Almost 23,000 equids (a category that includes horses, donkeys, mules, ponies and hinnies) were slaughtered in Italy in 2025, with at least 14,670 more in the still-ongoing 2026. These are the official figures from the veterinary information system of the Ministry of Health, and they may well come as a surprise in their scale to anyone unfamiliar with the current state of affairs in our country regarding the protection of this family of mammals (which also includes zebras, though these are virtually absent in Italy). Something, however, has been moving in recent months — both in society and in politics: on 26 October, a bill (led by Luana Zanella of Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra) on the protection of equids came before the Chamber of Deputies for general debate. The text calls for a ban on the slaughter of horses, donkeys, mules, ponies and hinnies (crosses between a male horse and a female donkey, the reverse of mules), placing them on the same footing as dogs and cats — that is, recognising them as companion animals.

The bill also envisages granting these animals the legal status of "Non-DPA" — that is, not intended for food production — along with fines of up to 100,000 euros for anyone who violates the ban. The bill's approach is a cultural one, and rests on the observation that the relationship between people and equids has changed over time: today, horses, donkeys and their relatives are perceived primarily as companions deserving of respect, and for some people they also provide concrete assistance, as in hippotherapy. The proposal also provides for breeding operations to be converted with dedicated funding.

The citizens' initiative bill for equids

That is not all, however. In the same week, on 29 October, Animal Equality and Fondazione Islander announced that they had reached the minimum number of signatures required for another bill — this one a citizens' initiative — lodged with the Court of Cassation in July 2026: it took just four months to gather the 50,000 signatures needed. "Parliament is now called upon, once and for all, to examine the text and adopt effective measures to protect these animals, responding to the sensibilities of Italians," explained Matteo Cupi, Executive Director of Animal Equality Italia and Vice President for Europe. He added: "The voice of more than 50,000 people cannot be ignored: it represents a demand for change that institutions have a duty to heed." For Nicole Berlusconi, President of Fondazione Islander, reaching the threshold well ahead of the deadline demonstrates just how much Italians' awareness of animals — and of equids in particular — has grown. The issue, after all, is not new to Parliament. Bills to recognise equids as companion animals have also been tabled by Movimento 5 Stelle, Noi Moderati and Partito Democratico, and have been debated at length in the Chamber's Agriculture Committee.

Where the slaughtering takes place, and how many animals come from abroad

In 2025, as mentioned, 22,854 equids were slaughtered in Italy. More than a third — 34.3 per cent — in Puglia; followed by Emilia-Romagna at 20.3 per cent and Veneto at 13.7 per cent. In these regions, a substantial share of the animals were not born in Italy: half of those slaughtered in Emilia-Romagna come from abroad, a quarter in Puglia, and slightly fewer in Veneto. In the still-ongoing 2026, the geographical picture remains much the same, but the proportion of imported animals slaughtered is rising in Puglia (+13.1 per cent) and in Veneto (+23.6 per cent). A figure that paints the picture of a small sector heavily dependent on imports. On the consumption front, too, the picture is clear, and speaks of a cultural shift underway in which fewer and fewer people eat horse meat: according to an Ipsos survey, only 17 per cent of meat-eaters say they consume horse meat, and the trend is declining compared with last year. Most tellingly of all, 73 per cent of Italians now consider these animals to be on a par with dogs and cats. The country, it seems, is now ready for cultural change: the ball is firmly in the court of political decision-makers.