Italy: The controversial horse trade

We are in northeastern Italy, observing which animal transports are on the roads at this time of year. An unusual horse transporter stops at a rest area for a quick coffee break. Normally, we see large trucks transporting around twenty horses to various Italian slaughterhouses, mostly in southern Italy. This vehicle is smaller, and we count a total of eight horses.

Because the truck is quite high, it is difficult to get a closer look at the animals, but we can see their eyes watching us intently. We feel a strong connection to some of the horses. Màbel keeps kicking against the divider. We suspect she is tired of being confined. Hanna has a large wound on her forehead that is currently healing. All of them are wearing halters, which shows us that these are horses accustomed to being handled by humans — not unbroken animals. Some appear neglected: they are thin or have overgrown, poorly maintained hooves. They seem to be horses of different breeds and ages. We suspect they may be ,spent riding horses'.

The drivers are understandably wary when we approach them. They tell us that they have sold the horses but that they are not destined for slaughter. Due to the language barrier, we are not entirely sure whether we understood them correctly. Still, we doubt that these horses won’t eventually end up at a slaughterhouse, even if indirectly.

Additionally, special transport regulations apply to horses registered in a studbook. To learn more, we contact the veterinary authority at the destination and inform them about the transport. Citing data protection rules, they do not give us any information. We ask them to monitor the actual intended use of these horses to understand whether they are, for example, destined for a riding school or will be slaughtered after several intermediate stops.

In the meantime, we decide to follow the transport from a distance, to understand where they are going, without alarming the drivers. We hope to be able to clarify our doubts with the relevant authorities soon.