Why we need to stop the slaughter of horses around the world

Slaughter and illegal trade in horse meat:horses left without food and water, mistreated and injured.It's time to stop this exploitation.

In the European Union they are slaughtered every year or more 250 thousand horsepower.With 25 thousand animals slaughtered every year, theItaly it is the country that slaughters the most horse meat in all of Europe and that imports the most specimens from abroad for food purposes.Despite being officially considered both "pet" and "farm" animals, over 13 thousand horses are forced to undergo long journeys from Poland, France and Spain to Italian slaughterhouses every year.

After investigations in Spain and Italy, recently the investigative team of Animal Equality documented the illegal killing of horses in Mexico reporting to the authorities the suffering of hundreds of slaughtered animals, often still conscious after having suffered brutal mistreatment.But the cruel killing of horses is a problem that also persists in Europe.

Illegal market and horse slaughter

Recently, an operation coordinated byEuropol led to the arrest of 41 suspects between Spain and Belgium involved in the illegal trade in horsemeat.In fact, during the checks carried out in Spain, 80 horses were discovered inside clandestine farms, victims of mistreatment and suffering from various untreated diseases due to the lack of adequate veterinary checks.

Since the meat sold was not suitable for food consumption, the large criminal network spread across Europe was also involved in a series of crimes including food fraud, money laundering and document fraud.This is not an isolated case:as Animal Equality investigations also show, horse meat sold around the world is often unfit for human consumption.According to Italian legislation, for example, they cannot be declared dpa, i.e. Intended for food production, horses used for sport, to which potentially harmful drugs for people are administered.In the clandestine horse meat market, however, they too end up being slaughtered and sold for food.

Even if the consumption of horse meat in Italy is low compared to that of other animals, to respond to consumer demand, horses are forced to suffer long-distance transport without food, water, rest and in some cases even without adequate care, up to their killing in slaughterhouses.What animals experience in slaughter plants is nothing but suffering, starting from the stunning methods.

Those used on horses, in fact, are commonly designed for cattle and therefore cause them serious injuries and unnecessary pain.To put an end to this exploitation, we sent out a petition to the Italian government and to the governments of various countries in the world where Animal Equality works by calling for an end to horse slaughter.

To date, only Greece has taken this important step forward, demonstrating that a world in which horses are free from exploitation is possible.In 2020, in fact, the Greek government banned the slaughter of horses, including them among the protected animals like dogs and cats.It is therefore prohibited to breed, use and export them for the production of fur, leather, meat or other uses.