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Unfortunately, cruelty continues to be a persistent issue globally. Humane World for Animals is tackling the root causes of this cruelty to end it for good.  

49%
reduction in horse deaths

in the first year of U.S. federal rules regulating performance-enhancing and pain-masking drugs in horse racing

92
$ million in economic benefits

from equine rescues and sanctuaries, showing that humane care and re-homing of at-risk horses helps animals and communities

1,000s
of American and Canadian horses

are sent to slaughter each year

A look inside the problem:

undercover photo of someone "soring" a horse to create an exaggerated and unnatural gait known as the “big lick."

Humane World for Animals

Soring creates an exaggerated and unnatural gait

Horse soring

Soring involves the intentional infliction of pain to a horse's legs or hooves which causes excruciating pain whenever the horse puts weight on the hoof. This results in the horse to walk in a very specific, exaggerated manner. Horse show judges continue to reward this "big lick" gait which encourages the cruel practice of soring to persist.

American horses in pens ready to be transported for slaughter in Mexico

Kathy Milani/Humane World for Animals

American horses awaiting transportation to slaughter

Horse slaughter

Horses are slaughtered to satisfy demand from countries where raw horsemeat is considered a delicacy. The slaughter of horses is not only unnecessary and inhumane, but it is also harmful in many ways. 

Horse racing at River Downs track, Cincinnati, Ohio

Stan Rohrer/Alamy

Horse racing is cruel, dangerous and fuels a cycle of suffering

Horse racing

Horses used in racing are often treated with dangerous drugs to “enhance” their performance or mask pain caused by an injury. Thoroughbred racing industries often treat the suffering and death of horses as the cost of doing business.

Horses lined up at auction

Chelsea Perez/Humane World for Animals

Foals separated from their mothers at auction

Horse auctions

Thousands of horses are auctioned each year, but few regulations are in place for horses. Addressing the issues within auctions is the first vital step toward ending the many abuses horses are subjected to.

Take Action

Here are some ways you can join the fight to end equine cruelty. 
 

Horses, donkeys and mules are faithful companions and partners to humans in a variety of settings, but they are not always treated accordingly, with compassion and care. Humane World for Animals takes on some of the most egregious forms of cruelty to equines, including their cruel slaughter for human consumption and the abuse of horses in racing and competition.

Keith Dane, Senior Director of Equine Protection

Equine news

Get the latest in equine news with A Humane World, the official blog of Humane World for Animals.

Trump budget puts wild horses and burros on the chopping block, paves way for mass slaughter

WASHINGTON—Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund, formerly called Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund, sharply criticized the Trump administration’s

United States
New accountability report reveals thoroughbred racehorses are dying in training

WASHINGTON (March 19, 2025)—A new report released by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, a federally mandated regulatory group that monitors thoroughbred racehorse safety, confirms that

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Horse death during final race creates tragic news from Belmont Park and another critical need for reform in the horse racing industry

Keith Dane, senior director of equine protection for the Humane Society of the United States released this statement in response to yet another tragedy within the horse racing industry after a horse

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