Ending horse slaughter is about more than stopping one industry—it’s about redefining our nation’s relationship with horses. Permanent federal protection will prevent thousands from suffering and align public policy with America’s longstanding respect for the horse as a companion, worker, and symbol of freedom. Support the movement by contributing to RTF’s Wild Horse Defense Fund, contacting legislators, and sharing accurate information about this ongoing issue.

Horse slaughter refers to the killing and processing of horses for human consumption or byproducts such as leather and cosmetics. While no horse slaughter plants currently operate in the United States, tens of thousands of American horses—wild and domestic—are exported each year to Mexico and Canada, where they are slaughtered and sold abroad. This pipeline persists because no federal law permanently prohibits horse slaughter or export for slaughter, allowing kill buyers to purchase horses at low-cost auctions and ship them across borders.

Every week, kill buyers attend livestock auctions across the country, buying horses no longer wanted by their owners, breeders, or industries that exploit them for racing, showing, or labor. Some of these horses are rounded-up wild horses that lost federal protection after being “adopted” from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facilities. Loopholes in the Adoption Incentive Program have allowed individuals to profit by selling these horses at auctions once incentives are collected. Once purchased, horses are transported in crowded trailers—often without food or water—for journeys of 24 hours or more to slaughter facilities in Mexico or Canada. Mortality rates during transport are rarely disclosed or monitored.