Picking things up

A couple of Pagan horses enjoying the summer

We have changed our blog title again. We had initially intended to keep this "religion neutral" but have decided to fully approach this as the Heathens we are.  We think this is important in light of several things some of which were addressed in Heathen Against Horse Slaughter. Lysippe didn't address all of the issues, however, that relate between Pagan and Heathen ways and horse issue. She only just touched upon the accusations made that recent spats of horse attacks which range from merely cutting the manes to horrible physical mutilations and killings which are inexplicably blamed on Pagans, Witches or Satanists (which are jumbled together, of course).   Well, maybe it's not so inexplicable, it's really just a new face of old Satanic Panic.

So we may be covering more about these issues too. Which may be a mistake as we often feel overwhelmed by how much is going on that endangers horses already that we barely post at all.

And there is a lot. Look to the side bar, others are doing a better job of keeping up (even though they may be rather ill informed about how the American political system works, they are keeping up on the events of horrific BLM round-ups, attempts to start horse slaughter plants and some, sometimes confused, information the status of various bills). I am hoping we'll be posting more here now. Some tension has been alleviated by cutting back on the number of bloggers (what with one never blogging but probably having a different perspective on things which made us a bit worried about alienating that person).

But right now I want to take a stance that I we are Heathens who love horses, who are against horse slaughter and also the various other atrocities (some which are socially acceptable) perpetuated against horses. We're against treating horses as commodities rather than the complex sentient beings that we owe a great deal too (only the dog, and we're dog lovers too, compares when we think of how much our society has depended on partnership with animals).

An admittedly scathing rant

I'd rather be putting up actual information here about how things work, but honestly, I have a lot on my plate, including my own horses. And I shouldn't have to,  you went through junior high and high school, right? Then you should have some clue. Stop watching FauxNews and maybe you'd know how the government worked and not need it explained. But as I know that the comment I made will not be published and if it is it will just get overrun with FauxNews inspired twisting, I need to get this off my chest.

I am horrified that there are horse advocates who think Romney, who put his own dog on the roof of the car and drove to Canada, will be a better horse president because his wife is into horses as a therapy tool and for prestige of having a Olympic level competitor. Oh, never mind that it was Republicans who snuck the inspection ban out of that bill....the President signed it so "he's got an agenda to kill horses!!11eleventyone"

Never mind that the majority of those politicians who want to stop horse slaughter are Democrats while all of the politicians who want it back are republican. Our President isn't making horses the ONLY issue so we're going to put a known horse abuser into the office! Let's elect more Republicans that'll show Obama....never mind that it will bring horse slaughter full throttle into the US again.

This twisted, sick thinking has become so prevalent in this movement that I have really been having trouble working with anyone in it. There's so much misplaced anger and useless and totally ignorant political ranting instead of any real efforts being made to work with the mostly Democratic Congress members who are working on stopping horse slaughter. It's all about replacing Obama with a Republican while ignoring that it's Republican Congress members who are fighting to get slaughter happening here and to stop the transportation for slaughter bans.

As I said above, I suppose it would be more appropriate to put up the voting stats and such shit but I have chores to do. And I shouldn't have to, it's all pretty obvious if these people weren't so stuck on their "we want things done now for us and no one but us or we're going to go vote for the people who will make things worse!!!! That'll show you! WAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"

Of course, this isn't the only issue that people are acting like that. If the President doesn't act as a fucking dictator for what we want then we will replace him with someone who will act as a dictator against us. What the fuck is wrong with people?

I know this is no accident. The Republicans have been playing game all along. They pull this shit, then the people blindly blame the President. It's the same with economy (which is killing horses too, BTW). At the moment I'm very dismayed at my fellow country people. If the Republicans win this one, we're fucked...and so are the horses.

So this is why I feel hopeless, why I feel I can't work with the people who rather than fighting for horses are just spouting pointless hate. Yeah, this too is probably pointless. Until people in general get with a fucking program to actually do something it really is all just pointless.

Can you just take a moment for the horses?

Over the past few months, with the USDA ban on horse slaughter inspection lifted, we have seen several attempts in the US to start slaughtering horses. So far all have failed....but this fight can not keep up location by location. Because we can't let a single one slip through, we cannot take that chance.

But more than that, all along horses have been shipped, in miserable conditions to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered. This has been going on. It's way passed time to stop it.

Please just take a moment to go to theASPCA Advocacy Center where you can find out if your Senators ares cosponsors or not and easily send a note, with some personal additions thanking them or urging them. It's simple, it only take a moment.

Let's make this the end of horse slaughter in America, once and for all. The crazies who want to kill horses are fighting hard, we need to fight back harder. It's time this war ended. 

Heathen Against Horse Slaughter

This is what I am, a Pagan against horse slaughter, a SARMATIAN focused one at that. That means that, yes, I actually am reconstructing, as best I can, from a culture which sacrificed and ate horses.

I use "Heathen" in the title for a specific reason even  though I seldom use it instead of Pagan, for it's among Norse practitioners where we seem to see people talking about "reclaiming old ways" by eating horse meat. This is NOT to say that all Heathens feel this way, but I have seen this more from Heathens than other Pagans. There are a few PIE (Proto-Indo-European) types who do as well, although from that corner there seems to be more symbolic "horse sacrifice."

And a friend recently noticed a Heathen publication, Hex Magazine issue 4, ran a horse meat article, calling again for "returning to old ways" by eating horses.  And they still have readers. It's so disgusting to me. So while many Heathens might never want to eat horse meat themselves, it seems enough are able to turn a blind eye and keep supporting a magazine which promotes horse slaughter.

Here's where I'm at. The people of the Steppes were the first horse people, they did first herd horses for food, milk, and meat. There was a true sacrament in this, a true sacrifice in the "making sacred" meaning. They traveled the Steppes with the herds, which lived as horses should, nearly wild and free-roaming. This isn't, actually, all in the past tense, there are many horse people still on the Steppes for all that other cultures have over taken those ways quite a bit. The horses and people are still as free-roaming as those other cultures give them space for. Many still eat horses. They're not Pagan any longer, but their horse probably don't know the difference. They still RESPECT the horse and all the animal has meant for their survival, some of these horses might end up eaten but they never know the hell of the slaughter chutes, the torture of the feedlots, or the horror of double-decker trailers.

I can respect their way of life. I do not live it. I do not live the life of the Pagan Sarmatians either. I do live with horses, all rescues. I live in a country where horse slaughter is done in immensely inhumane ways, horses are in terror and pain going into the chutes, they are in utter agony when they are rendered alive because the bolts do not kill horses. EVER.  We hide this from our eyes, breeders use it to get rid of excess foals, the racing industry to get rid of retired racers, many owners to get rid of "aged" (that would be four years old) retired performance horses. The latter two are all treated with 'bute, poisoning those eating them, too. These horses are not treated as sacred, they are not honored, they are not living free and half wild, they are not killed quick and humanely.

They are treated like trash.

I would no more eat horses than I would own slaves. There are things we are NOT reconstructing. These are two of them. I know of no Heathens or Pagans who would suggest returning to human sacrifice, slavery, or even the sorts of class systems. We do not need to return to eating horses.

If one were, I challenge them to live as I do. With a small herd of horses who depend on you, who you care for daily, who trust you, and who seek your attention and love. Can you do it then? I actually do raise other animals for food, the difference between what my horses seek from me and what the sheep, pigs, and chickens do is tremendous. The cats want less to do with me, only the dogs out do the horses in bonding.

Many Christian horse advocates actually will note that eating horses is "heathen" or "pagan" and that Christianity should have brought an end to it and did in some parts of Europe. This is, in some places, this was true. There are currently accusations that horrible acts of violence and slaughter happening in Britain are done by "Pagans." I highly doubt that is who is doing it, rather this is just a very sick person or people. We do NOT need actual Pagans and Heathens even just talking about eating horses when the reality of what they are talking about is participating in the most horrifically cruel corporate slaughter that can be imagined.

So this Pagan, following a horse culture, does NOT eat horses, does NOT support horse slaughter, DOES spiritually honor the horses, DOES do what she can to rescue horses from both abuse and slaughter, and WILL fight an end to the slaughter of our horses. I ask other Pagans and Heathens to pledge likewise!

Make National Day of the Horse meaningful!

Tomorrow is National Day of the Horse. Thanks to folks like trainer Dennis Reis, Congress marked December 13 as a day to celebrate horses. But how?

I SERIOUSLY think that this should be a national call-in day, to every one of our Senators and Representatives and the President to get The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act through!

Okay, I also realize that being as it is December, we're really running out of time.

And how much time is there? None, at all. Because while some people seem to think slaughter of American horses is coming back, it's been going on, in the same numbers, since the closing of the last US plants and the defunding of horse slaughter (which got lifted this year). It's just been ALL happening in Canada and Mexico. So, even if the USDA's recent statement that no requests have been made for their inspections so they don't expect it to happen in the US anytime soon really does mean that it won't, it's STILL HAPPENING. Right now, as I type this and again as you read this.

This is why we need the bill through, even if it weren't for the fact that we know that there are those already making plans to start slaughtering horses in new or existing facilities in States where no laws have been passed against it. After all, they're the ones who got this changed.

So tomorrow, if you're not doing it regularly already (and I realize most who read this blog probably already do, so I may be preaching to the choir but I hope maybe every so often it reaches someone who isn't aware and also isn't an asshole or maybe it reaches someone who's been a bit burned out and helps them get riled up again, because I know there is a huge burn out rate on this cause) call, write, email, fax, all of the above your Senators and Representatives. Call the President 202-456-1111

But PLEASE do not be an idiot when you do. Again, I hope preaching to the choir but...

There's been a lot of stupid in this since the Agriculture Appropriations Bill was signed in as without the defunding of horse slaughter inspections. I do think that calling the President to let him know we don't want slaughter of our horses happening, here or in other countries, and putting a fire under him to do something about it is important. I do NOT however know how effective an Executive Order really would be, or possible. It's something that has come up in other causes I'm part of. The thing is that the very people calling for it are often people who complain, often justifiably, when such orders are made against them. Our President should not, after all, be a dictator. Now such orders are made, but when when it's a political situation being argued already, those whose political savvy is much greater than mine have pointed out that it can be a problem. I'm NOT saying this is the case here and, therefore, suggesting it is a good idea. HOWEVER...

Some of the threatening language, even if just "I won't vote for you!" that has actually been suggested even by those in this movement who I would have hoped would know better, probably does not make a good impression. And I can't honestly say it. Remember that the movement to get this defunding removed has come largely from Republicans and while other Republicans have been standing with the anti-slaughter movement, I am far more suspicious of where the current Presidential hopefuls stand on it. They certainly do not seem good choices, as far as I'm concerned on ANY issue.

There has even been a petition going around calling the Ag Appropriations Bill "Obama's Horse Slaughter Bill." Which, I did NOT sign. Some facts, this was NOT Obama's bill. It also is not a bill that calls for the slaughter of horses. Instead the section which banned funding for horse slaughter was REMOVED. AFAIK, there was nothing added calling for horse slaughter inspections to start. It was just not there. There is a very good chance that the removal of it never was even noticed by Obama. This itself is a sad statement about how important this issue might be to him but that is NOT the same as saying he's pro-slaughter. At all.

After all, after the Agriculture Appropriations Bill was signed by President Obama on Nov. 18, I wrote my people. My Representative's office sent me a letter on Nov. 22 claiming that the defunding was put in in 2007 and would be there for Fiscal Year 2012. They apparently didn't know. Later that same day, I received an email regarding a White House "We the People" petition from Edward Avalos, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Reform Programs at the USDA saying the same thing. They had no clue yet, not sure if Rep. Bass does yet as he's not responded to any of my follow ups when I explained this to him.

So, while we might be pissed off, while we might wish they care more, let's keep in mind that we're still, really educating them. This issue matters to us who care about horses want to stop the insanity, it matters to those who want to make money killing horses (and unfortunately do already have more money to spend to get their way). But for most it's a buried issue. Acting like lunatics, making outrageous claims about Obama wanting to kill horses, is not going to get us anywhere. It's going to make people bury the issue more. Leave the crazy talk to the Slaughterhouse Sues, talk rationally and sensibly and often. It's the only real weapon we have, let's not lose it.

Americans care more about pizza than horses?

The past several days I've got to admit I've been boggled. The fact that the Agricultural Appropriations Bill includes the idea that pizza tomato sauce is a vegetable is getting people all worked up while the fact that it renewed funding of horse slaughter is barely a blip on anyone's radar. Other than the usual suspects. Even good folk who do care about horses still seem to be far more upset over the fucking pizza.

I'm just wanting to put this out there, just to say that there is something wrong in America when people don't even seem to know or care that the real crime of this is that horses can be slaughtered in the US again. That no one, even the horse advocates, are raging about this unbalanced reaction is mind boggling. So now I have.

PMU Baby Saorsa says:
Eat pizza not horses!

Do you REALLY want to eat our horses?

I"m the first to note that I don't want horse slaughter due to the cruelty. I live every day of my life with horses, I work with horses, I rescue horses. I have known the overwhelming feeling of having a horse who has been abused turning around and putting absolute trust on me. In reality, most horses do look to humans as sources of food, comfort, and caring; even ones which have been abused. Can you imagine what going through a slaughterhouse, being stunned by a bolt but waking up shortly after while being cut up, by the very beings you have had faith to take care of you all your life?

If you are not in contact with horses, can you imagine if this was your dog going through that? Because our horses, here in the US, are COMPANION animals. 

But there is another side. One that Slaughterhouse Sue Wallis and others want to deny. Because they are companion animals, horses are given medications which are banned for livestock intended for human consumption. And horses given these drugs, with these drugs in their systems, are being slaughtered and will continue to be as long as horse slaughter exists.Slaughterhouse Sue tried to refute this, without giving evidence. So, remember, not only does she want to kill our horses, but she happily will kill the people who eat them by lying.

You really want to eat our horses? Well, at least you might get exactly what you deserve.