Stop Kentucky’s Wild Horses From Being Sent to Slaughter

The Issue
Kentucky proudly calls itself the Horse Capital of the World. Yet today, in Breathitt County, wild free-roaming horses are being rounded up under the state’s stray-hold law — and many are at risk of being shipped to slaughterhouses in Mexico or Canada.

These herds, which roam abandoned mine lands near Jackson, have become a beloved attraction. Tourists travel from across the country to see them, guided by the Appalachian Horse Project. While the herd’s growth has created challenges for nearby residents and motorists, a humane solution has been on the table for years: establishing a sanctuary to provide veterinary care, adequate food, and birth control to stabilize the population.

The Breathitt County Industrial Authority endorsed this sanctuary plan, recognizing both the economic and cultural value of the horses. But instead of supporting this humane option, the Breathitt Fiscal Court voted to “get rid” of the horses through the stray-hold process — a system that allows anyone to claim the animals after a short holding period, with no safeguards against them being funneled into kill pens and shipped to slaughter.

Right now, at least 24 horses are listed under the state veterinarian’s stray-hold program. Some have been rescued by the Kentucky Humane Society, but most were taken by a horse dealer who openly admitted they could be sold to buyers who send horses to slaughter. Witnesses have also reported horses being darted and removed without paperwork, leaving their fate unknown.

The United States has long recognized that horse slaughter is not acceptable — which is why it’s banned domestically. Horses are not livestock to be butchered. They are companions, working partners, and living symbols of our heritage. For Kentucky — a state that owes so much to the horse — this betrayal is unacceptable.

We Demand
We call on Governor Andy Beshear, the Kentucky Legislature, and the Department of Agriculture to:

• Immediately halt the removal of Breathitt County’s wild horses under the stray-hold process.
• Close the slaughter pipeline by strengthening state laws to ensure horses cannot be claimed and sold for slaughter.
• Fund and support humane solutions — including the proposed Appalachian Horse Center — to provide long-term, compassionate management of Kentucky’s wild horses.

Kentucky’s wild horses deserve protection, not slaughter. It’s time to honor our heritage and choose humane solutions over cruelty.