Analysis Of Gail Vacca´s Essay 'One Man's Trash'

Injured, frightened, and beaten are all words that describe horses that are put in kill pens. Most horses never make it out once they enter. Thousands of horses are shipped out of the United States to Mexico or Canada. Once they meet their final destination they will be slaughtered and shipped off the foreign countries for human consumption. In Gail Vacca’s essay, “One Man 's Trash,” she ventures to the Shipshewana “loose horse” auction in Indiana and comes across a kill pen mare that is lame. She knows the horse might be a racehorse and purchases her from the kill buyer. Gail Vacca, the president of the Illinois Equine Humane Center, believes horses should not suffer in the conditions in which they are kept. I agree with Vacca’s actions and decisions of rescuing a kill market horse.
Vacca’s views on kill pens show through as she describes the treatment of animals at “Shipshy” the biggest market horse auction in the Midwestern United States. People who move the horses torture the animals just for the pleasure of it. She noticed a lame bay mare that she thought was a thoroughbred. The kill buyer who …show more content…
People who no longer have use out of their horses dump them at feedlots and put them in the auction market. Schooled horses who have spent years working hard with a family doing shows and events might end up in a kill pen simply for getting injured or sick. Offspring of champion racehorses have ended up in kill pens, even the race horse himself might end up in the pen. Instead of backyard breeders trying to make money off of their studs, that should be gelded for the sake of the breed, people should rescue horses in need of a good home. Many adoption centers have stables full of rescues that could make someone a nice trail or show horse. Once they understand you have rescued them they will love you for a lifetime. Visit your local humane shelters and adopt one of the horses in