Tens of Thousands of American Horses are Still Being Slaughtered Every Year for Sushi and Fancy Meals Abroad
In many parts of the world, horses – the most magical animals on the planet, in my opinion – are (sadly) considered a culinary delicacy. However, I was shocked to learn recently that while horse meat for a meal isn't common in the United States, all three North American nations are still fueling this foreign demand. (Thanks to my outraged friend Lou for drawing this to my attention!)
I had to dig deeper and was horrified.
The United States
Horse slaughter was once a common practice in the United States, with several slaughterhouses operating openly and legally across the country. Economic factors primarily drove the industry; horse meat was seen as a cheap source of protein, and the hides could be used for leather products.
However, growing public awareness of animal welfare conditions within these facilities, coupled with concerns about food safety and the potential for horse doping, led to a surge in opposition.
Animal rights groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), spearheaded campaigns to expose the inhumane treatment of horses in slaughterhouses. Undercover investigations revealed graphic footage of animals being beaten, shocked, and subjected to other forms of abuse. Public outcry reached a fever pitch, and in 2006, Congress passed the Appropriations Act, which defunded inspections at horse slaughterhouses. Without federal oversight, these facilities were forced to close the following year, effectively ending horse the legal horse slaughter industry within the United States.
Unfortunately, this didn't end the practice. Suppliers just got more savvy, and started sending horses from the U.S. to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada instead, where the practice is still (WTF) legal. (However, according to the Humane Society, the number of horses being sent across our borders has at least decreased from a peak of more than 166,000 in 2012 to just over 23,000 in 2021).
Still, this means that tens of thousands of American horses are cruelly and intentionally exported to face horrific slaughter for human consumption overseas every single day.
Canada and Mexico: An Ongoing Battle
In contrast to the United States, Canada and Mexico continue to allow horse slaughter. While the industry faces similar criticisms regarding animal welfare and food safety, economic factors remain a significant driving force. The horse processing industry argues that it provides jobs and contributes to rural economies.
For the record, horse slaughter is a far cry from humane euthanasia. While euthanasia is a swift, painless end to alleviate suffering, slaughter is a brutal and terrifying process. Horses destined for slaughter endure inhumane transportation conditions, often crammed into trucks for over a day without food, water, or rest. The killing methods used are unreliable, and there's documented evidence of horses remaining conscious during dismemberment. As prey animals, horses instinctively react to fear by thrashing, increasing the risk of injury during slaughter.
Animal welfare organizations, including Canadian and Mexican affiliates of international groups, have been tirelessly advocating for bans on horse slaughter. They argue that the practice is unnecessary, given the availability of other protein sources, and that it perpetuates animal cruelty.
Despite public pressure and growing international condemnation, the horse slaughter industry in Canada and Mexico has shown resilience. The industry has lobbied heavily against bans, claiming that it is subject to strict regulations and that the animals are treated humanely. However, undercover investigations and reports of animal abuse continue to undermine these claims.
Destination Markets for Horse Meat
Let me be clear: this isn't about conservation. This is because there is international demand for horse meat, and there is always someone in the wings waiting to make money. The primary markets for horse meat include:
Japan: Despite its reputation for seafood, Japan has a significant market for horse meat, particularly in certain regions.
Europe: Countries such as France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland have a long history of consuming horse meat. It is often considered a delicacy and is used in various dishes.
Kazakhstan and Central Asia: These countries have a strong tradition of horse meat consumption, a staple in their diets.
Other Countries: While to a lesser extent, countries in South America, Africa, and the Middle East also have some demand for horse meat.
Mind you, consuming U.S. horse meat poses serious health risks due to the unregulated use of harmful substances in horses. Unlike livestock raised for food, horses in the U.S. are primarily treated as companions and often given medications or supplements unsuitable for human consumption.
The Supply Chain
The complex supply chain involved in the horse meat trade often raises concerns about animal welfare and food safety. Horses from Canada and Mexico are typically transported to slaughterhouses within these countries, where they are processed and exported to various markets around the world.
Critical points in the supply chain include:
Horse procurement: Horses are sourced from various places, including auctions, breeders, and owners who can no longer care for their animals.
Transportation: Horses are transported to slaughterhouses, often over long distances, raising concerns about animal welfare.
Slaughter: The horses are processed in slaughterhouses, with the meat being prepared for export.
Processing and distribution: The horse meat is processed into various cuts and products, then distributed to different markets through complex supply chains.
And the argument that slaughterhouses somehow benefit local communities is a shoddy one. Horse slaughter plants have proven detrimental to the host townships, causing significant economic and environmental harm. These facilities pollute local waterways, diminish property values, create unbearable odors, and strain local economies while damaging the environment. The last three horse slaughter plants in the U.S., according to the Humane Society, provided only a handful of low-wage, hazardous jobs, failing to boost local economies. Long before their closure in 2007, these plants were no longer welcome in their communities.
The Future of Horse Slaughter
Animal welfare organizations will undoubtedly continue their efforts to end horse slaughter while the industry will fight to maintain its operations. Ultimately, the fate of these animals may depend on a complex interplay of factors, including public opinion, government policies, and economic considerations.
The notion of slaughtering companion animals is utterly unacceptable to the American public and will never be accepted. While some countries consume dogs, cats, and other pets as food, the United States prohibits the export of our dogs and cats for such purposes despite the well-documented overpopulation issues these animals face.
But we don't have to sit idly by and do nothing.
The Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act is pending in Congress. It was introduced by Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16) and has a bipartisan cosponsor list. The bill would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. and ban their export abroad for that purpose—this was already done for cats and dogs in 2018.
For those looking for more information or ways to take a stand against this barbaric practice, check out the following resources:
https://horseshit.ca/
https://www.aspca.org/improving-laws-animals/public-policy/horse-slaughter
https://www.humanesociety.org/all-our-fights/preventing-horse-slaughter
https://animalequality.org/campaign/end-horse-slaughter/
https://www.equineadvocates.org/the-issues/horse-slaughter/
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There is no fundamental difference between slaughtering horses for consumption or slaughtering sheep and cattle (other than concerns about medications being used, that said they can be tested for at slaughter). Sheep and cattle are also flight animals and all the things that can go wrong with horse slaughter can also go wrong with the slaughter of any animal. The opposition to horse slaughter over cow slaughter is a purely cultural opposition.
The proposed legislation is not going to solve anything, all it is going to do is create an intermediary step where horses get bought at auction in the US by people who transport them to Canada or Mexico, and re-auction them there sometime later. Since the bill only outlaws knowingly selling them for slaughter and you have no idea what someone at an auction is going to do with an animal that would still be legal under the proposed law.
Prior to the discontinuation of slaughter in the US there were already laws on the books requiring safe and appropriate travel situations and humane situations in the slaughter facility. The problem was that those laws weren’t enforced. Writing more laws that also cannot be enforced doesn’t solve the problem.
The only realistic way to save horses from slaughter in the U.S. is to get some type of three party trade or treaty agreement between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada to end the practice. Shipping live horses across the ocean or further south might be cost prohibitive enough to protect horses in Canada and the U.S. anyway.
Euthanasia and disposal of the body afterward is typically expensive in the U.S., as long as horse owners are able to make money on horses that are no longer desirable or useful as opposed to it costing them money there will be a supply of horses. Since the demand is predominantly foreign there is little we can or should do to address the demand issue. The only way to make horse slaughter impractical is to have it outlawed in all three countries.