Facts About Horse Slaughter
- Demand among US consumers for horsemeat is nonexistent. When horse slaughter facilities operated in the United States (the last one ceased slaughtering horses in 2007), these were foreign-owned businesses focused on exporting horsemeat.
- Slaughter is not humane euthanasia. Horses suffer horribly on the way to and during slaughter.
- The current patchwork of state laws on horse slaughter is insufficient, given that horses can easily be moved across state lines. A federal law prohibiting horse slaughter is imperative to prevent horses from being exported for slaughter in Canada, Mexico, or further abroad.
- Passage of the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act would reduce animal suffering, hence its wide support throughout the equestrian and veterinary world, as well as the humane community.
- Americans overwhelmingly support an end to horse slaughter for human consumption. A 2021 national poll found that 83 percent of Americans support a federal ban.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is banning horse slaughter a states’ rights issue? Shouldn't the federal government not get involved?
No. Horse slaughter is a federally regulated industry. Opponents try to claim that slaughtering horses for human consumption is a states’ rights issue. However, this is not true. The slaughtering of any animal for human consumption in the United States is a federally regulated process. This is the same for cattle, pigs, or other livestock (Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.)). In addition, since horsemeat is not consumed in the United States, it must be hauled across state lines and the US border, which falls under the purview of the US Constitution’s Commerce Clause as it pertains to interstate commerce. While a state does have some leeway to ban certain slaughter practices within its boundaries, these actions do not apply outside of that state’s jurisdiction. Moreover, horses can easily be moved across state lines. Given the enforcement challenges associated with tracking these movements, a federal prohibition is necessary to ensure that no American horse is trucked across the US border to slaughter.
Is it true that slaughter is a last resort for infirm, dangerous, or no longer serviceable horses?
No. The horse slaughter industry profits more from healthy horses and therefore purposely seeks out such animals. Should a horse need to be euthanized for legitimate medical and health reasons, that can be done humanely, as opposed to selling horses for profit and subjecting them to long journeys culminating in a grisly end at a slaughterhouse.
Will horse abuse and neglect cases rise significantly following a ban on slaughter?
No. There has been no documented rise in abuse and neglect cases in California since the state banned horse slaughter for human consumption in 1998. Since closure of the last domestic plants in 2007, there has been no correlating rise in neglect and abuse cases. Conversely, horse slaughter engenders indiscriminate breeding and neglect by providing a “dumping ground” for unscrupulous owners.
If there is a ban on horse slaughter, will horse rescue and retirement groups have the resources to take care of unwanted horses?
Hundreds of horse rescue organizations operate around the country, and additional facilities are being established. AWI, alongside American Wild Horse Conservation, leads the Homes for Horses Coalition, a national network of over 500 equine rescues and sanctuaries dedicated to ending horse slaughter and supporting horses in need. However, not every horse currently going to slaughter will need to be absorbed into the rescue community. Many are marketable horses who will be sold to new owners. Sick and elderly horses should be euthanized by a licensed veterinarian.
If slaughter is not an option, what will we do with sick, old, and unwanted horses?
There are over 6 million horses in the United States, according to the American Horse Council. The vast majority of US horses who die annually are not slaughtered but are euthanized and rendered. Just over 20,000 horses were exported from the United States for slaughter in 2023. If slaughter were no longer an option, this would not mean that some 20,000 horses (a minute percentage of the overall population) would need to be immediately placed—some would never enter the slaughter pipeline to begin with. Because most horses going to slaughter are marketable animals, many of the horses previously slaughtered could instead be kept by their owners, sold to someone else, or placed at sanctuaries or rescues.
Additionally, humane euthanasia and carcass disposal is affordable and widely available. The average cost of having a horse humanely euthanized and safely disposing of the animal's carcass is approximately $500, while the average monthly cost of keeping a horse is approximately $400–$1,500.
If there is a ban on horse slaughter in the United States, will there be an increase in the export of horses for foreign slaughter? Will horses suffer from longer transport for slaughter in countries where there may be weaker welfare laws?
Since 2012, when over 166,000 American horses were exported to slaughter, we have seen a steep decline in the number of horses being sent abroad to be butchered for their meat (approximately 19,000 in 2024). Under the status quo, kill-buyers profit by sending horses to Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses precisely because this export remains entirely legal. The SAFE Act contains clear provisions prohibiting the export of horses for slaughter abroad; the risk of prosecution to sneak truckloads of horses across the border while side-stepping federal authorities would almost certainly dissuade kill-buyers from continuing to obtain horses.
Is it true that no standards exist for horse rescue facilities that take unwanted horses?
AWI published a set of guidelines that were incorporated into a sanctuary accreditation program via the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). A revised edition of these Basic Guidelines for Operating an Equine Rescue or Retirement Facility was published in 2023. The EQUUS Foundation, the Thoroughbred and Standardbred Aftercare Alliance, and others also sponsor accreditation programs. Additionally, equine rescue groups must comply with state and local animal welfare laws in providing for the welfare of horses in their custody.