The fate of retired racehorses will be covered in a special report to be broadcast on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Wednesday, June 12th at 9.35pm.

RTÉ Investigates: Horses - Making a Killing will go "deep inside the equine industry to show what happens to horses after they leave the spotlight", according to the national broadcaster.

Over 8,000 thoroughbred foals are born in Ireland each year. Latest figures from the Department of Agriculture indicate that approximately 1,000 registered thoroughbreds are presented for slaughter in Ireland each year.

Three years ago BBC's Panorama team reported that 4,000 former racehorses were slaughtered in Britain and Ireland between 2019 and 2021.

Although the majority of thoroughbreds slaughtered in Britain each year are Irish-bred, it is thought the vast majority of those had been trained and raced in Britain. It is estimated that half of Britain's thoroughbred population is Irish.

The Panorama programme prompted Horse Racing Ireland to ask An Garda Siochána and the Department of Agriculture to follow up allegations of apparent microchip fraud and the transport of horses from Ireland to a British abattoir.

MORE ON THIS STORY IN THE IRISH FIELD NEXT WEEKEND