Uruguay | Artigas | Slaughter horse collecting station | Horsemeat Import
[Translate to English:] Sammelstelle von Bonfrisco, Lieferant von Clay.
[Translate to English:] Die Laderampe ist stark heruntergekommen.
[Translate to English:] Am Boden liegen Knochen verstreut herum.
[Translate to English:] Oberschenkel und halbes Becken eines Pferdes.
In the afternoon, we drive to the collecting station of horse dealer Bonfrisco, south of Artigas at the Brazilian border. Bonfrisco shipped 438 horses to the slaughterhouse Clay last year. His collecting station is located in a very remote area and difficult to find. When we finally arrive, we note that nobody is there. The holding pens behind the dilapidated building are empty. The loading ramp is also in a very bad condition.
On a large pasture behind the pens, there are approx. 20 horses and a foal. We notice that two horses are lame. The temperature today is 34°C, but there is no shelter on the pasture or natural shade from trees. Further down the hill we find a spot which is covered in bones. A horse has probably died here without even being noticed. Waist-high bushes grow on the pasture, which make it difficult to detect an injured or sick horse lying on the ground. Also, as the building is obviously uninhabited, it has to be questioned how often the horses are checked on.
