The images in the following program are very sensitive and may be as disturbing to viewers as they were to us. However, we have to show the truth about cruelty to animals.

HOST: From time immemorial horses have been among humanity’s closest animal companions, as they are highly social and intelligent and possess human-like traits. These elegant, beautiful beings enrich our lives through their unconditional love, affection and friendship, and in times of need bring us comfort and
patiently listen to our worries and concerns.

Maiccu Kostiainen (f): They are the most sensitive, most caring and loving creatures. And I think from my perspective, horses have come to the Earth to show us beauty. They have given themselves to us to enjoy their companionship. It’s an honor that they let you come into their atmosphere or into their energy.

They can touch you, your heart, your feelings, your emotions and that, for me, it’s been a good thing to learn. That is how much they can affect our lives.

HOST: On this edition of the Stop Animal Cruelty series we’ll examine the abuse and senseless slaughter that many of our noble equine friends experience each day around the globe.

As horse slaughter is banned in the US, every year tens of thousands of these serene, gentle beings, including riding horses, carriage horses, race horses, wild horses, retired circus horses, farm horses and even stolen horses are inhumanely transported across the border and brutally slaughtered in Canada and Mexico.

In ２００９ approximately ３０,０００ horses were shipped to Canada for rendering, with about the same number going to Mexico, their carcasses destined for human consumption or processing as pet food.

According to the US-based Animal Welfare Institute, ９２％ of the horses murdered for meat each year are young, healthy animals who could have enjoyed long lives with loving families, their average age being seven years or younger.

In addition about １００,０００ horses are sent annually from Central and Eastern Europe to France, Italy and Belgium to have their lives callously ended for meat.

『Kill buyers』 as they are called in the US, sometimes purchase horses without telling sellers that the innocent ones will soon have their lives ended for their flesh, or knowingly buy stolen horses and then heartlessly send them to slaughter.

Other sources for the dreadful rendering industry are slaughter auctions, where animals are crammed together in chaotic environments to be sold, causing enormous stress that can result in the animals accidentally injuring one another.

Once bought, the wounded horses are forced onto old, overloaded trucks, sometimes with two decks meant for pigs or cows, and thus the horses lack adequate headroom. The animals are then transported under extremely cruel, unconscionable conditions,often without food,water and rest.

The suffering can last for days and there is no protection from extreme weather conditions during the journey. As the trucks shake continuously, the horses struggle to stand and maintain their balance, with many collapsing from weakness during the trip.

As the helpless animals struggle in the filth piled on the floor, their inhumanely tight quarters put them in danger of being trampled. Blood stains the railings as tears flow from the frightened animals' eyes, and some simply expire after enduring unending anguish and pain.

Horses may also get their delicate legs stuck in the slats on the sides of the carriers, as their limbs are repeatedly pulled and twisted while the trucks move along winding roads.

At staging posts, the horses are forced off the trucks and made to stand outdoors in all types of weather. Some are unable to stand as their legs have been broken during the nightmarish ride.

On arrival, horses that cannot walk are dragged to their deaths with chains or subjected to violent abuse to induce them to stand. This can involve beating with sharp metal rods, kicking or ear pulling.

Each year over ３０,０００ horses are transported under such conditions from Poland to Italy for rendering. The following is an excerpt from a documentary produced by the UK animal welfare group Vegetarians International Voice for Animals (VIVA) called 『Journey to Death: The Live Export of Polish Horses for Meat,』
which exposes the horrendous, heartless treatment of horses during transport to slaughterhouses.

For more information on horse protection,
please visit the following websites Vegetarians International Voice for Animals www.VIVA.org.uk
The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses horseracingkills.com