The
Issue
From livestock auctions and irresponsible breeding to the idea that any horse is a “starter horse,” we must do better for these animals.
A Little Foresight
Can Save a lot of Horses.
Imagine a world unencumbered by outdated norms, and envision what’s possible when short-sightedness is no longer an option. Colorado Horse Rescue is changing the perception of horses as tools to be worked or meat to be sold by the pound. They are creatures and companions, and their partnership is something that must be earned and protected.
The status quo has to change.
118,767
NUMBER OF HORSES SHIPPED TO MEXICO FOR THE PURPOSE OF SLAUGHTER OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS
(PER USDA, 2019–2022)
92,992
HORSES EXPORTED FROM U.S. TO CANADA FOR SLAUGHTER
(2015–2019)
18
HORSES SOLD ON AVERAGE AT AUCTION EACH WEEK IN FORT COLLINS, CO
10
AUCTION HORSES PURCHASED ON AVERAGE BY KILL BUYERS WEEKLY IN FORT COLLINS, CO
WAITLISTS
& WEDNESDAYS
CHR is always running at or near full capacity, and we have a waitlist of responsible owners looking to rehome their horses due to personal crisis — be it financial, health, divorce, or otherwise. We also rescue as many horses as we can from the local livestock auction held every Wednesday.
Imagine a place where horses are weighed, a number is superglued to their hind end, and they are sold by the pound for human consumption. Now, understand that this is a reality. If an auction horse isn’t saved by us, another rescue, or a private buyer, the kill buyers get them. This fate most likely resolves in a brutal trailer ride to a slaughterhouse in Mexico or Canada. Some horses are too ill or starved to even survive the journey.
A HORSE IS NOT
A HAMMER.
Horses are not tools or sports equipment. They do not exist to be a “starter horse” only to be traded in for a more advanced model later. We have to unlearn these antiquated notions and be a force for good in the name of horses everywhere.
As long as horse slaughter is legal, irresponsible breeding will continue. Individuals in every sector of the equine industry are guilty of playing this deadly game. The more horses you breed, the better chances you have of getting a champion. The rest are often abused, neglected, starved or auctioned off and sold as meat.
