First, let’s start with the fact that the Bouvry slaughter plant in Alberta is STILL slaughtering horses.  (We know, we know – you may have heard otherwise.)

Most weeks Bouvry slaughters horses at least once per week and 2 weeks ago they had so many on the premises they ended up carrying over horses to kill last week.

And as of yesterday, Wednesday there were more horses at the plant. Thursday, today is the “normal” horse slaughter day.

Since 2010 we’ve purchased horses from kill buyers and First Nations – horses who were about to be shipped to slaughter.

Often we’ve been offered very young horses who have been ripped from their mothers.  

This time around we have negotiated to purchase not just foals, but mares and foals.

(There’s always the chance that the mares have been bred since giving birth to the foals still at their sides.)

We have amazing and proven foster homes lined up in British Columbia and Alberta.

Professional haulers have stepped forward to volunteer their time, expertise and fuel – or are offering to haul for just the cost of fuel.

Thankfully because of those who donate regularly – and those who have recently donated – we have some money set aside to purchase a few pairs of horses who otherwise will be shipped to slaughter.

If we can quickly raise more money we have room to foster a total of 18.

Of course, the initial expense of buying horses from First Nations (or kill buyers) is not the biggest nut to crack.  Hay, feed, vetting, farrier, etc. are in addition to funds to prevent them from being shipped to slaughter.

We always hate to ask but if you are able to help we would love to be able to fill each of the foster homes before this group of horses are shipped.

Again, we can’t save them all but with your help we can save 18.

Good question.  This is horse slaughter season for many reasons.

First horses that may be easy to keep in the summer when they can be turned out on pasture are more expensive to keep during the winter when they need hay and other feed – so some people choose to “dump” their horses rather than feed them through the winter.

In the case of some First Nations (in British Columbia), horses are often turned out on “Crown Land”, on government-managed “rangeland”.   “Livestock” must be removed from rangeland in the fall and rangeland managers start to put pressure on First Nations Bands to move their horses.

Rather than feed the horses through the winter – there is often pushback and some horses are simply left to fend for themselves despite the pressure to round them up.

Others are rounded up and kept through the winter and more than a few Bands round up and send a percentage of horses directly to slaughter.

Okay, so we are fully aware that purchasing horses from kill buyers or directly from First Nations bands is controversial.  Some rescues, organizations and individuals are NOT in favour of doing so.

The common objection from those opposed is that when you buy horses from kill buyers - horses that are earmarked to be slaughtered for their meat - you are helping the kill buyer profit.

Our take is this...

Kill buyers are going to profit whether we buy a horse or horses from them, or not.

Kill buyers will sell the horses to the slaughter plant - either Bouvry in Alberta or Richelieu in Quebec - and kill buyers will profit from those sales.

The horses they sell for slaughter are going to go through the torture of being crammed in leg-breaking trucks, often in extreme temperatures and being transported to a slaughter plant -- and if they survive the trip -- they'll be slaughtered for their meat.

If we buy horses, they are spared that torture - and live.

Either way the kill buyer profits - that's why we negotiate the lowest prices we can and buy as many horses as we can.

We are often criticized as are those who have fostered horses with/for us.

Right now we have 6 generous individuals, each with the space on their properties -  and in their hearts -  to take in a few horses each.

Adding a few more horses to a herd of any size, especially when hay prices in western Canada are at an all-time high - and winter will be here before we know it -  is a huge undertaking.

Add in the fact that as mentioned above, critics of buying horses from kill buyers can be brutal with their social media comments and we fully understand why potential foster providers are hesitant and why some choose to remain anonymous.

THANK YOU to all who have stepped forward to help.

Interested in fostering? Please reach out - let's have a discussion to see if fostering would be a good fit for you or not.