How many horses are slaughtered each year?

Horse meat is eaten in a number of countries in Europe and Asia. The British newspaper The Daily Mail estimates that 100,000 horses are transported annually into and around the European Union for consumption.

Horse meat is considered a taboo food in many English-speaking countries (including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and others), in Brazil, in India, as well as among the Romani people and under Jewish dietary laws. In countries and cultures where horses are commonly regarded as companion animals, the idea of consuming horse meat may be particularly repugnant.