Secure Justice: End the Slaughter Pipeline
Reform must start now. We are urging the United States Trotting Association (USTA) — led by President Russell C. Williams — to launch an official investigation into the findings uncovered by Animals’ Angels and to suspend the memberships of any owners or trainers proven to have sent their horses to slaughter.
Southwind Madonna is just one of 1,868 Standardbred horses shipped to slaughter in 2024.
Animals’ Angels’ recent investigation dispels the myth that only old or injured horses are targeted. The truth is far more disturbing: strong, healthy Standardbreds — some just past their racing peak — are being discarded and killed.
Of the 2,912 U.S. horses exported to Canada for slaughter last year, Animals’ Angels identified 1,868 as Standardbreds. Using USDA health certificates and freeze-brand records, investigators traced 524 of these “Unlucky 524” horses by name — many were winners on the track, bred by top farms, and once celebrated for their bloodlines.
Despite their heritage and earnings, they were brutally butchered. This proves that no horse, regardless of pedigree or success, is safe until slaughter itself is banned.
Animals’ Angels is leveraging this evidence to push for immediate reform and increased accountability within the Standardbred harness racing industry. Please add your name to our open letter urging the USTA to act.
Please add your name to our letter now:
Add Your Name
Read the Open Letter to the USTA
Dear President Williams and Members of the USTA Board of Directors,
It has come to my attention that an alarming number of Standardbred horses are being funneled into the slaughter pipeline each year. Many of these horses earned money and recognition for their owners — yet they still faced a gruesome death at a Canadian slaughter plant..
You yourself have said:
“When we raise these yearlings and send them out into the world, we love them. We do not want them to meet up with mistreatment of any kind.”
Sadly, the evidence shows they did. In 2024, 2,912 U.S. horses were shipped to Canada for slaughter — 1,868 of them Standardbreds. Animals’ Angels used USDA and freeze-brand data to identify 524 of these “Unlucky 524” horses by name, many with substantial racing wins and distinguished pedigrees.
As the governing body for Standardbred racing, we call on the USTA to conduct a full investigation into the Animals’ Angels data and suspend the memberships of any owners or trainers proven to have sent their horses to slaughter. We also urge the USTA to improve aftercare funding and establish a mandatory surcharge on all registrations to create a permanent, well-funded program for retraining and rehoming retired racehorses.
I hope that this evidence is not taken lightly as I join Animals’ Angels and our community of advocates, urging the USTA to take action against the disturbing slaughter of standardbred horses.
Thank you for reading,
Your Name Here
Signers
Animals’ Angels is a team of animal welfare investigators, working to expose cruelty and demand accountability in slaughterhouses, auctions, and feedlots across the United States. Support the team working to dismantle systems of animal abuse by making a tax-deductible donation today.
READ THE FULL STANDARBRED TO SLAUGHTER REPORT
The identification of individual horses in this report is based on data provided in official USDA Health Certificates. While these documents are considered reliable sources, there remains a possibility of clerical or observational error, particularly in cases involving older horses, where freeze brands may be faded, obscured, or difficult to interpret. Animals’ Angels has taken reasonable steps to verify the accuracy of this information; however, misread brands or transcription mistakes may result in occasional discrepancies. This report should be viewed in light of those limitations.
