Horse slaughter is the practice of slaughtering horses for meat. These animals come from auctions, private sellers, and from wild herds. Sometimes these horses are sick and injured[1] but they can also be for sale by their owners. Most are brought to the slaughterhouses by contract buyers who collect horses from all across the country, also known as kill buyers. Horses that are killed for reasons other than human consumption go to the renderer's(US) or the knacker's yard (UK) to make food for pets, carnivorous animals in zoos, etc. Slaughter of horses is sometimes disapproved of, horses being perceived as companion animals like cats and dogs, or deserving special status like sacred cows in religions such as Hinduism. Horse meat is often praised for its relative low cholesterol content and high iron content, low fat content, even suggested as red meat for people with heart problems. Horse meat is a quite dry meat to cook, it is common to add some extra fat from other animals (likebacon) to increase its softness when roasted.