Just when we finally got through closing the last one in the U.S., in Illinois! :grr:
http://www.slate.com/id/2212233The Montana state legislature endorsed a bill Tuesday that would allow the construction of a horse slaughterhouse. It would be the only such plant in the country—the last three, two in Texas, one in Illinois, were shut down in 2007. How do horse slaughterhouses work?...
The main difference between horse slaughterhouses and cattle plants is that horses are more difficult to herd, often getting into fights en route to the holding pen. That's partly because they're raised for racing or riding, not consumption, and thus aren't accustomed to cramped quarters. (Federal transportation regulations for horses don't have a space requirement, so buyers tend to pack them in tight.) Horses also tend to be more excitable than cows—hence the blinders—and the smell of blood makes them nervous. Like other "flight animals," when they're scared, they try to run.
The biggest challenge for slaughterhouse employees is getting horses to hold still in the "kill room." Horses don't like things near their heads, so when a worker reaches over the railing with a bolt gun, they often swing their heads around, causing the gun to fire in the wrong place. The American Veterinary Medical Association calls the penetrating captive bolt a humane method but emphasizes that "dequate restraint is important to ensure proper placement of the captive bolt." The Australian Veterinary Association, meanwhile, has dubbed the bolt "not satisfactory for horses since firm pressure on the forehead is essential for its effective use and this tends to be resisted by the horse."
:cry: