A Queensland abattoir responsible for the mass slaughter of racehorses will be investigated for alleged animal mistreatment, the Queensland Government has announced.

Key points: Queensland's Racing Minister said he was not aware of the abuse allegations until last night

Queensland's Racing Minister said he was not aware of the abuse allegations until last night Racing Australia says it has no responsibility for horses that have left the industry

Racing Australia says it has no responsibility for horses that have left the industry NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the State Government will look into the allegations

The ABC's 7.30 program was given hidden-camera video taken at the Meramist Abattoir in Caboolture, which showed former racehorses being kicked, dragged, shocked and slaughtered.

Queensland Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said he wasn't aware of the allegations until last night.

"The Minister for Agriculture has directed biosecurity officers to go in today and investigate animal cruelty allegations at the Meramist Abattoir," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"They'll be working I understand with Queensland Police Service to retrieve any extra footage that was not screened by the ABC.

"Those inspectors going into the abattoir today, they'll seize all the information they can, they'll take action against people who committed cruelty against animals."

Queensland Opposition spokesman John-Paul Langbroek said the state's $30 million Racing Integrity Commission had failed and said everyone in the racing community had to take responsibility.

"It's not good enough just to take the revenue that comes from racing animals and for government to take the revenue that comes from taxation — we also have to have concerns for the animals, their welfare before, during and after racing," he said.

Some of the vision shows a horse being dragged out of a float by its neck and another being kicked in the head.

"You're going to die, you f***ing maggot," an abattoir worker is heard screaming at a horse in one of the videos.

A spokeswoman for the Meramist Abattoir has refused to comment about allegations of the mistreatment of racehorses slaughtered at the facility.

A security guard was been stationed at the abattoir entrance today. ( ABC News: George Roberts )

Using brandings and microchip readings taken by activists, 7.30 detected hundreds of racehorses representing millions of dollars in prizemoney at the abattoir in just 22 days of filming.

The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses claims some of the horsemeat produced at the abattoir is exported for human consumption.

Five complaints or reports over abattoir in past 18 months

Queensland Racing Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett said there were two issues that needed to be investigated: how the horses ended up at the facility, and how they were treated once they arrived there.

"The former issue is something we have some legislative control and responsibility for, although not total, and that will form the basis of our ongoing investigation," he said.

He confirmed there had been prior complaints about the facility, including the transport of the animals from interstate, which were all investigated and resolved.

"We don't have any control or authority over abattoirs and their operations," he said.

"I can say in the past 18 months we have received five complaints or reports about that facility."

Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the individuals involved need to be held accountable. ( ABC News: George Roberts )

Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said biosecurity inspectors had been directed to enter the facility to investigate the matter further.

"Like all of us here in Queensland we're appalled by the images on the 7:30 report last night of the abattoir up in Caboolture with the conduct of those horses," he said.

"Being a facility that exports horse meat, there is a requirement under federal jurisdiction to have a veterinarian at the facility to ensure standards are met."

Mr Furner choked back tears as he vowed to thoroughly investigate the matter.

"As someone who has been a previous owner of a retired horse, I'm appalled, I'm deeply appalled at the decision, and this Government will come down hard on these people if they are found to be in breach of the Animal Care and Protection Act, which provides penalties of up to seven years' jail," he said.

Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the onus was also on horse owners themselves, to ensure their animals were being successfully rehomed or looked after.

"That sort of mistreatment of animals is appalling, and the individuals involved need to be held accountable," he said.

"[But] when an animal ceases to make money for you, it doesn't cease to be your responsibility, it's something you've got to take responsibility for."

'We're not just going to pass the buck': Winx trainer

Chris Waller — the trainer of retired racehorse Winx, the winner of four consecutive Cox Plates — said he was left devastated by the footage of the abattoir workers allegedly mistreating racehorses.

"I was shocked. It was a terrible thing to watch and to tell you the truth I couldn't watch most of the visual footage that was shown," he said.

"It outraged me to tell you the truth. People think racing's barbaric but that's far from the truth.

"We've probably got more animal lovers in the industry than anywhere, so to see any animal treated that way … it was shocking. Let alone any horse, let alone a race horse. I was a bit surprised that it was angled toward the racing fraternity, but I could see their point, which I respect.

"And I think anybody treating animals that way should be dealt with with the full force of the law.

"I'm an animal lover myself and I agree with the changes and many rules and think we've got to stay with the times. That's why I agree with having tougher penalties of any person treating an animal with cruelty.

"It is for sure at government levels, but I think we're a little bit more responsible than that. We're not just going to pass the buck, we've got to continue to make sure it doesn't happen at our own level as well."

'Court of public opinion will bury racing'

The footage was harrowing enough for most viewers, but it was even more difficult for Queensland jockey Laura Cheshire, as she was forced to watch a horse she rode "every day for years", War Ends, take a bolt to the head.

Meanwhile, five-time Melbourne Cup winning horse trainer Lee Freedman said he was left broken-hearted by the ABC report.

The trainer, whose Melbourne Cup victories include two of the three won by Makybe Diva, tweeted: "If we don't make real changes the court of public opinion will bury racing."

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 30 seconds 30 s Racing Australia chief executive Barry O'Farrell says owners are responsible for horse welfare.

Racing Australia said it had no responsibility for horses once they left the industry, and questioned the tactics of animal rights activists.

Racing Australia chief executive Barry O'Farrell said he believed only about 1 per cent of horses leaving the industry end up in an abattoir, despite some activists putting the annual slaughter rate at 4,000.

"We have traceability rules from the moment they're born until the moment they retire from our industry," he said.

"At that point, we can no longer track them."

He said he supported a national scheme that would trace racehorses throughout their life.

However, he questioned the tactics of the activists who provided the video to 7.30.

"The program said the activists had been taking vision for a number of years. Why wouldn't they have blown the whistle earlier to stop this inhumane treatment?"

"Where are the state government inspectors, not just in Queensland but across the country?"

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys said he "unequivocally condemned" the abuse shown in the Meramist Abattoir footage in a statement this morning.

"The vision was sickening and horrendous and Racing NSW calls upon the Queensland Government and its Department of Primary Industries to take the strongest possible action against the alleged perpetrators of such cruelty," the statement said.

"Such conduct and any mistreatment of horses is not tolerated in the NSW Thoroughbred Racing Industry."

Mr Hinchliffe said biosecurity officers would be investigating Meramist Abattoir. ( ABC News )

NSW Government warns against 'knee-jerk response'

The program aired allegations that NSW racehorses were among those killed, which, while not illegal, is against the NSW racing industry's rules and regulations.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the Government would look into the allegations.

However, he said he had no evidence of illegal practices occurring in NSW.

"I've learnt a long time ago, don't have a knee-jerk reaction to a 7:30 report," he said.

"Often it's an exaggerated situation of what's happening and occurring."

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 48 minutes 32 seconds 48 m The dark side of the horse racing industry ( Caro Meldrum-Hanna and Amy Donaldson )

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) called on the Government to implement a nationwide welfare standard and register to protect the welfare of all horses in the wake of the mass slaughter.

Dr Sam Nugent, President of the AVA's Equine Veterinarians Australia Group, said in a release: "Abattoirs and knackeries that are breaching animal cruelty laws, as well as horse racing authorities that are not enforcing their own welfare rules for post-career horses, need to be held accountable. Breaches of animal welfare cannot be tolerated."

Dr Andrew Clarke, equine vet and chief executive of Living Legends, an organisation dedicated to housing retired champion racehorses, said a very small amount of prize money is actually invested in welfare schemes.

"In the case of Racing Victoria, 1 per cent of prize money goes to horse welfare programs," he said.

"About $1.5 million goes to veterinary services looking after horses on race day.

"But there's only about $500,000 that goes into the off-the-track programs, which is the main program that promotes life after racing.

"Now is the time for a big increase in the funding to those programs."