Every year at major airports in Canada, thousands of horses are crowded into tiny crates and loaded onto planes.

While the conditions these animals suffer through are bad enough - living without food, water or rest, sometimes for more than a day - the reason for this treatment is even more shocking.

These animals are being shipped to Japan, where they become part of the country's thriving horse meat industry. While very few Canadians and Americans would willingly eat horse meat, unwanted horses from both countries are shipped by the hundreds to be turned into food overseas.

Japan is a huge horse meat importer, bringing more than 6 million pounds of it into the country every year.

While the animals are used to make beauty products, the larger market is for basashi, a type of gourmet sushi made from horse meat.

This is why so many live horses are flown overseas; like cows, they are raised in Japan to be tastier and meatier. These beautiful and intelligent animals deserve a better life than this.

Click the next page to learn how you can help save these horses!

The demand for horses means that companies often cut corners when it comes to the animals safety.

Horses aren't supposed to be crowded into crates, or touch the top of their containers, but animal rights advocates have taken photos of this happening for years.

They even obtained records showing that one horse arrived in Japan upside down. It was just one of the many horses killed by the stressful conditions of the trip.

But there is hope for change.

The Canadian Horse Defense Coalition is working to protect horses transported overseas, with a goal of ultimately stopping these live shipments.

It's strange to think that some horses are living the good life in luxury stables while others  are turned into sushi, but hopefully more awareness will end this business for good.

You can sign the CHDC's petition to help stop these shipments.

[H/T: The Dodo]

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