ALBANY, NY — A bill that would ban the slaughter of racehorses in New York and create a fund to help care for “retired” racehorses was passed by the state Legislature this week, stunning some advocates who have fought for years to shut down the industry.

Many equine advocates worried the legislation, which the Senate is delivering to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in hopes he will sign it into law, would stall in the Assembly, where it passed unanimously. The legislation would also require microchips be inserted into racehorses — including thoroughbreds, standardbreds and any horses used to breed racehorses — and a bill of sale to track the sale of those horses. It passed unanimously in the state Assembly.

Although horses are not slaughtered in the United States they are trucked to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico, where they are “bled out” after being struck with a bolt gun or shot with a firearm. Equine advocates say the methods used are inhumane and that horses, which often struggle during the process, suffer during the process. Under U.S. regulations, the horses often make the long journeys without food or water while jammed in trailers.

Two years ago, a state Senate panel heard testimony from both sides of the industry about what some testified were the hidden horrors of horse racing as others spoke of efforts to clean up the sport.

“Government works better when we work with advocates and certainly try to do what we can legislatively, but when both houses (of the Legislature) are in sync good things happen,” said state Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., a Queens Democrat who chaired the 2019 hearing and the chief sponsor of the legislation passed this week. “I’m hopeful we shine a light not only on this issue of after-care for horses, but it’s about a horse racing industry, in general, that needs help.”

Addabbo noted the legislation would prohibit horses from being knowingly sold to someone who intends to re-sell or transport that animal for slaughter, including across the U.S. border for that purpose. The legislation defines “slaughter” as the killing of a horse for “human or animal consumption.”

“This in an issue that has plagued the horse industry for a while now; it has actually been tracking horse transfers and now we’re requiring a bill of sale and that’s an issue that needs to be expanded on in next year’s session,” Addabbo said. “This was borne out of the industry saying, ‘hey, we have an issue here.’ At that point, the equine advocates came out and said, ‘yeah, this is a major issue.’ … We were all on the same page. … The multiple parts of this one bill will address a number of issues in the racing industry.”

An after-care fund for retired racehorses, both thoroughbred and standardbreds, would be funded from fines imposed on anyone violating the statute.

The requirement for microchips, which would help track racehorses that are often traded multiple times throughout their lifetime, would prohibit horses from competing “in any race” until they receive a microchip and are registered with the appropriate oversight organization.

The testimony before the Senate’s Committee on Domestic Animal Welfare two years ago highlighted the continued rampant drugging of race horses, and raised questions about whether the animals have been seriously injured because they are pushed into the sport at too young an age.

The industry’s supporters countered that New York has taken steps to sharply reduce the rate of equine deaths associated with racing and training, and that programs are in place to help secure the humane treatment of retired racehorses, who critics say often end up in slaughterhouses.

Reprinted with permission by author Brendan J. Lyons from the Times Union

NY passes ban on slaughtering racehorses

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