LIVE HORSE EXPORT TRADE
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,—As the revivers of, and unceasing investigators and workers in, an agitation against the export of decrepit horses (old and young) since the War, we desire, for the sake of the horses themselves, to offer some guidance on a question which 'ignorance and duplicity render a most difficult and bewildering one. This trade—one of the foulest and most deceitful that ever was organized—goes steadily on without let or hindrance : in bulk corresponding to the number of horses in use in this country. (Those who wish to be guided will not accept statistics " that are no statistics, but will find out the number of horses being used and regularly falling into decrepitude—about 12,000,000.)
First we should explain that we are masters of our subject ; after careful scrutiny of our propaganda it was judged, in the Chancery Division of the High Court, to be the means to the abolition of the traffic ; we are backed by such well-known horsemen as Mr. R. B. Cunninghame Graham ; in 1920 our League brought down denunciation by the Board of Agriculture for exposure of cruelty to horses shipped at Weymouth ; this with other exposures attracted the notice of the Evening Standard and led up to the 1921 Government investigation and humane demonstration at the Albert Hall and elsewhere. The time for effectual legis- lation is long overdue, and to that end may we explain the Bill for which support is now asked ?
It is a variation on that presented by Lord- Lambourne in 1922 and is based on " inspection " (inspection by the promoters of the trade I). The most damning facts against this have been witnessed by Monsieur Jules Ruhl, the well- known humane worker in Belgium, and the Belgian Societies, knowing what " inspection " is, declare in the Press " No inspection can remedy this sad state of affairs." In the spring of 1927 Mr. Ammon presented a Bill so involved that the age limit of six years, which was intended for the horse, applied to the donkey ; yet the Bill passed First Reading and was printed at the country's expense. A month later another Bill, which did connect the six years with-the horse, passed First. Reading and was printed. This year the same Bill has been again presented, passed and printed, but the age of the horse has been altered to seven yearS. All Bills rest on an age-limit (five, six or seven years). Horses are deliberately wrecked at an early age because young animals fetch a higher price for export and can be " got into condition.' I have seen limbs " gone " under four years old. An age-limit is direct encouragement of " bishoping " (filing, scooping and marking the teeth to represent the required age), extreme agony in operation and in after life (many Army officers know what this meant to horses passed as six years old during the War). This is one example of the worse than uselessness of the Bill now before Parliament.
Explanation as to how the traffic is organized through horse-agencies, breeders, dealers, knackers, shippers and others, would fill pages, biit one fact should bring both humane and inhumane into our remedy of a " flat rate " of £10 on every live horse exported, viz., that it would help to raise the standard of England's horses, now degenerating so rapidly. Our country is notorious for the export of cripples and for its facility in manufacturing thoSe cripples. How long will the way of reason be barred ? The evil is deep- seated ; the remedy must be a drastic one. Can it be possible that there are not enough persons in power who hold at
once, the necessary understanding, humane reasonableness and courage of their convictions, not only to rescue the noblest animal in creation and one to whom so much is owed, but to retrieve the honour of our country from this stamp of criminal ineptitude ?—I am, Sir, &c., M. K. MATTHEW, Hon. Secretary.
The National Equine Defence League, 16 Beaconsfield Road, New Southgate, N. 11.
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