thousand pages of documentation confirming violations and horrific treatment of horses transported to the Cavel slaughter plant in DeKalb, IL. Almost 1,100 photographs were provided along with written documentation describing the extent of violations, injuries, and penalties. The information was provided after submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to the USDA on July 28, 2012.   Documented in the information Animals' Angels received were well over 100 incidents; each individual case detailing a multitude of violations involving the transport of horses for slaughter to the Illinois plant from 2004 to 2007.  The conditions shown were dreadful and are clearly indicative of the horrific suffering perpetuated upon horses caught in the slaughter pipeline.The photographs brought to light by our FOIA request demonstrate the true horrors of slaughter & transport on US soil. The deplorable conditions & horrific injuries documented in the USDA records are identical to those found during our numerous investigations as well as in USDA records pertaining to the Beltex horse slaughter plant in Texas, obtained by Animals' Angels in 2008.   Click here to review the Beltex records...  (Warning - Graphic content)     Horses lay dead or dying on the floor of an overcrowded trailer with other horses forced to stand over them due to the lack of room. Other photos showed horses with double eye injuries, missing eyes, deep gashes on forehead, nose and mouth. Many photos showed broken legs with bones exposed and deep gashes exposing muscle. Others depict horses with their hooves and legs caught in the sides walls of the trailer, causing devastating injuries. Pools of blood could be seen on the floors of the trailers along with copious amounts of blood splatter all along the trailer side walls. In one particularly gruesome view, a horse appears to have had his hoof/foot severed after it became stuck in the side wall. In a subsequent photograph, the hoof could be seen, still lodged in the side wall.     Additional violations involved countless instances of missing documentation, lost back tags, severe overcrowding, and slipshod or improper paperwork.   Click here to review the Cavel records...  (Warning - Graphic content) Click here to review the Summery File... The Myth Some would still like you to believe that the conditions for transporting horses to slaughter in the US would be better than crossing our borders to Mexico or Canada. This evidence, once again, unmistakably proves otherwise. The photos we received at Animals' Angels highlight how in recent history horses suffered intense pain, injury, and intolerable conditions - all for slaughter within our very own country.   These pictures were taken by USDA inspectors over a four year period.  It is important to stress that the evidence of mistreatment continued to pile up during this time - all while the transport companies continued to operate. The USDA did not shut them down. Instead, simple fines were imposed, in some instances, but not all. Many offenders received nothing but a warning letter. And in those cases where fines were imposed, it sometimes took years to get a hearing and judgment.      Click here to review Commercial Transport of Equines to Slaughter Violations 2002-2012... Most upsetting of all is the fact that the few offenders that received high fines such as Charles Carter ($234,000) or Leroy Baker ($173,000), are still allowed to operate without having ever paid for their egregious violations.           Do not be mislead. The propaganda promoting horse slaughter in the U.S. wants people to believe that it is in the best interest of the animals to be transported and slaughtered here - that they will receive better treatment as a result. The overwhelming evidence we have received directly from our countless investigations as well as straight from the USDA in 2008/2012 clearly demonstrates this "myth" is simply not true.   Kill buyers and transport companies will not suddenly follow regulations they have routinely flouted in the past because of the change in destination for their cargo.  And as is made clear by the USDA records, there appears to be no violation egregious enough to warrant or secure significant repercussions. What good does it do to impose fines of $150,000 or more, if these fines are never collected and offenders are allowed to continue to operate? Do not be tricked into thinking that re-opening slaughter plants in the US is for the "benefit" of our horses.  It is strictly for the benefit of those who make money from the suffering of these fine animals. In the U.S. we do not eat horses. We should not transport them or slaughter them for those countries that do.  Please support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Quick Links   Animals' Angels is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, all donations are tax deductible.            Your support is crucial to continue our work and Animals' Angels counts on you. www.animalsangels.org About us Animals' Angels works to improve conditions for farm animals. We closely cooperate with law enforcement and government agencies to fight animal cruelty. Our investigators are out in the field nationwide, visiting auctions, feedlots and slaughter plants. Contact: Animals' Angels Inc. PO Box 1056 Westminster, MD 21158 410-848-3153 www.animalsangels.org info@animalsangels.org