Industry condemns welfare issues in slaughterhouse footage

Racing and the wider horse-world have spoken out on images seen in a BBC TV documentary

- LUCY ELDER

RACING and the wider industry have condemned video of horses who appeared to suffer before their deaths in a British abattoir.

BBC’s Panorama on 19 July was met with a range of opinions on balance, the ambitions of the organisation behind the footage, and if more could have been done to showcase responsible actions and positive outcomes for former racehorses. But voices united in condemning apparent suffering shown and concerns over alleged failures in the equine ID system.

Footage showed horses, some appearing lame, transported from Ireland to Britain for slaughter. A horse purported to be Tammys Hill arrived at the abattoir when Tammys Hill had been fatally injured years before. Worries were flagged over practices appearing to be shown in the slaughterhouse.

The abattoir, Drury and Sons, told the programme “we take great care to maintain high welfare conditions and do not accept any form of animal abuse”, adding that all horses are “humanely destroyed’’ and if on occasions issues occur, they take ‘’swift action to review and rectify” them.

British Horseracing Authority (BHA) director of equine health and welfare James Given has met colleagues and the Horse Welfare Board, who are “clear transporting horses from Ireland to be euthanised in Britain must stop”.

“So too should those practices in the abattoir... that appeared to cause distress to horses,” he said.

“These areas are regulated by Government agencies. We’re engaging with them to see how we can support any investigations and work with them to ensure horse welfare is protected.