An organisation seeking a ban on the live export of horses for slaughter today delivered a petition with nearly 15,000 signatures to the Department of Agriculture.
The Irish Horse Welfare Trust (IHWT) made its submission to the department's Kildare St headquarters in Dublin on horseback, accompanied by close to 50 supporters.
The petition was launched two years ago by IHWT patron Tracey Piggott because many exported horses reach their destination in a state of exhaustion and some die in transit.
The department does not keep records but the trust estimates several thousand horses are exported live for slaughter every year.
Sharon Newsome of the IHWT said horses' sensitivity means they are less suited to live export than other animals, adding that because they are long-legged animals, there is a greater chance of them being injured in transit.
"The really worrying thing is that once they leave Irish shores they cannot be sure of their destination. And it's getting worse because the department has admitted that because of resources it can only make random checks," Ms Newsome said.
The IHWT is not opposed to the trade of horse carcasses but wants the animals slaughtered in Ireland before they are exported usually for human consumption on continental markets.
Ms Newsome that following the closure of a horse abbatoir in Co Kildare over a year ago, the live trade is likely to have increased and said the department should take the lead in ensuring adequate facilities are in place.
The live export of horses was banned in the past in Ireland but the department maintains such a policy now would be against EU free trade regulations.
However, Ms Newsome said the practice is outlawed in Britain and there are no plans to change this policy.
She said the department is not adhering to EU regulations in a number of areas concerning live equine exports and said it could use new EU regulations coming into effect on January 1 st2007, to implement a ban.
"We're supposed to be a nation of horse lovers but horses get the worst possible treatment in this trade," Ms Newsome said.