Debunking the “Unwanted Horse” Myth

Proponents of this unsubstantiated claim, including the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), and the American Quarter Horse Association have lobbied Congress to block legislation that would stop the slaughter of American horses.

Despite this, federal efforts to ban horse slaughter have seen progress in recent years, including passage by the full House of Representatives of a bill amendment to ban horse slaughter and increasing support in Congress for the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act. Both the AAEP and the AVMA have expressed strong opposition to the SAFE Act. Their premise is that slaughter improves horse welfare—offering a “humane” way to dispose of these animals, a “necessary evil,” without which horses would be subjected to neglect, abandonment and abuse.