Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>]

Stolen Horse International aka NetPosse (http://www.netposse.com/)
is *the* clearinghouse for stolen horses and related information.

FWIW, one common MO in the southwestern US is to steal a trailer
along with the horses.  I suspect the thieves then drive directly
to Mexico, where they dispose of trailer and horses.  Apparently,
now that so few US slaughter facilities take horses, many horses
are going to Mexico for slaughter, on the black market.  The Mexico
trade is virtually undocumented, compared to the Canada trade.  I
have read recent industry estimates (presumably based on shipping
documents?) that in the US each year 85,000 horses are consigned
to slaughter, of which 30,000 are shipped to Canada for slaughter
there.

        Una Smith
        New Mexico