Food I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse

Well, would you? Could you?

In fact, you might be able to in a few weeks. Horse meat for human consumption in the US is now legal.

more here http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/horses-slaughtered-meat-us-15053521

A horse is just another protein source, logically. However we've become conditioned to think of them as something other than just an animal. We eat cows, pigs and chickens and they all have been portrayed an lovable animals. But we still eat them. So why does eating a horse sound so distasteful?

Has anyone here eaten horse? How was it?

 

I haven't eaten horsemeat but my dogs have. The smell of it makes me gag.
Alpo used to (may still) sell canned horsemeat for dogs. I finally convinced my dad not to buy it because of my gag reflex preventing me from feeding the dogs.

I get that it is hypocritical to eat the flesh of certain animals yet express indignancy about eating others.
I've probably cut my meat consumption by 75% for several reasons (already have loads of protein in my diet--more than I need, it's hard to digest, it's expensive) but I can't really get on my soapbox about consuming horsemeat when I still love bacon.

 

Surprised the beef and chicken producers didn't lobby this out of the legislation.

Seems to me there is a long-standing differentiation between work animals, pet animals and food animals. The popular palate has been "trained" (at least in Western culture) to crave the food animals and not the others. I'm certain there have been cultures in which horse meat was a significant source of protein. Doesn't sound very appetizing to me, though.

 

We have too many horses.
They are currently being shipped long distances, which undoubtedly causes them extra suffering, to go to slaughter.
Why not slaughter them humanely in this country?
Whether you want to eat them or not is a whole different story.

 

Cow, pig, chicken and sheep all taste good to me. No reason I'd treat Bambi or Secretariat any differently.

 

You can't just slaughter any old horse for meat to be consumed by humans. These horses would have to be bred for human consumption.

Currently, most old, or dying horses are shipped to pet food manufacturers (in the past it was the glue factory but I don't think that's the case these days). The pet food industry is largely unregulated and you would be shocked to find out what you feeding your pets. In this case, I am not referring to the fact that they are eating horse, but rather the drugs that might be in the horse's system when it's chopped up for the pet food slurry (not to mention the out of date meats, including the styrofoam and plastic packaging, from grocery stores).

I have eaten horse meat and I liked it. Protein is protein.

 

Um, the inspection of horsemeat in the US doesn't mean it will be sold in the US for human consumption. It just means that the slaughterhouses can start functioning again to slaughter horses for human consumption primarily overseas. It also means they can function at full capacity again to provide meat for zoos and the like.

The bottom dropped completely out of the horse market after slaughterhouses had to close and horses started getting shipped MUCH longer distances to be slaughtered humanely in Canada and largely inhumanely in Mexico. I would much rather see horses slaughtered humanely in the US than see the suffering, starving creatures I've seen at auctions whose owners are trying to give them away because they can't afford to feed them, and the slaughter buyers have too many horses on their hands to pay even $20 for one that isn't very fleshy.

Did you really see horsemeat for sale in the US 5 or 6 years ago when the slaughterhouses were open and functioning? No.
--- merged: Dec 1, 2011 1:26 AM ---

Actually, Charlatan, this is not generally true. A large number of horses slaughtered for human consumption were actually pets or ex-racehorses in the US when the slaughterhouses were open previously - the meat is tested/inspected before it is approved for human consumption, which is what the ban changed. Many slaughter buyers will purchase horses young and then raise them on feedlots long enough for drugs to clear their systems before sending them to the slaughterhouse.

A famous racehorse (Ferdinand) was sold to slaughter in Japan and likely ended up as steak.

 

I... never imagined eating horse meat. I would soo go for a horse burger and maybe even a horse burrito

 

My mother had horse meat in Moscow a long, long time ago and apparently it tasted pretty good.

Until she found out it was horse, which made her vomit.

I've had Kangaroo, but I wouldn't eat horse unless I was starving.

 

I could never eat a horse; I do agree it's cultural conditioning as there are cultures that eat dog meat. In one article I read, it stated that Obama had made a campaign promise not to repeal the ban ( I couldn't get the link to work at work) but it was in with a budget bill and since the president doesn't have line item veto power, one must altruistically assume he had to let it pass.
<<<<<<<<Just call me Pollyanna....

 

I really don't see horses being that much different than pigs and cows... they have traditionally been used for our use for years.

 

"Natural lifespan" can vary widely by breed, use/training, and living conditions. My thoroughbred was 22 when I euthanized him due to multiple accident-caused injuries, and he probably would have made it to 30+ if he had been less accident-prone. On the other hand, I've known horses and ponies who have lived to see 3 or 4 because they foundered (developed laminitis) because they had free access to good grass, had genetic diseases, or were overtrained at a young age and were euthanized due to handicaps, basically. I couldn't tell you what the average lifespan of a horse is, because I doubt it has been researched - there are too many breeds and associations to get one good number, and if a horse is unregistered their age is often difficult to determine. Also, most breed associations do not require death to be reported.

There are too many horses in the United States to get good numbers, let alone give them all good lives. There are "backyard breeders" for horses just like for dogs and cats who contribute to the overpopulation of horses significantly.

Also, on the topic of humane slaughter.. I would have preferred for my pony, who I euthanized 4 years ago, to have been killed with a captive bolt (slaughter method) compared to the experience we had with "humane" euthanasia. When I refer to horses being killed inhumanely in Mexico, there are videos of them being stabbed, repeatedly, in the neck until they go down, then they are bled out. In the US and Canada, captive bolts are used and slaughterhouses are generally designed to minimize stress to the animals as much as possible.

I've been in love with horses since I was 3 or 4 (if not younger), and they have been a huge portion of my life. Most horse owners I know recognize the value of slaughter being an option in the US, even if we would never sell our own animals to a slaughter buyer.

 

our eldest horse is 27 right now,and doing just fine.......he's a sketchy Arab,and full of piss and vinegar still

stay the hell away from my horses........they are not an entree'.....nor would I eat a horse myself......doesn't seem right after riding on them.

 

Horses are assholes. A horse shoved me into the side of a pickup truck and caused a large bruise on my arm. I would eat horses and build a throne of their bones. Fuck horses.

 

Make no mistake a horse would eat you, if it could... ( I seem to have read that somewhere. It was funny )

http://theoatmeal.com/story/eat_horses

 

I don't see any problem with eating horse. In Oz you can eat the coat of arms (kangaroo and emu), as well as snake, crocodile and all manner of sea creatures (on top of the usual cow, sheep, goat, chicken, duck, turkey, pig etc.). Why should horse be any different? I'd assume it would be leaner meat (like kangaroo), than beef or lamb.

 

My family is huge into eating horse... its more of a delicacy nowadays but we all rave about it.

 

OK, so what does it taste like? Beef?