In Australia it is not allowed to send race horses to slaughterhouses at the end of their career, but the rules are not respected
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himAccording to official data from Racing Australia, the national body for purebred horse racing, every year about 34 horses from competitions end up in the country's slaughterhouses, a number that represents less than 1% of the total number of horses that end their careers.
However, ABC News has revealed that, according to the information in its possession, this is not exactly the case.
In fact, following an investigation carried out for two years, it emerged that i racehorses killed in slaughterhouses there are many more: in just one week and in a single slaughterhouse, 4000 race horses would be slaughtered.
The investigation also revealed multiple cases of animal cruelty and atrocious and unacceptable practices in Australian slaughterhouses: horses that were once considered champions of great value, in slaughterhouses are beaten, chained, trampled, terrified and tortured through electric shocks on the body and in the anus.
All this happens despite the introduction of rules to ensure the welfare of horses racing in Australia.
Indeed, in 2016 Racing Australia introduced a "traceability rule" which requires the registration and monitoring of all horses from birth to retirement.
In the same year, the thoroughbred horse racing industry adopted a series of measures to protect the welfare of horses before, during and after their careers. The measures included a ban on sending horses to slaughterhouses rejected by competitions.
Evidently the rules are not respected, as ABC investigations show that racehorses are still being sent to slaughterhouses, where they are sadly treated with no respect.
Regarding the findings of the survey, Professor Paul McGreevy, an expert on animal welfare and behavior with 25 years of research experience in the field of racehorses, stated that:
“This is the kind of thing that will rock the industry to the core. It is absolutely unacceptable to disappoint our equine athletes in this way.
These are atrocious practices and the racing industry is responsible for exposing these animals to this miserable end.
Horses deserve better, people who love the industry deserve better. So the industry has disappointed a lot of people and a lot of horses. This is a clear violation of everything the industry has told us, ”the scientist said.
We share the words of Professor McGreevy, hoping that the authorities will intervene to put an end to these behaviors, ensuring compliance with the rules.
Read also:
- The other side of horse meat: the investigation that reveals the atrocities of imported horse meat
- Seven horses died of starvation during the Rocío Pilgrimage
- Beaten and bloodily wounded camels and horses: what lies behind a sightseeing tour in the Pyramids
Tatiana Maselli
