On Wednesday, July 1, the bill that the legislature passed this session to prohibit the slaughter of racehorses or commercial purposes went into effect. Maryland is the only state other than New York to have such a ban in place.
Under the statute “a person may not:
(1) slaughter or cause the slaughter of a racehorse in the State for any commercial puporse, including for human or animal consumption; or
(2) purchase, sell, transfer, offer for sale, import into the state, or transport a racehorse if the person knows or reasonably should know that the racehorse will be slaughtered for a commercial purpose, including for human or animal consumption.”
The statute defines a “racehorse” as a horse “bred or intended for racing, including a weanling, yearling, horse in training, or racehorse breeding stock with a record of having produced or sired offspring intended for racing.”
A “racehorse” is a also horse “that has been recorded on the backstretch of a track in the State, has had a recorded workout on a track in the State, or has participated in a race meeting in the State where pari-mutuel betting is allowed.”
The definition of a racehorse is not breed-specific — in Maryland it applies to Arabians, Standarbreds, and Thoroughbreds.
Individuals who violate this act can be imprisoned for up to 1 year or fined up to $2,500.
Corporations or other entities that violates this act can be fined up to $5,000.
The State can also revoke any license granted to the individual or corporation by either the Maryland Racing Commission or the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
This statute does not apply to humane euthanasia performed by a licensed veterinarian for reasons unrelated to commercial purposes, “including severe injury, maiming, or injury that results in no quality of life for the racehorse as determined by a licensing veterinarian.”
This bill was introduced by the Maryland Department of Labor, which is the agency that has jurisdiction over horse racing. The Maryland Horse Council testified in favor of the bill, as did the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, The Maryland Jockey Club, and the Maryland Horse Breeders Association.