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Are horses any more traceable since the shocking ‘Horses – Making a Killing’ TV documentary… and what else needs to be done?

In our latest H&H subscriber-exclusive investigation into issues affecting horse sport today, H&H senior news writer Lucy Elder looks into the current situation around equine traceability for both thoroughbreds and other breeds in Britain and Ireland, what is preventing progress, and what next steps are needed...
Lucy Elder Lucy Elder

    • Our lives are tracked more closely than ever before. When technology is able to monitor our every moment, our clicks are harvested and fed back to us in individually personalised content or shopping suggestions, how is traceability for our horses still so fragmented?

    In many ways, the thoroughbred industry is ahead of the rest of the wider equine world when it comes to traceability. Racehorses must be registered within 30 days of being born, and Weatherbys has been issuing e-passports, alongside the paper document, for thoroughbreds.

    There is no doubting the care and dedication most thoroughbreds receive across their lives. People work in the industry because they love and care for horses.

    That is why when the RTÉ Investigates documentary, Horses – Making a Killing, was released in June 2024 – showing the failures of fragmented traceability systems that allow vulnerable horses to fall through the gaps – it was met with condemnation from within and outside the industry. It is important to clarify that horses involved were from a range of breeds and backgrounds, not just thoroughbreds. Among the documentary’s findings were cases of horses’ identities’ being laundered.

    Six months since its release, how are the promises made then by those in power to improve traceability holding up? And what work is ongoing in Ireland and in Britain today?

    Where are we now?

    • What do you think is the way forward for ensuring traceability of all horses, from birth to death? Let us know by writing to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and country, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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    Lucy Elder
    Lucy Elder

    H&H senior news writer
    Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
    Lucy Elder

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