1 00:00:00,315 --> 00:00:01,955 This programme contains scenes from the start 2 00:00:01,980 --> 00:00:07,205 which viewers may find upsetting. 3 00:00:10,390 --> 00:00:12,060 This programme contains scenes from the start 4 00:00:12,085 --> 00:00:13,255 which viewers may find upsetting. 5 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:15,184 A Grand National-winning trainer shamed after being pictured 6 00:00:15,209 --> 00:00:16,365 sitting on a dead horse. 7 00:00:16,390 --> 00:00:18,034 The prominent trainer Gordon Elliott has been 8 00:00:18,059 --> 00:00:19,806 temporarily banned from racing. 9 00:00:19,831 --> 00:00:22,205 It was an image that shocked the horse racing world. 10 00:00:22,230 --> 00:00:24,130 What concerned me was not particularly Gordon Elliott 11 00:00:24,155 --> 00:00:29,330 being an idiot, but the fact there's a dead young horse below him. 12 00:00:30,315 --> 00:00:31,926 Tonight, we investigate what happens to racehorses 13 00:00:31,951 --> 00:00:36,926 when their careers end. 14 00:00:36,951 --> 00:00:39,806 Sadly, so many of them come to us with injuries and ailments 15 00:00:39,831 --> 00:00:42,205 that need time and need, without a doubt, a large 16 00:00:42,230 --> 00:00:44,160 amount of funding. 17 00:00:44,185 --> 00:00:47,526 The fate of some of the thousands of young horses dying in the UK 18 00:00:47,551 --> 00:00:50,396 and Ireland every year. 19 00:00:50,421 --> 00:00:55,585 Oh my god, what a gorgeous horse. 20 00:00:57,514 --> 00:01:02,705 Oh, no. 21 00:01:06,875 --> 00:01:08,070 What he about to do? 22 00:01:08,095 --> 00:01:10,985 And we reveal how horses once trained by some of the biggest 23 00:01:11,010 --> 00:01:12,860 names in the industry, have ended up here... 24 00:01:12,885 --> 00:01:13,894 ...in an abattoir... 25 00:01:13,919 --> 00:01:14,936 ...where they're slaughtered. 26 00:01:14,961 --> 00:01:17,810 There are a number of animals that have not been killed well. 27 00:01:17,835 --> 00:01:20,449 If that's representative of how they're being killed, then we've got 28 00:01:20,474 --> 00:01:25,686 a really serious problem. 29 00:01:31,045 --> 00:01:33,405 I come from horse country - County Kildare in Ireland. 30 00:01:33,430 --> 00:01:36,320 Growing up here, I know how much both the British and Irish 31 00:01:36,345 --> 00:01:41,579 love their racehorses. 32 00:01:44,995 --> 00:01:50,156 Many of the animals trained here go on to the biggest stages in racing. 33 00:01:52,835 --> 00:01:53,860 The defining stage. 34 00:01:53,885 --> 00:01:58,095 300 years in the making. 35 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,020 This is the glamorous image racing likes to portray. 36 00:02:01,045 --> 00:02:06,234 It's a £5-billion industry in the UK and Ireland. 37 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,614 Some of the most successful horses in racing are trained 38 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:12,536 at the Cullentra Stables in County Meath, promoted 39 00:02:12,561 --> 00:02:17,530 here by now disgraced trainer Gordon Elliott. 40 00:02:20,604 --> 00:02:22,734 The dead horse he was pictured sitting on was 41 00:02:22,759 --> 00:02:24,579 a seven-year-old called Morgan. 42 00:02:24,604 --> 00:02:29,816 He says it died of an apparent heart attack on the gallops. 43 00:02:31,195 --> 00:02:35,395 Gordon Elliott was suspended from the sport and widely condemned. 44 00:02:35,420 --> 00:02:39,420 Now he says his world is crumbling in front of him. 45 00:02:39,445 --> 00:02:44,625 Shocking I think is probably the first emotion that came to mind. 46 00:02:46,270 --> 00:02:49,495 The fear is years of hard work have been undermined. 47 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:52,140 Gordon Elliott apologised and said "the welfare of each and every 48 00:02:52,165 --> 00:02:54,536 horse" under his care is paramount and has been "central 49 00:02:54,561 --> 00:02:59,770 to his success." 50 00:03:13,045 --> 00:03:16,140 But campaign group Animal Aid, which is calling for an end to horse 51 00:03:16,165 --> 00:03:18,050 racing, says the picture raises serious questions for 52 00:03:18,075 --> 00:03:20,860 the whole industry. 53 00:03:20,885 --> 00:03:22,816 What concerned me was not particularly Gordon Elliott 54 00:03:22,841 --> 00:03:25,890 being an idiot, but the fact there's a dead young horse below him. 55 00:03:25,915 --> 00:03:28,300 What were the reasons for that horse dying in training? 56 00:03:28,325 --> 00:03:30,020 How many horses are dying in training? 57 00:03:30,045 --> 00:03:35,249 The horse was owned by Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary's stud farm. 58 00:03:36,075 --> 00:03:38,730 Its partnership with Gordon Elliott has been one of the most 59 00:03:38,755 --> 00:03:40,610 successful in racing history, culminating in Michael O'Leary's 60 00:03:40,635 --> 00:03:45,845 dream of winning the Grand National. 61 00:03:46,045 --> 00:03:49,610 I went into my first bookie shop to put a bet on the Grand National 62 00:03:49,635 --> 00:03:51,579 without my mother knowing. 63 00:03:51,604 --> 00:03:52,610 To win it... 64 00:03:52,635 --> 00:03:56,320 ...is a dream come true. 65 00:03:56,345 --> 00:04:01,300 One of the biggest names in jump racing, Michael O'Leary, is now 66 00:04:03,195 --> 00:04:04,329 winding down his racing empire. 67 00:04:04,354 --> 00:04:06,730 His horses are looked after by a variety of trainers. 68 00:04:06,755 --> 00:04:11,936 Since 2015, of the 500 horses owned by his stud 86 have died. 69 00:04:12,001 --> 00:04:17,199 That's more than one in six. 70 00:04:19,604 --> 00:04:21,940 Is that a death rate that's inevitable for jump horses 71 00:04:21,965 --> 00:04:25,676 with tough racing careers? 72 00:04:25,701 --> 00:04:29,780 Dr Hannah Donovan is a veterinary expert. 73 00:04:29,805 --> 00:04:35,020 No. 74 00:04:36,915 --> 00:04:39,536 Where we have the veterinary care we have, and the developments 75 00:04:39,561 --> 00:04:42,406 we have, to be able to look after horses in the high 76 00:04:42,431 --> 00:04:44,579 standard that we have in Britain and in Ireland, 77 00:04:44,604 --> 00:04:49,300 then, no, you wouldn't expect that. 78 00:04:49,325 --> 00:04:51,449 Michael O'Leary says the horses that died suffered serious 79 00:04:51,474 --> 00:04:56,670 or life-threatening injuries either in training or on the racecourse - 80 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,610 so rehab was not an option. 81 00:05:01,635 --> 00:05:05,936 "These animals were humanely euthanised" on veterinary advice, 82 00:05:05,961 --> 00:05:11,050 "rather than allowing them to suffer". 83 00:05:11,474 --> 00:05:14,090 Many animals live long and happy lives when they leave racing. 84 00:05:14,115 --> 00:05:17,020 So, what are the rules when a horse's racing career ends? 85 00:05:17,045 --> 00:05:22,220 Daniel Mills is a Professor of Equine Behaviour. 86 00:05:23,165 --> 00:05:26,780 The industry's own regulations recommend that you should make 87 00:05:26,805 --> 00:05:31,860 provision for all the animals that you're responsible for. 88 00:05:31,925 --> 00:05:35,095 According to the guidelines, the onus is on trainers and owners 89 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:40,310 to find lifelong care for their horses. 90 00:05:41,091 --> 00:05:45,170 And that duty of care extends to racehorses forced to stop 91 00:05:45,195 --> 00:05:47,920 racing due to injury. 92 00:05:47,945 --> 00:05:51,080 Euthanasia is not ruled out, but should only be used, 93 00:05:51,105 --> 00:05:53,975 on a vet's advice, to prevent a horse from suffering. 94 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:58,024 Does a career-ending injury necessarily mean that the horse 95 00:05:58,049 --> 00:06:00,620 should be euthanased? 96 00:06:00,645 --> 00:06:01,900 No, it doesn't. 97 00:06:01,925 --> 00:06:05,696 It completely depends on the individual injury and situation. 98 00:06:05,721 --> 00:06:10,930 And some horses, if they have an injury, you can put time 99 00:06:14,691 --> 00:06:17,060 and often money into them to help rehabilitate them, heal 100 00:06:17,085 --> 00:06:22,280 whatever has gone wrong. 101 00:06:28,205 --> 00:06:30,946 This is an ex-racehorse who is receiving some treatment from 102 00:06:30,971 --> 00:06:34,385 Kate, our full-time physiotherapist. 103 00:06:34,410 --> 00:06:36,255 Mary Frances runs the Moorcroft Equine Rehabilitation Centre. 104 00:06:36,280 --> 00:06:41,546 She's nursed injured racehorses back to health. 105 00:06:42,721 --> 00:06:47,479 So he has arrived with some back pain and he's been with us 106 00:06:47,504 --> 00:06:49,820 a while and he's receiving just further treatment. 107 00:06:49,845 --> 00:06:53,150 He is in work now and he is much more comfortable that he was. 108 00:06:53,175 --> 00:06:58,416 Around 7,000 horses leave British racing each year. 109 00:06:58,821 --> 00:07:01,150 Mary says she's inundated with requests to help injured 110 00:07:01,175 --> 00:07:06,385 racehorses like Lord Kennedy here. 111 00:07:08,721 --> 00:07:13,995 The phone rings here every day and I get two or three requests 112 00:07:14,841 --> 00:07:17,826 per day to take in an ex-racehorse. 113 00:07:17,851 --> 00:07:20,230 They're signed over to the charity, and we take full 114 00:07:20,255 --> 00:07:21,796 responsibility for them. 115 00:07:21,821 --> 00:07:25,505 And that's a big commitment financially and otherwise. 116 00:07:25,530 --> 00:07:28,150 We're having to beg, steal and borrow funding from other areas. 117 00:07:28,175 --> 00:07:31,740 And we do very much worry for the future. 118 00:07:31,765 --> 00:07:36,505 The British racing industry gives £1.4 million a year 119 00:07:36,530 --> 00:07:39,154 for the aftercare of racehorses. 120 00:07:39,179 --> 00:07:43,060 Mary thinks there's more that could be done. 121 00:07:43,085 --> 00:07:46,310 Sadly, so many of them come to us with injuries and ailments 122 00:07:46,335 --> 00:07:51,475 that need time and need, without a doubt, a large 123 00:07:53,335 --> 00:07:54,696 amount of funding. 124 00:07:54,721 --> 00:07:57,589 There's no question there is money available, it's not a poor industry, 125 00:07:57,614 --> 00:08:01,667 there is money available, but there doesn't seem to be 126 00:08:01,692 --> 00:08:06,856 the understanding or the desire to put the money where it is needed. 127 00:08:07,251 --> 00:08:10,480 The British Horse Racing Authority says... 128 00:08:10,505 --> 00:08:12,827 "The number of racehorses at rehoming centres is a relatively 129 00:08:12,852 --> 00:08:16,340 small proportion of those retired from racing." 130 00:08:16,365 --> 00:08:18,151 It says... 131 00:08:25,336 --> 00:08:27,947 More than 300 British and Irish horses died at the racecourse 132 00:08:27,972 --> 00:08:31,901 in the last full year of racing. 133 00:08:31,926 --> 00:08:35,827 The British Horseracing Authority says horse racing is getting safer. 134 00:08:35,852 --> 00:08:41,031 But away from the track, it's not easy to find out 135 00:08:42,535 --> 00:08:46,340 what happens to racehorses when their careers end. 136 00:08:46,365 --> 00:08:47,741 Scouring publicly available information and putting 137 00:08:47,766 --> 00:08:50,460 the pieces together, I've discovered that 138 00:08:50,485 --> 00:08:55,697 thousands of racehorses, often young, die every year. 139 00:08:58,336 --> 00:08:59,947 Campaign group Animal Aid has been investigating 140 00:08:59,972 --> 00:09:03,151 racehorse deaths for years. 141 00:09:03,176 --> 00:09:08,351 It thinks it's found out what happens to some of them. 142 00:09:10,852 --> 00:09:13,901 It set up covert cameras at an abattoir - Drury and Sons - 143 00:09:13,926 --> 00:09:19,136 one of the few licensed to slaughter horses in England. 144 00:09:26,615 --> 00:09:29,700 We wanted to see what was going to, what was actually happening there. 145 00:09:29,725 --> 00:09:31,621 What were the type of horses going through? 146 00:09:31,646 --> 00:09:33,311 What were the ages of these horses? 147 00:09:33,336 --> 00:09:35,697 When we looked at the footage we were absolutely astounded 148 00:09:35,722 --> 00:09:37,386 at the sheer volume of young thoroughbreds. 149 00:09:37,411 --> 00:09:41,510 The footage was shot on four clays at the end of 2019 and early 2020. 150 00:09:41,535 --> 00:09:43,667 Many of the horses seen being slaughtered were aged 151 00:09:43,692 --> 00:09:48,901 between two and ten. 152 00:09:49,646 --> 00:09:53,976 Much of the footage is too distressing to show. 153 00:09:54,001 --> 00:09:56,621 Sort of two, three, four years old, you know, very, very 154 00:09:56,646 --> 00:09:57,667 young, immature animals. 155 00:09:57,692 --> 00:09:59,905 They weren't mature animals. 156 00:09:59,930 --> 00:10:01,340 How long would they live normally? 157 00:10:01,365 --> 00:10:06,597 A thoroughbred could live for 25, even 30 years. 158 00:10:08,592 --> 00:10:10,967 So they've got a long life ahead of them, potentially. 159 00:10:10,992 --> 00:10:12,641 Yet it's being cut short very early. 160 00:10:12,666 --> 00:10:13,996 There's something fundamentally wrong here. 161 00:10:14,021 --> 00:10:19,126 Some horses were beautiful, fabulous looking horses. 162 00:10:19,230 --> 00:10:24,406 And we were saying, "Why are these horses going to slaughter?" 163 00:10:26,872 --> 00:10:29,891 I show the footage to independent experts, Dr Hannah Donovan... 164 00:10:29,916 --> 00:10:31,251 That horse is terrified. 165 00:10:31,276 --> 00:10:33,717 ...and Professor Daniel Mills. 166 00:10:33,742 --> 00:10:37,526 Euthanasia means a good death. 167 00:10:37,551 --> 00:10:40,891 And what I've seen this afternoon has been quite a lot of animals that 168 00:10:40,916 --> 00:10:45,276 I'm concerned have not been killed well. 169 00:10:45,301 --> 00:10:46,967 Some of these look really beautiful horses. 170 00:10:46,992 --> 00:10:49,126 You know, it surprises me that nothing can be 171 00:10:49,151 --> 00:10:50,171 done for these horses. 172 00:10:50,196 --> 00:10:52,807 I would have thought some of these, you know, they looked 173 00:10:52,832 --> 00:10:56,126 like they could be rehabilitated and sold on. 174 00:10:56,151 --> 00:11:00,075 The vast majority of horses being slaughtered in Britain 175 00:11:00,100 --> 00:11:03,557 and Ireland come from Irish owners and trainers, and the overall 176 00:11:03,582 --> 00:11:06,847 figure is staggering. 177 00:11:06,872 --> 00:11:11,967 From the start of 2019 to the end of 2020 alone, 178 00:11:15,026 --> 00:11:19,041 4,000 racehorses were slaughtered in UK and Irish abattoirs. 179 00:11:19,066 --> 00:11:23,246 It's not hard to construct an argument that the routine 180 00:11:23,271 --> 00:11:25,171 slaughter of thousands of race horses brings shame 181 00:11:25,196 --> 00:11:29,557 on the racing industry. 182 00:11:29,582 --> 00:11:32,891 One thing is certain, it's not something racing boasts about. 183 00:11:32,916 --> 00:11:38,097 While the covert cameras were recording at Drury's abattoir, 184 00:11:38,832 --> 00:11:44,041 this horse turned up. 185 00:11:45,226 --> 00:11:52,150 According to its documents, it's a racehorse called Tammys Hill. 186 00:11:54,066 --> 00:11:58,641 Thousands watched as he raced in the Irish Grand National in 2015. 187 00:11:58,666 --> 00:12:01,761 Tammys Hill is in contention, but at the fourth from last fence, 188 00:12:01,786 --> 00:12:06,967 he rears up, with a leg injury. 189 00:12:08,666 --> 00:12:10,276 We see him struggling in the background. 190 00:12:10,301 --> 00:12:15,081 He was put down - his death widely reported. 191 00:12:15,992 --> 00:12:18,126 So how come, almost five years later, he seems 192 00:12:18,151 --> 00:12:20,376 to have turned up here? 193 00:12:22,832 --> 00:12:24,485 The answer may lie in the international 194 00:12:24,510 --> 00:12:27,451 horse meat industry. 195 00:12:27,916 --> 00:12:30,761 Although not popular in the UK, there is a sizeable export market 196 00:12:30,786 --> 00:12:33,687 for horse meat in Europe. 197 00:12:36,380 --> 00:12:41,406 To make sure humans don't eat horse meat contaminated with veterinary 198 00:12:42,301 --> 00:12:44,441 drugs like the anti-inflammatory bute, every horse must have 199 00:12:44,466 --> 00:12:47,041 a microchip and matching passport. 200 00:12:49,271 --> 00:12:54,246 Passports for horses are really important, 201 00:12:54,311 --> 00:12:56,921 because medication they've ever had should be listed in their passport. 202 00:12:56,946 --> 00:12:59,276 If any horse has ever had bute, they can't go 203 00:12:59,301 --> 00:13:01,276 into the human food chain. 204 00:13:01,301 --> 00:13:06,496 Residues can cause problems in humans later down the line, 205 00:13:08,226 --> 00:13:11,001 causing an issue with humans' blood. 206 00:13:11,026 --> 00:13:13,641 But there have been criminal attempts to sell horse meat unfit 207 00:13:13,666 --> 00:13:17,240 for human consumption, using bogus documents. 208 00:13:17,265 --> 00:13:20,515 The passport and microchip of every horse entering an abattoir should be 209 00:13:20,540 --> 00:13:22,910 checked on site by a vet, seen here wearing green, 210 00:13:22,935 --> 00:13:24,836 working for the Food Standards Agency or FSA, 211 00:13:24,861 --> 00:13:30,070 to ensure correct identification. 212 00:13:32,624 --> 00:13:34,395 Good morning. 213 00:13:34,420 --> 00:13:36,349 Ingrid Kragl is an expert in food fraud. 214 00:13:36,374 --> 00:13:39,395 So what do the fraudsters do to trick the system? 215 00:13:39,420 --> 00:13:44,599 If you have a horse that is unfit for consumption, 216 00:13:45,345 --> 00:13:48,880 but you want to sell it anyway to make as much money as you can, 217 00:13:48,905 --> 00:13:51,630 you need to get around the rules. 218 00:13:51,655 --> 00:13:55,469 And for doing that, there is quite a simple way to do it is you need 219 00:13:55,494 --> 00:13:56,750 to falsify the passport. 220 00:13:56,775 --> 00:13:59,796 Fraudulently introducing this horse into the food chain can bring 221 00:13:59,821 --> 00:14:04,070 in a considerable amount of money. 222 00:14:04,499 --> 00:14:07,115 So does this explain why a horse going by the name 223 00:14:07,140 --> 00:14:09,676 of Tammy's Hill has turned up? 224 00:14:09,701 --> 00:14:14,880 Tammys Hill did die at the Irish Grand National. 225 00:14:16,265 --> 00:14:19,070 His owners told us they followed all the correct procedures and don't 226 00:14:19,095 --> 00:14:23,240 know what happened next. 227 00:14:23,265 --> 00:14:26,115 But Tammys Hill's microchip has turned up in the neck of this 228 00:14:26,140 --> 00:14:28,624 horse - an imposter. 229 00:14:28,649 --> 00:14:31,706 Was it to cover up that the horse had been given bute? 230 00:14:34,374 --> 00:14:39,586 The FSA vet discovered the horse had two microchips. 231 00:14:40,095 --> 00:14:44,349 One belonging to Tammy's Hill, and one to another horse. 232 00:14:44,374 --> 00:14:49,570 It was stopped from being sold for food. 233 00:14:50,010 --> 00:14:52,880 But this wasn't the only time a horse turned up at Drury's 234 00:14:52,905 --> 00:14:53,910 with bogus paperwork. 235 00:14:53,935 --> 00:14:59,124 We've obtained these confidential documents, 236 00:14:59,540 --> 00:15:03,990 and in here there is evidence that over 20 clays there were at least 40 237 00:15:04,015 --> 00:15:06,395 attempts to get horse meat into the human food chain 238 00:15:06,420 --> 00:15:11,080 with dubious documentation. 239 00:15:11,981 --> 00:15:17,070 These attempts were all spotted by the FSA vet. 240 00:15:17,140 --> 00:15:20,836 The abattoir says "horses that are not compliant with current 241 00:15:20,861 --> 00:15:26,030 regulations are rejected and do not enter the human food chain". 242 00:15:26,451 --> 00:15:29,265 But it's critical of the passport system, and says it "does not 243 00:15:29,290 --> 00:15:34,425 support the production of safe meat". 244 00:15:35,420 --> 00:15:37,515 The FSA says, together with government, it's working 245 00:15:37,540 --> 00:15:42,349 with the industry to review the equine passport system. 246 00:15:48,010 --> 00:15:50,395 When a horse is slaughtered, there are strict rules designed 247 00:15:50,420 --> 00:15:54,750 to limit its suffering. 248 00:15:54,775 --> 00:15:56,630 Back with Drury and Sons, covertly recorded footage 249 00:15:56,655 --> 00:16:01,706 raises other issues. 250 00:16:02,775 --> 00:16:06,680 Lame or injured horses shouldn't be transported 251 00:16:06,705 --> 00:16:09,914 to slaughter if it's likely to cause unnecessary suffering. 252 00:16:09,939 --> 00:16:13,836 Drury's should know this. 253 00:16:13,861 --> 00:16:17,389 They were fined thousands of pounds after transporting a lame horse 254 00:16:17,414 --> 00:16:20,176 from Northern Ireland for slaughter in 2018. 255 00:16:26,345 --> 00:16:29,190 The covert footage filmed a year later reveals a severely lame horse 256 00:16:29,215 --> 00:16:31,660 at a farm owned by Drury's. 257 00:16:34,369 --> 00:16:39,265 That horse was non-weight-bearing, so could not put the left 258 00:16:39,290 --> 00:16:41,904 hind leg down at all, which indicates or suggests a very 259 00:16:41,929 --> 00:16:47,130 severe injury or pain. 260 00:16:47,571 --> 00:16:52,796 This horse is suffering, and this horse either needs 261 00:16:54,905 --> 00:16:57,086 immediate pain relief intravenously or to consider euthanasia definitely 262 00:16:57,111 --> 00:17:00,265 on the yard at the site. 263 00:17:00,290 --> 00:17:02,956 The footage appears to show the horse remained in that condition 264 00:17:02,981 --> 00:17:07,910 for at least a week. 265 00:17:07,935 --> 00:17:10,235 And it seems the welfare issues don't stop there. 266 00:17:10,260 --> 00:17:15,440 The scenes are so upsetting we can't show most of them. 267 00:17:16,905 --> 00:17:20,030 So we've got two horses that have come in together into the room, 268 00:17:20,055 --> 00:17:21,115 which seems quite unusual. 269 00:17:21,140 --> 00:17:23,546 The regulations are that an animal should not be slaughtered 270 00:17:23,571 --> 00:17:25,515 in sight of another. 271 00:17:25,540 --> 00:17:28,154 A gunshot going off is going to be startling, seeing another 272 00:17:28,179 --> 00:17:33,395 horse suddenly drop. 273 00:17:35,294 --> 00:17:37,836 Is he not about to do them? 274 00:17:37,861 --> 00:17:42,796 Oh, no. 275 00:17:42,821 --> 00:17:44,706 Horses do respond very much to the behaviour 276 00:17:44,731 --> 00:17:45,956 of other horses around them. 277 00:17:45,981 --> 00:17:48,395 We see this clear breach of the rules 26 times. 278 00:17:48,420 --> 00:17:51,030 But even more concerning - the cameras reveal how the kill 279 00:17:51,055 --> 00:17:53,546 is sometimes far from instant. 280 00:17:53,571 --> 00:17:56,515 When you slaughter a horse, what you're looking to do is get 281 00:17:56,540 --> 00:17:59,395 the bullet so that it destroys the brain stem, which is where 282 00:17:59,420 --> 00:18:00,630 the consciousnesses is and kills... 283 00:18:00,655 --> 00:18:02,599 Stops the heart and the breathing as well. 284 00:18:02,624 --> 00:18:05,235 You've got to get the angle right in order to hit 285 00:18:05,260 --> 00:18:07,235 that bit of the brain. 286 00:18:07,260 --> 00:18:10,836 And the easiest way to do it is to be right up close and then 287 00:18:10,861 --> 00:18:13,046 you get the angle quite right. 288 00:18:13,420 --> 00:18:18,630 Here the slaughterman shoots the horses from across the room. 289 00:18:18,985 --> 00:18:20,880 While the covert cameras were filming, 91 horses 290 00:18:20,905 --> 00:18:25,546 were shot from a distance. 291 00:18:25,571 --> 00:18:30,765 On this occasion, it doesn't look like the shot has been accurate. 292 00:18:32,420 --> 00:18:35,469 It doesn't look like the horse is even stunned. 293 00:18:35,494 --> 00:18:37,750 I mean certainly the bullet has not been effective. 294 00:18:37,775 --> 00:18:41,469 You can see it's turning its head. 295 00:18:41,494 --> 00:18:44,630 It seems to have got some control actually over its head and neck. 296 00:18:44,655 --> 00:18:49,849 The first few seconds, it looks like a horse is still conscious. 297 00:18:53,185 --> 00:18:56,030 Taking a shot from a distance at a horse, to me, that's 298 00:18:56,055 --> 00:18:57,086 completely out of order. 299 00:18:57,111 --> 00:18:59,750 If you're going to euthanize a horse, you've got to get 300 00:18:59,775 --> 00:19:01,265 a bullet in the right place. 301 00:19:01,290 --> 00:19:04,395 And, you know, shooting a horse from afar as if you're on safari 302 00:19:04,420 --> 00:19:06,676 is not the way to do it. 303 00:19:06,701 --> 00:19:09,320 If that's representative of how they're being killed, then we've got 304 00:19:09,345 --> 00:19:10,836 a really serious problem. 305 00:19:10,861 --> 00:19:13,515 The abattoir says it takes "great care to maintain high welfare 306 00:19:13,540 --> 00:19:18,724 conditions" and does not accept any form of animal abuse. 307 00:19:19,731 --> 00:19:21,874 It says, where issues arise, it takes "swift action 308 00:19:21,899 --> 00:19:24,349 to review and rectify" them. 309 00:19:26,215 --> 00:19:29,985 "All horses are humanely destroyed" under the control of FSA vets 310 00:19:30,010 --> 00:19:34,284 who are present on the slaughter line at all times. 311 00:19:34,935 --> 00:19:40,139 So, should the FSA be intervening? 312 00:19:42,731 --> 00:19:46,519 I think also what's shocking there is it looks 313 00:19:46,544 --> 00:19:48,880 like there's an official veterinary surgeon in place as well. 314 00:19:48,905 --> 00:19:51,030 And they have a responsibility as well to ensure 315 00:19:51,055 --> 00:19:52,320 that the law is upheld. 316 00:19:52,345 --> 00:19:54,750 The Food Standards Agency says it works closely with slaughterhouses 317 00:19:54,775 --> 00:19:56,910 to "ensure animal welfare is maintained at all stages 318 00:19:56,935 --> 00:20:00,670 of food production". 319 00:20:00,695 --> 00:20:03,086 The Government is currently looking at what can be done 320 00:20:03,111 --> 00:20:06,444 to improve enforcement and control at slaughterhouses. 321 00:20:11,414 --> 00:20:15,515 Across four clays, we see 261 horses, ponies and thoroughbreds 322 00:20:15,540 --> 00:20:20,349 killed at the abattoir. 323 00:20:20,374 --> 00:20:22,546 Some of the racehorses who faced the slaughterman's gun 324 00:20:22,571 --> 00:20:27,030 had illustrious pasts. 325 00:20:27,055 --> 00:20:30,160 A number had been under the recent care of some of the most 326 00:20:30,185 --> 00:20:32,225 respected names in the sport. 327 00:20:36,111 --> 00:20:37,546 This video showcases Cheltenham Champion Hurdle-winning 328 00:20:37,571 --> 00:20:42,160 trainer Gavin Cromwell's facilities. 329 00:20:42,185 --> 00:20:44,956 He's on the Board of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association. 330 00:20:45,821 --> 00:20:47,985 And this is Beneficial Quest. 331 00:20:48,010 --> 00:20:52,190 He'd been trained by Mr Cromwell. 332 00:20:52,215 --> 00:20:55,750 Here he is being led to the kill room. 333 00:20:56,095 --> 00:20:59,425 We asked Mr Cromwell if he was still the horse's trainer 334 00:20:59,450 --> 00:21:04,115 at the time and knew about its slaughter. 335 00:21:04,140 --> 00:21:07,380 He told us he didn't want to answer our questions. 336 00:21:11,290 --> 00:21:14,880 Remember Gordon Elliott? 337 00:21:14,905 --> 00:21:17,320 The prize-winning trainer suspended for sitting on a dead horse. 338 00:21:17,345 --> 00:21:21,320 He's trained more than 1,300 horses. 339 00:21:21,345 --> 00:21:24,956 He says the animals in his possession are treated 340 00:21:24,981 --> 00:21:27,440 appropriately, he operates at all times under the advice 341 00:21:27,465 --> 00:21:29,344 of veterinary surgeons and that he has rehomed 342 00:21:29,369 --> 00:21:33,160 a substantial number of horses. 343 00:21:33,185 --> 00:21:35,796 Well, you're about to see what happened to three horses that 344 00:21:35,821 --> 00:21:39,706 had recently been trained at his yard. 345 00:21:42,775 --> 00:21:46,660 High Expectations won £43,000 in prize money while racing. 346 00:21:48,290 --> 00:21:51,300 High Expectations for Gordon Elliott winning this lucrative prize. 347 00:21:53,290 --> 00:21:58,572 Vyta Du Roc was even more successful. 348 00:22:02,885 --> 00:22:03,890 Earning his owners 349 00:22:03,915 --> 00:22:06,095 more than £170,000 at courses like Cheltenham and Ascot. 350 00:22:06,120 --> 00:22:08,965 And this is Kiss Me Kayf, who gamely struggled in the few 351 00:22:08,990 --> 00:22:11,816 races she was entered in. 352 00:22:14,445 --> 00:22:17,050 But it was when these horses developed career-ending injuries 353 00:22:17,075 --> 00:22:21,890 that things started to go badly wrong for them. 354 00:22:21,915 --> 00:22:27,140 Gordon Elliott says, in line with the owners' wishes, 355 00:22:27,759 --> 00:22:31,140 he gave Vyta Du Roc to another rider and High Expectations 356 00:22:31,165 --> 00:22:34,454 and Kiss Me Kayf to a horse dealer with an instruction to either rehome 357 00:22:34,479 --> 00:22:36,610 or, if not possible, humanely euthanise them in line 358 00:22:36,635 --> 00:22:40,215 with the regulations. 359 00:22:43,474 --> 00:22:45,610 But we've discovered all three would eventually end up 360 00:22:45,635 --> 00:22:47,300 on a lorry bound for England. 361 00:22:47,325 --> 00:22:52,174 Despite being injured, including one with lameness, 362 00:22:52,199 --> 00:22:55,526 the horses were taken by ferry across the Irish Sea 363 00:22:55,551 --> 00:22:57,140 and driven to South West England. 364 00:22:57,165 --> 00:23:02,010 There were 13 more horses from elsewhere also on the lorry. 365 00:23:04,551 --> 00:23:07,405 If you have a lame horse or a lame animal at all, 366 00:23:07,430 --> 00:23:10,734 they shouldn't be transported. 367 00:23:10,759 --> 00:23:15,984 The pain and discomfort that they are feeling at the time 368 00:23:19,555 --> 00:23:21,730 will only, will definitely be exacerbated by travelling them, 369 00:23:21,755 --> 00:23:24,749 especially long journeys like that. 370 00:23:26,195 --> 00:23:28,579 The horses were then unloaded and put in a barn 371 00:23:28,604 --> 00:23:32,579 on Drury and Sons' farm. 372 00:23:32,604 --> 00:23:35,050 They're kept somewhere which is completely alien to them. 373 00:23:35,075 --> 00:23:40,260 This is going to be a very stressful situation. 374 00:23:40,599 --> 00:23:45,790 A week later, they were back on the lorry being driven the final 375 00:23:47,195 --> 00:23:49,406 journey to Drury's abattoir, where they were held overnight 376 00:23:49,431 --> 00:23:52,656 before being led into the kill room. 377 00:23:52,681 --> 00:23:55,040 This is Vyta Du Roc. 378 00:23:55,065 --> 00:23:56,884 What a gorgeous horse. 379 00:23:56,909 --> 00:24:02,110 Oh, my God, what a gorgeous horse. 380 00:24:02,805 --> 00:24:05,329 And this is Kiss Me Kayf. 381 00:24:05,354 --> 00:24:08,610 Oh, what a lovely, trusting horse. 382 00:24:08,635 --> 00:24:13,829 Look at that, coming away from the herd. 383 00:24:13,961 --> 00:24:15,375 How does she look to you? 384 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:17,806 Oh, she's calling now. 385 00:24:17,831 --> 00:24:21,230 You see the ears is there and trying to get out, worry. 386 00:24:23,394 --> 00:24:27,495 And this is not a one off. 387 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:31,245 More horses from Gordon Elliott's yard were given to the same 388 00:24:31,270 --> 00:24:34,965 dealer on other occasions, and ended up slaughtered. 389 00:24:34,990 --> 00:24:38,970 No, that is not a humane process, being transported. 390 00:24:38,995 --> 00:24:44,245 350 miles potentially carrying an injury is not a humane process. 391 00:24:46,990 --> 00:24:49,579 The bottom line is horses, if they are to be euthanized, 392 00:24:49,604 --> 00:24:52,780 could and should be euthanized at home. 393 00:24:52,805 --> 00:24:55,776 This is unnecessary suffering. 394 00:24:58,035 --> 00:25:01,860 Gordon Elliot, whose suspension as a trainer is due 395 00:25:01,885 --> 00:25:04,375 to end in September, told us: 396 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:07,290 High Expectations had 397 00:25:07,315 --> 00:25:09,454 "arthritic knees" and a "tendon injury" that was "career-ending" 398 00:25:09,479 --> 00:25:13,010 and made him "unsafe for riding". 399 00:25:13,035 --> 00:25:15,406 Kiss Me Kayf had "recurring lameness" that made her unsuitable 400 00:25:15,431 --> 00:25:19,040 for rehoming or riding. 401 00:25:19,065 --> 00:25:21,449 He says neither he nor the owners received any money, 402 00:25:21,474 --> 00:25:26,670 and no animals were sent by him to an abattoir. 403 00:25:27,675 --> 00:25:30,040 The first time he learned of their fate was when 404 00:25:30,065 --> 00:25:33,449 Panorama contacted him. 405 00:25:33,474 --> 00:25:36,095 He says the dealer he gave them to was "a longstanding 406 00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:40,530 and well-recognised individual in the racing industry". 407 00:25:40,555 --> 00:25:42,936 The dealer told us that every horse he is given 408 00:25:42,961 --> 00:25:47,579 is "treated with the utmost care and compassion". 409 00:25:47,604 --> 00:25:52,776 But not every horse is suitable for a life outside of racing. 410 00:25:52,990 --> 00:25:56,329 Those that have suffered injuries but are fit to travel are sent to be 411 00:25:56,354 --> 00:25:57,375 humanely euthanized. 412 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:01,610 All passports are checked. 413 00:26:01,635 --> 00:26:06,845 Mr Elliot says that in the case of these three particular horses, 414 00:26:08,420 --> 00:26:10,310 none had passports marked unfit for human consumption. 415 00:26:10,335 --> 00:26:14,469 So what about the owners of the horses? 416 00:26:14,494 --> 00:26:16,880 Vyta Du Roc's owners said they were "shocked and furious" 417 00:26:16,905 --> 00:26:19,594 when we told them what happened. 418 00:26:19,619 --> 00:26:22,030 They'd taken appropriate steps to ensure Vyta would be rehomed 419 00:26:22,055 --> 00:26:24,956 with a caring new keeper. 420 00:26:24,981 --> 00:26:29,190 High Expectations' owner did not reply. 421 00:26:29,215 --> 00:26:32,880 And the struggling Kiss me Kayf? 422 00:26:32,905 --> 00:26:34,796 Well, she belonged to one of the biggest 423 00:26:34,821 --> 00:26:37,395 names in Irish racing - Caren Walsh. 424 00:26:37,420 --> 00:26:39,310 She's on the board of Horse Racing Ireland 425 00:26:39,335 --> 00:26:44,546 and its horse welfare committee. 426 00:26:51,366 --> 00:26:51,586 She 427 00:26:52,897 --> 00:26:57,417 Sport. 428 00:26:57,442 --> 00:26:59,818 It's something you always dream of when you have horses. 429 00:26:59,843 --> 00:27:01,511 For groups of people, friends, relatives, whatever, 430 00:27:01,536 --> 00:27:04,622 to group together to have a horse and get excited and have something 431 00:27:04,647 --> 00:27:06,336 to watch is very important, I think. 432 00:27:06,361 --> 00:27:09,182 Caren Walsh says she understood that on the basis of veterinary advice, 433 00:27:09,207 --> 00:27:11,818 the horse was to be euthanized in Ireland due to persistent 434 00:27:11,843 --> 00:27:13,052 lameness and her unsuitable temperament. 435 00:27:13,077 --> 00:27:15,466 She had no idea the horse was slaughtered at an 436 00:27:15,491 --> 00:27:16,507 abattoir in England. 437 00:27:16,532 --> 00:27:19,152 Horse Racing Ireland says it places great importance on the welfare 438 00:27:19,177 --> 00:27:21,902 of the horses in the industry and directly supports 439 00:27:21,927 --> 00:27:24,538 the Irish Horse Welfare Trust, which seeks to rehome and retrain 440 00:27:24,563 --> 00:27:29,622 thoroughbreds no longer active in racing. 441 00:27:29,693 --> 00:27:32,052 It did not respond to Panorama's questions regarding the number 442 00:27:32,077 --> 00:27:37,272 of racehorses being slaughtered. 443 00:27:37,723 --> 00:27:41,107 The British Horseracing Authority says it has "demonstrated a clear 444 00:27:41,132 --> 00:27:44,977 commitment to improving already high standards of care for racehorses" 445 00:27:45,002 --> 00:27:49,107 before, during and after racing, and that it would "consider 446 00:27:49,132 --> 00:27:53,122 carefully any issues raised" in the programme. 447 00:27:59,973 --> 00:28:02,102 I can understand why people are attracted to racing, 448 00:28:02,127 --> 00:28:07,318 because I was attracted to it myself. 449 00:28:07,563 --> 00:28:10,387 But because of the poor welfare record, the number of horses dying 450 00:28:10,412 --> 00:28:13,052 and being killed in slaughterhouses, I can no longer support that. 451 00:28:13,077 --> 00:28:16,227 And I think a lot of the public would feel the same way. 452 00:28:16,252 --> 00:28:19,146 Beneath the glamour of horse racing, there lies a dark side. 453 00:28:19,171 --> 00:28:24,387 Isn't it time those who regulate the sport of kings ensure all horses 454 00:28:24,977 --> 00:28:29,872 are treated with dignity and care at the end of their racing careers?