"New Mexico's attorney general sued on Thursday to block a horse slaughter plant scheduled to open next month from becoming the first facility of its kind to operate in the United States in more than five years."

"The move is the latest in an ongoing legal battle that has pitted animal protection groups and their allies against an industry fighting to regain a foothold in the United States.

'Commercial horse slaughter is completely at odds with our traditions and our values as New Mexicans,' New Mexico Attorney General Gary King said in a written statement. 'It also poses a tangible risk to consumers and to our environment.'

King's lawsuit and other U.S. efforts in recent months and years to restrict the slaughtering of horses underscores the discomfort many Americans feel toward the practice."

Jonathan Kaminsky reports for Reuters December 20, 2013. [2]