Considering a differing perspective

In the black and white world in which many people live, we tend to believe it has to be "our way" or it is wrong. We go through life justifying our actions because that is the way we were taught, that's the way we were raised, that's the way it has always been done -- and we miss out on a whole lot because we aren't willing to stop and listen to a different perspective or learn from someone with a different background.

Many, many horse owners are "animal lovers" in general. They tend to be women, and they tend to be outspoken advocates for animal welfare. They see "save the poor horsie" without considering the animal's long-term comfort or chances for a normal life (i.e. prosthetic legs, severely laminitic, chronic pain). This then translates into a strict "horse slaughter is badbadevilevil" no matter the circumstances, not looking at a case-by-case.

Quarter Horse (trade) - $250 (Westmoreland)

Date: 2012-03-10, 12:26AM CST
Reply to: gbscn-2894278715@sale.craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

I have a 5 year old Quarter Horse gelding I would like to sell or trade. Sorrel, 15 hands, green broke. Will trade for anything that doesn't eat. Kill buyers welcome as I need to get rid of this horse and I'm not against horse slaughter. Please respond to this ad. Thank you! 

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This morning, I came across this ad on Craisglist.  This man has been trying to sell this gelding for months.  As in, I recall seeing the same photo of this horse, priced a little higher, back before Christmastime, and several times since then.  The price has kept dropping.  Horse is green broke, he probably likes to buck a bit, and owner obviously has no interest in keeping, training, or making the horse appear valuable in any way.  You are never going to change this mentality.  Given the choice between a bullet and a kill buyer, this type of person will choice the kill buyer every time because he's going to make a buck.  If people want to send their half-broke, half-handled horses to kill, why bother stopping them?  Let the kill buyers have these horses which have already been handled, and possibly ruined for life, by handlers who don't care where they end up.  Turn your attentions to the horses who will never have a chance - those whose owners give them away for free WITHOUT knowing better, WITHOUT knowing where they'll probably end up.  Take on a broodmare for retraining - take on an off-the-track horse and give them a second chance at life away from the track.  In a world where there are not enough responsible give-a-damn homes, why waste your time, money, energy and effort on animals whose owners know full well that the best place for their animals is the kill truck?  

No, my opinion is not the popular one.  But I would rather spend my efforts educating the well-meaning people who feel like they'd rather sell their horse for $150 or give her away to find her a good home -- without realizing that the kill buyers will get her -- than to try to tell a person like the one in the ad that he's wrong and slaughter is evil.  I might as well save my breath, and I sure don't want his half-broke horse he hasn't been able to sell in the past 5 months.