Horses feature: Local refuges speak out against 'disposable' horses

To those who have made it their life's work to rescue and care for abused or unwanted animals, the horseracing industry is rife with stories of neglect, abuse, and tragedy.

Perhaps, as if to further complicate their plight, a primary concern of such rescuers is that not many people are aware of the plight of abused horses - one that more often than not, they say, finds its roots in the industry.

"The general public doesn't see horses as disposable," said Lisa Rowlands, petting her Standardbred horse, Katara, which she has taken care of for three years and hopes to train as a riding horse.

For the last eight years, Rowlands has operated a small shelter for neglected animals in East Hawkesbury, part of her CedarBank pet boarding business. She said the horseracing industry, by virtue of its competitive existence, contributes to excessive breeding, abuse, and eventual neglect. Horses are often abandoned when they become injured or grow old, as they are simply not profitable - and too expensive - for their owners.

Her message for the industry: stop breeding and take some responsibility.

"The whole industry needs to do something about surplus horses, and slaughter is not the answer," said Rowlands. "You owe that horse at least something at the end ... even euthanasia is a lot kinder than slaughter."

She noted her experience with Katara quickly opened her eyes to the reality: "She was passed around, everybody was trying to make money from her. She was bred twice after she retired [from racing], and when no one could make any money, they left her.

"I couldn't believe that people would throw away a horse, until I met Rose."

Largest refuge in Canada sees 'big influx'

Rose Gergely owns and operates the non-profit Refuge RR for Horses, located just outside of Alexandria and currently the largest horse refuge in the country.

An advocate against animal cruelty, Gergely dedicates her time and farmland to the rescue and rehabilitation of abused or neglected horses and farm animals. The organization also runs at horse placement program, to find a good home for unwanted ones.

Gergely said the refuge saw "a big influx" of Standardbred horses in the summer of 2008, once the horse racing industry in Quebec had effectively began its decline. The industry collapsed last October, once the provincial government withdrew the funding behind it.

Nevertheless, she said, "there have always been Standardbreds at the refuge. They are bred to race, and if they don't make it, they're sent to slaughter."

Refuge RR currently houses 65 horses, including 25 Standardbreds, of which many show signs of abuse, scars, animal testing, or starvation, according to Gergely.

"It's sad, because Standardbreds are the number one that go to slaughter," she said, adding that others are put to use as calèche-pullers in places like Old Montreal.

Furthermore, most of them come from Quebec - a result, she explained, of both the horse racing industry decline and the lack of animal protection laws in the province.

Gergely said the refuge is alerted to the horses in various ways, including tip-offs, calls from trainers, work with the SPCA Montérégie, and negotiations with their owners. The horse is signed over, and someone involved with the refuge often picks them up.

Many of the horses that arrive at the refuge are emaciated, physically injured, and traumatized, she goes on to explain, adding that under their care, "we bring a lot back to health."

In that sense, the refuge is equally marked by its success stories: bringing horses back to a healthy weight, treating their injuries, saving them from near-death and, one time, going against the advice of a veterinarian to euthanize a horse. Instead, the horse was reunited with its offspring, whose consistent energy brought her back to health.

The refuge has taken in "hundreds" of horses since 1990, when it was federally registered as a charitable organization.

"There's a real need here," said Gergely.

For more information on the Refuge RR for Horses and news on events, including an upcoming educational conference with guest speakers from across Canada, visit www.refugerr.org. To make a donation, call 613-525-0049 or email refugerr@xplornet.ca. All donations are tax deductible.

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Canada, the racing industry, and slaughter

The horse slaughter industry is not only a result of unwanted horses, according to the advocacy group Veterinarians for Equine Welfare (VEW). Several such groups argue that the slaughter industry stands to profit from the increasing demand for horsemeat in countries like France and Japan.

In turn, the rampant over-breeding in the Canadian horse racing industry stands to benefit both the horse racers and the slaughter industry.

According to figures compiled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the spike in horse slaughtering took place across the country in August 2007. In the last few months of that year, an average of 8,700 horses were slaughtered every month, up from an average of 5,100 in the first seven months.

In 2007, there were 79,850 horses slaughtered in Canada compared to 50,067 in the previous year, representing a near 60 per cent increase.

In 2008, that figure jumped again to 111,236, up another 40 per cent. The figure decreased slightly in 2009, down to 93,812, as a result of the recession and the related drop in world exports.

However, neither of the sudden jumps in 2007 and 2008 are the result of mere coincidence. Horse slaughter was effectively ended in the United States when the two states with remaining abattoirs, Texas and Illinois, ruled against the practice in the summer of 2007.

The three plants "made arrangements to move their slaughter operations over the borders to Mexico and Canada," according to a report published by Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) last month.

While the increasing numbers into 2008 can equally be attributed to the plant closures in the United States, the decline of horse racing in Quebec and across Canada has played a role.

On September 8, 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, to make illegal the killing of horses for human consumption. While the law was never passed in the Senate and signed by the president, other bills have since been introduced in the House and the Senate.

Part of the incentive for such a bill is that current transport regulations for horses in both countries are poor. According to CFIA regulations, "horses must not be transported without feed and water for longer than 36 hours" and "vehicles must provide adequate space and headroom to allow the horses to stand in a natural position."

The issue with regulating the transport is that the measures are difficult to enforce, not to mention insufficient, according to horse welfare advocates.

The VEW and EWA have also raised the issue of the slaughter process itself, saying horses are terrified before their death as a result of overcrowding, deafening sounds, and the smell of blood. Investigative reports, including one by the San Antonio News-Express in 2007, have revealed barbaric practices in use for slaughter.

The CFIA has meanwhile recognized an issue within the transport process: "Effective July 31, 2010, it will be mandatory for all CFIA inspected facilities in Canada engaged in the slaughter of equines for edible purposes to have complete records for all animals (domestic and imported) presented for slaughter."

Bringing it in line with the European Union, the CFIA will prohibit the slaughter of horses that have ever received prohibited substances, such as phenylbutazone and anabolic steroids. Such drugs, and substances like cocaine, are often administered to racing horses to boost their performance.

In the meantime, however, the numbers of horse imports into Canada from the U.S. have increased, and are likely sent to one of six abattoirs in Canada: two in Quebec, two in Alberta, one in Ontario and another in British Colombia. A plant in Saskatchewan closed in early 2009.

Horse meat exports increased by 51 per cent between 2007 and 2008.