.Horse meat.

[animalpro24]

My sister just got back from Italy. While she was there the family she stayed with ate horse meat. It's getting more popular to have horse farms in Italy.

So, all I was wondering is what you think of horses being farmed and grown for meat. Are you okay with it or not?

I think it sad. But I don't think badly about the people who eat them. I mostly think it's sad because horses are in some ways smarter than cows. We think cow are cows, less smart then horses, but still very smart, but eating cows is a normal way of life. But horses are companions, friends, for some people there life.

I just want to now what you think, that's all. I'm not arguing about anything, just curious.

 

[kidcody]

I agree, When I lived in Europe it was hard for me to see the horse meat right next to the cow meat in the grocery store. Its something I wasn't brought up with. But to many countries is the norm. As a crazy horse person I can't even imagine! It doesn't make it right or wrong, it just makes it "oh" so different!

 

[spish]

i suppose it will always have its lovers and haters....but to be fair its not all that popular out here and only really eaten at posh do's and in restaurant. its not something you have on your weekly home menu here. ive lived in Belgium for 6yrs now and only ever seen horse meat sold in 1 butcher, and that was in Brussels. i do believe people over in France and Italy eat it more.

I have eaten it, once. and i didnt know what it was before i ate it...it just looked like beef stew in the pot. i was furious after i found out, as i am a big horse lover...(when they are running round not lyiing on my plate)

but then i never ate rabbit either until i moved out here, butnow i eat that once a year

im not quite sure what my point is, but i guess its something along the lines of what may seem strange to one country, is perfectly normal for another, but its not like its a daily part of life, more of a speciality
look over at asia/china/etc.....they eat cats and dogs and rats in the restaurants.....Australia have kangaroo and shark on their menus...doesnt mean the people eat it everyday as part of their diet...

 

[saddina]

When I had a job that was international (16 hour flights get old), I had a hard and fast rule with my coworkers, do not let me order monkey. I did eat alot of silkies, which many on BYC would object to, but no monkies (while in India I went pure vegan, it was easier than trying to muddle along). But Just because something may be found in a country, doesnt mean it's on every menu (monkeys were in some of the places we'd eat at, usually for gourmet business dinners, not on the plates of the average family on 3rd street.

 

[carolinagirl58]

Pigs are very intelligent and we don't have a problem eating them. So the logical part of me says why not eat horse? But then my heart says it would be like eating a pet dog. I think it's more the slaughter process that bothers me so much. If an animal has learned to love and trust humans, how terrifying and upsetting the whole slaughter process must be. But if the animal was raised as livestock maybe it wouldn't be so bad since the sense of betrayal is not there.

 

[dainerra]

the only reason people consider it "wrong" is the emotional attachment. Could I eat dog? No. But, in other places a dog is just a piece of livestock, not something that is kept as a pet. Horses are the same. There are many horse people I've talked to that actually think that closing the "horse meat" business in the US was a bad idea. It used to be that people would have a market for unwanted/broken down horses. They were slaughtered and the meat shipped elsewhere.

Now, the horses are either crammed (live) in trucks and shipped off to Mexico, which can be expensive and cuts off any profit, or just left to die somewhere. Have you seen how many horses are "free to good home" in some newspapers lately? Other places are having a problem with people just taking horses out and dumping them. Stray dogs are bad enough, can you imagine what a stray horse can do?

Carolina girl, I don't think that horses would really feel "betrayed" In a bad slaughter situation, any animal is going to be terrified. In a good slaughter house, that is not as bad.

 

[NottinghamChicks]

I personally feel that if a horse has ever known the love and companionship of a person that they should never find themselves on the table. I do not have a problem with raising animals for consumption but only if is raised for that purpose. The real issue is with the trickery involved with some the men and women that prey on people and take unwanted animals or still wanted animals that one can no longer afford and promise the people that they will give it a good home and then sell it to slaughter.

It is true that more than 50% of the horses that end up in slaughter are considered lame, dangerous, or just old (which is not necessariliy a good reason either), but, there is the other 50% that end up there because of ignorant owners who didn't do right by them. I keep my animals until the end so they live the life they deserve. If an animal is no longer useful to you don't think that someone else will want it to look at it. Do it a favor and put it down humanely. Ignorance is not bliss and shame on those who pass their problems off to others.
JMHO

 

[SillyChicken]

after the wars, all they had left to eat for meat was horse. I guess they kinda got used to eating it and it's become the norm. My DH had horse (accidentally, he was going for the osteritch) when he went to austria a couple years ago...he said it was pretty good, although I tease the heck out of him for it.

Although there's lots of people here that think rabbit or chickens shouldn't be eaten either. Like a previous poster said... it's all based on emotion.

 

[danischi24]

I raise cattle & I've worked with horses all my life & I have no problem eating either. Both are intelligent as are pigs etc & all are tasty

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Meat is meat. Pets are pets. One should not have to eat their pets but I have no problem with eating meat.