You might have believed horses were cherished and protected in Canada. Unfortunately, the truth is more complicated. These gentle giants can end up on dinner plates overseas. (Aislinn Brander/Pixabay) Extra-large horses (like the beer commercial Clydesdales) are lovingly called gentle giants because they are calm, kind and co-operative. Yet those born into the meat trade are put in boxes and shipped across the ocean without food or water on a long, one-way flight to their unceremonious deaths. Then they are eaten by the wealthy. Often three or four horses are crammed into crates that barely offer enough room for one. About 40,000 horses have been shipped to slaughter from Canada since 2013.