The air is thick with the smell of fear. Among the chaos, cries of terror fall on delicate ears. Approaching slaughter, a horse’s keen fight-or-flight instinct may let her dodge the blow meant to knock her unconscious—leaving her wide awake when she begins to be skinned and dismembered.

This is the horrifying reality for tens of thousands of horses who are transported to slaughter facilities in Canada and Mexico each year. Due to their unique physiology, the hypersensitive animals may fling their heads or rear during the pre-slaughter process. As a result, there have been documented instances of fully conscious horses being lifted into the air and slaughtered.

It’s not just their final moments that are miserable. Horses bound for the kill line—including pregnant mares and foals—are often transported over long, grueling journeys without food or water. Crowded into bumpy trucks, they’re exposed to extreme temperatures and painful injuries. Some die from the sheer stress of the journey.

These gentle, beautiful animals are strikingly intelligent and perceptive. Experts agree that horses attempt to communicate with humans, easily read cues from facial expressions, and deeply empathize and absorb emotions. Imaginetheterrorandheartbreaktheyfeel, knowing they’re moments away from an excruciating death.

Numerous states and localities have banned the import of horses intended for slaughter for human consumption—helping to prevent these abuses from happening in the US. But these bans are under attack. Aggressively pushing for new bills in Congress, Big Meat is dead-set on overturning laws against transporting horses for slaughter—along with standards for their minimum welfare requirements.

Law by law, alongside our partner organizations, The Humane League is defending horses from the industry’s attack on animal welfare.

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