Introduction
Horses are important species of animals to humankind. They are used in racing sports, for fun riding, as food, in agriculture for plowing and also for transport of goods as well as of people. Their hair is also used in the cloth-making industries. This shows that horses have many economic advantages and the people embarking on horse-related business make a great deal from them. These beasts are among the most domesticated animals requiring little but strict care.
When one is embarking on horse-related business one would be required to be sure which are to venture into: whether it is the horse riding business, slaughtering for food, use it in agriculture, for transporting people and goods or use their hair for dressmaking. This in turn is determined by knowledge the person has in all the areas. The marked being targeted by the entrepreneur is also an important factor to be considered because it is the most determining factor in every business one has to embark on. Without the market, there is no business. The person’s business skills in the area he would wish to venture into are also required for the business to succeed. For instance, if one wishes to venture into the horse riding business, the person’s knowledge and skills in horse riding would be highly required. The knowledge on how to take care of the horses’ health and keeping fit for the job is also essential. The capital required to start any kind of business is a key factor to be considered before starting the business. One should start a business with enough capital in order to keep the business going before it breaks even. It is also important to know the people one is competing with in the field that one chooses. On the other hand, making the choice of business to venture in is not an easy task.
This paper deals with the racehorse industry and the disposal of unnecessary horses. In the racehorse industry horse, horses become unnecessary when they become old (can not participate in the race as required), get badly injured, get incurable diseases, become weak, and become hostile to people. This will make the owner dispose of them to avoid going at a loss. There are several ways of disposing of the 8nneccessary horses. One may decide to sell them at a low price, give them out for free, slaughter and sell them as meat. Retaining such undesirable horses would cost the owner much like the loss of customers; increase in time required for a ride thus less income for the time. It is, therefore, necessary to dispose of such horses in order to avoid the above-mentioned losses. Irrespective of the above-mentioned ways of disposing of the unnecessary horses the law puts regulations concerning horses as mentioned below (Web.):
- Prohibits the shipping, transportation, moving, delivering, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines.
- Prohibits the shipping, transportation, moving, delivering, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines.
- Prohibits the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burrows.
These regulations affect different people in different areas. The regulations mostly affect those who have already ventured into horse-related businesses by the fact that they will not be free to obtain more horses to improve their businesses.
Businesses mostly affected by the regulations
The most affected people by the regulations would be the entrepreneurs in the hose race business. These regulations clearly prohibit them from disposing of their unnecessary horses. This means that they will be forced to stick with them. They would have to run their businesses at a loss by retaining their unwanted horses.
As earlier mentioned, horses are also used for farm work. The regulations would also affect the farmers making their farm work suffer. The fact that one can not possess, purchase or receive a horse means that farmers may have to struggle with their farm work without the help of these beasts- which will mean more time will be required at the farm caused by the slow labor lowering the efficiency.
Some people also use horses as food. If the regulations are put into work it would mean that those highly using horses as their main food will suffer. They will be forced to look for more alternative sources of food and definitely, this will be at a cost.
Some people use horses as a means of transport. This means that implementing the laws would affect such areas where horses are mostly the affordable source of income. People will be forced to adopt other sources of transport as an alternative, which would probably be inconvenient.
It is therefore clear that the horse business as a whole would be affected adversely if these regulations are implemented. The common man is the person who would be highly affected but this effect would also be transferred to the government that will have implemented the regulations.
How the regulations promote and/or discourage business innovation or competition
Implementation of the regulations would provoke people to be innovative in trying to find alternatives. They will work hard in looking for other means of transport, food other ways of doing farm work and also look for different ways of getting leisure apart from horse riding. This would start more innovative ideas and venture into other unexploited areas. In trying to do so there would bring about healthy competition, as people would want to embark on legally allowed businesses. This would make everybody active and working hard towards achieving this goal. This would highly encourage economic growth.
On the other hand, when people shift their mind from what it is used to it becomes a bit difficult to begin from scratches and starting g coming up with new ideas instantly. Even when such ideals come they take time in planning on how to implement them. This brings down most people’s morale in trying to come up with new ideas and implementing them.
The ethical reasons for and against the regulations
We as human beings should be bear the responsibility of conserving our natural resources animals being one of them. The regulations concerning the horses are important in conserving those animals for the sake of tomorrow especially for the sake of our future siblings- we must leave behind something they will pride in. there people who will punish animals who are innocent beings to an extent of bruising them and even to the extent of killing them. Cruelties of this kind are vandalism and need to be punished. Some people also starve animals thinking that just because they cannot complain they can starve at will. This will punish the beast and it cannot function as will be required (Web.).
A human being is funny beings we punish the animals but later we expect them to perform perfectly as we would require them. Such acts should be punishable by the law by laying down the kind of regulations laid down here. It is, therefore, necessary and in order to have such rules governing the control and how to live with animals so that we will have something to talk of tomorrow. Animals should be let to enjoy their freedom. Other people will buy horses for businesses but will neglect their needs even though they give the person enough income. The regulations therefore should implement so that when such a person wants to possess a horse he will clearly understand the rules governing his stay with the animal.
However, the government should be lenient on the regulations so that the interaction between animals and human beings is not made a strenuous one. There should be a friendly interaction between man and animal. This will enhance the human being understand the needs of the animal and therefore learn how to treat them well. The government should also allow those with good reasons as to want to transport or move a horse to do so without much hindrance. It is the duty of the government to educate its members on t5he basic rules of taking care of animals. This will create a responsible society that will work to improve the health of its animals.
How (and to whom) would a company challenge the regulations
As mentioned earlier anybody involved in the business involving horses would be adversely affected by the regulations. Therefore any company dealing with horse business will more be affected considering that they will be involved in large scale business. This means that the company must have invested highly in the business and most particularly in buying the horses. It is therefore the companies right as the owner of the horse to dispose of it at will and especially when the horse becomes unnecessary. But according to the prohibiting regulations, the horses cannot be disposed (http://www.bls.gov). Such a company would have a reason to challenge the regulations because the regulations would be hindering them from practicing the right to move, that which is theirs. The company can challenge the government about the regulations so that the government may be lenient on the rules. To avoid great losses to a company it would be necessary for the company and the government to sit down and negotiate and therefore come up with ways of disposing of the unnecessary horses. This in turn will encourage many people to invest in the horse business.
How would you rewrite the regulations to make them more or (less) restrictive of commercial activity by a business?
Regulations rewrote to be more restrictive
- The law prohibits the moving, shipping, receiving, purchasing, selling, or even donating any domesticated. Any person found with this offense will be prosecuted.
- It is illegal to participate in shipping, purchasing, selling, or even donating any wild horses or burrows.
- Any person caught slaughtering wild free-roaming horses and burrows will be punishable by the law.
Regulations rewritten to be less restrictive
- The law prohibits the moving, shipping, receiving, selling, or even donating any wild or domesticated only with permission.
- Wild or domesticated horses can only be moved if they have started to be hostile to the people or have started being destructive to property.
- Wild burrows and horses can be slaughtered only when the ministry concerned permits after a clear observation that they are either sick or too many to be controlled.