* More than 50,000 American horses were slaughtered for human consumption last year alone in the USA with another 20,000 American horses transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. That is about 1% of the total number of horses in the US. The horse slaughter industry is barely .001% the size of the US meat industry. This industry is foreign owned, pays no taxes or export tariffs.
* The myth that only abused, neglected, ill, and dying horses are slaughtered, ending their misery sooner, is just that - a myth. Research shows that 70% of slaughtered horses are fat too obese, 72% are sound, 84% are average age, and 96% have no vices.
* Horses being brought to slaughter are transported in inhumane conditions: low-clearance double-deck cattle trailers; no food, water, or rest for 24 hours or longer; mares, stallions, foals, and geldings are not separated. Approximately 30% of horses shipped for slaughter are injured during transit.
* The myth that without horse slaughter those 50,000+ horses slaughtered yearly in America will be roaming streets abused, neglected, etc. is completely false. In the early 1990's, 300,000+ horses were being slaughtered yearly in the USA. That has dropped to 50,000+ horses per year, with no special infrastructure created to support the 250,000 not being slaughtered each year! The horses are sold to others, kept longer, humanely euthanized, donated to rescue, therapeutic, retirement, etc. facilities. Those horses are absorbed by the horse community. There is no excuse for horse slaughter.
* Abuse and neglect cases will not increase if horse slaughter is banned. Both the Il. Department of Agriculture and the Hooved Animal Humane Society reported a drop in abuse cases after the slaughter plant in IL burned down. CA banned horse slaughter in 1998. Since then, horse theft decreased 34% and neglect/ abuse cases have not increased. TX, which is home to plants which slaughter horses for human consumption, has the highest cruelty and theft rates in the nation.
* Sometimes no food or water is provided for the horses in the kill pens. Horses stand in inches of mud, manure, urine, and water. Mares, stallions, foals, strong, and weak horses are all penned together. Electric prods are used to force the horses to move. Horses are forced, sometimes dragged, into the kill box where it is attempted to blast their skull with a captive bolt gun to render them unconscious. This often takes multiple strikes, and these improperly stunned horses are still conscious when shackled, hung, and bled to death.
* Horse meat is not safe for human consumption. Many horses are treated with medications not meant for use in animals raised for human consumption; horses are not raised for meat in the USA.