Welcome to Metro Meatworks in Peterborough, South Australia.'..Late in the afternoon we visited the abattoir and viewed the horses assembled for the following day's kill. They were of all shapes, sizes, and ages and included ex-trotters, thoroughbreds, some that looked like they had been groomed for polo or pony club etc., some yearlings, some unbranded etc. There were no wild horses/brumbies present...Large paddocks were provided with roofing (from a previous use as skin drying sheds). We looked through the assembly yards and plant, though of course it was not operating at that time..the plant is operating as an export abattoir..''...On the morning of 26/4 we were at the abattoir by 7.15 and donned rubber boots, white coats and hard hats ... We observed the vet conducting inspections of the horses, perhaps 40m in the first batch, in the outer yards, then individual inspections (ante-mortem) of the horses in a yard just before the forcing pen. Two stockmen helped to have the horses trot past her, first going one way, then the other to ensure she (the vet) saw both sides to check for injuries, illness, lameness etc. The vet advised that her role is both for consumer health (diseased meat etc) and also for 'welfare'(Note, welfare?!).These horses are about to be murdered. Surely, it is in their best welfare to be rescued from the situation. Another example of the absurdity and dishonesty of the animal death industry) '..A horse had earlier been isolated on the vet's instructions and was not brought to the inner yard. The horse, a large bay, a thoroughbred I think, was suffering a nerve disorder in the back legs which made it awkward and likely to have difficulty in the cement-floored forcing yard. I am advised the disorder is caused by a toxic plant..'
The dark road to horse slaughter along Cotton Road in Peterborough, South Australia"..A worker who handles emergency kills was called for and arrived with a rifle. The horse was alone in the yard and appeared calm, first holding one back leg up, then standing badly on the other back leg. The worker moved slowly with the butt of the rifle held high and following the horse's head until he could take a good shot. He shot from perhaps two feet away. The horse fell instantly after the shot was fired, but its legs paddled. The worker immediately moved around and placed a second shot in the head. After only a further 10-15 seconds the horse was still. The vet moved over and checked its eyes for reflexes. She was satisfied it was dead and a forklift arrived to take the horse into the plant for processing. I spoke to the vet immediately and she assured me that the first bullet had in all likelihood killed the horse, but that a second shot is usual. The paddling is the same as in a stunned animal..'
Shadows of lame and malnourished horses in the dusty holding yards before slaughter at Metro Meatworks in Peterborough, South Australia.'..Animal handling is by stockmen with approx 4ft long poly-pipes which are used as guides and hit on the ground to make a
noise. No dogs, goads etc are used. The horses responded when the poly-pipes were used when herding/moving them...*(they use these poly-pipes in the funnel yard and race, just prior to the 'knocking box' where the horses are killed)..''..Horses are hosed down before slaughter..''..Upon entering the knocking box, a large heavy metal door slides down behind the horses, blocking the view of the following horses, and enclosing them in a high-sided metal box, only slightly larger than a large horse. Without delay, the slaughterman (who had loaded prior to allowing the horse in) aims the captive bolt pistol (25? Charge), places it on the horses forehead and shoots. The horse drops immediately - virtually crumples to the floor. The captive bolt extends 4# or so into the brain, destroying vital functions and killing it instantly..
'..On a horse I watched being killed, the captive bolt misfired (the charge didn't work)...the need for another shot of course meant a delay of perhaps 30 seconds due to the need to reload.Once the horse is shot, ie; dead, the side of the box opens horizontally so that the top half rises and the bottom half of one long side drops down providing an angled platform so the dead horse rolls out onto a bleeding rack..' '..The horse is stuck and also has its throat cut laterally to assist blood flow. Soon after it is shackled by the back legs and hoisted high onto the moving line (movement is manual though). The head is cut off, the back legs skinned one at a time, the sternum cut/sawn open, the horse's body is skinned with the assistance of two workers and a hydraulic machine etc..' '..Chilled prime cuts are packaged for airfreight mainly to EEC countries (Germany, France etc.). Frozen second cuts go mainly by ship to Japan - all for human consumption..'
Metro Meatworks in Peterborough, South Australia also slaughters other animals such as camels seen pictured in the distance.'..The head and a lot of the other parts are processed on site into blood and bone meal - used as an ingredient in many other stock foods to boost the protein level. I saw open barrels filled with dried and powdered heat-treated blood which is specially drained from the slaughter room floor. Barrels also contain horse shoes. In one of the drying sheds there are horse tails which are sold to supplement the natural manes and tails of show horses. The horse skins are pickled with salt water in a large cement-mixer type machine and sold overseas..''..During the morning a double road train (single decker) containing about 30 horses per trailer (i.e. 60 in total) arrived. They had travelled 15 hours from Gundawindi Qld. I asked Peter Grierson (Australian General Manager of Metro Meats 1994) why they would not have gone to Caboolture (the only other horse abattoir in Australia, in Qld.). He replied that Peterborough must have offered a better place..'
The thick grey smoke leaving the chimneys at the horse-killing factory gave the place an eerie atmosphere.The horses behind this barrier were being whipped as they were rearing up. Horses like any animal are not stupid and do not go easily totheir deaths and mutilations. '..We watched them unload, as did the vet...They were not wild, they had been purchased in saleyards. They were hesitant during the unloading, but followed the leader eventually. They were unloaded immediately upon arrival and seemed to trot off well..' '..They headed immediately for fresh hay and some went to the water. The vet allowed them to settle for perhaps 20 minutes then had the stockmen run them across to view them. Only one appeared moderately lame..'
'..Peter Grierson and Deidre (the Vet) both told me they opposed double-deckers. Both think there are too many problems and injuries, and it is difficult to get horses out if an injury occurs. Grierson does not ban them, but prefers the transport companies who currently cart for him, and they have single-deck road trains..''..The abattoir policy is that if a driver has a problem on the way, he/she is to find a place to unload the horses. Grierson makes the point that they accumulate horses and rarely rely on a single load's arrival to enable the plant to operate. The plant pays by weight at the finished carcase. Any injuries, bruises, death (of course) reduce the amount paid to the contractor (the person who brought and assembled the consignment). They believe this encourages good transport practice..''..Horses which do arrive "down" or in a bad state, are shot on the truck after the rest are unloaded. Perhaps 1-2 a week may be an emergency slaughter for some reason. The plant kills 120-150 horses per day on 2-3 days each week. Wild horses do not make up a large proportion..'
The horses behind this barrier were being whipped as they were rearing up. Horses like any animal are not stupid and do not go easily totheir deaths and mutilations.
...Long distance transport cannot be condoned, and the supply of these horses for slaughter results from the overbreeding and subsequent discarding of horses by our society.
The stress of transportation, handling in unfamiliar surroundings and the killing of unwanted horses etc. Will continue until we alter attitudes of the community about "expendable items" (sentient horses), about the truth behind the racing industries, and until we are able to introduce controls on the breeding of horses..."
(This text was supplied to Animal Watch Australia/Thylazine anonymously, after a visit to Peterborough horse slaughterhouse by an animal welfare advocate in 1994).
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