We drive to the new blood farm of Fernando Perdigón in the Department Maldonado. On the way there, we find groups of mares in forest clearings. They are dull, abused, their bodies covered in scars from the beatings. Some have identification tags around their necks. Their tails are not trimmed, indicating they are not yet in the production. Others…

Today we meet with two informants who have been investigating the blood business in Uruguay for six months. They show us a forest clearing where they discovered many bones and a dead mare in September 2014. The pasture belonged to the nearby estancia “Don Ramon”. There, the veterinarians Fernando Perdigón and Gabriel Maruri produced, until…

Last week, we visited the collecting station of slaughter horse dealer Bardanca in the north of Uruguay. He told us that he also keeps horses at another farm near Mercedes in the west of the country. Bardanca supplies all three EU approved slaughterhouses with horses and is one of Clay’s main suppliers.When we arrive in Mercedes, we ask around for…

We want to ask a government official who is responsible for the control of the blood business and arrange a meeting with Dr. Homero Cabanas, President of the national Animal Welfare Committee. We would like to know how many companies are involved in the blood business, who is inspecting them and where the blood serum is exported to.

Dr. Cabanas…

We want to ask a government official who is responsible for the control of the blood business and arrange a meeting with Dr. Homero Cabanas, President of the national Animal Welfare Committee. We would like to know how many companies are involved in the blood business, who is inspecting them and where the blood serum is exported to.

Dr. Cabanas…

We want to ask a government official who is responsible for the control of the blood business and arrange a meeting with Dr. Homero Cabanas, President of the national Animal Welfare Committee. We would like to know how many companies are involved in the blood business, who is inspecting them and where the blood serum is exported to.

Dr. Cabanas…

We return to the auction site on the day after the sale at 6:40. Most horses are still in

the holding pens, a few are on the pastures. At 7:20, the first transporter backs up to

the loading ramp and immediately starts loading horses. Dogs are seen chasingthem down the raceway from the pens to the loading ramp. The auction employees use long…

The horse auction in San Antonio is organised by horse dealer Richard Prego, who is one of Clay’s largest suppliers of slaughter horses. The sale starts at 15:00. Theauctioneer announces through loudspeakers that 400 horses are offered for sale. Both riding and loose horses are chased through the auction ring for about two minutes. The handling by…

The horse auction in San Antonio is organised by horse dealer Richard Prego, who is one of Clay’s largest suppliers of slaughter horses. The sale starts at 15:00. Theauctioneer announces through loudspeakers that 400 horses are offered for sale. Both riding and loose horses are chased through the auction ring for about two minutes. The handling by…