Agriculture committee  Yes, I would concur with the explanation of how it was laid out. They are very large areas. They are fed, and they have water throughout the flight. I have loaded them personally onto their trailers on the way to the airport and have seen the care and concern done in that case, with the bandaging of their legs and all the care and concern that goes into the transportation.

Agriculture committee  I'm sorry, but I can't answer that because our jurisdiction covers only active equines in Canada, so nothing in the food sector. Sport and recreation are what our jurisdiction covers.

Agriculture committee  Do you mean when a sport horse goes for slaughter?

Agriculture committee  No, we don't track data on what end-of-life plans happen for any sport horses, as typically it's done with their veterinarian and doesn't go through the same type of...for the horses we're talking about today. I'm sorry. We don't cover that.

Agriculture committee  I think it's about any additional administration that's required. In the case of foreigners coming and then having to export their horses out, any delays that might be caused due to either a misunderstanding or, as we've been discussing, the number of hours a horse might have to sit in prescribed crates on the tarmac or in the airplane itself can cause increasing welfare concerns.

Agriculture committee  Well, that could be one option. We definitely didn't feel it was outlined that there would be any kind of transition plan. There was no form of support. Our main concern is around the horses that are currently being raised for that purpose. What will happen to them in a transition of 18 months without specifying any other additional supports?

Agriculture committee  Yes, one hundred per cent. We had an instance, in fact, recently when we were trying to host a Nations Cup event in Bromont, Quebec. Actually, we weren't hosting it, but we were helping with the sanctioning and support of one of our big event venues. We had some challenges with the ability of teams from different countries to come in due to some legislation.

Agriculture committee  I'm sorry. I'm not an expert and am unable to answer that question. All I know is how our horses are transported. I can't speak to the differences. However, I can speak to the fact that most people are not aware of how those transports happen, and that is one of our major concerns.

Agriculture committee  We haven't looked at the financials, so I can't give you a number. However, I do know that based on the number of.... We have 15,000 members actively competing in horse sport in Canada and internationally. We have 1,200 FEI athletes—those who compete on the international stage. They are the ones typically transporting their horses for sport purposes.

Agriculture committee  Thank you. I'd like to begin by expressing my gratitude for the opportunity to address the committee. As the governing body for equestrian sport and industry in Canada, Equestrian Canada wholeheartedly supports initiatives aimed at safeguarding the health and welfare of horses.