Breaking news: Italian TV airs horse slaughter footage
- Animal Equality released its first investigation into horse slaughter in Italy, showing repeated breaches of European and Italian law.
- Investigators spent seven months documenting conditions inside a facility that kills more than 50 horses each week.
- The footage documents routine cruelty and illegal conduct, including beatings, whippings, and conscious horses shackled and hoisted.
- Animal Equality filed a complaint with a regional prosecutor’s office. Over 230,000 Italian citizens have backed a petition to ban horse slaughter.
- The U.S. is tied to the same global trade, with thousands of horses shipped to Mexico and Canada for meat each year.
- The SAFE Act could end this trade, banning the export of U.S. horses for slaughter.
Animal Equality has released its first investigation into Italy’s horse meat industry, revealing repeated violations of European and Italian law.
On December 3, 2025, TGR Emilia Romagna aired the findings in an exclusive report.
Investigators had filmed hundreds of hours inside the slaughterhouse–the largest in Northern Italy–across 2024 and 2025.
Over a span of seven months, they documented:
- Workers whipping horses, striking them with wooden sticks and hard tools, and shouting obscenities at them.
- Conscious horses shackled with chains and hoisted upside down, their necks slit open.
- Horses convulsing as they bled out.
- A dead horse left on the ground, in violation of health regulations.
- Two horses reaching through the gate bars to touch noses, as if trying to comfort each other in the dark holding stalls.
Along with some donkeys, mules, ponies, and cows, these horses were kept for days in filthy stables, forced to lie in their own waste. Many were older, with shod hooves and deformed backs from years of riding.
Horses are meant to be stunned unconscious before slaughter, but investigators saw the system fail repeatedly. Dozens of horses had to be stunned more than once. Workers often stunned two horses at the same time in one box, raising the risk of mistakes.
The heavy “guillotine” gate was repeatedly lowered onto horses’ rumps, backs, necks, and even faces to force them into position. Sometimes it was slammed down on a horse already entering, with no apparent reason beyond spite or carelessness.
Because of long delays between stunning and bleeding, many horses regained consciousness. Several were still breathing as their throats were cut and they bled out.
A “model” slaughterhouse under scrutiny
Zerbini & Ragazzi slaughterhouse–located in the town of Correggio, Emilia-Romagna–kills more than 50 horses per week.
While it markets itself as a model of “best practices,” a veterinary expert who reviewed the footage disagreed:
Some animals show signs of consciousness, such as rhythmic breathing. If conscious, animals have the ability to feel pain caused by the cutting of tissue necessary for slaughter. — Enrico Moriconi, veterinarian
The horse meat controversy continues
Italy is among the largest consumers of horse meat in Europe and one of the world’s leading importers. But according to a survey by Animal Equality and Ipsos, only 17% of Italians consume horse meat.
Animal Equality’s legal team has filed a criminal complaint against Zerbini & Ragazzi with the regional prosecutor’s office. Meanwhile, over 230,000 people have signed Animal Equality’s petition to ban horse slaughter in Italy.
…[T]here was constant non-compliance with the regulations governing this matter, causing enormous (unnecessary and avoidable) suffering to the animals. — Glauco Gasperini, attorney
Is horse slaughter legal in the U.S.?
Animal Equality has exposed the horse meat trade several times, including a two-part investigation in Mexico. One segment documented U.S. horses—still bearing USDA tags—awaiting slaughter.
In the United States, horse slaughter is effectively blocked. Congress has cut off USDA funding for horse slaughterhouse inspections, meaning horse meat cannot be sold legally.
But the trade continues through exports. Each year, roughly 20,000 American horses are shipped to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. Many were once companion animals.
The SAFE Act, reintroduced in Congress in 2025, would make the ban permanent and end these exports. Readers can use Animal Equality’s form to message their representatives in support.
To see the full scope of Animal Equality investigations—including those related to horses—visit the full archive.
A kinder plate… for every animal
What if your compassion for horses could reach every animal used for food?
Pigs, chickens, and cows suffer the same fear and pain in U.S. slaughterhouses.
Love Veg makes choosing kindness feel effortless. Explore the plant-based recipe library for vibrant, comforting meals, and enjoy the peace of knowing your plate protects animals.
Defend HORSES
Considered companions by many, horses are sensitive and intelligent animals who deserve protection.
Protect these beautiful animals by choosing plant‑based foods.
