Horses transported long distances for slaughter or trade suffer significant welfare impacts. Regulating journey times, rest periods, and vehicle standards is essential to protect equine welfare.
Long-distance horse transport exposes animals to heat, dehydration, exhaustion, and psychological stress. Horses cannot lie down comfortably in standard transport vehicles, leading to fatigue and muscle pain over long journeys. Respiratory infection rates rise sharply with journey duration due to dust inhalation in the prone head position. Horses destined for slaughter in third countries may endure multiple transports and holding periods before death. Welfare standards vary enormously between countries, and post-EU export horses may face conditions well below European standards. Transitioning from live export to a chilled meat trade model would eliminate these welfare harms.