"People are starting to realize in our society that animals are not toys or disposable objects to be abused and discarded when they become not useful or inconvenient to us," says Prescott. "Banning horse slaughter is a natural step in society's progression."
Lenz counters that until such time as legislation provides for infrastructure, oversight, and funding, America should not stop processing horses here. "We should allow the horse industry to deal with this problem," he maintains.
And, fortunately, that is happening--not soon enough for many horses, but a change is taking place, says Lenz. "I can see a shift in the horse industry--people are becoming aware they need to be more responsible about breeding and buying, and they need to think about what they do with a horse if it doesn't meet their expectations."
We can also hope that the Unwanted Horse Coalition, which met for the first time in the fall of 2007 (and of which Horse & Rider is a member), will come up with some innovative and far-reaching solutions.
This article originally appeared in the October 2007 issue of Horse & Rider magazine. Read part 2 of this special report, The Slaughter Debate: Solving the Puzzle.
