Tracking horse movements across Europe

Every day, thousands of horses are moved across Europe for all sorts of reasons. Every one of them deserves to be transported safely, with as little impact on their welfare as possible.   

To better understand the realities of long-distance transport in Europe, we collaborated with Professor Barbara Padalino and her team to analyse official transport records for more than 3,000 horses moving into, out of, and through Apulia in Southern Italy.  

We caught up with our Research and Education Officer, Alana Chapman, to find out what this research has revealed and why the traceability of all horses moved across Europe needs to be urgently improved. 

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“When World Horse Welfare commissions research, it is with one goal in mind: to help improve welfare. But sometimes, this research also reveals just how much work still needs to be done. 

“At the end of 2024, we partnered with Professor Barbara Padalino and her team to take a closer look at horse movements linked to Apulia in Southern Italy. Using official EU transport records, the data linked to more than 3,000 horses transported into, out of, or through the region between 2022 and 2023 was analysed. 

“What the team uncovered was deeply concerning. 

Why transport traceability matters 

“Every day, horses travel across Europe for breeding, competition, leisure activities, sale and slaughter. EU legislation – Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 – is designed to protect animals during these journeys. But laws only work when the systems that support them are fully complied with and enforced.

“The EU’s online monitoring system for cross-border transport movements, TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System), is supposed to provide authorities with the ability to perform that oversight. When it works well, it helps authorities track journeys, check compliance and safeguard welfare. When it doesn’t, horses can fall through the cracks. 

What the data showed 

“Professor Barbara Padalino and her team reviewed 290 official TRACES records, covering over 3,000 horses on journeys both to slaughter and other destinations. Almost every single record contained at least one error or sign of non-compliance.

“Misclassification of slaughter journeys is particularly serious. Certain journeys such as those destined for slaughter are subject to more welfare requirements compared to others. When a journey is not correctly declared, planning requirements and welfare safeguards may be bypassed. That means less scrutiny, fewer checks and potentially longer, more stressful journeys for the horses. 

“In short, the systems and digital trail that is meant to protect horses is often incomplete or inaccurate. 

Why this matters for horse welfare 

“When the systems that are meant to protect horses fail, it is the horses who suffer. When traceability is weak, it becomes harder for enforcement authorities to identify high-risk journeys, challenge repeat offenders or intervene before welfare deteriorates. Poor data does not just undermine animal welfare – it also affects food safety, transparency and public trust. 

Where we go from here 

“Commissioning this research was about gathering evidence – because meaningful change must be grounded in facts. The evidence now clearly shows that improvements are urgently needed. 

“We are calling for: 

• Clearer, more accurate digitised traceability for all horse movements 
• Consistent minimum welfare protections regardless of journey purpose
• Stronger, more consistent enforcement so repeat non-compliance is properly addressed 

“Horses travel across borders for many legitimate reasons. But every journey must prioritise their welfare and every record must tell the truth. Horses cannot protect themselves during transport. It is our responsibility to make sure the system does.

“By generating robust, evidence-based data, our charity is better equipped to lobby governments for stronger welfare protections and practical changes to drive real-world improvements.” 

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To find out more about this project in detail, head over to our dedicated research web page on horse movements.