If They Don't Vote for What's Best for Us...Don't Vote for Them

Why aren’t more feed stores, tack shops, hay growers, farriers, stable owners, trainers and breeders opposed to the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)? Maybe they’re just not speaking up on the issue, maybe they don’t know about the issue, but everyone needs to be talking about it to all Ag-related businesses.

Feed stores should be the first to have stacks of flyers in their establishments opposing NAIS. Most Texas feed stores don’t cater to the large livestock outfits; their bread and butter are mom and pop small producers, horse and pet owners.
What about tack stores? In many cases horses are a disposable income passion. The old saying about horse owners having two holes in them runs true…one hole in their head and the other hole in their pocket…we spend a lot on our tack, grooming supplies, medical supplies, horse books, DVDs, tapes and gift items.

How about the horse trailer industry? I know people that have the passion to trail ride so bad that their trailers cost as much if not more than their house!

Don’t forget barn builders, stall manufacturers and fence companies. How many new barns and stalls will be needed if it costs more to own horses and other livestock? Will people replace old fences or build new?

If the cost of owning horses increases many people will be selling their horses. But more importantly; for many people horse activities are a hobby, labor of love and a pastime. Once you place a burden of highly intrusive government snooping into the lives of owner’s many people will quickly lose interest. I’ve talked to people who are already turned off and thinking about selling out if NAIS becomes mandatory.

Keep in mind shortly after your premises is registered; you will be required to tag your horse at your expense. Then comes step three. How many people will find the time, or enjoyment in filling out reports and submitting them to the government within 24 hours of your animal leaving your property.

Trail ride, vet trip or even a casual ride down the road to the neighbor’s barn will cost you valuable time filing reports.
How will we expand and grow horse ownership in Texas with the shadow of $1,000 a day fine looming over our industry? Premise ID should be voluntary across the board for all animals – Americans shouldn’t need the government’s permission to own livestock, especially if it never enters the public food supply.

USDA states, “NAIS will be mandatory in the future if voluntary participation is not near 100%.” So basically it boils down to we give up our right to privacy voluntarily or they will make it mandatory for us to give up our privacy.
Who knows, maybe NAIS will create a bootleg horse industry. I know of people who somehow purchase their vaccinations out of state and vaccinate their own livestock. A co-op of horse professionals providing services for those that don’t want to register their premises and be included in the governmental tracking system. Does that sound far-fetched? It’s not, people are already networking for that possibility.

Even though the Texas Animal Health Commission has put the proposed premises registration regulations on hold until the winter or spring of 2007, we cannot stop spreading the word about NAIS. We cannot sit by and allow this issue to sleep at all. There is really only one industry that benefits from the export of beef to foreign countries – the cattle industry. You can bet they’re not asleep at the wheel. Could it be TAHC placing NAIS on “hold” for a few months is simply a stalling tactic giving them the time to rollout the big guns?

Texans need to stand up for their rights and insure that first our own Texas government doesn’t steam roll our rights to own horses or any type of livestock, impose fees if our property isn’t registered or fine us if we don’t register our property. Learn about NAIS and talk about NAIS.

Election time is fast approaching and you need to look at your candidates very closely. Do they brush you off with a lot of political mumbo-jumbo and side-step NAIS, Video Lottery Terminals, immigration and other issues that affect the horse industry? Do you know which candidates are for, against or don’t seem to care one way or the other about NAIS?

Send out the message to our fellow Texans and Texas politicians…if they don’t vote for what’s best for us – don’t vote for them.