Racing industry forced to take action following Animal Aid’s undercover investigation into horse slaughter – but there is more to do!

Today, 7 October 2021, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced that from January 2022, race horses will not be allowed to be sold to abattoirs to be slaughtered for their meat.

The statement came after our undercover investigation into horse slaughter was featured exclusively on BBC Panorama in July 2021, when our fly-on-the-wall footage showed horses (including race horses) being slaughtered at an abattoir in England – and shook the racing industry to the core.

But, as we know from past experience, the racing industry only ever makes welfare changes in response to your campaigning and our work to expose the terrible treatment of race horses.

There is more to do, however, as the new rules don’t go far enough because there will still be unwanted horses, cast out from the racing industry because they have “failed” to make the grade or who are unwanted once they are no longer of “use”.

The way to stop horses ending up at the abattoir is for the regulators in Britain and Ireland to bring in measures which will ensure that fewer horses are produced and that breeders are responsible for the welfare of every horse – financially and for their lifetime care.

Our government petition, if it reaches 100,000 signatures, can trigger a government debate on the issue – and make the necessary changes so that no horse faces slaughter. It has been signed by nearly 35,000 people.

Please do all you can to help it reach the target!

• Panorama’s exposé on ‘The Dark Side of Horse Racing’, which featured undercover footage captured by Animal Aid is available on BBC iPlayer
• For images, videos and background information about the investigation, click here