WINNIPEG (Staff) – While horse specialists that toured prairie PMU farms earlier this year said they found no animal abuse, they agreed some management practices could be improved.
But the team stopped short of giving its blessing to the industry because of philosophical differences among group members, said Art King, who was on the team.
Some for, some against
“There was a group of us who were prepared to say that we felt that the use of horses in the PMU industry was a legitimate agricultural practice,” the Ontario veterinarian said, adding that he feels it’s similar to taking milk from cows or wool from sheep.
But King said other inspectors believed that “if someone is using their animal to make money, they don’t care about it.”
Animal rights groups saw this division as a blow to the industry.
“A number of the parties have found severe problems with the conditions on the farms,” said James Pearson, spokesperson for People Acting for Animal Liberation.
