Horse Slaughter: US Horse Slaughter Industry Resumes

Horse Slaughter: US Horse Slaughter Industry Resumes

On November 18, US Congress lifted a 5-year-old ban on slaughtering and eating horses after President Obama quietly signed into law a Department of Agriculture bill that reinstates federal funding for USDA inspection of horse meat intended for human consumption.

According to a pro-slaughter group called United Horsemen, meat processors are now considering opening facilities in at least a half-dozen states, including Georgia, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, and possibly Idaho.

Animal rights activists are reportedly furious over the decision to bring back horse processing plants in the US. They say that ending the ban on horse slaughter will challenge the ethics of horse ownership and undermine the sanctity of the unique bond between humans and horses.

“They're signing the death sentence for thousands of our American horses. The wild mustangs in Oklahoma and every horse in Oklahoma is at risk,” Oklahoma City horse advocate Stephanie Graham told the Oklahoman. “Horses are going to die and it's going to be brutal.”

“It’s kind of sad that politics and lobbyists, you know get their way and these horses have to suffer,” says Betsy Brownfield, a local horse advocate.

But despite Congress lifting the ban on horse slaughter, they did not allocate any money for horse meat inspectors.