Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps owners are required to take to rehome horses before sending them to an abattoir.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 places a legal duty of care on owners and keepers for the animals for which they are responsible on a permanent or temporary basis. It is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The 2006 Act is backed up by the statutory Code of Practice (CoP) for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides owners with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their animals as required by the 2006 Act: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-welfare-of-horses-ponies-donkeys-and-their-hybrids

As set out in the CoP, horse owners should proactively develop a plan for a horse’s end of life in order to prevent unnecessary pain and distress. Owners are responsible for making any decisions to euthanise a horse or to explore alternative arrangements such as rehoming the animal where it may be appropriate and in the best interests of the horse's welfare to do so. The Blue Cross provides advice on responsible rehoming of a horse: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/responsible-equine-rehoming. World Horse Welfare provides advice on end of life decision making: https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/advice/management/end-of-life . The British Horseracing Authority also provides advice on life after racing for racehorses: https://www.britishhorseracing.com/regulation/life-after-racing/

Considerations for euthanasia may include when a horse's quality of life has deteriorated significantly, for example due to chronic or age-related conditions. We encourage owners to seek veterinary opinion in such circumstances. If a decision is taken to end a horse's life, it must be humanely destroyed by a vet or a suitably qualified, experienced and equipped person, such as a licensed slaughterman.