Critics of the practice made an emotional appeal, showing photographs of horses with bloodied and lacerated faces, the result of being crammed into trailers destined for slaughterhouses.

Celebrities also turned up the pressure: Actress Bo Derek was on hand for Thursday's vote, and country singer Willie Nelson and oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens have been campaigning against horse slaughter.

The House vote was 263-146. Utah's delegation, Democrat Jim Matheson and Republicans Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon, all voted against the measure.

Lawmakers thought they had ended the practice with a vote last year, but instead of banning it outright, Congress yanked the salaries and expenses of federal inspectors. In response, the Bush administration simply started charging plants for inspections, and the slaughter continued.

''It is one of the most inhumane, brutal, shady practices going on in the U.S. today,'' said Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., a sponsor of the ban.

Added Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn.: ''The way a society treats its animals, particularly horses, speaks to the core values and morals of its citizens.''

The bill's future is uncertain. The Senate has not acted on a similar bill.

The administration contends a ban would do more harm than good for horses.

''We have serious concerns that the welfare of these horses would be negatively impacted by a ban on slaughter,'' Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said in a letter.

Defenders of horse slaughter said it offers a cheap and humane way to end a horse's life when it's no longer is useful. They say many owners cannot afford to care for an unproductive horse.

''These unwanted horses are often sick, unfit or problem animals,'' said Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn. ''Many of them are already living in pain or discomfort, and tens of thousands more could be neglected, starved or abandoned.''