The slaughter of horses for meat and the welfare conditions in horse transport and lairage raise significant welfare concerns that differ from other livestock.
Horses are highly intelligent, social animals with strong human bonds. The transition from companion status to slaughter involves extreme psychological stress from novel environments, long transport, mixing with unfamiliar horses, and unfamiliar handling. Effective stunning of horses requires precision and expertise; poorly executed captive bolt stunning causes prolonged loss of consciousness. Long-distance transport violates the animals' welfare in ways not seen in shorter-lived livestock.