fallon Bull Sale - The Progressive Rancher Magazine

Horse Snorts
AND Cow Bawls
by Jeanne King
The big topic of controversy for the beginning of 2011 was the Summit of the
Horse in Las Vegas. Co-coordinated by Sue Wallis, a Wyoming State Legislator,
Dave Duquett, I believe of Oregon and John Fallen, president of the Public
Lands Council of the National Cattlemen’s Association. I hope I have the name spelling
correct. If not, I beg your pardon. There were a host of interested people putting
this on!
This meeting had a fantastic gathering of really knowledgeable speakers from a variety
of walks of life. Horse trainers, veterinarians, horse breeders, horse handlers, public
lands users, you name it and the interest was there! Even representatives of the State Fish
and Game department. The attendees were all people with an interest in the horse and its
welfare.
The purpose of this meeting was to propose the establishment of slaughter plants to
humanely handle the excess of unwanted horses in our nation. There is a real need to dispose
of old, crippled, unwanted horses in our country. Horses are bred and born every year
in excess of natural deaths. The population explosion is a bit different to handle than excess
cats and dogs; just the fact that a horse body is a lot bigger than a cat or dog to dispose of.
Dead horse bodies thrown out on the freeway right of ways wouldn’t go over so good, but
what do you do with them. With land not being made anymore, burial sites are not an option.
This meeting was a great starting point to establish these plants. With State control,
the humane manner of slaughter can be enforced. With instate inspectors approved by the
federal criteria; we have an honest attempt to handle this problem in the most humane way
possible. With in state plants, managed humanely, we would know our old horses were
treated humanely (that word again) and not subjected to pain and travel miles as they might
be if trucked out of the country.
I was impressed with the fact Bob Abbey, the Director of the Bureau of Land Management,
was a speaker. Not so much speaking at this function, but that he did it despite death
threats from the radical “horse” groups. The death threat was so real; he actually had a
number of body guards accompanying him! He had just spoken at a meeting of theirs in
California. “They” figured he could speak on their side but not on the logical side supporting
some slaughter plants. How juvenile is that mentality?
Of course, the controversy of wild horses being slaughtered for food came up. We, the
people, have to acknowledge that there is a huge problem with the ballooning wild horse
population. In the past, wild horse roundups have been conducted to harvest and control
this. This policy has upset the “radical” groups who have no grasp of business. We, as a nation,
have taken a viable enterprise and turned it into a public liability at the cost of millions
of dollars to the taxpaying public. This meeting was staged to come to an honest solution to
an ongoing problem. This argument has been hashed and re-hashed for years. Now maybe
we can solve both problems humanely.
That’s my big spiel for this issue. Now on to a bit lighter topics. The kids!
——— • ———
Little Nate was going to go with his dad and cowboy a bit. Mom was getting him all
dressed for the cold and commented she didn’t want him to grow up. Pretty soon he would
be roping calves and chasing girls. He set her straight right away.
“I might be roping calves but the girls will be chasing ME!”
This is the same little guy that can’t be a cowboy by lying on the couch!
Emma has to write her own thank you notes for gifts she receives. She addresses one
to her great aunt and her own aunts as “Ant Billie and Ant Samme”. Mom addresses the
envelope but Emma has to do the rest and she makes no mistake on what gift comes from
which person!
Emma was playing with her other grandmother and losing the battle of wits. She
looked at her dad and wailed, “Dad, has your mom always been like this?”
——— • ———
Think that will do for this issue. Can’t get too long winded-gets boring then. Until next
time, stay warm, chop ice and hurry back to the fire!!
Upcoming Sales
Friday, March 4 th
Internet Video Sale
Shasta Livestock, Cottonwood, CA
—
Wednesday, April 13 th
Holiday Inn, Visalia, CA
WATCH & LISTEN TO THE SALE AT:
www.progressiverancher.com The Progressive Rancher
February 2011 9