Learn to hate European live equine transports.

A European horse transport filmed by Viva and Animals' Angels. Journeys covering over 3 000 km and lasting for a week are common; this is the way equines are transported to slaughter in Europe. When you see the state of these horses at the end of the film, remember that they are only half way by then.

Every year about 140 000 horses and 7 000 donkeys are imported to the EU from Central and Eastern Europe. They are transported under horrific conditions, mainly to Italy, to be slaughtered on arrival. Once they are slaughtered the meat is labelled as Italian.

These animals are transported in overcrowded trucks unsuitable for the purpose. They are driven for thousands of miles on journeys lasting for many days in all weather conditions. They usually don’t get any food and not much water, since unsaturated meat is considered superior drivers are told not to water the horses. They don’t get the rest periods, since that would mean paying the drivers twice as much. They fall over, they trample each other, and they get caught in the metal sidebars. Many die on the way.

The swaying trucks make it difficult for the horses to remain upright and they often lose their balance and fall. Once down they are trampled and wounded by the others, if unable to rise again they will be trampled to death. This is not uncommon. These transports are extremely exhausting and some animals are already dead half way.

When they arrive at the slaughterhouse many are too exhausted and traumatised to walk out of the truck. Fallen horses are beaten and an electric prod is inserted into their rectum to induce them to stand, on broken limbs. Those who, in spite of this torment, are unable to get up are dragged off in chains.

The only action needed to end this suffering is to slaughter the animals where they are bred, and export the meat frozen. But that would be unacceptable to us, because we want our meat to be fresh (even if we can’t tell the difference) and we want it to be labelled Italian (even if it’s Polish). These animals are tormented for a week to satisfy our need for imaginary luxury.

The European authorities, including veterinarians, close their eyes to this. For nothing must stand in the way of making money, regardless of the cost. It would be cheaper to transport frozen meat; these transports exist because we are prepared to pay extra for meat from tortured animals.

Wallow in your hate. Read Viva's report on live export of equines from Poland.