Reply #7: One reason it is a problem is theft.

[Debau2005]

In the areas surrounding the slaughter houses horse theft is a huge problem. Horses for human consumption must be fairly healthy. The slaughter houses are supposed to check the horses for tags, brands, or any identification and they do not. Imagine your horror to come home, and find your horses gone...Nothing left but an open fence and tire tracks. And don't think that the slaughter is humane, it is not, and neither is the transport. But then again the slaughter of any animal for food is not humane. They are usually lifted by their backends, throats slit and allowed to bleed to death. If this is where you want your meat to come from, enjoy!