Yesterday it was learned that Canadian slaughterhouses are suddenly refusing to accept American horses for slaughter as it appears the European Union (EU) has embargoed the import of horsemeat from America. Anecdotal information suggests American horses are unwelcome at Mexican slaughterhouses as well.
What is not known is the reason behind this ban. Speculation suggests, it is tied to the levels of banned substances being detected in horsemeat exported to the EU. Since no official press releases have come out, it is not known how long the ban will remain in effect. As you can imagine, many auctions which depend on kill buyers have been cancelled until the full scope of this ban is understood.
A bigger issue faces American interests as well. Starting in July of 2013, no horse without an electronic identification document (EID) will be permitted in the pipeline to EU nations for human consumption. The EID must contain a horse's lifetime veterinary record including medications used and must show prohibited medications not being used for 180 days prior to slaughter.
For those who send unwanted horses to auction, hoping they find new homes, reality must be setting in. If there was a real market for horses like yours other than for slaughter, why are horse auctions being cancelled? Without being able to sell horses for slaughter, there is no market per se.
