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So I'm curious. There's currently a local rescue trying to save a horse that was purchased and will be used for meat. This rescue is trying to raise funds to purchase the horse so it wiill be saved. My question is why? If it was bought by a legitimate business and there is a market for horse meat, why can't it be used for meat? How is it different from cattle that are bought and sold for meat? Or chickens or turkeys? Are we going to start raising money to save them too? There are plenty of countries where horse meat is consumed and maybe it's a smaller market in Canada but there obviously is a market if it was bought for this purpose.  
 
Now I know I can just "move on by" and not comment or not donate if I don't agree with the cause (which I will not be donating in this case) but I'm genuinely wondering why everybody wants to throw up their torches and race to save this animal if it was sold/bought legitimately and is killed humanely for its meat. I guess I just don't get it. The people saving this horse are not all vegetarians which is why I'm questioning their motives I guess.

Maybe it’s one of the Ojibwa ponies ? There was a thread about them on here.

Why not save it? If it's still has some good years left and someone would care for it, why not?  
 
I find it ironic Someone is complaining that an animal RESCUE is trying to save an animal.

For creatures that are rare, on the extinction list I think we as humans have a morale responsibility to do what we can to save a species that has been impacted by human activities.  
 
However, in some way I often ask the same question as the OP. I love dogs/pets of all kinds. But I do shake my head at the lengths some people go to save pets/animals that have been injured. We have such an overwhelming population of dogs/cats that we can't house them all. While I don't agree with euthanizing a healthy safe animal, animals that have been deemed unsafe or are injured to the point of reducing their quality of life should be put down. I see lots of posts for rescues of dogs with limbs chewed off/missing, disease ridden, needing oodles of surgery or drugs to get them better. These animals are suffering and would be better put to sleep.  
 
That's just my thought. Interested to hear others' response.

The horse is known to someone involved with the rescue. Perhaps it is a breed dear to their hearts. Perhaps they just feel this horse does not deserve to go to slaughter, or perhaps they believe no horse should go for meat. Regardless if some cultures eat horsemeat many people here are opposed to it and will try to rescue horses when they can. Some cultures eat dog meat. If someone told you there is a dog that was purchased for meat-would you shrug and say oh well or would you try to save that dog from that fate?

This is a Clydesdale they are trying to buy back. Not entirely sure what the reasoning or the “why this one, and not the others” reason is.

Is this the Clyde that sold at Grunthal yestetday? There was inne-an old thin one-that a rescue tried to get but the meat man outbid them. The poor old Clyde did look in need of TLC and I can see why the rescue wanyed to give her some care. While I might be inclined to say they should let that one go and put money into a younger one instead-i am also okay with people pooling their money to rescue that older horse if that is what they want to do. She did not seem to have any major issues that would require a fortune in vet care and still leave her crippled and suffering.  
 
Rescues sometimes buy horses needing euthanasia just to give them a peaceful end rather than let them be sent on a long truck ride to the slaughterhouse. It is the humane thing to do.

I'm not complaining I was just starting a conversation and trying to understand. It's not a rare horse, it looks like it was at the end of its life anyways. I guess I agree with Spades. I agree with saving animals that have a good chance, I however can't get behind spending $5000 or more on a single dog or cat that will have a poor quality of life or only gain a few more months of life when that money could go towards spaying and neutering so that this problem doesn't continue.  
 
I know it's not black and white and there's tons of grey areas and doing rescue is a thankless job. The question about if some cultures eat a dog would I be ok with it, the answer is yes I would. I love dogs but if that is what a culture does then who am I to judge? Down in South America it is common to eat guinea pigs and in Canada they are pets. I wouldn't try to save the guinea pigs that they are trying to eat.

Out of all the things going on in our country and the world right now, this bugs you? This is something you need to understand? Whether it's a Clydesdale, Ojibway pony, or a circus horse, like any animal or living thing, it deserves to be saved & if amazing ppl with ginormous hearts are willing to give it their best to save it, get over it!

Anger is not needed in this thread. Yes I agree there is lots going on in our country and the world today. The pet/animal population is and has become a serious problem. Look at all the rescues, SPCA is full, Pound is full and people are supporting puppy mills, backyard breeders or plain being irresponsible for not getting their pet spayed/neutered. If humans were not around Mother Nature would be taking care of animals who were injured or sick by having them killed and eaten by a stronger predator or worse, to die a slow death in some ditch somewhere.  
 
We humans have created this situation. We need to find a balance somewhere to fix it.

this horse was at the auction. Chances are the horse buyer will be charging a premium for this animal, and rightfully so, as he is in the horse business to make money. There is no way he will sell the horse for what he paid for it. The horse is probabily booked in for slaughter at the end of the week. We have to recognize that what a rescue does with their money is entirely up to them - just the same as it's an individual choice as to whether you want to donate to a rescue.

Spades!! said "Anger is not needed in this thread. Yes I agree there is lots going on in our country and the world today. The pet/animal population is and has become a serious problem. Look at all the rescues, SPCA is full, Pound is full and people are supporting puppy mills, backyard breeders or plain being irresponsible for not getting their pet spayed/neutered. If humans were not around Mother Nature would be taking care of animals who were injured or sick by having them killed and eaten by a stronger predator or worse, to die a slow death in some ditch somewhere.     We humans have created this situation. We need to find a balance somewhere to fix it. "

One of the best posts I've read here. And I LOVE animals.

Is pretty barbaric. I personally don't have a problem if somebody wants to shoot and eat a horse but the shipping to slaughter process needs to be changed. If you cram a bunch of strange horses in a trailer together they will fight and horrific injuries occur, because they're are going to be slaughtered anyway they will receive no care for the injuries. So they suffer until they are finally killed at a facility in Quebec. Hopefully, they are at least unconscious when the actual butchering process begins. Look it up on youtube, there are tons of videos showing abuses at slaughter plants.

Hooves N Hounds rescue put up a very good post on Facebook about yesterday's sale at Grunthal-specifically about the group of 23 ponies and the media hype over them. It should be an interesting read for some who think they know so much about the truth of that. It also talks about the rest of the horses in that sale, and the fate that awaits most of them now.

any slaughter is not for the faint hearted , , all livestock goes through an industrial process  
during slaughter ,

To raise the money. This horse went at auction for $825 and they paid $2175 to get him back to save him. I may not agree with saving this horse but I definitely commend the rescue efforts it took to raise the money and get him back. Hopefully he can live his life out peacefully at a nice farm.

For the update- I had not seen that news yet. Good he is saved-he was as deserving of life as anyone.

Shebear said "I dont agree with using horses for meat, and while visiting the UK discoverd I ate horsemeat at a BKing a couple years later lol The news here reported on it being found out.... Gross lol I remember thinking their beef tastes diff than ours ...ya cause it was mixed with horse meat. I put eating horse meat on the same level of if you ate a cat or dog, they are pets. Yes you could have a pet cow or pig. Yes I get it horse meat is a big thing for some people to eat, but still dont agree with it lol I get it there are cultures who think eating cats/dogs as normal ( seen some pretty bad youtube vids on how they are treated too) and well just sick. I dont know the whole story of the ponies that were mentioned, but couldnt people on the reserves taken them and kept them safe? I've lessend my amount of meat consumption for diff reasons incl $ wise and the hormones and stuff, would love to go vegetarian but not a easy switch when ya dont like veggies lol I refuse to eat Lamb and Veal after finding out veal was baby cow, and lamb wasnt the adult sheep ! I thought they just generalized sheep meat as lamb... I do applaud all who do resuce animals and would love to rescue a cat but stupid owners of the apt building say no pets not even service animals.     Edited by Shebear, 2017-10-16 13:54:59"

They cannot discriminate against a trained animal who is recognized as a service dog. That's a direct violation of their human rights. As per the human rights website  
 
 
"A service animal is trained to assist a person with a disability. The work or task(s) performed by a service animal must be directly related to a person’s physical or mental disability. Animals that provide comfort and companionship and that are not trained to assist with a person’s disability, are not service animals.  
 
A person with a service animal has the right to enter a restaurant, store or other place where the public, customers or guests are generally allowed, including transportation such as buses and taxis.  
Users of service animals have a visible or an invisible disability.  
A service dog usually has an identifying harness. If a business operator is not sure if animal with a customer is a service animal or a pet, they may ask if the animal is required due to a disability.  
No one should interact with or feed a service animal unless they are given permission by the service animal owner to do so.  
“No pet” policies must not be applied to service animals. Hotel/motel operators/landlords should not require a deposit or charge a cleaning fee for a service animal, even where such deposits or fees are required for pets.  
The preference of other customers is not a valid reason to restrict service to a customer with a service animal.  
A person with a service animal has responsibilities including controlling the animal"

Was so special about this horse? Why rescue him and not any of the others that went for meat? That is what I don't understand about rescues that pick and choose what one they rescue and not the one beside it.

they will never be able to save them all of course, that is silly. Do you not think helping one is better than helping none?  
 
Edited by Oryx, 2017-10-19 12:44:47

Lookandlearn said "Was so special about this horse? Why rescue him and not any of the others that went for meat? That is what I don't understand about rescues that pick and choose what one they rescue and not the one beside it. "

this horse had spent years as a therapy horse, helping people. Now people have stepped forward and helped this horse.

are not sent to auction unless there is a good reason for same. Horse people at the auction would have known it was a therapy horse, and if it was sound and in good health would have outbid the horse meat buyer. You may have spent thousands of dollars on a horse with problems which may eventually have to be euthanized.

The rescue people TRIED to buy the horse at the auction, but they did not have enough funds at hand to outbid the meat man that day. If they had enough cash in hand they would have taken the horse home from the sale. So-meat man got the horse but then allowed the rescue to buy back the horse once they raised the money. Too bad they didnt have ready cash at the sale, they surely would have paid less than they had to after the fact.