Horrific New Footage Surfaces of Racehorses being Killed in Victoria

Farm Transparency Project (FTP) has released undercover footage confirming the ruthless slaughter of both thoroughbreds and standardbreds at a property in Northern Victoria. The sickening footage shows horses being shot in plain sight of other panicked horses and then taken away for processing at a nearby abattoir.

View the footage here.

The kill buyer is well known to the racing industry.

“This sickening footage demonstrates the failure of the racing industry to address the welfare concerns of thousands of horses that leave racing every year.” Said Elio Celotto, Campaign Director for the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR). 

“Without a comprehensive retirement program for all racehorses, it is inevitable that thousands will be ruthlessly killed as they always have – nothing has changed.”

“Current rules of racing prohibit racehorses from being sent directly to knackeries or slaughterhouses, however it doesn’t stop middlemen from taking possession of ex-racehorses and on selling them to knackeries.”

“Without a viable market for ex-racehorses, the routine slaughter of racehorses will continue unabated. The racing industry has created this problem and they need to be made accountable.”

“The fact remains that approximately 10,000 racehorses leave the racing industry ever year and nobody knows where they are except perhaps the kill buyers and knackeries who clean up the racing industry’s mess.”

“There is a very good reason why the racing industry does not disclose any data about retiring racehorses, because if the public new the truth, they simply would not have an industry.”

“All Australians should be appalled that these horrific practices are still taking place but the reality is they have never stopped, they’ve just got better at hiding it.”

Racing Victoria has a euthanasia program, Onsite Humane Euthanasia Program (OHEP) that allows owners of registered thoroughbreds to have their horses killed and disposed of at no charge. It’s an expedient way to liberate a horse owner of their responsibility to the horse so they can buy another one. Racing Victoria refuses to disclose any information about this program.

CPR has repeatedly requested meetings with Racing Victoria to discuss horse welfare but have declined on every occasion.

CPR will be demonstrating at the main entrance at Flemington on Derby Day with screens showing the horrific footage recently captured.

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