With regulation, horse slaughter OK

I never thought I would support horse slaughter after growing up with horses and being a horse owner.

Horse slaughter was banned in 2006, but by 2010, about 138,000 horses were simply transported to and slaughtered in Mexico and Canada, where transportation and conditions are worse than in America. By banning horse slaughter, the horse economy degrades and owners will no longer want their horses because their cost begins to outweigh their value. This results in neglect of horses as well as their release in parks, roads and cities.

However, by permitting regulated horse slaughterhouses, owners who can no longer afford or take care of their horses have a reasonable and fair market, or at least can send them to a slaughterhouse where the horse would be made into meat (zoo feed), glue and instruments (violin bows).

As wonderful as it would be to take in every unwanted horse in this country and place them in a sanctuary, the reality is that horses are too big, live too long and are too expensive for any entity.

I support regulated horse slaughter in the United States. It's important for people to investigate all aspects of horse slaughter and see the whole picture, not just follow their emotions.

Corbin Scholz

Iowa City