Will Americans Eat Horse Meat?

Barbara F · Grand Prix

Will Americans Eat Horse Meat?

Jackie Cochran · Advanced

My question about exporting the horse meat is about all the medications, supplements and wormers used on the American horses. Is American horse meat going to meet the standards of European eaters?

I don't think Americans (ie. old Americans, descended from the earlier immigrants) will eat horse meat UNLESS it is MUCH cheaper than the factory farm meat we now eat. Personally I won't eat it, but many recent immigrants do not see anything wrong with it (except for religious issues.)

But now there will be a floor for horse prices. Free and/or super cheap horses will disappear. We will see fewer horses starving to death, fewer horses sold to people who know nothing about horses, horse management, or riding.

Now all we need is Temple Grandin to inspire the meat industry to improve so that it is more humane, otherwise all the old objectionable practices will continue, and the horses, as always, will suffer.

spirithorse · Advanced

Ms. Grandin will do her part I guarantee.....
As for me, having eaten horse meat, I see nothing wrong with it.
How many folks personally raise a calf etc, for slaughter, though they treat it like part of the family.
It is the mind set that blocks our ability to be rational
Of course there are issues with drugs used, etc. and that must be addressed.

Barbara F · Grand Prix

I don't eat meat at all, and I just recently started eating fish for health reasons. I guess I'm a bit of a hypocrite - I won't cook veal, lamb or pork in my home, yet I do cook chicken and beef. I also wear leather.

My problem with the horse meat industry is that more and more people will BREED horses specifically for meat, and what do we need that for??!

Already in Canada, you can find breeders with ads selling "Japanese style" draft horses. In other words, big meaty horses for sale to be shipped to Asia. Blech.

MagsNMe · Advanced

I suspect we all have our hypocritical bits. I eat meat, love it, but I'd not eat horse. I know I'd be hard pressed to kill something to eat it. I also love wild meat and will grab it every chance I get...

I know down in Ft Macleod, the processing plant does breed their own horses for the plant. I can't imagine other people doing so, but, there are all kinds. I can't decide if I hate the processing of horses more than I hate the abuse of horses. At least if the horse go to slaughter, the abuse/neglect will end for that horse.

I swear, if I win the lottery, I will set up a fund for folks who can't afford the euthanasia cost, so that they can choose an alternate route.

Until then, I love my horses, and do the best I can by them. And give them an extra smooch everytime I read something unpalatable. They get smooched alot these days....

Jackie Cochran · Advanced

Hi Barbara, these "Japanese style" horses actually have been bred for a LONG time in this continent. In the late 1800's (and before from pictures) the champion halter draft horses always were OBESE, and breeders would boast about how much their horses weighed, and this was breeding for draft, not meat. These horses were not total lard pits, they also had muscle under all that fat. It used to be a secret of horse dealers and showmen how to get those extra pounds of fat on a reasonable fit horse to give it a winning "finish" without foundering it in the process. Sometimes that winning "finish" got the horse over a ton.

In fact, thinking back, even in England there was a fashion for super fat draft horses long ago, just not as bad as in the USA!

I hate, hate, hate seeing US (and Canadian) horses sent as meat abroad. The only comfort about the draft horses is at least the breeds are being kept going, in a few decades people may be grateful that we still have these useful horses around. The draft horses nearly died out when the tractors came out, many breeds only survived by the skin of their teeth until the high end horse meat market came about. I hate this, but at least we have not lost the draft horse forever.

I expect that the Quarter Horse may end up being a victim of this meat trade, they breed for those big, bulky muscles.

Queenrider · Advanced

Freisians were the meat horse of Europe before they were promoted as competition/show horses. If you are hungry enough you will eat anything.