I think the people who did that to this horse should be left in that desert!

this is sick, sick, sick to do this to a creature.

People who deny themselves of having animal companionship are really missing out. Studies show that people with pets live longer and are more healthy and more happy. Horses, magnificent animals, can be among the most therepeutic and loyal "friends" that man can have. Not to mention how wonderful it is just to step back and marvel at their beauty and be entertained by them. Yes, they require space and expense to maintain properly - but they give back so much in return. We don't know who left the animal, maybe there was some explanation, but if simply abandoned then shame on that person!

This is the result of closing down the horse meat trade. People that thought they were doing the kind and benevolent thing have actually caused for horses to become less valuable, and that is a bad thing for an animal that is as expensive to maintain as a horse is. Most people are so far removed from the land, livestock, and the reality of agriculture that they have no concept of what horses need to be viable in today's culture. The horse meat market kept a base value on horses. Now an old horse is a very expensive liability. They should have just shot it.

Oh, but, Dogooders, they wouldn't have dared! After all, some guy got 5 years for drowning puppies!

Seriously, I totally agree with you and I am a horse lover and owned horses for more than 50 years.
But when they are old, crippled, and so on, it is humane to put them down and utterly wasteful to just kill them and bury them. Not to mention that many cultures don't have our bias about eating horse meat--it's all good protein and just because horses are beautiful animals doesn't make eating them any worse than eating beef, pork, or lamb! Unless you are actually a vegetarian, you have no business criticizing the eating of horsemeat.

Pet food companies have not used horsemeat in over 30 years because pet owners will not buy it!

There are no laws against using horsemeat in petfood.

Abusive people will continue to abuse horses, whether it is sending them to slaughter or turning them loose. At least now they are not gaining a financial profit.

Why would anyone turn a horse loose when there are so many people who would take that horse in? Because they want to make a statement about their minority, illegal viewpoint.

Such people should be prosecuted for breaking existing law.

Dogooders and Oh but...the horse meat trade is NOT shut down. It's alive and well, and thousands of horses are being sent to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. True..not all cultures put horses in the same high regard that we do. We also don't eat dogs in this country but we aren't slaughtering them and shipping the meat to Korea, are we?

The sad state of our economy is largely to blame for the plight of our horses. People are losing their jobs, homes, farms and the skyrocketing costs of hay, grain and fuel are impacting horse owners right where it hurts. Horses have become a luxury for many folks, making it difficult to find homes for horses when times get tough. Equine rescue facilities are maxed out and not the viable option that they once were.

And don't get me started on the overbreeding of horses in this country because I don't have enough words left in my "200 word" allotment! The horse market is saturated! Breeders are adding to the problem. Orgs like AQHA encourage breeding yet most of the horses being slaughtered are QHs. Where's the logic in that?

Oh...and I am a vegetarian.

I'm quite surprised at this article, as it is not factual.

Horse meat has not been used in dog food for at least 20 years. We did a poll of all the dog food companies in the United States very recently and not one dog food company uses horse meat. It is sometimes still used in zoos, but that is even beginning to change.

Also, horse slaughter is still taking place in the exact same numbers if not more than when the horse slaughter plants were open in the United States.

This is all just more lies from the proponents of horse slaughter.

Also, why not call a horse rescue? I'll bet there is a rescue willing to take this old horse and let him live out his remaining days in peace. Killing is not the only answer.

We shouldn't be slaughtering our American horses at all. We are only satisfying foreign diners.

What's next, dogs and cats?

To: Oh, but...

You sound like you are shocked that someone got 5 years in prison for drowning puppies and you call yourself a horse lover?

Drowning puppies is /illegal/, and I am glad to hear that the law was enforced.

And, btw, it has been proven that people who abuse animals will also eventually abuse a person. Do you want that person near your children?

Oh dogooder :) horse meat goes for 20.00 a pound in Europe alot of big bucks in horse meat and that's why they are getting bred just to be butchered, take a look at Animal Angels investigations and see the young horses getting bred, fattend up and sent to slaughter...from Shelby Montana and that's just one of many. Guess what folks AQHA is one of the main suppliers 140.000 horses last year get the facts and help us stop horse slaughter it's a disgrace. and the desert horse, he is safe now thank god, people that can't afford to have a horse don't and if you make a commitment to an animal take care of him/her till they die, sick put them down....horse slaughter can not be an option. Now I am going to do some more goody writing to the BLM
America the Beautiful....supplying Europe horse meat because of greed.

This situation underscores why many people are fighting against the ban on slaughter--people choose to be irresponsible for animals they no longer have any use for. Instead of sending this horse to a rescue, finding it a home or having it humanely put down, the owners seemingly turned it loose to fend for itself. Unless it was stolen and managed to get away from the thief, there is no excuse for this animal being in this mess.

Slaughter IS alive and well and not all that difficult to arrange. Kill buyers advertise; some will come to the house to pick the horse up. How much easier could it be?! Maybe it requires that the owners make a trip to an auction but don't be fooled people; slaughter is still available.

I laugh whenever I read a horse lover advocating for slaughter. Caring for anything, human or animal, means you want the best for it--the best life and the best death. Slaughter is the most horrendous death imaginable, not just the deed but the entire experience, from transport to butchering alive. So spare us the professions of love. Your words are hollow and your sentiments shallow. Just be honest for once.

So the term Do Gooder are dirty words. Hmmm, so is Evil Doer a good term? Are Evil Doers who we should be? Sounds like Dogooder should change his name to Evildoer, Puppydrowner is praised for his willingness to snuff out the live of innocent young pups when he was irresponsible and allowed his dog to breed instead of waking up one morning and realizing he was in the 20th or 21st century, HELLO!!!
SPAY YOUR DOG STUPID!!!