24/02/2026

The bipartisan bill introduced by MP Brambilla was drafted in close collaboration with IHP.

The bill signed by Michela Vittoria Brambilla, which also incorporates two texts proposed by the opposition, has begun its passage through the Chamber of Deputies' Agriculture Committee. The ratio behind the proposal is to equate horses with pets, introducing a ban on slaughter, exploitation in historical and folkloric events, and use in pulling carriages for tourist purposes. The proposal also aims to limit certain coercive training methods. 

This is an important first step, but there are some obstacles to overcome and, above all, the resources for implementation must be found. 

‘We can only welcome this step, which finally recognises equines as companion animals,’ says Sonny Richichi, president of IHP Italian Horse Protection, the first Italian association for the protection of equines. We have collaborated extensively over the years with the Honourable Member who first signed the proposal, providing observations and proposals developed over more than a decade of experience in the field, which are now reflected in the wording of the proposal."

‘However, it is also necessary to highlight some limitations and potential risks that will need to be discussed during parliamentary scrutiny,’ adds Richichi. The first aspect to monitor is to make the controls of the equine registry stricter and more transparent because the current inefficiency of the tracking system is the main weak link that lends itself to illegal slaughter, as demonstrated by numerous police operations and legal proceedings still in progress. Then, with regard to the ban on the use of horses in certain contexts, including historical and traditional ones, and the ban on certain training practices, it is necessary to define terms such as “stress” and “pain” precisely, otherwise the measure risks being ineffective. Finally, as the establishment of a fund for the conversion of farms is planned, if the horses saved from slaughter are to be entrusted to rescue centres, adequate resources must be provided to support this. It should be noted that today, associations such as IHP, which run rescue centres for equines saved from abuse, do not receive a single euro of public funding, even when the animals are entrusted to them by the public prosecutor's offices and courts.

THE SLAUGHTER OF EQUIDAE IN ITALY

In 2026, 1,926 equidae have already been slaughtered in Italy, 326 of which came from abroad, as shown by the Vet.info system, the official database managed by the Ministry of Health. The ministerial database indicates that in 2025, 22,854 equidae were slaughtered in Italy (34% in Puglia, 20% in Emilia Romagna, 14% in Veneto), of which 14,713 were of national origin and 8,141 were of foreign origin. The same source indicates that in 2024, 23,374 equidae were slaughtered in Italy (32% in Puglia, 20% in Veneto, 19% in Emilia Romagna), of which 13,192 were of Italian origin and 10,182 were imported from abroad.