Cont...

Statistically in Australia averagely a year for human consumption in other parts of the world, is estimated to be about 50,000 to 70,000 Brumbies. That’s about 4.7 million worldwide in total are exported horse meat to the top eight countries such as Europe, China, Japan and Russia for human consumption.

The cost per kilogram is about $4.00 overseas generating $96 million plus estimated annually to the Australian economy in exports to Japan, China, Europe, and Russia etc; in Finland a farmer gets paid €100 Euros (€0.20 cents euro a kilo) per horse locally slaughtered.

Which opens our eyes to the fact, that as a country we must sway for personal benefit? Death to Brumbies, a free living animal that’s done its duty, yet condemn another country for slaughtering another creature that’s population growth and numbers are much higher.

When Christianity was adopted in some countries, horse-eating became taboo, meaning that it is sacred and forbidden based on moral judgment.

The capturing of Brumbies for export sale as food we may feel is moral enough, as well as dealing with what some may refer to as a pest, but these animals remind us of nature’s way.

Humane is making sure this doesn’t extend to pregnant females and that wounded or dying of thirst Brumbies are also put down rather than left to suffer over the price of a bullet.

Brett J Hutton

Emotive but what else is it?
Every animal we feed on dies this way.
Except those killed by bleeding to death while alive.
ex race horses die this way too.
Here not more than hours drive from Sydney, Brumbys once killed or crippled at least one person a year, once a young bride on her way home from her great event.
They run on road sides ,the grass is better there.
Horses are not native to this country in the vwild they decline in health.
So what do we do? they do not belong running wild and unchecked, may transmit deceases.
Brumbys are usually in worse condition than we think.
Highlighting the method of death is while quite right, not answering this question is letting them rot better than harvesting a source of meat man has eaten for century's?

Brett,
Finally you got around to the second part of your article, and it is still unclear the point you are trying to make. For someone that has written a number of articles, I find this strange. I wish you would come out directly and say whether we should export horse meat or not, or maybe we should not slaughter horses at all. As a cattleman, that would suit me as the price for beef, of all sorts, would rise because the pet food industry would give increased competition.

You also seem to refer to ALL horses as Brumbies. This is not so.

Brumbies is a term used for wild horses only. By far the biggest number of horses slaughtered are domesticatd horses. This then puts your figures all out of whack. You need more research here.

Lexi,
I haven't read the 'save the Brumbies' website and don't intend to as these types of bodies tend to spin the facts to favour their agenda. But i would not be surprised if shot Brumbies are left to rot in Queensland. I hate waste and if they can be trapped in portable stockyards that would be my choice if possible. Don't know if the Qld gov has looked at this or not. In NSW I can get a permit to shoot roos, if I can prove they are in unreasonable numbers, on which a certain number is specified. However they must be tagged and left to rot and breed flies. I cannot use, or take, any part. So shooting of Brumbies and leaving the carcases would not surprise me.

Banjo:

I don't know much on this topic. However, the following website was the one I used:

http://www.savethebrumbies.org/2010/03/01/shocking-aerial-slaughter/

Brett,

" . . horse-eating became taboo, meaning that it is sacred and forbidden based on moral judgment."

Can you prove this claim? I've not heard it made in my (almost) 60 years! I suspect it is more likely to be an emotive Statement or claim made in support of a Cause; and untrue. I know of no such 'cultural change' associated with Christianity.

clarky

Food taboos can be defined as a codified set of rules about which foods or combination's of foods may not be eaten and how animals are to be slaughtered.

The origin of these prohibitions and commandments is varied.

In some cases, these taboos are a result of health considerations or other practical reasons. In others, they are a result of human symbolic systems. Some foods may be prohibited during certain festivals (e.g. Lent), at certain times of life (e.g. pregnancy), or to certain classes of people (e.g. priests), although the food is in general permissible