Crazy Ideas About a New Registry

The other day on the Horsetraining 101 forum we were discussing some of the illogic that the fringe anti slaughter fanatics use and I suddenly had a brainstorm. Maybe it is just as illogical as what I was accusing others of being, but I thought I would copy it here.

What if there were a registry for NFS - "Not for slaughter" horses?

Let's charge a fairly high price to have peoples horses branded and registered. Just for grins, lets say it will cost 1000.00

The brand will be a numerical one like the BLM uses. And maybe we will put an ID chip in the horses neck too. or maybe just a specific brand indicating the NFS status and presence of the microchip.

All of the NFS purchaser's contact information will be put in the data base, including what to do if the OP (original purchaser) cannot be found, or is deceased.

It would be up to the OP to keep his information updated. Maybe there could even be an online data base where he couldn't see the future buyer's info, but could update his own.

Future buyers of the horse would transfer the horse's registration (for a much smaller fee), but the all of the previous owners' info would travel with the papers.


Whaddya think?

....The NFS deals specifically with what happens at the end of the road for the horse

...The horse would not be slaughtered, period. It would take too much paperwork and would also allow a loophole for slaughterhouses to get a hold of these animals. An unwanted horse with a NFS brand would be euthed and rendered, period. Unless the OP has specified (and maybe paid extra for? ) euth and cremation, etc. The funds would already be in place for these procedures.

The only "rights" to the horse that you are purchasing with the NFS brand would be #1 the end of life arrangements #2 the possibility of being notified if the horse is in trouble

Heartbreaking as it is, the only peace of mind you get if you can't pay the 3000 [ or whatever amount is to repurchase your horse] is that your horse won't end up on the long bus to Mexico.

On the other hand, wouldn't you like to have the opportunity to network and try to get your beloved horse into a home where he can have a few more happy years?


Anyone want to discuss this idea? Just write what you think in the "comments" area.

Just for the record, I am not anti slaughter. I feel that this sort of a registry would give the people who are pro slaughter and PETA types a middle ground to work together.

Here is what I wrote about how a NFS registry would affect a small horse owner like me:

...I was thinking about the horse I just sold, Ted. He was unregistered. I feel like we did a good job of picking out a new owner, but after that what?

I think NFS would particularly help grade horse owners.

I would love to know that he has some registration papers to track his whereabouts. I also would like to know that he could be humanely put down without the future owners having the burden of wondering if they have the funds for it.

We kept Ted for probably a year longer than we would have if we felt like we had some sort of control over his future. That was the thing that kept us hesitant. We could afford him, but what if we couldn't?

Just for argument's sake, lets say we could no longer really afford Ted, but rather than have him face an uncertain future we decided to skimp on his hay in stead? We would never do that, but I know there are people who would, and who DO do that.

If he were NFS registered I think it would have been somewhat easier for us to sell, or at the very least I could have had him euthed if I felt like I was that worried about his future.

Another thing. Lets say I have an opportunity to rehab a horse. There are two to choose from who are exactly the same. I would choose a NFS horse over a regular horse knowing that if the horse never has the chance to be sound I would be spared the end of life expenses.