Arabian Horse Assn. Endorses Slaughter

By Staff Report August 1, 2009

In a move reminiscent of a position taken by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) went on record on behalf of itself and the Arabian Horse Foundation (AHF) in June as supporting horse slaughter. The move coincided with the appointment of AHA president Lance Walters to the board of the American Horse Council, a pro-slaughter Washington D.C. group.

The move triggered an uproar among AHA members and prompted AHF chair Carol Darnell, who is also on the AHA’s education committee, to issue a statement condemning the move. “We believe it inappropriate for our board of directors to take a position on such a passionate and divisive issue, especially without polling our membership for consensus.”

The AHF statement goes on to clarify that it runs independently of the AHA and had no knowledge of the policy move. It urges the AHA board to “reconsider.”

Arabian owners take great pride in touting the sensitivity and intelligence of the breed. The AHA foal count was only 6,500 in 2008, a commendable example of responsible breeding, and AHA bloggers have recently been discussing how well Arabian prices are holding up in the sagging economy, making the timing all the more surprising in what is clearly  a controversial political stance for the Colorado-based organization.

For more info visit www.arabianhorses.org.

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