The Truth About the Amish
by Larkin Vonalt
Author’s Note June 11, 2014
Please note that this piece was written two and a half years ago. The comments are moderated. This is my own private blog, not your soapbox. I do allow for differences of opinion but if you tell me that I should be ashamed or that you’re disgusted or that this is full of lies or that it’s the most repulsive thing you’ve seen on the internet, don’t expect your comment to see the light of day. Thanks for understanding.
photo by N. Bourne
This horse is dead. He worked hard every day of his life and when his owner thought he could do better with a new horse, he hauled this Belgian to New Holland, Pennsylvania, and sold him directly to slaughter. It didn’t matter if there was someone at the auction looking for a draft horse, or a rescue wanting to give him well-earned pasture rest– this horse never made it to the sale ring. Instead, they slapped a white USDA sticker with a bar code to his back and sealed his fate.
What became of this gentle giant, bound for slaughter? If he was lucky, he went Canada, where he was killed with a captive bolt or .22 bullet before butchering. (Because he was a large fellow, and apparently sound, and because the Canadian customs demand it, it’s likely that all the horses on that trip arrived at their final destination in reasonable condition. )
For the horses whose luck has truly run out, they are shipped 2000 miles to a Mexican slaughter-house. Shipped in mixed lots, some are dead on arrival, or sick, or badly injured. Some abattoirs there do have a captive bolt gun, it fires a mechanical rod into the brain, instead of a bullet. But the method most often used is a small Puntilla knife. Lisa Sandberg, in a 2007 story for the Houston Chronicle, noted that it is a point of pride to be able to drop the horse with one quick stab that severs the spinal cord. But too often, as on the day she was there, the Apuñalador is inept: she watched as a roan mare was stabbed 13 times along the back before she fell. The horses are then hoisted into the air by a rear leg, paralyzed but still alive, their throats are cut and they bleed to death.
When equine slaughter facilities were closed in this country, the number of horses shipped across the US border to Mexico increased more than 300 percent.
Knowing this, it’s hard not to support the return of equine slaughter to the United States. I’d much prefer it if there was no need or demand for horses to be killed for their meat. Yes, they are livestock, but our relationship with horses is more complicated than that. If we could mandate and insure a dignified and humane death for each horse by legalizing and stringently regulating slaughter in our own country, and closing the door for export to Mexico– then we could at least stop that part of the nightmare.
But right now, that’s what the future held for this big gelding: a trip to Canada, or one to Mexico– with no possible chance of reprieve. No one could save him, because the seller decided to get a guaranteed price (perhaps less) by selling directly to the kill buyer than taking their chances in the auction ring. Who does that to their horses? Who steals from them their very, very last chance?
The Amish, that’s who.
It’s not just plow horses the Amish consign to this terrible fate every single Monday all year long. It’s their buggy horses too, Saddlebreds, Standardbreds, Morgans. Often underweight, scarred by ill-fitting harness, lame from something awful, or just lame from a stone bruise. Frequently their forelocks have been shaved, so as not to cause the farmer inconvenience with the overcheck bridle– never mind that the forelock is invaluable in aiding the horse’s comfort in fly season. They bring in a horse whose stamina is falling off, or one that can’t go so fast anymore, trotting mile after mile on pavement. No point in feeding an animal that can’t pull its own weight, and theirs as well. (New Holland sells other kinds of livestock too– pigs and sheep and cattle. Notable among these were some Amish-owned Holsteins, their udders swollen as big as medicine balls, dragging on the ground between their legs.)
Outside the auction house, all day long, Amish buggy horses stand tethered on pavement. They have no water. Often the check rein (which keeps the horse’s head up) is left fastened. They are still in traces, bearing the weight of the buggy shafts. All day they stand like this, and then stiff and miserable, are expected to trot briskly home in the failing light. When they are too old, or too tired, or used up they will be discarded here and sent directly to slaughter.
Oh, the bucolic simple life of the Amish! How charming the plain folk, the tidy farms, the children in straw hats and dark bonnets, the hard-working, the humble and the meek. What a load of hogwash. You want adjectives for the Amish? What about shrewd, selfish, oppressive, and cruel?
In 2006, Charles Carl Roberts IV, took ten Amish schoolgirls, age 6 to 13, hostage in their school in Nickel Mines, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He let all of the adults and the boys leave the school, and then shot all of the girls and himself. Five of the girls survived. The Amish community made national headlines by declaring their immediate and complete forgiveness of the gunman and support for his family. One can’t help but wonder if they’d have been so quick to turn the other cheek if it had been their sons who had been lined up and executed.
Donald Kraybill, a scholar of Amish life (who went on to sell his book about the atrocity, Amish Grace : How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy to Lifetime Television for a made-for-tv movie) said the Amish willingness to forgo vengeance “does not undo the tragedy or pardon the wrong, but rather constitutes a first step toward a future that is more hopeful.” The Amish have made “forgiveness” part of their stock in trade.
I haven’t forgiven Elmer Zimmerman.
Elmer Zimmerman is an Amish farmer, also in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He and his brother Ammon operated a large commercial dog breeding operation. During a state inspection of the kennel by the Pennsylvania State Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement in July 2008, the two brothers were cited for extreme heat, insufficient bedding and wire kennel floors that the dogs’ feet could fall through. In addition they were instructed to have 39 dogs examined and treated for fly bites and flea infestation. The brothers chose not to comply with the state’s recommendations. Instead they shot and killed 80 dogs. 80 dogs that died without a name, without a kind word, without a comforting hand. 80 dogs that died terrified.
“The decision by commercial breeders to kill healthy dogs instead of paying to repair a kennel and seek veterinary care is alarming and will likely outrage many people,” state Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff commented. “Until our state’s outdated dog law is changed, kennel owners may continue to kill their dogs for any reason they see fit, even if it is simply to save money.” (Pennsylvania HB 2525 which had been in the works at the time of the Zimmerman’s rampage, was passed in October 2008, requiring that dogs may only be euthanized by a veterinarian.)
In Lancaster county alone, there are more than 300 commercial dog breeders, some of them with more than 500 dogs, and the great majority of them are Amish-owned. Up until November 2009, when then Governor Ed Rendell signed into law new anti-cruelty measures, Amish-owned breeding dogs were subject to primitive de-barking by having a metal rod shoved down their throats, often breaking the jaw and lower teeth in the process. Farmers were docking tails and cutting off dewclaws when puppies were several weeks old. Ears were being cropped with kitchen shears. Caesareans were being performed on whelping bitches without benefit of anesthesia or sedation.
While the rights of responsible individuals to breed dogs should be protected and supported, no one has the right to subject dogs to neglect, abuse and outright torture.
The Amish are not educated beyond the 8th grade. They are entirely patriarchal. They sell the “product” of “Amishness” but it is false. Despite their evident piety, they choose to ignore the teachings of Jesus that aren’t convenient to their lifestyle. Do they not see themselves in Proverbs 12:10? “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, areas of Ohio, Indiana and fifteen other states with a significant Amish population see a fair amount of income from Amish-related tourism. There is often an implied, if not an explicit reluctance to tarnish the image of the noble, gentle, Plain Folk. Law enforcement may turn a blind eye to a victim that goes to great effort to report a crime in the community. (One girl’s mother had all of her daughter’s teeth pulled out after the girl used a neighbor’s telephone to contact a battered women’s shelter to tell them she was being raped by her brothers.) State departments of education allow for the Amish to stop attending school at age 13. The Amish are expected to police themselves, but their system of crime and punishment is like something out of Alice in Wonderland. The accused confesses and is forgiven, the victim is punished.
The Amish are a cult. But because they are picturesque and we are nostalgic for earlier, simpler times, we not only accept their eccentricities, we celebrate them. We buy their faceless dolls, their dark quilts, their cheese and chairs. We buy their myth.
It doesn’t take much looking to find one account after another as to how cruel the Amish are to their children, their cash crop of puppies, their exhausted, broken, beaten and fearful horses. How an animal is treated is surely the measure of a man, and it’s not surprising that the problems in the Amish community extend to child abuse, battered wives, rape and incest. (An extensive article in the January 2005 issue of Legal Affairs describes those problems in chilling and absolutely sickening detail. ) Isn’t this what you might expect though, from men who condemn their loyal servant to a terrible death in exchange for a few hundred dollars? Surely no less is to be expected from someone who denies them that one last tender mercy.
For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 3:19
30 Days Notice 
This is awful. I’ve heard bits and pieces of information supporting your claims over the years. People can be incredible inhumane.
I also support horse slaughter in the US. Anything to keep them away from Mexico.
Supporting horse slaughter is disgusting. Support the SAFE act instead— that will keep horses from being shipped out of the US to be slaughtered. SLAUGHTER IS NEVER THE ANSWER!
Barbara, it’s not that simple- and legislation to outlaw slaughter in this country, where it could be regulated has created a terrible pipeline of horses shipped to Mexico. I know in your heart you’d like slaughter to be outlawed, but it has had terrible consequences in this country, including an enormous increase in deaths by neglect. And starving to death is not a more pleasant way to go than captive bolt, I promise you.
It was regulated in the past and horses suffered just as horribly here in the states. Horses are not raised for consumption. They are companion animals. We give them many substances to keep them healthy that are banned for use in animals for human consumption. It’s wrong to slaughter them or sell them for human consumption. It’s like China poisoning our pets with their tainted pet food ingredients. We can’t justify selling tainted meat to foreign countries.
Barbara and Jan, I completely agree with Larkin. I am a horse-lover and lifelong horse owner. It is understandable to be disgusted by the premise of slaughter. But most responsible horse owners understand the necessity of it. Suggesting that the SAFE act can save the tens of thousands of slaughtered horses each year is grossly misguided. The vast majority of horses that end up at a slaughterhouse didn’t arrive there because of the market for horse meat. They are horses that are almost always old, sick, dangerous or sadly, just not wanted anymore. Far more horses suffer when slaughter houses close for there aren’t enough people or rescues anywhere to accommodate all of these horses in need. As much as the thought of slaughter sickens me, it is a necessity. I think many people sit at their computers, with good intentions, and insist there should be no place for slaughter in the U.S. It’s unrealistic. The awareness and battle should be for strict and enforced regulations for the slaughter-bound horses so that they are shipped with care and dignity until they are HUMANELY euthanized. Getting behind this cause can really make a difference. Rejecting slaughter altogether is a short-sighted approach that ultimately, doesn’t help.
To Toby C… Read the USDA stats on the horses that go to slaughter. The majority are NOT old, sick or lame. That is a misconception that the slaughter industry encourages. You’ll be surprised by the truth… it makes it even more sad.
Is it a total LIE to say that only old and sick horses are slaughtered. You only need to look at the Youtube vids on the subject to see that beautiful healthy horses and FOALS are slaughtered.
People ought not to make irresponsible comments which are even OBVIOUSLY not true! The poor animals pay the price with their suffering and death.
It’s time that the people who care about all the animal cruelty all over the world including factory farming and trophy hunting and the so-called (kill) shelters said ENOUGH! STOP! THIS IS WICKEDNESS!
Im in agreement with barbara. US slaughterhouses are just as inhumane asthose in mexico. please check out Mercy for Animals and Compassion over Killing..they have many inside videos and testimonies to the horrors of US slaughter houses. slaughter is not tje answer. We need to provide safe hvens and humane options for these animals.
Cary (and Barbara) I’m sorry, but that simply isn’t realistic. Refuges, sanctuaries and rescues are already full to bursting–and many of them are having a tough time making ends meet. Humane slaughter is possible and should be sought. And in addition to that, the demand for horse meat in this country has led to the theft of horses from private pastures and their brutal butchering.
We all agree that horse slaughter is awful and difficult to accept. I would like any of you to propose a realistic solution to saving and keeping the tens of thousands of horses that are sent to slaughter each year. You can insist there is no place for slaughter only if you have a better option for all of those unwanted and uncared for horses, many of which suffered greatly before being put on the slaughter-bound truck. I am a horse-lover, horse owner and horse advocate. I know that all of these horses cannot, realistically, be saved. I do think that there should be strict regulations put into place regarding humane care and treatment for all slaughter-bound horses. This is a battle we can win.
While I am being accused here of being irresponsible, I am trying to best advocate for the many horses who are currently not being saved and will, in fact, suffer greatly on their journey to the plant. There are hundreds suffering today.
I would ask End Trophy Hunting and Cary for a suggestion on how to save all of the slaughter-bound horses. Or even half, for that matter. Please include in your suggestion the care-givers, real estate and funding source that will be involved in this massive effort.
Toby, this is part of the problem. No one likes slaughter, but no one has any realistic solutions. They also fail to see the fall-out that ending slaughter in this country caused: the bottom fell out of the horse market. Combined with the economic downturn, the value of the average saddle horse became nil.
Larkin, I did reply to you but my response seems to have posted further down the page under a different thread. Thank you for interesting dialogue.
Toby, I saw your response, many thanks.
Amen
I’m totally with you !
My words wise words and thank you !
Toby C. – I agree that there isn’t just one solution. And yes, there is a need for the ability to keep the slaughter option. Sadly, there are far too many horses living in deplorable conditions, starving and dying a slow, agonizing death because an owner cannot care for them, have not been able to sell him, but is unable to find a rescue/sanctuary to take it. So the cold hard fact is they have one choice – send him to slaughter or let him die a cruel, painful, slow death.
We can, however, have tighter controls on the way slaughter is carried out – whether for cattle, chickens or any other animal. Educating and ensuring workers maintain humane care and handling through the time of death. I understand it is a hard job, and there are certain barriers that workers must put up in order to make it through a day, but to lose humanity and treat these animals with cruelty, no compassion or dignity – that needs to be stopped.
And as far as the Amish are concerned, If they want to hold to their way of life based on their “religious beliefs” that’s fine with me. BUT they are living in the United States of America, and our laws take precedence over any outdated, backwards way of life. They need to be held to the same standard as every other citizen with regard to the animals in their care, whether a horse, cow, sheep, chicken or dog. They are, by far, some of the worst animal cruelty offenders in this country, and need to be shut down. Inspections need to be carried out on a regular basis to ensure the health of their work and production animals….since they obviously are unable (or unwilling) to implement these measures on their own accord.
We have a law on CA that is suppose to prohibit transport of horses for human consumption but now there’s a problem of too many horses. People turn them loose in the desert or abandoned them. Sad to say but slaughter houses do have a place. A responsible owner needs to rehome their horse or humanly euthanize them.
When their time is up have them humanely put down. You wouldn’t send your dog or cat to slaughter, they eat them in other countries.
You are spot on Judy! I would never in a million years send one of my horses to slaughter. Are people really that greedy that they have to get a few bucks out of their horse in the end? Have some respect for your horse and have it humanely euthanized rather then send it off for a fast buck. Also, horses are being killed by the hundreds of thousands just as dogs and cats simply because of overbreeding! Why do people insist on breeding their horses year after year? There aren’t enough homes for all these horses – I have seen weanlings with very good bloodlines go for as little as $10-$25 at the sale barn. Slaughterhouses wouldn’t be needed if people would take responsibility. But sadly we’ll never see that in our lifetime…
The majority being slaughtered are FAR from their time being up. All of you people are not seeing the big picture solution to the problem of unwanted horses headed to slaughter: owner/breeder accountability.
As a retired OB nurse, I have been striving to educate the public about the effects of Bute (Phenylbutazoneon) on the fetus or newborn. At least 90% of horses raised in USA have been given Bute. There is evidence to indicate that exposure to Bute during pregnancy may cause birth defects in the fetus. Studies in animals have shown that these medicines, if taken late in pregnancy, may increase the length of pregnancy, prolong labor, or cause other problems during delivery, including still-births. Transference during breast feeding may cause heart disease in the newborn. It may be the innocent human newborns that will suffer. Lordy! Don’t we have enough childhood diseases! and risks for birth-defects, autism, etc. Do we even want to send this tainted flesh to other countries?
I think the answer might not be in the death of a horse but in the control of breeding. there are so many baby’s being born and people all over are having problems feeding them, losing jobs, hay prices sky rocketing. from thoroughbreds being shipped off to kill pens and their foals abandoned, what becomes of them. they have to rely on strangers to feel sorry for them and adopted them. but with the way things are that’s not easy. then you have the BLM horses coming in and the same thing with their foals the mom’s get shipped out some still pregnant. and the foals are left behind. so yes there is a gross numbers of horses that today’s society can not support. then I think it’s time to regulate on large horse ranches who breed for profit. the racing industry is an excellent place to start. The BLM can also control the number of horses being born every year, well to a certain extent anyway. not all the stallions have to be left in tact why not tranquilize for gelding. not sure what could be done for some of the mares but I think something should be done to control numbers and slaughter is not always the answer. being old, or injured to the point where they are in constant pain then if the owner wishes to have it put down I think it’s their responsibility to have a vet do so. that’s all part of owning animals no matter what kind, some times that’s the only call to make. but once again people are not always willing to take responsibility for what’s theirs. they want the government to run it for them.. God Bless all animals and the cruelty that befalls them in the human world
The safe act is the way to go. NO slaughter houses ever in the US. We should be coming up with ways to stop over breeding of horses. and dogs and cat. they need a birth control shot for mares and mandatory gelding for colts. unless you have a permit to breed. not that hard, fine people who don’t go by the rules. as for the Amish people, there are good people and bad, i have see how SOME Amish treat there cows, horses. and a cat i was so mad at that guy kicking that cat, but that’s another story
But then look at the people who have performance horses.are they any better NO! as soon as there legs go they are looking for another and try to dump off the horse they made lame in the first place. i know i have some of there dump offs myself. and i’m not just talking about the race horses i’m talking about the big majority, the barrel racers, the high worked cowboy horses. and jumpers. they mess up more horse. then they get to old for them then thy dump them also. even though they have a 40 acre ranch the horse could retire on.
Gosh, you have a pretty dim view of freedom don’t you? Just how much government and police presence do you want in your life?
I agree, Larkin. I suppose knowing horses are simply alive will make some people sleep better. I am not one of those people and find that perspective to be incredibly narrow-minded. They fail to see the big picture. I spent two years traveling to horse sales in the mid-west. I have looked into the eyes of the horses in the kill pen many times. It was heart-wrenching. The slaughter industry is grotesque but what many of these horses had obviously endured, long before the sale, was just as sickening. I don’t think the “stop slaughter” people realize how many horses suffer at the hands of their owners who simply stop feeding and caring for them. These horses struggle to survive and then end up in a system that will ultimately let them down. I take more issue with those owners, some Amish as you’ve outlined, than I do the slaughter industry.
Yes there is a time to slaughter horses and it should be done as humanely as possible and close to home. There are a lot worse things than a quick easy death, keeping sick or injured animals alive is not helping them, especially horses. It is torture to just truck them in trailers where they can’t lift their heads up because the trucks are meant for cows with short necks. As with our cat and dog population we do not have enough homes for them all and horses take more care and space. So the terrible decision is made to kill.
I have a horse that came from the Amish originally and he is still not over his fears. He will stay with me all his life.
The Amish are cruel, and one of them has just been issued a license to have yet another puppy mill of about 700 dogs. Do not buy from pet stores, they are all puppy mills dogs, no matter what they say.
I recently bought a buggy horse out of slavery. The owner brought him in the day before the sale, left him tied to a rail in the stall, standing on concrete without the benefit of a $4 bag of shavings to absorb his waste never mind the gift of the $.75 worth of hay for the two days he was in the sale barn. He had the telltale signs of indiscretion, bit scars around his mouth, open wounds on his shoulder and hindquarter from using “one size fits all” tack. He was horribly emaciated, had evidence of a healed jaw fracture and was obviously doped while he stood tied in the stall because I tried the same test in my round pen four days after arrival and he got very nervous, reared up and untied himself. Deworming him produced the nastiest hot mess of parasites I have ever seen. He had no identity and no dignity. I named him Col. Beauregard. I breed Percherons and would never sell to a “black hat”. I once used a black hat, Andy H——, to prepare one of my big geldings for a buyer. When I brought him in (it was late August and hot as hell), I was wearing mid-thigh length shorts. Let’s face it folks, I was 45 then and well beyond my glory days. I was given the dirty eye by the Andy’s uncle who wanted to have a look at the gelding. After he left, Andy said to me, “you can’t return to this farm unless you dress honest.”. After which he asked, “would you mind picking up some supplies for me when you go back to town?: He then handed me a list which constituted of the usual, bread, sandwich meat, a box of condoms and a liter of JD. Yeah, just because they attend three hours of church every Sunday doesn’t absolve them of cruelty, hypocrisy and abuse.
Thanks for writing this. I had a wonderful mini schnauzer who was rescued from an Amish puppy mill in Ohio. She was there 5 years and was to be killed when a wonderful woman took her to Cincinnati Schnauzer Rescue.
You can see a photo of her and read her story at daysofourdogs.com. I lost her a few months ago to cancer, which probably started in the mill.
The Amish are not the bucolic image many people have. They can be evil.
Hard to read this article for many reasons! The abuse you talk about is awful and should not be aloud to happen. However the way you put all amish into one group is crazy .The atricle started out about a horse that wasn’t given a chance . What was the whole story, not every horse should be given another chance you just asume it is some great hard working horse that was mistreated by the amish. Mabey the horse was ill tempered and if was returned to a nice loveing family would mame or kill a child! The fact that you say all amish mis treat thier animals is would be like me saying that all horse rescues are bad since a year ago a rescue in michigan surrender 50 horses to the humane soicitey and out of those over 2/3 of them were put to sleep because they were under fed uncared for and suffering but saying all horse rescues are bad would be a very uneducated igorante statement, kind of like this article on the amish. There are a lot of good people in the amish community many of them take very good care of their horses and treat them with alot of respect. Horses dont need water in front of them 24/7 their bodies can store water so they can stand tied to a post during the trip into town.
On another topic not giving the horses another chance in the sale ring might be out of kindness so a horse with problems that might take special care doesn’t end up in the hands of an uneducated “horselover” who has no idea how to take care of them and the horse stands in a stall suffering for years without the help they need. This is the fate of the majority of the horses I have seen “saved” form the slaughter ring form a “horselover” that just cant stand to see them killed. The neighbors horse they “saved” broke her husbands ribs,hand, and put stiches in his arm. Later a “trainer” told them how to fix its problems ending with a 3inch by 1 1/2 rip on the horses face do to lack of knowledge on how to preform the task at hand.The horse is now 300 pounds over weight has bad feet that cant be trimmed because the horse wont stand. Out of breath after a short walk and no kind of a connection with any kind of other living thing while it suffers from sore feet and to much weight on them. Good thing this horse was “saved” from slaughter!
I understand that you read the piece, but I think you didn’t understand what you read. The Amish system of belief, their exclusion from prosecution and their notions (not supported by the Bible, btw) that creatures are put on earth to serve at their pleasure are directly linked to their treatment of animals, women and children. New Holland auction sees dozens of horses discarded by the Amish every week– this one was chosen at random to represent many. Through my work with the Camelot Horse Weely, a network that serves to place horses through rescue, I know that not all rescues are worthy. Just like some criminals are more prone to recidivism doesn’t mean that no inmate can be rehabilitated. (Although that’s a fallacious comparison really, since MOST horses do NOT end up at auction through any fault of their own, and most who end up in prison are there through their own failings.) Thank you for reading the article- I appreciate your interest and I encourage you to learn more about the Amish community.
Most horses don’t end up bred thru any fault of their own. Could you post us a difference between standing a horse at stud and breeding him for a price to anybody with the money and willing to pay, and puppy mills. I mean since we are all for the ethical treatment and breeding of animals. I know I’m the only one who sees the hypocrisy in complaining of puppy mills, and accepting the practices of breeding horses. When you run your rescue do keep the .5 to 1 acre of grazing per horse rule. We can all find fault in others but when we point to peoples mistakes remember they’re four fingers pointing back at you. I have Belgians bought from the amish as does some of my neighbors, so not all amish culls are killed. We only find fault in things we don’t do. Nobody considers it wrong to tie a horses head down to keep him from rearing, but rearing is a natural reaction for the horse when he’s hurt or needs to defend himself. So while our mistreatment of the animal is different from theirs in our eyes, is it really any different if you’re against the mistreatment of animals.
You’ve got some interesting points here. You’ll find your argument is more effective if you don’t use the words “ethical treatment” in conjunction with animals, because anyone who is FOR animals should certainly be AGAINST PeTA, who have forever tarnished that phrase.
Sorry but I rescued horses at New Holland for years ALL amish are the same when it comes to animals and you don’t know half of it…
I know they’re all the same, I do puppy mill rescue!
I agree whole heartedly, I am a dog rescuer and have seen over the past 18 years so many animals being “rescued” to only be tortured in other ways. Death is not the worse thing that can happen to an animal if it is a quick death. I understand that there needs to be more regulations on that. However I would rather an animal (of any kind) be put down than be put into a hoarding situation where it received little to no human companionship, food, water, medical care and psychological care. Animals can go crazy just like humans can. We all have basic psychological needs. I live next to a woman who “rescued” a horse……she now lives in a 1/4 acre “pasture” and that is all. No human contact what so ever other than when they stake it out to graze in my field without my permission. I have called animal control because it had been 3 weeks since I saw them give it hay, and that is when they started staking it out in fields at night. This animal is miserable………..absolutely friggian miserable. But heck, it’s alive rite? I have heard all the nightmares about the puppy farms in Amish PA too……..what I don’t understand about that is why people think they are the only ones who do this! There are puppy farms all over the US just like these and worse! People need to educate themselves about a problem as a whole and go after anyone who adds to the problem. It’s not fair to classify one group of people as a problem, that is racist and I thought those days were supposed to be behind us. I do understand their culture some from being from an area in NY that have Amish and Mennonite, there is a lot of abuse. However there is a lot of abuse in our country period! And the more rural you get the worse it usually is and the less it is reported and talked about.
More news about the Amish . . . http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/renegade-amish-group-charged-hate-crimes-beard-cutting-attacks-ohio-article-1.994743
The Amish do not have the salvation of jesus in them. how beastly cruel they are to their animals and one day they will stand before a holy God and will be accountable for they deeds. I know they are of a cult and on their way to hell. They know nothing about the saving grace of Jesus, I see the cruelty to their horses everytime I visit Lancaster county. How sad our world is!!
Thank you, Larkin, for providing such a comprehensive and informative piece. It is of the same flavor as a particular Facebook page – Amish Truths.
The Admins of Amish Truths are gratified to be able to share your work with the world further, and in doing so help to open the eyes of the public to the realities of the Amish lifestyle – that there is more to the Amish culture than quilts and buggies.
Not all Amish are that way and it’s horrible that you portray them all the same. My neighbor loved and cared for all his animals. Turned them out nightly and was so careful about where they went. Horrible that you make them all out to be monsters. Shame on you.
But many are.
Larkin, I agree with you on many points. I have spent a lot of time in Lancaster county and have been to New Holland dozens of times. But your article began with the issue of animal cruelty and evolved into something much more hateful and bigoted. You simply can’t fairly assume that all Amish are alike. For an Amish farmer, a horse is a piece of farm equipment, simply a tractor or a car. LIke every other demographic, some will care for their equipment while others will not. It’s cold and callous when the equipment is a living creature. On that we will all agree. But stereotyping an entire population of people is as wrong as suggesting that every priest is a child molester. Not fair. You have a keen understanding of the horse sale and slaughter industry along with your beautiful command of language. I just think you could effectively reach more people if there wasn’t an undercurrent of personal repulsion for the Amish people woven in with the facts. Your suggestions might make people question your credibility as I did, about halfway through. Your combination of knowledge, realism and eloquence puts you in the powerful position to be heard. As a responsible and knowledgeable horse advocate, I hope you will apply your skills wisely to truly make a difference. The horses need you!
Toby, thanks. But please see the links. I didn’t just drum up the business of sexual oppression out of thin air. The link between animal abuse and domestic abuse is a well-established one.
The Amish see horses as tools, tools to accomplish a job. When a tool gets worn out and is beyond repair, it gets discarded. I have seen first hand horses that were of no more use to the Amish. They are in a very sad state of “repair”. Besides the ringbone, sidebone, pedal osteitis, laminitis, arthritis, sweeny, fistulas, broken wind, scarred bodies, hardened mouths, and numerous other physical problems, the horses lack a love of life that a properly cared for and respected horse will have.
I am not opposed to working a horse hard, I think every horse prospers when given a job to do, I have expected a lot and gotten a lot from my own horses. But a horse will perform better and for longer if fitted correctly with proper tack, proper shoeing, and allowed to drink when thirsty.
The Amish are not all they are cracked up to be! Thank you for this article!
Thanks for your input, Kim. Just wondering where this appeared today. It’s not a new piece, but today out of the blue it was read more than five thousand times.
I found it from a post on my Facebook feed. As a farrier, I know full well how the amish treat their horses. I cringe every time someone raises the banner about how the horse came from an Amish country farm. The new “proud” owner thinks they have a wonderful treasure. All too soon the reality sets in of how used up, abused, neglected and disrespected the poor horse is. Often the animal does not suit the new owner’s purpose or meet their expectations, so it gets sent down the road, yet again, often ending up at a killer buyer yard anyway. Some luckier ones get a chance to rejuvenate somewhat, but years of ill use in the hands if the amish has fore shortened their lives already.
Thanks for bringing this into the light. I friend just told me today about a local Amish family who was caught feeding LIVE dogs tht were beyond breeding in a puppy mill to their pigs. They were tossing them into the pens, and the neighbors heard the screaming and called the police when they went over and saw what was happening. But nothing happened until the SPCA was able to actually provide a witness who saw them in the act of “feeding the pigs” ; after the court threw out a video from on a camera set on a timer (like the ones hunters use). Over 200 puppies were rescued from horrific conditions. This is just sickening. And the thought of the poor horses in Mexico will haunt me forever. This is hard to read, but essential that the story be told.
Larkin, Your article is only telling half truths. To begin with, you have failed to mention that there are many different sects of Amish. Those of the old order were more likely to do many of the things you have written, but the old order is losing their members at a fast growing rate!
You also failed to mention any of the very many Amish who retire their work and buggy horses to retirement sanctuaries! Just as we can not say all “English” are the same, so goes for the Amish! Stop bashing a whole people for the bad ones! Shame on you and those who take your writings as the gospel truth!
Michael, the general public has a very positive “notion” about the Amish. While I’ll be the first to admit that this piece concentrates on certain atrocities, it gives balance to the ill-informed. Frankly, though, no fundamental sect that makes women and girls second class citizens is going to get a positive response from me, nor should they.
“Retirement sanctuaries”. How quaint this sounds. It’s great that these sanctuaries exist, but I have firsthand knowledge of how Amish horses enter these sanctuaries. They haven’t been treated well, cared for properly, or respected. It takes months for these poor creatures to find a spark of life- if they’re lucky. Many never do.
And, to adopt them out is risky. One standardbred at a local barn was adopted out after coming in as a retirement horse, and she’s so untrusting of anyone she regularly kicks out, bites, and attacks purely out of fear. It’s difficult to handle a horse who is so fearful she goes on the offensive every time a hand is raised or someone walks behind her, or moves a little quickly.
I live in Amish country; I see more lame horses pulling wagons and buggies than I see sound horses. More thin than in good flesh. More freezing in the winter with sweaty bodies from being driven hard before being tied at the Tractor Supply or Walmart than with blankets or coolers while waiting for their drivers. More Amish farms with crappy grazing pasture and rusty barbed wire fences than English.
Recently a horse dropped from exhaustion – an 85 degree day early in the season and the horse still not shed out of winter coat and ran so hard it heat stroked. The owners could have cared less. It was English witnesses who cared for the horse and called a vet. The vet euthanized the horse. I don’t know who paid him or if he did it for free.
I used to want to think that the bad apples just made the majority of good look bad. In reality, the bad apples are hiding behind the few good because we English are too stubborn to give up our Pollyanna beliefs about this group of people.
I will give you your point that many English aren’t up to snuff, as well. Sugarcreek is Ohio’s New Holland and it’s filled with both Amish and English ne’er-do-wells.
Mennonites are not the same as the Amish.. My Mother was raised in a Mennonite home, with Amish relatives.. and her parents, my grandparents, were wonderful loving people. There are good and bad people of all religious persuasions. There are many very good Amish people as well that don’t abuse animals or run puppy mills. Those “other” Amish are not true to their religion and are using “Amishness” to try to sell more of their goods by using the image of the “plain folks” who shun all things modern…they are a farce.
I don’t recall saying word one about Mennonites in this piece or any other. I don’t have an issue with the Mennonite culture. But I disagree that the “bad” Amish aren’t “real” Amish– there are good and bad of every faith, and also of the agnostic and the atheists. But no other religion, no other group, has made it a selling point, indeed fully commercialized the notion of being “simple” and “pure.”
This issue is why we RESCUE! THIS is why we DO NOT adopt to Amish, Ever!
PLEASE SEE THE WORLD AROUND YOU THE WAY IT IS PEOPLE – SELF CENTERED AND INCONCIDERATE – regardless of race, religion, beliefs etc. Help change it!
Stop Horse Abuse, Stop Horse Slaughter!!
This article expresses clearly what I have long said about the Amish people… and yes, I have met some… that they are for themselves first… and their animals a very distant second. It would make sense to me that you care for an animal upon which you depend so much… but it does not seem to me to be like that with the Amish.
And humane slaughter… bravo for standing up for it, because it’s such an incendiary opinion. Humane slaughter in a supervised plant here is 1000 percent better than any Mexican slaughterhouse… and we can’t save every back yard bred horse and pony, which is very sad.
Well said, Mary Ann. I don’t think there are many animal rights activists, even with their best intentions, understand the true complexities of the horse industry. Genuine and knowledgeable horse advocates know that slaughter is an unfortunate but very necessary part of the horse world. We need strictly enforced regulations on the transport and care of all slaughter-bound horses which should include a humane method of euthanizing.. This is the only realistic approach to helping the tens of thousands of horses who will not be rescued from auction each year.
I lived in the same community as the Amish for more than 20 years. I was shocked over and over at what I witnessed regularly as to the treatment of women and animals. I saw horses who were gaunt and exhausted, attached to buggies, trying to go up a hill. while being whipped.. the youth race their horses on pavement, who are underfed and terrified. They leave horses attached to buggies tied up to posts for hours and hours in the blazing sun. they breed dogs in shacks and in buildings with little to no ventilation and sell them at roadside stand and have signs in front of their houses with puppies for sale. I saw harsh, cruel and inhumane treatment of children, women and animals on a daily basis. I urge people to stop purchasing anything Amish.. stop supporting their lifestyle and their cruel treatment to the very animals that serve them.
Free speech. While I agree with you about the horrible aspects of slaughter houses and the methods in which animals are treated, that is a topic in which every human being who has ever sold a horse to slaughter is guilty. Not just the Amish. You cannot blame all animal cruelty on one group of people. You cannot blame them for every animal that dies a cruel death. You should compare apples to apples. Are their not sinners and saints in every religion? There are good and bad people in this world. What if i were to blame Catholics for all child abuse. Or atheists for all bullying because they don’t believe in judgment day? I am not saying that there are not people within the Amish community who do the things you mention. But there are also “english” folk who do it just as often. I grew up out side an Amish community in indiana. And I never experienced the things you mention. Chastising the whole religion is wrong, and you are ruling them all guilty while only knowing a portion. What would you be writing if you lived 100 yrs ago? When people used horses in just the same way? And raised dogs the same because there was barely modern medicine for people, much less animals. I know we do not live in that time period, but the Amish try to replicate that simple lifestyle. They do with what they can. And talk about saving money! Working in the veterinary industry I can’t tell you how many times I watched a farmer take his dog home from the vet only to shoot him because he couldn’t afford treatment or proper euthanasia. You blame them because they are of a different religion and because they are poor….who are you to judge them? I will say it again. …free speech. I’m sure you have done your research and/or have your proof. But for ethics purposes I would shy away from verbally punishing a society that you only know bits and pieces about.
Clearly you didn’t read the piece.
The critical comments here, not only those in Larkin’s article, but also some comments, are not about their religion, but their culture and lifestyle. While for any, a religion is interactive with the culture it exists within, they are not the same thing. There are many whose religion is Christianity, but those Christians ive within some very different cultures and lifestyles. I don’t see any of this “blaming” them because the Amish are of a different religion, at all. It is the culture, the lifestyle. The Amish religion is a form of Christianity, or at least branched from it. Their religion also includes the Bible. And as I think someone else pointed out, cruelty to animals is presented as ‘wrong’ in the Bible. So is incest and rape and brutalizing women. The problems presented here cannot be “blamed” on their religion, and I don’t see that Larkin or others here echoing her observations are doing that..
I Purchased a Starved T/B , w/ Shipping Fever from Camelot ,on his way to Canada via New Holland
This semi Abattoir ( New Holland ) is Cold, uncaring and castrates Horses and equines of all Ages , sans~ Anesthesia
My Horse was lucky I bought him sight unseen w/ Shipping Fever for $235
No one saw what I saw A Beautiful and Necessary Equine
There are shipping regulations for stallions that most shippers don’t want to bother with– hence the on-the-spot gelding. As if that will change anything immediately. Bravo to you for giving one of those horses a second chance.
You are right to speak out. If the Amish are cruel to their animals, why ought not people know about it? They ought to know. If the Amish don’t like it, they can do something about it and STOP being cruel to their animals.
This is shocking and horrible! People ought not to be cruel to any animal including horses. Especially when they have given a lifetime of service.
Time that this was brought out in the open and everyone knows what is going on. Time it was stopped!
The Bible says: “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the TENDER MERCIES of the wicked are cruel.” (Proverbs 12:10)
I appreciate this article which confirms what I have heard and seen. This culture of ill treatment of animals, women and children should not be tolerated I rescued an Amish buggy horse that was skin and bones, with his forelock not only cut off but a “scalping” type wound underneath. He was tied up with a rope and left in the kill pen. Bastards.
the azmish are cruel people to their animals & children, we’ve seen it before around here.jsawyer89@verizon.net Attica, NY
” If we could mandate and insure a dignified and humane death for each horse by legalizing and stringently regulating slaughter in our own country..”
The RSPCA, here in Australia had a stringent, regulated, humane, if one could call it that, slaughter of animals. Because of Kosher and Halal religious superstitious requirements of slaughter, exemptions have been granted on religious grounds. The RSPCA is understandably not happy about it. So, it looks like we are going backwards and all because of religious superstitions.
Very interesting article, I have always thought the Amish were never nice to their animals, we were at an Amish craft store in the middle of a very hot summer, an employee had their horse tied to a telephone pole so tight it couldn’t turn it’s head with no water, shade or shelter standing in the hot sun, I was so upset by this I was ready to set him free if he wouldn’t have been so close to a road. I think they treat their animals terribly, buggy horses , puppy mills, most people think they’re so pure & innocent & stay to themselves but I’ve always seen them as strange, unfriendly & always willing to take the almighty dollar, so much for living simple, they’re all probably millionaires! I could never understand, although I know it’s their custom, why you would want to live in the 1800’s when we’ve had cars , electric & farm equipment for decades! I’m so glad someone else sees them as I do!
The comments accomplish nothing other than allowing one to vent, but my question is this:
What are YOU doing to make a change?
This is what I’m doing to make a change. I’m a writer. That’s what I do. People bring different talents to solve a problem. 30,000 people read this– some of them clearly had no idea that this was going on– and some were unwilling to accept reality.
But there’s the rub– what is there to be done to solve this? We have religious freedom in America. Perhaps better enforcement of animal cruelty statutes already on the books and better inspection methods.
Larkin, I was clearly addressing the commenters…
Sorry, missed that.
I have personally taken many horses from auction and rehabbed them. Some rescued, some just ended up at auction nothing wrong, just a way for owners to sell them. Larkin, how about you write about the other side of the amish? The ones that take care of their animals too?
Because that’s already what people believe, Maria. The issue here is not whether other cultures abuse animals (as we know they, and we do) but what we expect of them. The myth of the Amish is a powerful one.
Did I read wrong? I thought the article was about the Amish selling horses directly to slaughter houses…not putting them up for auction…
Not all horses are sold directly to the kill buyer. (As was the horse in the photo.) Some of them do go through the auction ring, where if they’re lucky they will bought by someone hoping to offer them rehabilitation and/or retirement.
I have a Belgian Draft that came from New Holland. Thanks to Camelot Horse Weekly I was able to get him. His history is traced to the logging industry and then Amish, but a mild stifle injury most likely set him up for possible slaughter. I have been on a few horse seizure cases where the horses were either already dead or had to be euthanized due to starvation and neglect. I also have several other rescues, seized from different areas of South Carolina. Each of them came to me with a body score of 3 or less. These owners couldn’t afford to feed them, and certainly couldn’t afford the cost of humane euthanasia and then hiring someone with a backhoe, easily a total cost of $500. So yes, even with my deep love for horses, I believe slaughter is an evil necessity. Starvation is a much more cruel death.
There was a horse at my friends barn sent for training – it was sent there because it had already has two months of training and now she was completely rank. Her lip drooped uncontrollably because the nerves had been damaged on her nose and lips. Most likely from having her face tied or bit in too long and wired to something. She was extremely fearful and hated people. What could have been a lovely horse, was turned into a nasty, broken down mare with no future.
Thank you for speaking for those who can’t.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Larkin. This article just confirms what I’ve heard and seen. I need to quote a line from Marya Mannes in which she says, “The earth we abuse and the living things we kill will, in the end, take their revenge; for exploiting their presence we are diminishing our future.”
Even the cattle and pigs in the US aren’t slaughtered humanely; who’s to say horses would see a peaceful end?
You can require that horses are handled by a separate facility. You can regulate and inspect, and shut down plants that don’t comply. You can work for the humane slaughter of all animals. The Angus beef lobby worked to ensure that Angus producers handled their cattle a certain way so that the meat would be tender. (Adrenaline makes meat very tough.) That’s part of the “certified Angus beef” program. Kobe beef also are handled more gently. But only if Americans maintain their own– we have no say-so over what they do in other countries. Australia has a program, but they have to make exceptions for Kosher and Halal butchering (as we would I suppose) and that’s a ghastly business. Perhaps horses could be excluded from religious slaughter.
“The love of money is the root of many evils.” While the Amish claim to be a faith based community that shuns the “English” ways it is clear that the simple life that seems so romantic is just as corrupt as any other system that mechanized animal husbandry. To reduce any living thing to a tool or product will inevitably reduce it only to profit margins. Puppy mills and discarded horses are testimony to this. While the Amish seem like a community to emulate when seen on screen, it fails to care for the least among them as badly as we do.
It is strange that a society that clings to that old ways with such righteousness embraces the “disposable” mindset with such callousness. Not so much a people of peace when it comes to the most vulnerable (and willing) human and non-human creatures.
While in general I agree with this article, I take HUGE exception at painting all Amish with this “brush”! When in the Hades did it become acceptable to generalize an entire group? You lose all credibility when it comes to doing such. It is no different that applying “tags” to all races, genders etc!!! I know many Amish folks that are the very epitome of kindness towards animals!!!! I do not even read s**** articles like this anymore!!! Waste of time and just feeds into hatred.
Please tell me where in this article it ever states that ALL Amish are like this? It doesn’t. It’s very depressing what poor reading skills so many of you have. If you “don’t shit articles like this anymore” how do you know that you agree with any of this. You get a D+ for comprehension.
The way the Amish treat their animals is in most cases horrific, but some of the blame should go to the previous horse owner, most Amish do not breed their own horses they are coming from people that raced, or showed these horses and then let them go, not caring who to…perhaps if these owners were more responsible when they were selling these animals…but then you have the more supply than demand…euthanasia or a quick humane death, is needed.
I don’t understand why the Amish get blamed. It is not only the Amish who take horses like this to New Holland.
Let’s face it, you have bad horse owners in every race.
Where we live there are a lot of Amish as well. All of the horses I visited on their farms are all in good health and actually fat.
Because the Amish have an unearned reputation for being at one with the earth.
I totally agree with all your points about the Amish. I went to college near Lancaster & presently live 1/2 hour away from many Amish farms. I have never understood how people and the law, turn a blind eye to the Amish, but report other’s, such as animal horderes for abuse. If I left my dogs in a car with a window cracked people would go nuts and call the police ( as they should), but the Amish leave their horses hooked up to carts for hours in the hot son on hot asphalt and dogs in cages with no water or cover. I don’t agree with your views on horse slaughter, even though I do understand why many may feel it is better if horse slaughter was done on our soil with more regulations towards humane practices. The bigger issue is it should be illegal to sell horses for their meat, unless they are breed and raised as livestock, which they are not. All horse meat coming from American horses is tainted with deadly chemicals, antibiotics and vaccines. Even wild horses are vaccinated and some given birth control medicines. USA horses are not livestock and there is no regulations for their care or exposure to chemicals or health regulations! We are potentially poisoning other countries by allowing USA horse meat consumption abroad; what would happen if another country did that to us? Another aspect of horse slaughter, even if horses were raised as livestock, is our federal tax money would be used for inspection of the meat and facilities. Why are the slaughter houses interested in horse, instead of cattle? Horse meat is almost free, but brings in a high dollar amount. Remember these are unwanted horses or from people who can’t afford them, at auction they may only go for $50, raising cattle cost way more than $50 a month. Instead of wasting tax payers money on USDA health inspections for exporting our unwanted horses, why not provide a fund for the humane euthanizing of these unfortunate souls or more funding for shelters so they can take more horses in their care. As a nation we should be ashamed of ourselves, we are better than this!!
Lumping the transgressions of individuals and assigning them to whole communities is an example of completely ignorant and ridiculous absurdity. The issues this article cites are readily evident in all cultures, races, religions and societies. In plain English, what a shortsighted bunch of crap. I own an absolutely beautiful gelding purchased from a wonderful young Amish fellow. He fret over the sale of his beloved horse to the right person. The horse was presented to me in great flesh, shining from head to hoof with show sheen, body clipped to perfection. The horse greeted me with a curiosity and has an amazing puppy dog personality. His training methods were slow and steady with an emphasis on natural horsemanship. There are good and bad seeds everywhere. Ok, you can delete this comment now. Ignorance is bliss, right?!
But other cultures don’t pretend to exist in the golden light of holier than thou. Never once did I say that ALL Amish are like this. Just some, when it should be none, especially given their mythic reputation.
This is quite shocking, when you hear about what peaceful loving people they are, though all your comments make a lot of sense. I would have thought in all these comments there would be one from the Armish point of view, as there isn’t, to me that speaks volumes. It’s scary what kind of a world do we live in? X
Do Amish even have computers??
I have seen horses that the Amish had brought in to a sale barn to be sold where they had been worked so hard that there skinny bones showing and there hoofs had been wired on and that is the truth go to a sale barn in the Midwest and look at the horses that the Amish bring in to sell
I’m a vet tech in Ohio and I’ve seen firsthand what the Amish breeding dogs look like. They’ve figured out that there are rescues here who will actually pay for the used-up dogs so they don’t kill all of them. I of course see the dogs once they’re in rescue. I’ve certainly never had an Amish person come in seeking medical assistance. We also have several Amish furniture stores and restaurants that I refuse to patronize.
Well, I have heard that the Amish don’t believe in seeking medical attention for people, so I guess it’s the case for animals as well…!!!
That’s a different religious sect, most Amish do use the medical system and pay for it with cash. Some of them use veterinarians too.
Many people don’t realize that local Unfinished Furniture businesses all get most of their handmade furniture from Amish Suppliers. I recently wrote a letter to realwood@authentichomefurnishings.com which is an unfinished furniture business trade organization and told them that I was not going to do any business with anyone supporting any Amish businesses. I asked them to please use their position to tell their Amish suppliers that the Amish community’s puppy mills and record of animal abuse is unacceptable. I urge any and all who care to boycott all Amish products and share, share, share. Amish products are everywhere. If all they care about is money, let’s hit them where they will feel it.
Thank you. I will pay more attention to that from now on.
fine get your unfinished furniture from China.
We will ship the lumber from Maine they can make it and ship it all back to us.
no world pollution there.hey they do it with toothpicks they can do it with furniture as well.
and we know the Chinese never abuse animals or people for that matter ….how about a third trimester abortion. maybe they don’t abuse animals as much because they can’t afford to feed them or else they just eat them !
Initially I deleted this comment because it is so utterly and completely offensive. On second thought I decided to not protect you from yourself “cinderanny@yahoo.com”. You’re a poor excuse for a human being, my dear.
I live near Volant, PA and New Wilmington, PA where we have a rather large Amish population. I have had dealings with some of the men and women and have even been invited into one family’s home.
It is true that these folks are uneducated, but they are certainly not stupid. Shrewd is a good word to describe many. As I purchased baked goods from one girl, I did the math in my head and realized she was about to overcharge me. When I corrected her mistake, she didn’t seem ashamed; she seemed to regret not being able to pull one over on “an English.”
I feel for their buggy horses as they stand tethered to the hitching post for hours; never did I realize their ultimate fate nor the fate of their animals in general. I cannot understand how simple, (supposedly) God-fearing people could justify treating God’s creatures this way. Perhaps it’s a twisted interpretation of Genesis 1:28 “…fill the earth and subdue it and have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving on the earth.”
i just ask myself ,what if animals r rule our world a day will they doing the same to humans,? i don`t think so ,they have a pure souls not like most of humans
Great article. And while I understand your reasoning for horse slaughter in the US, I can’t agree. (I definitely am not a fan of the Amish either. They get away with so much crap.)
We know most horses here aren’t safe for human consumption.
There are too many being bred and slaughter is used to clean house and make a few bucks instead of being responsible owners that work to find a new home or pay to have the animal pit down humanely. It’s even worse than dumping your dog or cat at a shelter! At least those animals stand a chance at getting a new life.
These kill buyers want the fat, healthy horses anyway. Anyone that buys into the lie that this is how people can get rid of the sick and old is kidding themselves.
And how can people be anti-puppy mill, but support horse slaughter? The horses often times come from the same type of people that are breeding mass amounts of dogs. Racing industry…
Responsible horse breeding, responsible owners, end the slaughter.
I’m sorry, slaughter is cruel no matter where it happens. We need to end the “need” for it and not have to worry about whether or not slaughter is humane.
And the Amish should be forced to live by the same rules the rest of us do.
Absolutely. People that can’t afford to have any animal fed and cared for properly need to just not have them. We need better laws or ‘something’ (like a change in humanity) that protects/respects all life. Backyard breeding needs to stop also. People who have a ‘pretty’ horse and just want to see what they get, and then never handle it or train it. If a horse is at least trained to ride or drive it will have a better chance at a good home. I understand that circumstances change, so make provisions for that just like you would for your children.
And how can people even think that the words ‘humane’ and ‘slaughter’ can fit in the same sentence? No such thing.
The best way to end it all is to stop using other species for something we don’t even need. No canned hunting. No exotic pets.
Watch ‘Earthlings’ and wake up.
Those of you who think I won’t allow contrasting viewpoints– here it is. Do I agree is “Vegan is Life”? Hardly. But she (or he) made her (or his) points in a reasonable manner without finger pointing, name calling or expletive. Vegan, I thank you.
While I agree that irresponsible breeding of animals is never necessary, don’t just point at the backyard breeders as the root cause. There are way too many so called professional breeders turning out subpar animals of all species. Especially horses, dogs and cats.
Maybe the shelters would not be so full in the U.S. , if we as a culture actually DID look to those cast away animals as as source of nutrients.
As a horse owner, I doubt I could eat my own horse. However I recognize that horse meat is quite nutritious and that yes, horses are livestock.
I have a potbelly pig as a companion too, had him since he was born, got him as a result of someone else getting rid of their unwanted pregnant sow. That was 15 years ago. I managed to locate homes for Emmett’s siblings but do not know if they have enjoyed the same life Emmett continues to do. By the way, Emmett does enjoy devouring beef, chicken, fish and even pork, as well as veggies and fruits. Having a pig as a pet has not stopped me from eating other pigs. Some pigs end up as food, some end up as pets. I can appreciate them all.
Would I deliberately eat horse, dog or cat? No. However I have eaten at fast food places as well as Chinese restaurants so maybe I have. Oh wait, did I get out that broad paint brush? No, it is just the reality of things.
Humane and slaughter absolutely need to be in the same sentence! Actually in the same facility! I would much rather see, or know, that livestock has been gathered humanely, transported humanely, warehoused humanely, corralled and chuted humanely, and then finally dispatched swiftly, definitively and humanely than see or know the animal is simply stacked, stuffed, mauled, poked, prodded, mangled and then butchered while alive starting at the tail!
Life is precious, no matter whether that life is animal or plant. We can respect it and be thankful for its value whether that be companionship, working power or nutrients.
The Amish as a whole are perceived to be so thankful, but in reality are just usurpers.
Kim, very eloquently put.
This paints Amish with a very broad brush. There are a number of Amish farms here in southwest Wisconsin and I in fact bought my farmette from an Amish family. While they do expect their animals to work I have not seen the blatant cruelty described in this article. In fact some of my ‘English’ neighbors are more guilty of the crimes mentioned than those that are Amish. It is not their fault that there is a market for horse meat. Nor is it their fault the slaughter houses in Mexico are so abhorant. As with all groups of people (and calling them a cult is a bit extreme) or breeds of dogs we should judge individuals. Blanket statements are nothing short of racist.
The Amish are not a race. They are a religious sect. And nowhere, nowhere in this piece did I say that ALL Amish are guilty of these crimes.
It’s not surprising that they could care less about the animals they own when they are so quick to ‘shun’ their own children for not believing or wanting the same life as them. Heartless!
Excellent point, Renata.
OMG. This is terrible, I’m so sorry about what has happened to your horse. I had a similar situation over one I sold a few years ago. This situation sounds similar but worse than with our so called Ethnic Minority. They also seem to get away with cruelty and what they want, because of their ancient tradition . Don’t get me wrong tradition is a wonderful thing and should be kept but not twisted as seems to happen all over the world now. This could be such a long rant but I won’t it’s just sad to say another minority group showing twisted ness today and again my heart goes out to you over your horse.
I WONDER WHY YOU NEVER SEE CRIPPLED AMISH CHILDREN LIKE WE HAVE AND YOU WILL NOT SEE ANY HANDICAPPED KIDS IN THEIR FAMILIES EITHER. I THINK THEY KILL THEIR OFF-SPRINGS WHO CAN’T PRODUCE AND WORK FOR THEM.
are you kidding?
really look…. their average of handicapped kids is higher than ours.
they have found better ways for all to “fit in ” than us. acceptance that happens so seldom in “public” school and communities no starring they know what that feels like.
Thank you for this eye-opening piece. A cult is a cult, and dressing it up in bonnets and straw hats doesn’t change that. Perhaps we should keep the horrifying facts about the practices of this particular cult in mind before buying another stick of Amish-made furniture or eating in Amish-run restaurants. A little present from the “english”.
I agree that their are ignorant people who have no business being around animals..or children for that matter…but, I have seen this kind of animal cruelty in all walks of life so it is difficult to understand why you only choose to “expose” those of the Amish community. I don’t expect my comment to be seen since I read your remarks at the beginning but, I hope you at least read it and realize that bigotry starts when a whole “community” of people are blamed for some of the community’s bad apples.
I meant “there” not “their” oops!
And before you say “Nowhere did I say all Amish…” You did by your title. ” The Truth About the Amish.” Of course it leads people to believe you are talking about the Amish as a whole. Perhaps it would have been better to say “What I Know to be the Truth About those Amish Of Which I have First Hand Information.”?
This is the very example of a specious argument, but thanks for trying. 🙂
Ella, your comments are civil and you’re not telling me I’m going to roast in hell, so you’re in. 🙂
When I was 12 years old, in 1957, my mother had a beautiful palomino Morgan with burnished chestnut dapples who was being boarded at our stables. At the time, I had saved $25 to buy my own horse. The man never even came to see his horse. The horse developed a case of heaves and my mother called the man to ask him to send the vet to look at him. The nest day the fox farm (slaughter house) showed up to pick him up. When I saw the name on the truck, I ran and padlocked his stall wit two huge link chains, so no one could get him out. I called the owner on the phone and told him I’d give him the same price, the slaughter guy was offering. The guy yelled and swore at me for being so stupid, but by some miracle accepted my offer, saying it was no skin off his nose if I wanted to waste my money on something that was a lost cause. My mother had to call the cops to get the slaughter truck out of their. Okay, long story short, I taught my horse how to wash his hay in a bucket of water. He would wash each mouthful, thereby getting rid of the dust that was causing his illness. I had him for five more years in which our picture was in the Morgan Horse magazine. We won many classes in English and Western Pleasure and about a year before he died from bloodworms, I was offered $5000 for him, which I turned down flat. .He had become my best friend. Those of us who rescue and feel this kind of death is cruel and unusual treatment should at least try to spearhead a drive to get legislation outlawing slaughter houses like New Holland and funding “safe barns.” If local sheriffs are turning a blind eye to these horrible practices, then loopholes should be plugged and these sheriffs exposed. Every average American who lives near Amish, should be informed about their practices.. Facebook is a good way ( or you tube) to spread the word.
By the way, I’m not by any means implying that ALL Amish do this or agree with it. I’m jousting that those who do, along with “blind” sheriffs and slaughter houses should be exposed and outlawed.
Julie, thanks for sharing your remarkable story, and kudos to you for being so brave.
Thank you very much, as a former Jehovahs Witness I understand the intense control and the horrible results…
i currently just paid 800 to buy a horse from the amish they had ocked away in a stall with no food or water that looked like he was going to die. all because he was no use to the.
This article is 100% true. I lived about 5 blocks from this horse auction house in New Holland, PA. I saw weekly the horses being loaded into the stables, etc. for sale. I lived there for a few years and saw how the horses pulling buggies were mistreated, emaciated, full of lesions, wounds, etc left untreated and how they are tied to a post in the hot sun with no water or straw. I daily drove by the puppy mill farms where these mongrel looking ratty dirty dogs ran loose and in the road almost in front of my car. You would never know what breed these dogs were. I saw them leave their dogs outside in the frigid cold winter to sleep on the cement front porch, with no shelter. I saw them leave small dogs in rabbit hutches outside in the cold winter with no heat lamp, etc. I’ve spoken to former Amish who told me that they believe the animals are “property” not pets and give no affection or attention to it as such and breed and use them as they would cattle or pigs. THIS IS WRONG. I’ve seen Amish children as young as 2 yrs old ride on the back of a pull cart in high traffic or 8 yr olds driving pony carts in traffic. Yet if I were to have my grandkids sit in the back seat of my car without a car seat or unbuckled seat belt I would get a ticket. If we drove a pickup truck and let children ride in the back bay we’d get a ticket. So why is the Lancaster county tourism money so important that they allow these Amish to basically live and not obey even our traffic laws. I say if my kid must be 16 and take a driving test to be on a road, get the pony carts with children driving them off the roads. Do you know how many accidents there are when a horse is spooked and charges into traffic??? It’s about time they are made to obey the same laws we are and especially with the abuse and treatment of their animals and kids. I saw it firsthand and know this is the truth.
Thank you for writing this article to help shatter the “Last Witness” image of the Amish. Sorry to be so pharisee here, but in hindsight, it WAS a great idea to throw all those nutters out of Europe. And btw, in Germany the authorities even swooped down on the Twelve Tribes to take 40 children into protective custody (due to ill treatment by the cult). If I think of what they would do to the Amish – man, they wouldnt have a chance to live their life of abuse of all creatures for a single month: Femen would bare themselves on their compounds and drive those men crazy, CPS would follow and remove the children, and RSPCA (ASPCA in the US) would do the same to alle their animals. The members themselves would find themselves in custody as well – in gaol!
I really really hope that bloggers like you do effect some change in how the authorities in the US treat those Brothers of Mercilessness. Keep it up.
People are lazy and cheap. It does not matter what age, breed or issue the horse may have. If they can get a quick dollar for the animal instead of euthanizing the horse humanely, they will. As far as the sound ones, again, they get money for it instead of taking the time to feed it.
Unfortunately we live in a self serving world; full of selfish, heartless people. Compassion for humans, and animals as well, is going extinct.
There are a lot of variations among the Amish, depending on the community. It’s really not fair to accuse all of them of inhumane treatment of animals when there are 250,000 of them. It would be helpful if there were special agricultural agents who went around and taught the Amish about safety and good treatment of animals. After all, agricultural extension programs spend a fortune helping agribusiness. Why not train some Amish and Mennonites about safety, sanitation and good treatment of animals on the farm, then have them go around and educate every one in their community? They would respond well to one of their own teaching these principles. It wouldn’t be a special privilege, as agricultural extension programs frequently help special groups, and it would be a fair use of taxpayer money. This kind of government help wouldn’t be offensive to them.
Again, for the Nth time, I never claimed that it was ALL the Amish. The fact that it’s any of the Amish shocking enough.
And Barbara, I can assure you that ALL of the Amish would reject the kind of interference-cloaked-as-aid that you are suggesting.
Some counties already have safety classes for Amish and Hutterites, and they are well-received. I notice that the Amish publisher, Pathway, sells a coloring book on safety from one of these programs. The problem is that they aren’t widespread and comprehensive enough.
Thank you for this article. I do dog rescue and people never understand why I say f#@k the amish until I explain all of this to them. If they are suppose to live with out modern conviences why do they need our money ?
I saw a horse being whipped by the buggy owner along 896 and route 30 in Lancaster. The poor horse was so lame he could hardly walk. Apparently because of tourism the Amish bring to Lancaster, the govt will not get involved with cruelty to animals with the Amish.
I have also been inside Amish barns. They are feet high with manure and the animals must stand in this even when it is saturated with water and urine. I pray for these horses. And their suffering.
You are spot on in your assessment of the Amish. I used to live near a community of them. Their cruelty to their animals, children and wives is horrendous. It is a cult. They need to be shut down.
Such a sad and tragic story. I’ve been completely oblivious to all of this maltreatment. How can we help prevent all of these horrible atrocities from the child’s abuse, spousal abuse and animal abuse?
There are many Amish that care greatly for their animals. Similarly, there are many people who are NOT Amish that keep the feedlots sickeningly full. So when you ask, “Who does this to their horses” and reply with “The Amish, that’s who”, you are punishing all the Amish who should be recognized for their animal husbandry AND pardoning all of the non-Amish who should be condemned for throwing animals into slaughter pens like garbage. This is really too bad, because you make some wonderful points about slaughter policy in this country, which are tragically outshone by your massive oversimplifications. Rather than point fingers at one group of people versus another, lets have a discussion about what can be done to change horse slaughter in this country, and the surplus of unwanted horses.
Okay, this is very last comment I’m going to allow that suggests that I have said ALL Amish are guilty of this. And I am going to say this one last time: the Amish enjoy living in the golden light of myth that they are at one with the good earth, simple joys, all of that. It is shocking to many people that they abuse animals, or in the case of dog breeding, grossly exploit animals with little regard for the well-being of those animals. We all know that other people abuse and exploit animals, as unfortunate as that is– it’s not news. I am truly tired of explaining this over and over to people who either a) didn’t bother to read the piece and are just passing judgement on the title or b) failed reading comprehension in high school. So Lauren B. ding ding ding you win the prize for being the last person to be able to make this last inane observation.
I believe that instead of reopening slaughter house in the States and subjecting the horses to a terrified death be them young,old,lame,or unwanted, the real way to deal win the problem of surplus horses is to stop breeding them. Instead of trying to breed that so called perfect horse for the show ring, race track, etc. Use what we already have. If so much hype wasn’t put in these sports and and the horses weren’t having to do something unnatural to win then we wouldn’t have the amount of unwanted but useful horses in the first place. And as far as slaughter for the sick and weak I don’t agree,be responsible and have those animals put down by a vet properly, its not their fault that they can no longer perform they shouldn’t have to suffer death is suppose to be a way to end suffering not a way go create terror.
I sincerely hope this comment was written by a 12-year-old with a shelf full of Breyer horses and a stack of Pony Club books.
Great article. FYI, Disneyland and Disney world are both proud supporters of Amish horse breeders. They get their trolley horses from them. Just ask a conductor! Knotts Berry Farm might still be getting horses from there for the stagecoach, I am not sure.
By the way, the Amish have a much different belief system than many people do, they do not feel death is “bad”. They don’t even do the most they can do to save people, which means they aren’t going to care for their animals. Easier to scrap them and replace with the endless supply they are creating, be it dogs, horses or a new kid/wife.
If a dog breeder kills 80 dogs, the USDA doesn’t care, the people are now in compliance, dogs don’t have any more problems. Since it is all cleaned up, the breeders can start new.
Short of wiping out the entire group of them, I am not sure what to do. They banned dogs from puppy mills being sold, so the pet stores in CA started lying about where they came from orby putting up the name. No one checks the name. If they do, who is going to listen? A person buying a pet store dog has probably heard about puppy mills, they simply choose not to care.
Stop supporting pet stores that sell pets. Stop supporting Amish communities by purchasing their goods and visiting their bucolic little towns. Demand Disney stop supporting Amish horse breeders. (If people start voting with their money, Disney will listen.)
Collectively, I have read pretty well all of the ‘practices’ you’ve written about. And I personally thank you for your writing.
One thing I must take issue with is the export of horses to Canada for slaughter. Past records indicate horses arriving in Canada that are sick, injured, and sometimes even dead. And in winter the suffering is even made worse for the survivors of long drives.
Moreover, most Canadians who are aware that we provide abattoir service to America consider the practice to be abhorrent and unwanted. This is supported by opinion polls. The problem is, our government doesn’t always heed the will of majority any more than does American leadership always heed its electorate.
Hi Gerald,
Horses in that condition are not supposed to be allowed to cross the border even, so clearly the customs agents are slipping too. Much of the material I had on the Canadian processing came from an extensive report done by a group that was opposed to slaughter, and I believe reported somewhat reluctantly. But that was one or two plants (in Alberta, I believe), and I think many U.S. horses go to plants in Quebec.
I visted the Amish and how they treated there horses was awful. A few farms treated them perfectly and had one or two and they were in very nice shape, but they didn’t farm. The other family I saw had one of their horses bleeding and had an open cut. I sat there and tried cleaning it myself. Also, their dog had dirty water. It was horriable to see any animal treated like that.
Wow. What an eye opening article. If only a 10th is true that community needs to be regulated much more closely by outside agencies. For the same reasons you mentioned we need to bring back slaughter houses in the U. S. Hhowever much better these places are than in Mexico the level of humane slaughter needs to go way up for cattle, pigs and horses. I have also seen situations where many people outside the Amish community have had financial reversals and cannot take care of their horses and no one else wants them. You can’t take them to a rescue because they are not in bad shape and their facilities are full. What do you do??
That’s the $64,000 question isn’t it? And yes, absolutely— more humane handling of ALL livestock is warranted.
I do not like the Amish beliefs. But, we do not account to God for their ways nor do they acct. For mine.
You really don’t know the Amish do you ?
Maybe you think of them as a ‘side show” as well
.
I have spent months living with them in their homes, and I can tell you what I know.
It is true they do not consider their animals human…they aren’t.
And they haven’t any fear of death for themselves or their animals but I have been with an older Amish man who after his horse outlived his working years retired him to the pasture and carried special treats in his pockets. I was with him when he hand dug his grave in the rain with tear filled eyes. How many “English” have you seen dig a grave for a workhorse.
I was at a funeral for one of the girls at Nickel Mines. It was one of the most
heartbreaking and joyful days of my life. There was not a word of anger or retaliation. Not one person feeling anger or focusing on their part, or their story, just sadness and yes forgiveness. And to say they don’t treat their wives or daughters well or that boys are more valued, that is wrong. Daughters are cherished just like boys, in fact more than boys in many ways.
Like good fathers and grandfathers the world over they are loved for the special gifts that girls and women give to the world. I may only know a hundred but I have been in almost every situation with them and I have never known anything but a desire to love even those who have wronged them. When I ran their work truck into their barn and knocked out the foundation they didn’t yell and scream and carry on, even though it must have upset them. They just calmed themselves and told me how glad they were that no one was injured.
Tonight was a perfect example..we were at an event and there was a poor fellow who didn’t have enough money or so he said to get home. They didn’t turn away or expect the next guy to take care of it. They opened their wallets and gave him enough money to buy the fuel to go home and packed him enough food to fill his stomach until he got there.
They are like all people they are human they make mistakes and yes they are not as educated or “evolved” as you might think you are, but they are a group of people that are striving every day in their community to do the right thing. Truly trying and under strong pressure to continue to do “right”
Can you really say you have a group of friends that do that ? Their values are old fashioned strong family, community, single minded commitment to the group and each other. If you live in Pa look at your volunteer fire company. If you have been in a disaster zone look at the groups that came in and just quietly lifted the other end of the load.
Go to an Amish auction and see them trust the “honor system” to keep track of purchases and the food you eat. Would your kids abuse the system ? Do you ? Why do we English need regulation and monitoring to do the right thing ?
Like you I hate to see abused creatures but I see them everyday. Dogs tied on chains, animals that are ill and neglected, children being screamed at . The Amish children I know don’t behave because they are afraid not to. they behave because they respect their parents and themselves and it the way they know they should act. And they are happy and playful and bright and active. They swing and slide and swim and skate and still help the family joyfully. And isn’t that a true measure of a society, how they raise their children ?
Enough said…just wanted to address the issue. Greed is a nasty thing and as long as critters represent money making activities… horse and dog racing, animal breeding, food and transportation humans will abuse the source to get more but all groups are guilty of this. not fair to bash someone you know won’t defend themselves. Kick another group why don’t you ?
Sorry, but your response doesn’t pass the sniff test. Anyone who’s ever dug a grave for a horse (even with a backhoe) will find your account of an elderly man hand digging a grave for a two-ton horse quite laughable. Clearly the golden myth of the Amish is precious to you– but that doesn’t make fact any less so.
guess you had to be there. ..should have taken photos
“It is true they do not consider their animals human…they aren’t.”
Meaning?
Not many of us responding are trying to anthropomorphize animals, but animals do feel many of the same feelings as humans and certainly deserve much better than to simply be used up until no more work can be gained from them, even animals bound for feeding humans need to be respected and appreciated for the sacrifice t they have been chosen for. A properly card for animal lives longer, is more productive and remains healthier than its neglected, beaten, mistreated brethren. Considering the strong correlation between how animals are treated and how women and children get treated, simply offering animals better treatment should be a good place to start being kind to one another.
I find the ways that men find to use religion to control their women and children deplorable. Those same men seem to be way too absorbed in the amount of money they can make as well. It almost seems that they break under the pressure of being monetarily successful, and take their frustrations out on their wives, children and often their animals as well. I have long been interested in many religions and have found much of the same about the Amish as is stated in this writing. While not all Amish are bad people, many hide behind the cloak of the myth, as do many who hide behind their own cloak of acceptability, be it religion, soldier, law enforcement, or others we hold in high regard. Unfortunately, evil people are all around us. Why do the women go along with this? The fear of being shunned…..ostracized from their communities and families….and although most religions deny they do this, they still do, but call it by another name.
As to the treatment of horses…..I have only had to have one horse put down. At that time, horses were still used in animal food. I still think that is a better option than buying melamine laced pet food from China that kills our pets. The vet said to call the kill truck, and the guy had me hold the horse to keep him calm while he shot him. One shot and the horse was gone…..no moment of fear, just a swift end. One thing people do not think about…..just what do they think a person can do with a 1000 pound dead animal? If we let them just live until they die the carcass still must be dealt with. It is not even just a matter of letting them die of natural causes…..if they cannot move without excess pain, if they cannot breathe well, if they cannot eat and digest their food…then a natural death becomes cruel. You cannot just dig a hole in the backyard, put the horse in an old shoebox and bury them.
Thank you, Larkin, for addressing this in an informed manner.
Mona, thanks for this thoughtful response. Until you’ve had to deal with the problem of a dead horse (or a horse who needs to be euthanized) it’s impossible to realize the enormity of the problem.
[…] From The Truth About the Amish: […]
I was in a book club in the community where I live. The assigned books were too often in praise of the Amish way of life. I tried to tell them I had lived near them in PA and know the Amish to be different from the idea they obtained from the books. They did not believe me. I left the club, partly because of that.
I lived in Amish county also in the state of Indiana. I saw how they treated their horses. I was told it’s their property like a car. I told them I treat my car way better than that. They think they are so holier than thou which is bull. I live in Pa and will not buy anything from them. And if I do see any kind of abuse on any creature I will gladly report them.
I am 55 years old and this is the first time I’ve ever heard about the mistreatment by certain Amish to their horses and dogs. I feel as if I have been living under a rock. After reading the authors article and numerous responses from others, I feel horrible. I, like my parents, took my kids to the Amish country in Lancaster,Pa. I am not judging all the Amish community for treating their animals horribly, but there must be some truth to all the responses. It’s funny how the Amish won’t fight and turn the other cheek to another human, yet, if all this evidence is true, treat living animals, that have worked for them, so inhuman. I’m not a religious man, but I know somewhere in the Bible it states, that you feed your animals before you feed yourself. I don’t know what I can do tonight, but promise I will do some research into this horrible situation. If true, I will post on my FB site and spread the word about this. I will kiss my pug, Frankie, who came from Pa. to Ct. and has given my family unconditional love.
Bob, you have illustrated exactly why I wrote about this problem with the Amish. It’s not that other groups don’t also behave badly. It certainly isn’t that all Amish are like this. What is shocking is that ANY Amish are like this, especially after all we’ve come to believe about them. Thank you for your very thoughtful comment.
You ought to be delighted because again your article is helping to get the truth out there where it belongs. Obviously there are people who won’t like it, but I would say to them stop the cruelty, not the complaints about it.
Very well said! The amish troll Saddlebred sales and probably others to find a stylish cheap horse and just use them to death. I use to hate seeing them! Lying hypocrites!
I live in upstate NY and we have a few Amish communities up here. They drive their horse buggies on busy highways and in the past few years there have been mutiple accidents where children and the horses have been hurt or killed. They sell goods at the local farmers markets and I won’t by from them. I think this is ridiculous and sad.
Can’t the Hsus do something about these Amish. They should have obey Animal laws too.
HSUS has no governmental or police powers, even though they often misrepresent as having the same. So, no they really can’t do anything. It is really up to local animal control officers to investigate and prosecute. Just yesterday someone called my attention to an incident in Pennsylvania, where some Amish youth ran their standardbred mare until she dropped and then went off and left her tied to a tree. When they returned the next day, after she had been standing in the hot sun for many hours, they got into an argument with a woman who wanted to take the horse for veterinary attention (and who had brought her some water.) Eventually, the farmer and his son relented, but the mare died as she was being loaded on the trailer.
I have read many of these comments. I came across this blog researching abuse of women and children in Amish communities. It is amazing that the vast majority of these comments appear more concerned with abuse of animals than humans. I do not tolerate animal abuse either. Is there not any current effort to force the Amish l to pay for their crimes ? I saw the report of the 7 and 12 year old selling at a fruit stand and abducted and abused. Where is the outrage for the parents putting such young ones in harm’s way ? Where is the outrage when the Amish girls are constantly raped and beaten ? One article i read, the brother raped his sister repeatedly from the age of 6 . When she was a teenager, she ran away to report when he started raping the 4 year old sister. A county judge gave this Amish man 10 years probation, back to the community. Why no jail time ? The Amish, besides calling non – Amish the English, also call us the devils. Their contempt for us total.. Their largest cash crop is government subsidized tobacco. Most tobacco farmers have allotments / to grow tobacco. This limits who can grow it, and artificially keeps the price higher. They refuse to deal with the English directly in our malls. They pay the Mennonites to do this for them. In Ohio, we saw this many times. Amish food and quilts sold by the Mennonites. a related branch. I am appalled that the US government , gives a free pass to communities that are so cruel and violent. Imagine if this was a Muslim community, would we be claiming freedom of religion, above the laws of the land ? No, we would be claiming the evils of religious, sharia law.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. I, too, wondered why there was so little criticism towards the parents who left their children running a roadside fruit stand, leaving them at risk for robbery and kidnapping.
Don’t be amazed that many people are more concerned with abuse of animals than humans. Animals cannot speak up for themselves and they are innocent and deserve none of the evil that people do to them. There are enough people who care about what happens to children, usually in their own famiily, but often times there is no one to care for the poor animals who have to go through the most horrendous trials. Such as being born on a fur farm and only ever knowing what it is like to stand on wire mesh, that is until they die, not unusually skinned alive. Try speaking up for animals and you will see too many people try to shut you up by changing the subject to children or abortions, implying that somehow animals are not worthy enough to be spoken up for. Save your breath, we are not listening.
You only make yourself look ridiculous by placing the welfare of animals above that of human beings. If you expect to be taken seriously, try to moderate your own comments. Women and children living in Amish communities are as powerless as the animals who live there.
In your humble opinion of course. Animals do not betray people. Animals do not exploit people. And animals are not bitchy.
Don’t get ahead of yourself Larkin Vonalt because I have two blogs with many more views than yours, and two Facebook groups. My opinion has as much validity as yours, and what is more it is one shared by many.
Oh Alice, what a card you are. I’m just going to answer this right here, because the set-up doesn’t allow for further replies— intentionally so as to limit endless argumentative posts. This is one blog– I have several. This particular one was only set up as a writing exercise for a 30-day period. The now-over-100,000 people who’ve read this piece keep it floating to the top. I do run a Facebook page for my local kennel club, but I certainly don’t need Facebook (or WordPress, for that matter) for credentials. I have those, as a long-time journalist, with numerous awards to my credit.
You, on the other hand, are a British secretary, in late middle-age, who moonlights as an animal rights advocate. You have zero life experience with the Amish. Thus, your opinion is entirely uninformed and has no validity whatsoever. Try a little harder, dear. – Larkin Vonalt, September 12, 2014
Some people may be in denial, and while it is wrong to tar everyone with the same brush, there is no doubt whatever that the Amish do have a deserved reputation for being cruel to animals, and also the women and children in their families. You can even see it in their demeanour.
Says the British secretary who has no experience with the Amish beyond what she reads in her many, many, many hours on the internet. Nice try, Alice.
Actually medico-legal secretary PA if you want to get at least one thing right. So do you think you are really somebody do you, a big shot American writer? America has a great many extremely serious problems and if I were you, I would focus on those and stop denying what’s clear as day – except to friends and relatives, as in corruption.
America is full of people who think they are big shots, with huge egos. America is also full of people who are corrupt, cruel, greedy, lazy, selfish, arrogant, mean and downright nasty, and those are just some of the reasons America has lost its way.
Btw what on earth does how many hours I spend on the internet have to do with you, or the Amish, or anything else either? You are evidently desperate for something to say, and have to grasp at straws. Hmmm, that will impress nobody. Try harder.
Good bye, Alice.
@ Alice Susan Harding: Guess you haven’t worked with mares or mules or donkeys much? They certainly do get bitchy and lets not forget Shetland ponies who are notorious for ditching riders under low branches then kick up their heels and high tail it back to the barn!
I hope you are not implying that if a woman gets bitchy she deserves poor treatment? Please, say it ain’t so!
The point of this discussion is that poor treatment of animals within a society of supposed pious and righteous people is not well known; furthermore this poor treatment of animals bleeds into poor treatment of women and children, which is also not realized by many who perceive the Amish to be quaint, idealic, caring country folk.
Only viewing their lives from an outsider’s view, we tend to project our sweetness and light images onto their society without really knowing the torment, torture and turmoil within.
why it is so hard to treat others as you would have them treat you, is beyond me. Having compassion for those supposedly lesser than us is much better than demeaning them…..
Exactly. Thanks for posting.
Growing up in the middle-of-nowhere Pennslyvania I had many interactions on the farms of the Amish. From learning how to drive buggies to helping harvest the corn in fall. I will say I will always hold a bias opinion AGAINST the Amish that has been more reinforced as I became a commercial carriage driver in St Augustine FL. Many of the horses we buy from a horse seller up in Ohio right off the Amish homestead (of course other Amish not his). Most Amish horses have what I call “The Fear of the Amish” put into them. They are extremely head shy and no personality. What use is a tool (to the Amish) with a personality? It isn’t.
The horse I work with now is kind of heartbreaking. He is perfectly fine when he is tied to be groomed and tacked but as soon as he is on the carriage he does not want ANYONE touching him. He will attempt to bite me, cow kick me and the like. But when hes relaxed he will let me softly pet his forehead and that is only on his terms and his alone. He is a classic case of Amish gone wrong. Even though most go to slaughter there are a few that enter into the commercial carriage business. To only be asked four days a week for a few hours to pull a cart and get treats and pets from little kids. Also all the water they can drink, whenever they want it.
To summarize this small novella (sorry haha), I have seen good and bad. Personally the family (Hostetler) that I delt with were not good to their animals. The horses were tied in stalls all day if they were not attached to buggies, or plows. At morning time they would get their grain, a pad of hay and they taken out to the trough to get a drink of water then right back to being tied in a stall again. They might have gotten the same treatment at night, but even that I was skeptical of.
Thank you for this article. It showcases a lot of the truth behind the Amish. As I said though I have met some in my times that really cared. But they were few and far in between.
Living in Shipshewana, Indiana I have seen first hand the bizarre abusive, and disgusting things that occur in ‘Amish country’. The things they do to animals and each other are sickening. Yes many inbreed. Many marry first cousins. Rape, incest, molestation run rampant. They don’t try that hard to hide it. Many engage in sex with their siblings and even animals. Incest and cruelty are the most unsettling to me. The auction barn here in Shipshewana is notorious for beating and abusing animals. You can see a lot of disturbing videos online. Trading place of America(owned by the Lambrights who by the way are not Amish), the company that owns the famous flea market should be ashamed. I have personally seen animals with their guts literally hanging out of them being abused in small pens. Kicking, whipping, punching, dragging, are all common practices there. They are the middlemen of miserable horrific deaths imposed on countless innocent animals. That is probably why they have ”no cameras” posted nearly everywhere you look. Amish owned puppy mills in the area have to be some of the cruelest. It’s hard to imagine worse. If you want to see wholesome ”clean” and ”godly” people on your next vacation, you may want to go somewhere else. If animal cruelty, incest, religious cults, and hypocrites are your thing, Shipshewana can deliver.
I live in the middle of Amish country and have personally seen acts of cruelty toward women, girls, and livestock… A horse slips on an icy hill is whipped till it’s unconscious! Took an Amish tour and horse was casually whipped for no reason. In each instance when asked was this reply: Oh its lazy like all horses are. (You’d be tired in 90 degree heat yourself). Saw fathers not care when 2 yr olds were wandering a highway! Yes, it was a girl. Was in emergency room three separate times battered women were treated for broken jaws, ribs, noses, and each had lovely black eyes. Each fell down steps. Where are these fist shaped steps? It breaks my heart seeing anyone or thing abused. I’m not saying ALL Amish are like this. They are both bad and good. But often people turn the other cheek when $$$ are involved.
Police these ignorant bitches like the common white trash they are. no more policing temselves. are u kidding? Its b.s. stealing our pets n treating women and animals like unappreciated resources. police them. put them in prison for crimes and let them b some groups bitch. karma. they should b banned from owning animals. oh would that interrupt their culture? Um… oh yeah.. who fucking cares. good. make the bitches ex
Send amish to prison for crimes. Harshest penalties. they are not special. they arent even decent. make them extinct. EXTINCT.
I need to please ask permission to make a flyer out of what you have written about this/and the other horses. I’m trying to advocate for several buggy and draft horses here in my town via peta, but what you have written is simple perfect truth and I would really like to use it door to door in my town. Peta is sending me posters and things, but I’m looking for anything else I can use kindly fairly and honestlly to help my community see. Tears are rolling down my cheeks for this poor horse. And for the ones I see every single day
Facebook search ryons rescue pen, he posts animals due to be sent to Canada for sale for four days before v shipment. almost all get purchased we are so adamant about saving these animals. I just got an Amish buggy horse 17h barely 900 pounds… he’s the most respectful and kind horse I own. he’s full of scars and his withers are very sore from the gear he’s strapped into. I’m so glad he’s with me and I got to him in time. I named him Argon.
he’s so underweight and broken spirited. but he gives you everything he’s got, he is going to be a totally different horse. on the flip side not every Amish horse ends this way, I know an Amish family and all their b horses are b healthy and robust and beautiful acreage of pasture that horses often rest. but like all cultures, there are the good and bad high and low
Horse slaughter is a band aid fix. Right now there are too many horses and yes rescues are bursting at the seams. But the plant that was trying to open in New Mexico was saying at full capacity they would slaughter 200 horses per day. That is 1,400 horses per week. That is 5,600 horses per month. That is per 67,200 per year! That is ONE plant. Do you know the average gestation is 11 months?
Now think about supply and demand. Right now with over abundance of horses in the kill pens, price per pound is low. But if 67,200 of those horses were slaughtered last year in the US at one plant alone how would the price of meat fair? It would go up. The supply goes low and demand goes up or stays the same. Price per pound would go up. So now there aren’t enough horses to fill the trucks and so horses are expensive. Is that what you want? Of course any breeder would. But now look here. Not enough people selling because horses are so expensive the average would be horse owner can’t afford a $5,000 horse just to barrel race a few times and mostly trail ride. So breeders can’t sell much. Kill trucks still aren’t being filled because kill pens are empty with 67,200 going out each year. How long before horses get stolen for the truck?
I live in Missouri and have seen the abuse of the Amish horses as well. What really bothers me is that these people will use power tools, drive vehicles and use conveniences that an average civilian uses as long as they are not caught by their community. They run their horses into the ground and when they cannot perform, sell them at sale barn. They will beat horses that do not back to their buggies, are stupid when it comes to drawing blood for required health papers (will stick them in the muscle), underfeed them, shackle their legs in stalls tied so they cannot move. I have seen this stuff with my own eyes. They do not stop with cruelty to just horses, at one point, they had a puppy mill. Most people believe the Amish community it is a fairly tale land. They just have no idea. Out of sight, out of mind. I think people believe what they want to believe. We really need to wake up.
Thank you so much for the information on how the Amish treat their animals. I have been buying “free range” birds from Peacock Market in Troy, MI, with the impression that the turkeys and chickens were treated better because they came from an Amish farm. I will not support any market or buy from any Amish farms in the future, and I will spread the word about how cruelly the Amish people treat their animals. I had a friend who was raised Amish who told me about how hard it was to grow up in that society. Thankfully, her parents took her and her siblings away from that evil group when they were still young children, but she still bears the psychological scars from her association with the Amish.
HAS ANYONE READ OR HEARD OF THE STORY OF “SNOWMAN”?
h HERO OF A AMISH PLOW HORSE THAT WENT ON TO BE A NATIONAL JUMPER AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, AMONG THE ELITE HORSEMAN OF THAT ERA. …..ALL HOSES IN THIS COUNTRY SHOULD BE GENTLY PUT TO SLEEP, IN A OWNERSHIP ENFORCED AGREEMENT FOR THE RESPONSIBILITY OF USING AN ANIMAL FOR LABOR & TRANSPORTATION & CULTIVATING……PERIOD.
While I dont agree that slaughter houses are needed in the USA I very strongly agree with the rest of the article as I have seen the cruelty and abuse first hand.
Known this about them for quite some time. Hate it like poison. What to do? Can’t touch them.
I live an an area with a ton of Amish and luckily the ones around here seem to treat their horses with respect i have seen many that pull over on a hot day to give their horses a drink. But I also know that many do not and I don’t see every single Amish person in the area to know that they all do it. I agree that it is absolutely ridiculous that they send these beautiful animals to slaughter just because they have out lived their purpose to the Amish. I also know that rescues around here are filled to the brim and there are far to few homes to take in unwanted horses. I recently went to my first tack and horse auction and most animals there were old and under weight and it’s that time of year that people “clean out” what they feel isn’t worth feeding. I also learned that the people who bought these animals were taking them home to fatten them up then ship them to Canada to be slaughtered. It broke my heart to have been in the holding area talking and petting these animals only to learn that they were going to be killed. The look in their eyes was a look of pure sadness and defeat. If I could I would take all of them and let them be happy fat lawn ornaments to live out their days. But reality is that I can afford the 2 I have and no more. I also have to try to understand that the Amish do not look at horses the same way we do. I’m not at all saying I agree with the way the treat them at all, because I think it’s awful, but that’s what they are brought up to do. They are tools to them. And I commend the ones that take time to stop and give them water on a hot day or take their harness off when they are going to be longer than a few mins where they are. Bottom line there isn’t anything that can be done to change this. it’s unfortunate. I will take comfort in knowing that the mother and colt pair I rescued are being well taken care of and that I will continue to rescue once these guys are gone. And someday if I even hit the lottery or come into a large amount of money I will open a rescue of my own but until then I can only pray that something changes for these sweet babies.
Fundamentalism in any religion or culture considers women and animals as unclean utilitarian chattel..whether it’s Amish or Palestinian or Haredim.
Because the Amish exist under the radar, they have been given a free pass.
Only once the Amish farmer discovered dogs to be a lucrative cash-crop did they find themselves under public scrutiny.
But like any fundamentalist, they consider outsiders to be something above cockroaches, and could care less what anyone thinks of them.
I love this. They really do sell themselves and hide behind their “sin catchers” aka bonnets. I really can’t help but hate them. How can you really look at an amimal and think it doesn’t have a soul. I believe it is one who has no soul within himself. This is a sad reality and I’m glad you did the research and are not afraid to tell the truth. Good for you!!!!
Having studied the Bible for years and studying Amish culture, they put forth a romanticized version of their lifestyle but in addition to this they have some practices that are hypocritical and downright cultish in some instances. Let me not paint with a broad brush but for the most part their culture is cold, not only to animals but to people and instead of trying to win ‘outsiders’ to Christ their interaction with them is often only money-centered. Jesus said outsiders would know HIS followers ‘BY THEIR LOVE’.
I live in Amish Country in PA. I always hear stories of them killing English people’s dogs if they chase the buggies. There have been a few dead dogs found on the roads they live on. They are always selling mixed breeds for a few hundred bucks.
I had an Amish guy help put a roof on our house. He went around to the neighbors trying to have them give him stuff in their yards..swingset, trampoline, anything metal. He told them they were going to be for his kids, but he was going to scrap it for money.
When you talk to them, you get the feeling they are, in a way, making fun of you and are kind of condescending. Like they are better than the English people.
I do think they make good cheese and beautiful furniture, but I never get a good vibe from the ones I’ve talked to.
All TRUE .I know a lot if Amish. Horrible.
I did not know about the mis-treatment of horses from the amish . BUT , I am well aware of the mis-treatment of horses from people in this area that do not feed them. It is a terrible thing to watch an animal starve to death. You can call the authorities and they will beat around the bush and do nothing , for lots of reasons. So you take matters in your own hands with the help of a couple friends, feed the animal/ pay for the vet work/ and it dies any way, a horrible /painful death because its too far gone to save. Well , at the time, Id rather see a quick and painless death, than a slow and agonizing one. Kill pens???Ya it might not happen quick, but its going to happen quicker than starvation… Its never going to be right as long as there are people involved. I’ve owned horses for 50 years. Would not be without one, unless I couldn’t love and feed it. BUT , death is better than suffering,its a matter of opinion on how to get them there, when NO one can help them
I live near the Amish and everyone loves their cheap furniture and “charm” but personally I am not a fan. They treat their animals terribly. From puppy mills to treating their horses like slaves I just can’t get on board. They are hypocritical, using others electricity, cars, power tools etc. I think more people should open their eyes and see how terrible these people are.
I have worked with the Amish for about 45 years. They have the same problems in their community that we do. I understand many who have not grown up raising livestock do not understand the economics involved. When horses, cattle and any other livestock become unproductive, for the farm to continue to exist these animals must be slaughtered for food, or in the case of horses sent to countries that do eat horsemeat. My grandparents farmed with horses and when tractors came on the scene continued to keep pleasure horses. We believe you treat all animals with kindness and when they become sick, old or severely injured, a swift and as painless a death as possible is desired. Many horses would have better end of life care if horse slaughter in the U.S. was viable. The horses would be fattened like cattle and hogs with limited stress for optimal weight gain. Horses are left to die in pastures and woods because they have limited value when end of useful life occurs. I have ended many animal’s lives, not because I want to but because someone has to. Horses dogs, hogs and many others. Some bring a tear others relief no one else will be hurt. These are facts of life that we learn and accept on the farm. As to the Amish treatment of their children and wife’s, I know their are problems it is their way of life, just like the Muslims treat their women and children poorly. Do we say you cannot continue with this behavior or do we invite thousands more into our country, take down our flags, quit praying, I don’t have the answer and yes I am worried. I treat my animals and family per Christian values. I hope others will do the same.
Yes, but David, they’re the only sector of society that are both seen, and portray themselves in the golden light of piousness. It’s a tourist attraction– their simple ways. Their simple ugly ways.
Great article. I have been saying the same thing about the Amish for years. Hiding behind their picturesque life style…..they are really cruel horrible people!
I call total bullshit.First of all the Smish need those horses.Second they would eat them before selling them.
You should do some more research, Doug.
I’ve known about their atrocious behavior toward animals for years. I think it is interesting when I see products that proudly proclaim “Amish made.” I would never knowingly buy anything made by them.
I have lived in Ohio’s Amish country for decades and they are more often than not,cruel people. I have seen some who would drive nails through a 2X4 of wood,to beat their Holstein cows who didn’t want to go where the human wanted them to go. I have seen how they treat their dogs,and rabbits. They use a whip on their buggy horses so they’ll run faster in 90 degree heat,or even on snowy slick roads. Frankly they make me sick. They don’t have to obey laws like the rest of us. They show themselves one way in public,but otherwise,they are very cruel,greedy people.
Reblogged this on Happiness is the absence of pain.
Thank you for writing this, I am from Indiana originally and what you say is the truth that most people don’t know. I rescued a Amish horse from sugarcreek auction back in 2006
They don’t believe animals have souls they think of them as disposable implements, to be used until they no longer use able then thrown away. It is common for them to sell there work horses in the fall after the crops are harvested just so they don’t have to feed them through the winter and buy new in the spring. F*ck the Amish
We have a rescue (full registered) Morgan that was an Amish horse until he was 15. He was in the New Holland slaughter auction and thankfully pulled by one of the rescues. He was treated well til the last family that took him to auction and of course, he was skinny by then and his feet in horrible condition. He has been with us for over 2 years and is a cherished member of our family now, he knows how to give hugs and kisses now. I have been in contact with the Amish family who did have him the longest and truly cared for him…they wished they had not sold him to this other family after finding out what happened. This good Amish family understands that he is safe and will never leave our care. There are a few good ones out there – unfortunately not enough of them. Thank you for writing the truth and getting it out there. People need to know.
Hate the f’ING Amish. Animal abusers and killers make me hate and swear
very good article…had no idea about amish puppy mills and im sick over the horses..im a senior and wish i could do more for our animals..you young folks raise a ruckus to save our creatures
You have surely opened my eyes. Although I hate hearing about the cruelty, I know it’s out there and left unexposed nothing can be done about it.
I never knew about the Amish until my daughter started going to auctions with her friend’s family (a NJ farm family looking to purchase at the auctions.) My daughter told me about how poorly their animals are treated and kept. And about how they will rob you in any way they can. The children will pick your pockets. Once her friend’s necklace broke and dropped and as she bent down to pick it up an Amish boy ran over and grabbed it. She went to her parents and told them it was meaningful to her -as her grandmother had given it to her – but the parents didnt’ care – in fact they wouldn’t speak to her because she isn’t Amish. I saw some of this for myself at the New Years Day sale this year … it shatters my illusion of all that I thought Amish was.
The Amish man Zimmerman was the producer of puppies for the famous puppy mill, Puppy Love kennel Peach Bottom, PA,the famous Joyce Stoltzfus. Her daughter in law Stephenie Stoltzfus has also taken up the family business. Stephenie has a Puppy Store in Conowingo MD.
As much as so many are against slaughter, it has its place. Who’s going to care for all these unwanted horses, feed them, pay for vet & farrier bills. Not enough of you all. As a professional farrier I see too many of these horses thin, not receiving proper care. The kinder option is a Shorter trip to a state of the art slaughter facility.
Yep! Grew up in PA. New Holland is the sale all the slaughter dealers go to. The Amish see their animals as working property and when no longer of use, they go straight to the New Holland sale. We use to go lookong for riding horses. Not all are sold to slaughter.
Cheryl, that’s so true– and lots more people are going to New Holland to try to save these horses. The problem is that many of the Amish directly consign to kill buyers— thus the white USDA sticker on the rumps of those unfortunate horses– and those horses aren’t available even if there’s someone there who wants them.
Funny how all the comments are in regards to the portion of the article about horse slaughter and nothing else. Everyone must have stopped reading before getting to the part about debating dogs and pulling the teeth from a girl who tried to get help from being raped. The point here is that the Amish are not by any means as innocent as they’d like us all to believe and they need to be held to the same standards as the rest of the country. Ones religion does not give them the right to abuse, torture or neglect animals or children.
My father, who is 85, remembers plowing fields in South Carolina with draft horses on his grandfather’s farm. He also tells, with pride, that his grandfather treated his horses and mules well. He wouldn’t permit anyone to whip or strike a horse for any reason. My father witnessed him once whip a man with a plow rein when he caught him whipping a horse; he then bodily threw him off the farm. When the horses and mules were old he kept them on pasture until they passed explaining that they had taken care of his family and it was only right to care for them. My great-grandfather’s farm was successful; his family fed. The idea that it is acceptable to treat animals like that, or somehow is necessary to the lifestyle is a load of crap.
We had a mule trained by the Amish in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. The best the mule because he laid down in the traces. He wasn’t a friendly mule to begin with and when he returned he was certainly not better upon his return. When we got him back he hated driving and would not pull the wagon. We sold him as a riding mule only.
Many years ago, my husband and I went into Amish country, looking to buy a riding horse. We saw many horses in our quest, but I will never forget seeing a young thoroughbred, tatoo and all, hitched to a plow. He was undernourished, with sores from the harness, and in obvious distress. There was nothing we could do about it, the farmer saw nothing wrong in mistreating the animal, but it opened my eyes to the inherent cruelty in the Amish culture. Subsequent encounters with other Amish, observing their callous disregard for the welfare of their animals (unless it interfered with the cash value of a potential sale), really soured us on wanting to do business with them.
I have come to the conclusion that the Amish are pretty cold hearted people for the most part. Peaceful my foot! They don’t treat animals or people well.
God Bless those that have the courage to stand up for what’s right. These people should be brought to justice and made to live a civilized life like the rest of God’s people: shame on them and their so called tradition and ways. I say boycott their products and make them live like humans!!!!!!!
I used to respect the Amish until I moved to Lancaster County in 1989. Since that time I have seen so much animal abuse that it makes me sick. Over the past 10 years I have adopted 5 puppy mill dogs (Pomeranians) and had my heart broken when I lost the first 2 of them. One was 7 when he died from a genetic disease and the other was only 3 when she died from complete kidney failure. I swore I would never adopt another one but lo and behold, we did adopt our 4th baby. She only had 3 legs, which was amputated after she got run over by a horse and buggy. The owners left her like that for almost 3 months. When the rescue group got her, they took her to a Vet and found that, besides being severely infected, her leg was broken in 3 places. It couldn’t be saved. Besides that, she had to have most of her teeth removed because they were rotten. Last May she was diagnosed with Diabetes and has to have Insulin shots twice a day and will eventually go blind. Despite all this, she and 2 of my other dogs became Certified Therapy dogs and they are the sweetest little dogs you’d ever want to have. They bear no malice and are so loving and friendly.
I also have seen 2 horses go down while pulling buggies. I know the one was dead. AND last of all, they Amish, (not all of them) are abusive to their wives and children as well.
Most of this abuse gets covered up because the county doesn’t want to lose it’s tourist money-that’s what it’s all about-MONEY! and it’s a disgrace.
People think I’m crazy because I refuse to purchase anything that proclaims it is “Amish”. Cheese in the Walmart case that says Amish? Nope, passing it by. Furniture? Nope. And I’ve done this for at least 30 years. Finally the truth seems to slowly be getting out.
Sadly, some of the Amish atrocities are going to impact responsible breeders of dogs and horses. Legislation is a slippery slope. It is difficult to legislate away the brutality without impinging upon the rights of the responsible people.
Horse slaughter being prohibited in the US has caused “unintended consequences” for “excess” horses. Horses today are an expensive luxury and there aren’t enough homes for them. I keep seeing a FB post for a woman who is moving overseas who is BEGGING for someone to provide a home for a gorgeous horse. She can NOT take it overseas with her and the horse MUST find a home. NO FEE………..free. No takers. There just are too many horses vs the number of horse lovers who want another horse. It’s a sad state of affairs for sure.
I hope the Amish atrocities continue to be exposed.
So sad, their are Amish right up the hwy from me and those people are nothing but lies and deceit,
All I can say is well written. I agree with your analysis of the Amish and I couldn’t have said it better.
Thank you, that’s very kind.
I wouldn’t have believed this stuff 15 years ago, but, having met with and worked with some Amish, I have also firsthand experience in this. A trip to the New Holland Auction will open anyone’s eyes to what’s going on to the working horses in the Amish world.
The few Amish and Ex Amish friends I have, I deeply respect and they have been the ones who have opened my eyes up to the brainwashing and xenophobic behaviors of the Amish communities as well as the new age wave of closeted sinners in the under 50’s crowd.
There is an epidemic of Amish men ranging from late teens to 50s running around outside the Amish community. Frequenting strip clubs and living double lives, especially within the construction industries. The plot they use to their advantage in the “English” world is that they have been excommunicated, some truly have, but only temporarily.
They often have a drivers license and an automobile at an English friends house (usually one of their company’s drivers). Driver picks them up, brings them to the “spare car” and boom, they drive out of Amish town, sometimes with a change of clothes.
I recently had a conversation with a few guys about why they do this, it stems down to a bitter resentment in the younger generations of Amish (old, new, and Beachy orders alike) having never wanted to be Amish but felt they had no other choice. It’s become a slogan like Vegas, only “what happens outside of Amish land, stays outside of Amish land”. Few get caught, unless of course a mistress ends up pregnant, they lose loads of cash at the strip clubs, or to drug addictions like meth or Coke and or alcohol.
The community keeps this out of the mainstream light and like to deal with it on their own terms, but these scenarios are getting worse and worse with the under 50 crowd. A lot of them profess that they are reborn but don’t what their communities to know. They are also running on assumption that they can essentially do whatever it is they want, if they are caught, they can confess and automatically be forgiven
Few get caught and even those who do, still fall back into the same behavior a few years down the road.
Then Amish construction companies are the worse for this behavior, both with the unbaptized and baptized alike. They operate like a fraternity and they are hush hush and protective over each other’s deviant behaviors.
The common most heard complaint for me has been that, “none of the Amish I know wanted to be Amish, they stayed Amish because they only had an 8th grade education and had no idea how to make it out in the English world and without the support of their families in such an endeavor, they stayed.
Of my Amish and ex Amish friends, the common things I hear from friends:
“I stayed Amish, I pretend to be Amish in my heart. I married Amish, but I don’t love her. I loved my English girlfriend I was forbidden to see, after I started dating her at 16. We dated until we were 22 and my parents ended it. Threatened her parents and told me I had to have an Amish wife, that’s just the way it was! I wanted to be with her. We had plans to be together, she would help me leave so I could get my GED and we could go to community college together. I can’t stand my life now. I have 8 kids, I love them as any father should, yet I feel estranged and distant from them and I look at them and think, “how could I do this to them, raise them Amish.” ~current Amish friend.
“I stayed Amish because I didn’t have a choice or a single understanding of the real world. I didn’t have an education much past 8th grade. I decided to go into business, I wanted to make it big and make enough money for myself that I could leave the Amish. The pressure to get married and start a family is enormous. I thought, if I could marry an Amish girl and start a family maybe I would have a reason to stay. But that is a lie. After two kids, I left. I was shunned and I’m separated from my wife. I see my kids on occasion but, I can’t imagine living a lie any longer. This is who I am! I will fully support my children’s desire to leave the Amish, 100%. If I could, and had the money and legal backing, if remove them from that
Cult”~ ex Amish friend.
The animal abuse is extensive and the Amish I know, do not condone it and some cite it as one of the reasons they want to leave the Amish. It’s a very cruel cold emotionally detached lifestyle that few outside the Amish seem to understand. Most idealize and romanticize the Amish based off romance literature and Christian beliefs.
Robyn, thank you for taking the time to post this– it’s much appreciated.
No problem! I enjoyed the article and the honesty. Many people don’t know any real Amish, they go by what they read, what they see while visiting Amish Country, and by what the reality TV series often portray. I will stand by the fact that, of all the Amish and ex Amish I know, they sure do know their way around technology. Many have the top of the line iPhones, IPads, laptops, desktops, Apple Watches, etc, albeit kept in the office or a barn next to the house (though snuck in the house on occasion).
If people really want an eye opener, they should browse, FB and Instagram, search under known Amish names: Bieler, Stoltzfus, Miller, Reihl, Lapp, King, and you’ll be surprised how many Amish (young and old alike) have profiles!!! Even Old Order!!!! 😮 ***gasp*** you don’t say?! No!!!! Who’d of Thunk?
The Amish (and Mennonite) “hide” behind the bible. If there is a hell, it will be very crowded with all the Amish and Mennonites who have abused animals (and children).
Animals have no voice, please continue to do whatever you can when you see an abused or neglected animal.
My friend belongs to a dog rescue group here in WNY & makes frequent trips to PA & Ohio to bring back dogs. My neice also does rescues in MO where she lives. Both have told me of the horrid conditions these poor dogs lived in and they are from Amish puppy mills. I will not purchase anything that has to do with the Amish. At our farmers market they have fresh eggs & this one guy had some of his Amish neighbors egg for sale……I just told him I was looking & didn’t buy from him.
so sad. I didn’t know all this.
Very happy to see the truth come to light about this group. Cruel, unkind, threatening and no better to their women and children than to the horses and dogs.
I strongly agree!!#!!
It is a disservice to mankind to allow any type of inhumanity to flourish. Animal abuse should never be tolerated. No one should be allowed to abuse an animal…..no one is above or outside the law. If they are, they need to be educated and the behavior stopped or or severely punish the abusers.
I don’t care if you publish it people who abuse animals should be punished to the full existent of the law know matter who they are.!!!!!!!!!
Sadly disappointing to read this..
I live here in Pa,20 minutes from newhollad’s hell hole.Your spot on with your article.Thank you for writing it I posted to my page to hell my friends understand they street the Good fearing ppl that people believe they are.
You are right on the money here, well said
I had no idea it was like that 😦 a sad lesson learned.
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I am both stunned and horrified. I had heard a few anecdotal complaints about the Amish.
I had no idea the abuse was so systematic and widespread. I sit here in Australia, beyond disgusted by their pious public persona. Whilst in truth they are despicable frauds. Thank you for the brutal truth.