Saints Alive > Music > Maria Daines

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Set Us Free

A song written to highlight the need for a ban on horse slaughter.

Dedicated to 'Ferdinand' Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year 1987. When Ferdinand stopped winning he never made it to green pastures for a well deserved retirement, he ended up as horse meat.

How do you feel about horse slaughter? Is it a case of if you don't see it then it isn't there?

Through a dear friend of ours I have learnt about the treatment of horses at the three remaining slaughterhouses in the USA.

Did you know that healthy horses and ponies, ex-racehorses, riding horses, ex-police horses, brood mares, foals, stolen horses and even family pets sold at sales, any of these can become another statistic of the horse meat trade?

Horses are naturally inquisitive and highly sensitive animals, just walk up to a horse with a peppermint in your pocket and watch how he or she will nuzzle you to give up that sweet treat! Now imagine the same horse standing in the death queue of a slaughterhouse, smelling fear all around and hearing the horse in front frantically fighting for its life. Horses are intelligent, free spirited creatures, it is certain that this frightening end to their lives is traumatic in the extreme, but what follows is nothing less than a tragedy. Whilst hanging by their hooves upside down, horses are bled and dismembered, often still conscious. This practice has no place in a caring society. Through history the horse has given us so much pleasure and service, we should not be treating our trusting friends in this cruel, dispassionate way.

Last year alone 90,227 horses were slaughtered in one of the three foreign-owned, US-based horse slaughtering facilities located in Texas and Illinois.

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act will ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and the domestic and international transport of live horses or horseflesh for human consumption.

How do I feel? I hope horse slaughter is banned in USA for good.

The compassionate, hard working people tirelessly campaigning to close down these slaughterhouses have my utmost respect and admiration.

For more information please visit these links -
Society For Animal Protective Legislation -

www.saplonline.org
http://www.saplonline.org/action.htm 

Set Us Free

You been a pickin' on me, you been a hittin' on me

Yeah all through history you been a kickin' on me

Well we got friends they all know the score

They're right here breakin' down the slaughterhouse door

You been a pickin' on me yeah, you're gonna set me free

You been a whippin' my back, don't let a man do that

Yeah all through history you wanna lash my back like that

Well now the reins are in the other hand

You lost your rights say the chief law man

You been a hittin' on me yeah, they're gonna set us free

Well I ain't a horse with no name

You kill our souls you gonna carry this shame

Take a horse to water but he just won't drink

I know your game no matter what you think

SOLO

Well I ain't a horse with no name

You kill our souls you gonna carry this shame

Oh take a horse to water but he just won't drink

I know your game no matter what you think

You wanna mess with me, I might knock out your teeth

Yeah all through history you wanna make us bleed an' bleed

Well we got friends they all scratch our backs

The rope's untied don't take up the slack

Don't go a pickin' on me, they're gonna set me free

They gonna set us free, they gonna set us free

Yeah all through history you never set us free

Well we got friends they all know the score

They're right here breakin' down the slaughterhouse door

They gonna set us free yeah, they gonna set us free

They gonna set us free, they gonna set us free

Oh the sun's gonna shine on our backs they're gonna set us free yeah

They're gonna set us free, they're gonna set us free

Oh the sun's gonna shine on our backs n' we'll be runnin' free...

Maria Daines/Paul Killington
17.2.06 All rights reserved
(mcps) ASCAP

http://www.maria-daines.com
http://www.myspace.com/mariadaines
http://www.mixposure.com/maria-daines
http://www.projetophoenix.org
http://groups.myspace.com/SingersSongwritersMusiciansSayNoToFur