A disturbing new investigation by White Coat Waste (WCW) has uncovered what many animal advocates are calling one of the most heartbreaking examples of taxpayer-funded animal abuse yet, this time involving one of America’s most iconic and beloved animals: horses.

According to documents obtained by WCW through the Freedom of Information Act, a lab at Cornell University, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is subjecting retired racehorses to invasive and deeply troubling miscarriage experiments.

In these experiments, mares as young as four and as old as 22 are artificially inseminated, only to have their pregnancies deliberately terminated weeks later. Tubes are inserted through their cervixes to extract embryos, which are then dissected. Over the course of the project, approximately 80 horses are expected to endure these cruel procedures.

Many of these animals are former racehorses, individuals who were used for profit on the track and have already endured significant physical demands for profit. Instead of being given the chance to live out their lives in peace, they are now being funneled into laboratories for further exploitation.

Even more alarming, grant documents reveal that horses may be euthanized if they cannot be rehomed after the experiments conclude. In other words, their fate is uncertain from the moment they enter the lab.

The project began with $924,002 in taxpayer funding in June 2025 and is expected to receive an additional $3.6 million, running through 2030. This new funding comes despite public promises from officials like Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to dramatically reduce NIH animal testing.

“White Coat Waste’s new investigation exposes how racehorses are being relegated to cruel taxpayer-funded miscarriage experiments instead of being humanely retired, thanks to the NIH,” Kailey Mauro, Research and Investigations Manager at government watchdog White Coat Waste, told WAN. “Records we obtained show that these heartbreaking horse experiments started being funded months after RFK, Jr. promised a dramatic reduction in NIH animal testing. Taxpayers want this government-funded animal abuse to end, and we’re leading the effort to hold NIH accountable and shut it down. The solution is simple: Stop the money. Stop the madness.”

World Animal News has long reported on investigations by White Coat Waste, helping shed light on the suffering of animals hidden behind laboratory doors. Previous exposés have achieved major victories for lab animals at agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Defense, the Navy, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. This latest investigation underscores that, despite efforts to curb animal testing across multiple agencies, taxpayer-funded experimentation continues.

At its core, this issue goes beyond science or funding; it is about values. Horses are not disposable research tools. They are sentient beings capable of feeling pain, forming bonds, and deserving to live with dignity and compassion, not subjected to cruel and invasive experiments.

“Horses deserve protection, dignity, and compassion. Subjecting former racehorses to cruel experiments funded with federal dollars is unacceptable, and I urge the NIH to cancel the tests,” Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) told WAN.

Take Action! Please contact RFK Jr.’s office at (202) 690-7000 and politely urge him to cut NIH funding for cruel horse experiments at Cornell University. If you can’t get through, try (202) 690-5627.