Remember Me

We are all aware of the problem the thoroughbred industry faces with our injured and aging horses ending up at slaughter houses in Mexico and Canada.   I believe I have come up with a solution to not only protect our thoroughbreds but to save the lives of people consuming tainted horse meat in other countries.  Children who eat horse meat are at the most risk.  Aplastic Anemia is on the rise and horses that have been treated with phenlybutazone are the cause.

Phenlybutazone, (bute), is a substance given to almost every racehorse at some point in his life.  Any horse that has ever received even one dose of bute is banned for life from being slaughter for human consumption.   I personally do not know of a horse that has not ever been treated for a high temperature, a mild colic, or been given bute as an anti-inflammatory.   In asking track veterinarians most agree 90-95% of horses at the racetrack have had bute, making them unsuitable for slaughter.  There are 17 other drugs that also have lifetime bans from slaughter including nitrofurazone, the most common leg sweat and wound ointment at the track.

By placing a small but easily recognizable freeze brand on horses who have received a banned medication I believe we will greatly reduce the number of thoroughbreds that are slaughtered.   At the same time we will put in place a system to take care of them when they become aged, injured, or unwanted. 

The brand will be voluntary and the decision to brand will be made with a veterinarians assistance.  Freeze branding is safe and  almost completely painless.

This brand will signify a horses’ meat is contaminated and unsafe for human consumption.  I am currently in the process of registering the brand in counties in Texas where horses cross the border and notifying every Texas sale barn and known slaughter buyer about the brand and what is stands for. 

Notices and photos of the brand with a description of what it represents will be sent to the holding pens at the border and all known feedlots where horses are ‘fed out’ before completing their journey to slaughter.

The freeze brand we have in mind is the nationally recognized symbol for biohazard material.  This symbol refers to biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans.   

The brand is being placed on the left shoulder.   It is 3 1/2 inches in diameter and it is unmistakable for any other ranch brand.   

The veterinarian administering the drug or prescribing the medication that will make the horse unfit for slaughter will be asked to fill out a form. The form will certify the horse as receiving the drug or medication.  This will rule out any discrepancy to whether the animal is contaminated. 

There will be a fee paid to register the certification.   This fee shall be placed in a ‘Horse Save-ings Account’ and will be used to aid in the rescue, transportation, placement, or euthanasia of any horse in need with the brand.  

We will keep a data base of every horse that has received the brand complete with photos, markings, and ownership information at the time the brand was placed on the horse.