Post by schwung on Dec 13, 2006 3:07:08 GMT -5
This recent discussion and notice of the type of medications and carcinogens that Europeans that eat horse meat might unknowingly be eating has prompted me to post some photos that some of you may not be familiar with.
Ernie was a SAFE horse rescued in August 2005. His thread is on the In Memory forum, here: www.schwung.proboards67.com/index.cgi?board=inmemory&action=display&thread=1132386161
Ernie was, as many, rescued from a feedlot about to be shipped to slaughter. What we didn't know when we rescued him, but would soon find out, was that Ernie had a horrible genetic skin disorder called HERDA, which causes the skin to literally detach from the body over the head, neck, and back. In Ernie's case, the skin over his entire left ribcage had detached, and a huge wound had opened up at the top. Inside the "pocket" left by his unattached skin, was the most nasty, foul-smelling pus. Ernie's flesh was literally rotting on his body. A drain tube place inside the pocket the night before, had completely been eaten away and disintegrated by whatever nasty infection was under that skin.
Can you imagine eating meat from this?
Drain tube shows the size of the "pocket", which was filled with pus:
Same pocket, next day. Note drain tube has been "eaten":
Thankfully for Ernie, he was spared the captive bolt and humanely euthanized. Maybe he's an extreme example. Maybe, hopefully, he would have been turned away by even the slaughter houses. But, can you just imagine?
Ernie is a special horse to me, and one I will always carry in my heart. I still think of him often, and curse those who allowed him to live so long with such an awful condition, who starved him and let his feet grow unchecked and his teeth get so bad he could barely eat. Who allowed him to remain a stallion and horrors, perhaps bred him so that he could carry on this genetic horror to his offspring.
As always, RIP Ernie. I hope his story at least can help bring awareness that American horsemeat is not fit to eat, regardless of how you feel about horse slaughter.
Ernie was a SAFE horse rescued in August 2005. His thread is on the In Memory forum, here: www.schwung.proboards67.com/index.cgi?board=inmemory&action=display&thread=1132386161
Ernie was, as many, rescued from a feedlot about to be shipped to slaughter. What we didn't know when we rescued him, but would soon find out, was that Ernie had a horrible genetic skin disorder called HERDA, which causes the skin to literally detach from the body over the head, neck, and back. In Ernie's case, the skin over his entire left ribcage had detached, and a huge wound had opened up at the top. Inside the "pocket" left by his unattached skin, was the most nasty, foul-smelling pus. Ernie's flesh was literally rotting on his body. A drain tube place inside the pocket the night before, had completely been eaten away and disintegrated by whatever nasty infection was under that skin.
Can you imagine eating meat from this?
Drain tube shows the size of the "pocket", which was filled with pus:
Same pocket, next day. Note drain tube has been "eaten":
Thankfully for Ernie, he was spared the captive bolt and humanely euthanized. Maybe he's an extreme example. Maybe, hopefully, he would have been turned away by even the slaughter houses. But, can you just imagine?
Ernie is a special horse to me, and one I will always carry in my heart. I still think of him often, and curse those who allowed him to live so long with such an awful condition, who starved him and let his feet grow unchecked and his teeth get so bad he could barely eat. Who allowed him to remain a stallion and horrors, perhaps bred him so that he could carry on this genetic horror to his offspring.
As always, RIP Ernie. I hope his story at least can help bring awareness that American horsemeat is not fit to eat, regardless of how you feel about horse slaughter.