A Keokuk County company is dropping plans to slaughter horses in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling that temporarily banned the practice, reports the Associated Press. The president of Responsible Transportation, Keaton Walker, says that he couldn’t afford to wait for more court deliberations. His company was given federal approval to slaughter horses at the company’s Iowa plant starting Aug. 1. But a judge issued a temporary restraining order after animal-welfare groups, including the Humane Society of the United States, sued.

A company spokesperson tells KCII that the new business plan is still in development, and that more information will be available soon.