Uruguay | Canelones | Slaughter horse collecting station | Horsemeat Import
Horse with tag from a recent auction.
Horse with neglected hooves.
Downer cow left unattended.
Horse with tag from a recent auction.
Horse with neglected hooves.
Downer cow left unattended.
Horse with tag from a recent auction.
Horse with neglected hooves.
Downer cow left unattended.
Today we visit the collecting station of horse dealer Prego near Canelones in the
south of Uruguay. He is one of Clay’s largest suppliers and shipped 1.147 horses to Clay in the past year. When we arrive, an employee is busy preparing horses for anauction that takes place in San Antonio the next day. He is cutting their manes and says that they bring 400 horses to the auction and not only riding horses. We note that several horses still have tags from previous auctions attached to their backs.
Some have neglected hooves that need trimming. A horse transporter has just arrived and a single horse is unloaded, which has bleeding cuts on the forehead and on a hind leg. After the horse has been unloaded a worker collects horse shoes from the trailer floor, which must have fallen off during previous transports. The fact that horses are transported with horse shoes holds a high risk of injuries as they are not transported in individual stalls but in large Groups.
In one pen, we detect a cow that is lying on the ground with straddled legs, obviously unable to stand. She might have a fractured hip or a rupture of the adductors. Thecow is left unattended, whereas she would need immediate veterinary assistance.
