Legislation that would ban the transportation of horses in double-decker trailers would cost the nearly 80 contractors who transport livestock to rodeos all over the U.S. more than $4 million in extra operating and equipment costs, according to estimates by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
The Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2009, introduced by Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), would prohibit a person from transporting a horse in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another.
The bill, which cleared the House Transportation Committee in late July without a public hearing, would impose civil penalties of up to $500 per horse for violators.
Kirk, currently the Republican candidate for the Senate in Illinois, offered the legislation with support from horse enthusiasts and animal protection advocates in his district and elsewhere after a 2007 accident in his district located north of Chicago killed 17 of 59 horses en route to a slaughterhouse.
Although the bill was introduced in early 2009, rodeo association and horse transportation contractors are opposing the bill and accusing supporters of trying to rush the legislation to a vote without adequate debate.
Animal protection advocates and other supporters of the bill have said transporting horses in double-deck trailers is inhumane because the horses are taller than the trailer ceilings and because horses should not be transported in herds because they attempt to establish dominance in groups.
