If the bill becomes law, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act would shut down the three horse slaughter plants in the country. The plants in Forth Worth and Kaufman, Texas, and DeKalb, Ill., slaughtered more than 90,000 horses last year. The vast majority of the meat was sold overseas, where it is considered a delicacy.

Two major supporters of the bill, T. Boone and Madeleine Pickens, took out ads in several publications leading up to the vote encouraging people to contact their congressmen about the issue.

“I am delighted, elated, and relieved,” long-time horsewoman Madeleine Pickens said about the vote. “The wonderful thing is how many (votes) it passed with. It has taken years for Congressmen Whitfield and Sweeney (who co-sponsored the bill) to get this through, and I’m just so grateful for all that they have done for this bill.”

Pickens has been in the horse industry since 1983 and, along with her late husband, Allen Paulson, campaigned the champion racehorse Cigar.

The bill, which had more than 200 co-sponsors in the House, has been a volatile issue due to the horse’s place in American culture. One of the main concerns those who oppose the bill is what will happen to horses previously headed for slaughter.

“We are disappointed in the outcome of the vote,” Kellye Fondy, manager of communications for the American Quarter Horse Association, said. “We really feel like emotion won over common sense. We have not changed our positions on the bill, and we will continue our efforts to deal with unwanted horses.”