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Safe Horse Transport Legislation Bound For Full House

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Horse Transportation Safety Act (HTSA) as part of surface transportation legislation Thursday. The HTSA aims to ensure that horses are not subjected to dangerous and/or inhumane treatment during transport. It is expected to proceed to the House for a full vote later this summer.

The impetus for the HTSA was an accident many years ago in which a double-deck trailer carrying 59 Belgian draft horses overturned in Illinois, killing 19 of them. Double-deck trailers are not suitable for horse transport and are designed for shorter, stouter livestock, such as cattle and pigs.

“Cramming horses into double-deck trailers and hauling them over a long distance is dangerous and inhumane,” said Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., equine program manager and senior advisor at the Animal Welfare Institute. “Although a few states have already banned this practice, a federal prohibition is essential to protect both horses and motorists.”

The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends a clearance of between seven and eight feet for horses; double-deck trailers have ceiling clearance of four feet, seven inches to five feet five inches, which does not allow for horses to stand comfortably or fully extend their heads and necks inside. The U.S. Department of Agriculture banned the use of double-deck trailers for the purpose of transporting to slaughter in 2011. The HTSA would close the loophole that permits horse to travel in such vehicles across state lines.

“I'm pleased that the Horse Transportation Safety Act was incorporated in this morning's passage of the INVEST in America Act,” said U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN), one of three congressional leaders of the legislation. “These wonderful animals deserve to be transported in as humane a manner as possible. Double-deck trailers do not provide adequate headroom for adult horses, and accidents involving double-deck trailers are a horrendous reminder that the practice is also dangerous to the driving public.”

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Congressmen Introduce Bill To Ban Horse Slaughter

On Wednesday, U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Vern Buchanan (R-FL) introduced the Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2021. This bipartisan legislation would permanently ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the United States as well as prohibit the export of live horses to Mexican and Canadian slaughterhouses to be sold overseas. The SAFE Act has been endorsed by the ASPCA, Animal Welfare Institute, The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society Legislative Fund, Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation.

“For centuries, horses have embodied the spirit of American freedom and pride. They are our companions, work partners, entertainers, and athletes. With such a special place in our nation's history it's beyond time that we end the brutal practice of slaughtering these majestic creatures as food for humans. I am proud to reintroduce the SAFE Act with Congressman Buchanan and offer legislation that will finally close a loophole to end the slaughter of American horses for human consumption, both domestically and abroad,” said Congresswoman Schakowsky.

“The slaughter of horses for human consumption is a barbaric practice that has no place in America,” Congressman Buchanan said. “I look forward to continuing to lead the effort with Congresswoman Schakowsky to ban domestic horse slaughter and end the export of horses abroad for the same purpose.”

“The ASPCA is working resolutely to solve equine welfare issues on the ground, but we cannot fully succeed while the slaughter pipeline remains open,” said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of Government Relations for the ASPCA. “An overwhelming majority of Americans oppose horse slaughter for human consumption and with May being Adopt a Horse Month, there is no better time than now to support at-risk horses by prohibiting this unnecessary and cruel practice. We are grateful to Representatives Schakowsky and Buchanan for their steadfast commitment to protecting our horses and we urge Congress to pass the SAFE Act to finally end this abhorrent practice.”

“Only nine years ago, 160,000 American horses were exported abroad for slaughter. Due to awareness of this inhumane and predatory industry, that number has dropped dramatically with only 37,249 shipped to slaughter in 2020. But one horse is still too many,” stated Sara Amundson, President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “ Fortunately, Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Vern Buchanan (R-FL) have committed to passing this crucial animal and consumer protection bill which will end this grisly industry and protect these American icons from those who profit off their deaths.”

“Each year, a huge number of American horses are shipped to foreign slaughterhouses to be butchered under shockingly inhumane conditions,” said Cathy Liss, president of the Animal Welfare Institute. “Some are former racehorses who have been recently dosed with drugs considered unsafe for human consumption. The SAFE Act would ensure that both horses and people are protected. We are grateful to Congresswoman Schakowsky and Congressman Buchanan for their dedication to ending the slaughter of horses for human consumption,” said Cathy Liss, President, Animal Welfare Institute.

“We're grateful that Reps. Schakowsky and Buchanan have heard the overwhelming opposition of the American people to horse slaughter,” said Neda DeMayo, founder of Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation. “Wild horses that once roamed freely on our public lands, pets, race horses, work horses — no American horse deserves to be shipped to an inhumane death in a foreign slaughterhouse. The national effort to end this practice began in Congress 20 years ago so we call on everyone to join in ending this once and for all.”

Although slaughter of horses for human consumption is currently illegal in the United States, the ban is temporary and subject to annual congressional review. No federal law exists to prohibit the transport of horses across American borders for slaughter in Canada or Mexico. More than 100,000 American horses are exported to Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Those horses are butchered and then transported overseas for consumption in Japan, Italy and other countries. More than 90 percent of these horses were healthy and in good condition.

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Owner Placed On No-Entry List At Fair Grounds After Horse Turns Up In Bail Pen

Churchill Downs Inc. officials say they have placed an owner on the no-entry list at Fair Grounds after her horse appeared in a Texas bail lot while still in the entries at the New Orleans track.

Little Red Kid was advertised on social media Jan. 30 by a kill pen, but at that time was still supposed to be headed to the ninth race on Feb. 3.

After receiving an inquiry from the Paulick Report about the horse, Fair Grounds management consulted with the stewards, who interviewed both trainer Jacoby Landry and owner Kim Jackson, in addition to Jackson's veterinarian. After some detective work, Louisiana state steward Charlie Ashy Jr., said he learned the horse, who was well off the board in claiming contests Jan. 10 and Jan. 23 at Fair Grounds, worked the week before Feb. 3. Ashy said Landry told the stewards the horse had come out of the work poorly, and a veterinary exam revealed that “the horse was full of mucus.”

Landry contacted the owner about retiring the horse, who had not hit the board since finishing second in a claiming race in July 2019 at Louisiana Downs. The owner took possession of the horse, which was not stabled at Fair Grounds. Somehow, Ashy said wires were crossed in Landry's barn and the horse was placed on the entry list anyway.

From there, Ashy said the stewards established the horse was taken to a livestock auction in Opelousas, La.

“She said she was going to sell the horse in the Thoroughbred sale at a stockyard,” Ashy said. “It's a cattle stockyard and they have a cattle auction every week or every two weeks, and then maybe once a month they'll sell Thoroughbreds as well that people want to get rid of. People might buy the horse and train it for other things.”

Ashy's investigation revealed that was where Thompson Horse Lot purchased the horse. On Jan. 28, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture announced sanctions against the operators of Thompson Horse Lot stemming from its owners buying and selling livestock without licenses. The lot subsequently moved its sale operation to Texas.

“The owner and trainer had nothing to do with the horse ending up there other than she put the horse in the sale, but she didn't do anything wrong doing that,” said Ashy. “Normally we wouldn't even look into this, but because Jason [Boulet, Fair Grounds racing director] asked us to, we did. Nobody did anything wrong from the racing side.”

Landry was issued a fine of $500 on Feb. 19 by the stewards for “entering a horse no longer under his care.”

The decision to place the owner on the no-entry list came from Fair Grounds/CDI management.

“As you know, CDI and all of our tracks take slaughter of race horses very seriously,” said Dr. William Farmer, equine medical director for Churchill Downs Inc. “Fair Grounds remains vigilant to making sure those horse that race at our facility have productive second careers. To follow through with Fair Grounds commitment to prevent race horses from going to slaughter, the owner of this horse was placed on a no-entry list to deny future entries in races at Fair Grounds.”

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Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Make Moves To Address Slaughter Pipeline Issues

Continuing to demonstrate its commitment to the health and welfare of thoroughbreds, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA) today announced its endorsement of the John Stringer Rainey Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act.

The SAFE Act, named for the late South Carolina philanthropist and former director of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, is legislation that would permanently end the slaughter of American horses for human consumption in the United States and abroad.

It also amends Title 18 of the U. S. Code by making it illegal to “possess, ship, transport, purchase, sell, deliver, or receive … any horse with the intent that it is to be slaughtered for human consumption,” with penalties that include fines and imprisonment.

Introduced in 2019 by Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, the SAFE Act has also garnered the endorsement of several prominent animal welfare groups. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States are among those supporting its passage.

Other prominent groups that have endorsed the SAFE Act include the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the United States Trotting Association, and the Maryland Horse Council.

“Our bipartisan legislation will help put an end to the cruel and inhumane slaughter of horses while protecting families from toxic horse meat and safeguarding the reputation of the U.S. food industry worldwide,” said Sen. Menendez when the bill was introduced.

In addition to its commitment to the health and safety of Thoroughbreds, aftercare is also a top priority of the PHBA, according to president Greg Newell.

“We are doing everything we can to help place horses who reach the end of their first or second career, whether they have finished racing or breeding,” said Newell. “Our Anti-Slaughter Committee, chaired by Kate Goldenberg, has done a wonderful job addressing what can be done to help our equine athletes.”

PHBA Board member Hank Nothhaft, also a member of the Anti-Slaughter Committee, said that endorsement of the SAFE Act was something the organization wanted to do to be a positive force towards improving the industry. The fact that many unwanted thoroughbred broodmares are found in slaughter pens proved to be a call to action.

“There was unanimous support from the PHBA Board to mitigate the slaughter of broodmares,” said Nothhaft. “Older broodmares, especially, are not attractive candidates for equestrian activities, and thus they are not as easy to rehome as younger horses. This has really pushed us from sitting on the bench towards getting into the fray.”

“The Anti-Slaughter Committee was formed in order to protect our broodmares, stallions, and Pennsylvania-bred racehorses that end up in the slaughter pipeline, or in bad situations,” explained Jennifer Poorman of the PHBA. “What is coming from it is so much more.”

Poorman said that the Committee has a goal to create a broodmare retirement program to address the need of unwanted mares.

“Our hope is to form a non-profit within our organization, to assist our breeders when the time comes when their broodmare can no longer breed,” said Poorman. “We'll be looking to build a network of partner farms willing to assist with retirement from breeding, whether it's a second career or permanent retirement due to physical limitations.

“We're also creating a campaign to educate our breeders about responsible aftercare, along with providing a network of resources for our breeders to turn to at any point they find themselves in need of assistance,” she said.

“No one has been looking out for the broodmares,” said Nothhaft. “There's lots of enthusiasm for this project moving forward.”

Nothhaft said one reason why the SAFE Act hasn't gained traction towards passage since 2019 in Congress is because large agricultural interests fear that anti-slaughter legislation would bring undue attention to their industries, which involve large-scale slaughter of animals for food.

“The SAFE Act is one of three items we are working on,” said Brian Sanfratello, executive secretary of the PHBA. “The others are Pennsylvania-specific anti-slaughter legislation, similar to the SAFE Act, that would make it a misdemeanor for anyone who causes or transports a horse into the slaughter pipeline, as well as a PHBA code of ethics, with sanctions for anyone who is a member or registers horses with our organization and is found to be in violation of the Pennsylvania anti-slaughter measures.”

The PHBA's relationship with legislators in Harrisburg could have a positive impact towards the introduction and passage of a Pennsylvania anti-slaughter bill, said Nothhaft.

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