Horses transported long distances for slaughter face significant welfare challenges. Understanding these issues helps guide policy and consumer choices that reduce equine suffering.
Long-distance transport causes physiological stress measurable through cortisol levels, immune suppression, and respiratory infection risk. Horses may be transported without adequate food, water, or rest. Loading and unloading are particularly stressful. Social groupings may be disrupted, and mixing unfamiliar horses leads to aggression and injury. At slaughter, inadequate stunning or improper restraint can cause conscious suffering.