This message is from: "plumg...@pon.net" <plumg...@pon.net>
When we lived on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia our mailman was close to 90 before he quit delivering mail. He had delivered mail with a horse and buggy. I asked him (knowing pretty much what the answer would be) what he did with a horse when he retired it. The land there was sandy/gravelly acidic soil that really should have been left as rainforest. It was hard to grow much, and putting up hay (just like in Norway) was a "b..." because it ALWAYS rained on the hay. No one had the wherewithal to keep livestock that was not useful. When I left Salt Spring Island I had a 12 year old Jersey cow that I had milked for ten years. It was not easy, but we led her three miles down the road (as we had done with all of her babies as well) and took her to the butcher. There is no doubt in my mind that the Norwegians ate unneeded horses as well before North Sea oil came along as it was quite a poor country before then. In a way, we are moving back in that direction due to economic and ecological factors. I just like to think that we will still do whatever we can to make the horses comfortable and happy while they are alive, including the time right before their death. Gary Snyder, the poet, told us the following story at a conference in farm country last summer when high oil prices were looking like they would drive the cattle ranchers out of business because it had become so expensive to fertilize, irrigate, cut and bale hay. He pointed out that people came along and found the pyramids and wondered how they could possibly have been built, until they realized that they were built with thousands upon thousands of slaves. When the slave economy disappeared, they were no longer built. He pointed out that when we learned how to exploit fossil fuels, we essentially also had (and still have) the work equivalent of thousands upon thousands of slaves. When those slaves leave us, for whatever reason (war, depletion, recession in which we do not have the funds to pay for them), we are going to have to make some tough choices. I currently have several elderly horses that cannot earn their keep. I have no intention of euthanizing them or selling them on, but sometimes the expense of taking care of them is pretty taxing financially. However, if I did not have my little "oil slaves" I probably would euthanize or eat them. When we lived in BC we mowed a big field one year with a single horse mower pulled behind an old 8N tractor. We raked it with a horse drawn dump rake pulled behind the tractor. We were able to, sort of, windrow the hay with the dump rake. I then went out and hand stooked (sp) it with a pitchfork and then hand piled it onto a little 4 x 8 trailer. WE hauled it home and used an old style set of hay-pickup forks to put it up into the hay mow. I can tell you right now that, if I had to do that again in order to feed meat animals and to feed my horses, I would soon figure out a humane way to slaughter and eat our excess horses. Gail ------- Original Message ------- >From : pedfjo...@aol.com[mailto:pedfjo...@aol.com] Sent : 4/2/2009 12:58:41 PM To : fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Cc : Subject : RE: Carrots, onion, bay leaf ,S+P This message is from: pedfjo...@aol.com * recipe for chicken soup ? ; ) Sorry, couldnt resist that one, BUT, Glad this topic is continuing about horses needing help when headed to either slaughter, or the Rainbow Bridge if thats where your brain likes to draw the line. Good, stimulating comments from all " sides " and keep in mind that we are all actually on ONE side of this topic, being horse lovers. There are different ways and reasons to sink the same boat, but its sinking right now, so keeping dialog open for everyone is a good deal. One little thing. Jen, while I agree with alot of your feelings and some of your post.....it is not true that people here in the US do not eat horse meat. Well, they DID in recent history. My mom is in her young 80's and remembers very well that for several years, during World War 11, thats all the meat they could get. Most Americans during that recent <enough> time did not raise horse's to eat, but did obtain it at the butcher shops when they had enough food ration stamps for things like sugar, milk and meat. In Europe with the mad cow disease, it only made the horse meat market gain alot of favor with the UK and others not being able to obtain beef for awhile. ( not sure about it now ) In times of depression and war, horses are eaten. Even here. In recent history. The impression of people avoiding horse meat because of its " special place in developing the nation " is simply not true. In fact....when armys marched through N. Europe, they confiscated and ate all of the horses they didnt need to pull something. Rumor has it that the Fjords survived THAT soup pot, due to their " tough " chew factor. <g> Lisa ************** New Low Prices on Dell Laptops – Starting at $399 ( http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1220433304x1201394525/aol?redir=http :%2F%2Fad.doubl eclick.net%2Fclk%3B213540718%3B35046385%3Be) Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
