Against The Act of Horse Slaughter

A Horse Once Loved

I used to be a happy horse
A family nice and true
My owner came and said to me
"You know, I really love you"

I was always hayed and fed
and before each night was done
she came a long and kissed my nose
and tucked me in for bed

The days and weeks went by
and less of her I saw
"I wonder where she went" I thought
"Why's she not here by my side?"

I was hungry, cold and weak
I hadn't been feed in days
all I could do was shiver and stare
and think and hope and pray

The weeks turned into months
my ribs showed through my skin
I was getting weaker by the second
Very thin

I am taking my last breath now
being looked out for by a dove
I now am a lifeless horse
A horse who once was loved.

- Angela Swartzell

Save our horses: A poem to Congress
By Mary Martin
Groveland, Ma

As a voter I’m writing
In hopes you’ll agree
That slaughtering horses
Is based solely on greed

Our trusted steeds
We do not eat
Please don’t send them
To feed EU elite

Transport to kill pen
Electric prods
How can you possibly
Give this cruelty a nod?

Bolt gun on flight horses
Is far from humane
Regulations they say?
I laugh at those claims

AVMA,
AQHA
How can they possibly
Say it’s ok?

Cancelled membership
Subscriptions unread
Spending my money
Saving horses instead

The cattlemen’s claim
that beef will be next
I’m scratching my head
Totally perplexed

Could true motive lie
In sealing the fate
Of wild horses & burros
They wish to eradicate?

Some horses acquired
Through theft and deceit
These sordid people
Profit from the meat

The horses are not
Crazy cripple and old
Just visit a pen
Full of PMU foals

Wild mustangs and pets
Not safe from this act
Please show you agree
They need you to react.

Not based on emotion
As many like to claim
Overwhelming evidence
Prove clearly inhumane

Horsemeat was banned
In California ‘98
With a 34% reduction
In their horse theft rate

Illinois did close
In 2002
No documented rise
In neglect and abuse

Promised not to cater
To special interests
Now time to prove it
Let HR503 be addressed

Please be relentless
In request to committee
To ensure that this bill
Be released immediately

I could send links
Of videos you can see
But I will end here
Respectfully
Mary Martin