Equines

Overview

Horses and humans have had a special bond for millennia. Horses enrich our lives as friends and companions; throughout history, they have carried us on their backs, tilled our fields, pulled wagons and carriages, and even served in warfare. Unfortunately, this close relationship has also come with myriad forms of exploitation, neglect, and abuse. AWI works to improve protections for equines, including by campaigning to end horse slaughter and promoting the humane management of wild horses and burros.

Every horse has intrinsic value and deserves compassion at all stages of their life. Caring for a horse or burro is a significant, time-consuming, and long-term commitment that should not be entered into lightly. The horse industry, including equine veterinary professionals, has a responsibility to promote responsible horse breeding, ownership, and care. Equines should be cared for with respect and consideration for their natural behaviors, and their use by humans—whether for work, recreation, or competition—should not compromise the well-being of these animals. AWI is strongly opposed to soring of walking horses for shows and competitions and supports the implementation of rules and regulations to better protect racehorses. Additionally, it is essential to prioritize equine welfare in the modern world and protect horses from dangerous transport and work.

On Western rangelands, wild horses (aka mustangs) face stiff competition, as government and industry stakeholders prioritize grazing and extractive industries over the presence of horses on the range. As a result, the Bureau of Land Management removes wild equines in huge numbers via brutal helicopter roundups. Wild horses and burros should be protected on their legal and traditional ranges in accordance with the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. Where management is necessary, humane fertility control methods such as porcine zona pellucida (PZP) should be utilized.

All horses deserve a humane end of life, but the slaughter of wild and domestic horses is neither humane nor acceptable. Horses bound for slaughter may be transported long distances to facilities in Mexico and Canada without food or water. At slaughterhouses, they are subjected to brutal treatment and a terrifying end of life. In addition to leading the campaign to end the slaughter of American horses, AWI heads the Homes for Horses Coalition, a network of equine rescues and sanctuaries dedicated to protecting horses and burros and ending horse slaughter.

Our wild, companion, and working equines in the United States and internationally deserve protections that will ensure a life without cruelty, abuse, or neglect. Take action for horses via the AWI Action Center.

Equines Campaigns

Transporting horses on roads can be dangerous and requires safety precautions. Double-deck trailers place horses at risk and are not appropriate for the species. These trailers do not provide the necessary headroom for horses to stand upright,...

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Ejiao (pronounced “eh-gee-yow”), a gelatin produced from boiled donkey hides, is used in traditional Chinese medicine and cosmetics. Soaring demand for this product in recent years has decimated China’s donkey population and is now imperiling donkey...

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AWI is proud to be a steering organization for the Homes for Horses Coalition. Founded in 2007, the Homes for Horses Coalition (HHC) is a network of over 500 equine rescue, sanctuary, and animal welfare organizations dedicated...

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The world of horse racing—both at sanctioned tracks and unsanctioned “bush” tracks—is desperately in need of reform, as horses routinely break down on racetracks across the country, pushed to and beyond their physical limits. For owners...

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In the United States, horses have never been raised for human consumption, yet for decades, American horses have been bought and violently slaughtered to satisfy diners in other countries. In 2007, courts upheld state level prohibitions on horse...

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In many cities, horse-drawn carriages are seen as tourist attractions, evoking nostalgic images of days gone by. Yet, underlying these quaint notions is the reality for the horses: daily exposure to noise and pollution, heavy traffic,...

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Horse soring involves the intentional infliction of pain on Tennessee walking horses and related breeds to achieve a distinct high-stepping gait called “the Big Lick” that is rewarded in the show ring. Known for their gentle disposition and prized...

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For decades, America’s wild horses have faced tremendous pressure from the government, ranchers, the livestock industry, state wildlife agencies, and others who do not support the protection of these iconic animals on western rangelands. As a...

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