According to Greenhorn Horse Facts, “As of December 2007, approximately 45,000 horses had been shipped to Mexico, compared to the 11,000 shipped in 2006. That’s a 310% increase in the number of horses shipped to Mexico to be slaughtered for human consumption. The sad thing is that, not all of the horses are just old, sick or un-manageable horses. A lot of them are PMU horses and Nurse mare foals. Some of them are even back-yard pets, that have been stolen, strictly to make a buck or simply due to the over abundance of breeding horses.”

It’s true that as much as we love these animals, we also profoundly mistreat them. While cases of horse slaughter are hard to deny, the more insidious reality is the condoned cases of animal cruelty. Consider, for one thing what it would be like to wear high heel shoes, weighted at five pounds each, all the time. 

Then consider being asked to run in these shoes. And if that’s not enough, now picture your legs bound together by a thick rubber band so that when you raised your leg, the band, hitting it’s end stretched out and snapped your leg back down. 

But wait, there’s more. Next, think about what it would be like to wear heavy chains around your ankles, again so that when you were forced to run -- with a whip and spurs that is -- the chains snapped against your heels and made you raise your legs even higher.

And why are these things done?, you may ask. To create an image that is pleasing to the human eye. But perhaps the more pressing question should be why do we tolerate treating animals that we proclaim to love this way?

Like most forms of cruelty, horse or human, that which goes unnoticed is more likely to carry on. But luckily, the paradigm is beginning to shift. Natural horse training programs, teachers and methods are becoming almost as common these days as pony clubs. And  for many of these groups, the empowerment of the horse is the central focus.

In light of this, there is till much to be done, and the welfare of many horses in this country depends on the actions taken by concerned individuals. So with that in mind, here are a few things you can do:

1. Join the campaign to support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Visit this site to gain information, offer a donation, or just connect with other concerned animal lovers. http://habitatforhorses.org/joincampaigns/ahspa.html

1. Sponsor the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Visit http://stophorseslaughter.com/blog/ to learn about the most recent legislation, sponsor the act, or a petition.

1. Visit http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/RS21842.pdf to learn about Federal Law, Legal developments, and USDA Appropriation Bans surrounding horse slaughter.

1. Volunteer at or support a horse rescue. There are numerous horse rescues that are  

    big on care and concern, and short on help and money. By donating time to help care 

    for the horses, or even sponsoring a horse in need, you can make a big difference, 

    and experience horse rehabilitation firsthand.

New statistics show that in 2010 there were over 112,000 horses slaughtered in North America. Approximately 53,000 in Mexico and 60,000 in Canada. For more information on this you should read this report from the Government Accountability Office.

Yet as disheartening at this report may be, what is not at all disheartening is the look in a horse’s eye when he knows he has been saved. Further, the positive feeling that a person experiences when he/she knows a horse has truly been rescued is positively priceless.