USA: Ask Your Rep to Support a Ban on Inhumane Transport of Horses

ASPCA Advocacy Center




US H.R. 7— Ban on Double-Deck Horse Transport in the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act
ASPCA Position: Support
Action Needed: Contact your U.S. representative in Washington, D.C., and ask him or her to support a ban on the use of double-deck trailers to transport horses.

We recently asked you to contact your federal lawmakers to urge their support for a ban on double-deck trailers for the transport of horses. The U.S. House of Representatives will soon vote on a large transportation bill (H.R. 7) that currently includes this ban.
While your calls and messages on this issue created a buzz on Capitol Hill and helped us win preliminary battles in committee, the fight is not over. Some in Congress have moved the discussion behind closed doors—a tactic that makes the ban on double-deck transport in H.R. 7 more vulnerable to removal. We must not let it be stripped from the bill in a back-room negotiation! We ask you to contact your U.S. representative again to let him/her know that you are watching this bill closely, and that a spotlight will remain on this issue.
Designed for cattle and other short-necked livestock, double-deck trailers are dangerous and inhumane when used to transport horses. Because horses are significantly taller and require more head room, these trailers cannot physically provide enough space to stand upright, leading to unstable footing, falls, injuries, trampling and death. The American Veterinary Medical Association supports a ban on double-deck trailers for horses, regardless of the destination.
What You Can DoWe need you to take two actions for horses.
First, use the form below to email your U.S. representative. Don’t forget to add your own message in the box provided.
Second, follow up with a brief, polite call to your representative’s D.C. office. Tell your rep that as a constituent, you care about the humane treatment of horses—they should not be transported to any destination in cruel and unsafe double-deck trailers. You can use the text on this page as talking points. Don’t be intimidated by the call—it’s easy, fast and by far the most effective thing you can do! Look up your representative's name and phone number here.



CLICK HERE to Take Action!