Some people buy horses as an investment. The horses aren't given a lot of loving attention but their basic food and medical needs are met. They run, they get put in a trailer and then the horse is placed in a stall. There are daily training sessions, more time in a trailer and more time on the track - this is the average life of a racehorse.

As long as a horse is winning races, he's an asset and his owners will continue to take care of his basic needs. However there comes a time in every racehorse's life where he can't win as many races and he might not suddenly be as valuable to his owners. If he develops a condition such as bowed tendons which can mean six full months doing little more than light walking; he might be in danger of being sold to a slaughter house or being neglected.

A former racehorse can make a fabulous companion animal. If he has the painful condition of bowed tendons, he will need months of rest and easy walking therapy but most of these horses can handle a rider for pleasure riding after their tendons heal.

If you've been thinking of adopting a horse, don't let the fact a horse was once a racehorse make you think he is unable to be trained. Any horse can be reached through love and patient training. If you're willing work with your horse on a regular basis, you can have a fantastic companion.

Unfortunately, the slaughter of horses is very common. Any horse that no longer has value to the owner is a candidate for the slaughter house.

Many people aren't aware that mares are impregnated and used in the production of Premarin, an estrogen replacement therapy. The foals of these mares are considered a by-product of the production and usually killed as well for their meat.

No horse is safe from the slaughterhouse unless their owners have made a commitment to care for them and keep them for their entire life span. All types of horses have been sent to slaughter including former race horses such as the 1986 Kentucky Derby Winner Ferdinand and Exceller who was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Also riding horses, police horses, show horses and others.

If you're wondering exactly who is doing the slaughtering of these horses and why; you'll be interested to know that two of the largest Dallas Crown and Beltex are both located in Texas but are foreign owned corporations. While most Americans are appalled at the thought of eating horse meat, it is a very big business overseas where horse steaks and other cuts are considered a delicacy. A few of those countries are France, Belgium, Japan, Italy and Switzerland and they account for almost all the horse meat that is consumed by humans. Although they are foreign owned corporations, the USDA inspects all the horse meat before shipment overseas - something that American tax dollars pay for.

Horses are almost never slaughtered for pet food any longer, the reason isn't because the pet food companies suddenly got compassionate. The reason is that they couldn't compete with the high dollar that the slaughterhouses will pay for horses to be used for human consumption. Horses that are on their way to the slaughter house are often purchased by horse rescues so they may get good homes with loving families that won't sell them to the highest bidder.

If you don't have room or the money to care for a horse full time, consider making a donation to help this worthy cause. If enough people are made aware of what is actually going on with the horse slaughter industry, perhaps it can be stopped all together.