Within the last two weeks, the scandal of the Tesco horsemeat burgers has come and gone. Nonetheless, the issue remains unresolved. Amid all the ‘witty’ puns and photo-shopped gags, it is very easy to turn from shock, to crude humour, to indifference. World Horse Welfare (WHW) recently published an article detailing the travelling conditions of horses destined for slaughter. As the organisation asserts, “the decision to eat horsemeat is a cultural one”. Yet, surely allowing the cruel treatment of living animals to go unchecked is not a decision actively made? Is it not simply a matter of apathy?
65,000 horses are transported for slaughter every year and they are rarely fed or given water. Driven for 24 hours without rest, the horses are subjected to a torturous journey as they are led to their death. When horses are stunned, 50% of them begin to regain consciousness after 30 seconds. They are butchered alive, whilst hanging from a chain on the ceiling.
In violation of the UK’s Welfare of Animals Regulations, many are forced to see other horses stunned in front of them. As intelligent animals, they are aware of what is taking place. You don’t have to be a human to feel terror. 95% of horses obtain an acute injury whilst being transported, and many are left lame. They travel for thousands of kilometres treated as living meat.
In the comments section of a recent Daily Mirror article on the subject, Rita Trotter (no pun intended) left a poignant message: “We are supposed to love animals in this country. So why do we fail them so often and so miserably?” Socially unmentionable in the UK, the individual’s decision to eat horsemeat is not up for discussion but the correct treatment of the horses destined for slaughter remains polemic. World Horse Welfare is currently campaigning to reduce the maximum length of a slaughter horse’s journey from 24 to 9-12 hours. The European Commission are refusing to listen but perhaps it is still a joke to them.
I’m fairly sure the pun was intended.
well, in many countries like Kenya someone would rather starve to death than eat horse or donkey’s meat…but i respect anyone’s preference.yet that cruel treatment of any animal is barbaric.i would love to believe it’s not true
Well why not eat horsemeat? In Hungary, Central Asia, France and in many places it is normal to eat horse meat!!! And do you think animals such as chickens, cows and sheep are treated properly before they go to kitchen???