Horse slaughter welfare is one of the most contentious issues in equine welfare, particularly regarding long-distance transport to slaughter and stunning adequacy.
Horse slaughter welfare sits at the intersection of cultural attitudes, economic pressures, and genuine welfare science. Horses transported long distances to slaughter experience fear, dehydration, and social disruption throughout. At the slaughterhouse, their prey nature makes them highly reactive to the environment, increasing stunning failure rates. The welfare case for shorter journey times, better stunning standards, and elimination of live export for slaughter from the UK is well-evidenced.