Outlaw the slaughter of horses for human food

Few animals have played a role in our nation’s history quite like horses. Western pioneers rode on horses’ backs to discover new lands. Soldiers rode them into countless battles, and farmers relied on them to plow their fields. Many monuments to great Americans feature them seated upon a horse. To this day, horses remain our partners, companions and even therapeutic healers for people with illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder or physical disabilities.

Many Americans would, accordingly, be repulsed by the idea of eating horsemeat, given their place in our culture. Yet every year, tens of thousands of American horses, many from Colorado, are slaughtered for human consumption in a shocking display of animal cruelty.

Colorado can act today to ban the shipment of…