Horse meat

RE animals in war, I cried my eyes out when I found out only one of the Australian Horses who served in Turkey ever saw Australia again. When the troops heard their horses were to be left behind, they shot them, so they might die at the hands of their masters, and not at the hands of the Turks.

Heartbreaking. Animals will die for us, but the pen pushers would leave them behind to rot.

(and yes, they'd probably eat us as well if they had to!)
 
I personally wouldn't choose to eat it, but have no problem with horse meat been eaten as long as it is reared and slaughtered humanely. I would imagine any slaughterhouses producing meat for human consumption would have to be extremely strict on checking passports for previous drugs given etc, so very much doubt we would see horses stolen from fields to supply the meat.
 
on a pink and fluffy level I find it quite upsetting, and I wouldn't eat it myself, but I do agree with the other postees that meat is meat and if reared / slaughtered properly then I'd find it hard to be selective amongst pork, beef, chicken etc. However I do hope it doesn't catch up in the UK, and would be delighted if it wasn't so popular in Europe, but as said that's the soppy git in me.
 
Harper_Gal said:
gemin1eye said:
They are kept 5 to a pen, which is adaquate to prevent social stressing, they are safe from predation, they are protected from disease, they are very closely monitored (impossible to check 7000 birds as they're running around a field!) and are a lot healthier and happier.

I quote an anonymous irish free range chicken farmer: "The battery unit is much better, they're much healthier and happier"

I have been into both units recently (and it was a 60,000 battery unit) and although it's unpleasant, I nearly threw up in the free range unit - I was surrounded by bald, half starved birds who are banned from eating and going outside by the dominant bossy birds. I left determined to return to save the worst of them. They actually looked like they were ready for eating.

There was not a single bird in that condition in the battery unit. So tell me, how is it crueller?
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Perhaps it was the particular unit you went to see then? I too was recently on a free range chicken unit, flocks of 2000 so a smaller scale than most I admit, but all I saw were some very happy, very healthy chickens!

There are many issues with the way we keep animals but I would take free range anytime - you say yourself the battery unit was not pleasant :S and there are many examples of very good free range units in the UK, battery cages are never good!
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Daisy2 said:
I am quite surpirsed at the majority of replies and how willing the majority of you are to accept horsemeat as the norm in restarants etc even if you would not eat it yourselves - Take a look at all of the quotes and phrases at the bottom of peoples siggies about horses being majestic, loyal, friends etc, we seem to hold them in high esteem when it suits but would accpet to eat them as well - Put aside if humanly reared etc, these creatures are animals that we trust our lives with our childrens lives and they willingly take us to where we want to go and try really hard -
I think the majoirty of the posts are going with the momentum and dont want to look too soft.
I am now prepared to be shot down in flames... Yes I do eat free range chicken and fish, dont have a problem with non horsey people eating horse because they have never had the experience and magic of coming close to one to understand... But most people on here have. Cows did not fight wars for us, horses did!
:p
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totally agree with you daisy2! now i'm off to run and hide :)
 
i personnally would eat horse meat as its not something that appeals to me same as i won't eat rabbit. but i don't think there is anything cruel about selling it. as long as it is done humanely
 
Daisy2 said:
I think the majoirty of the posts are going with the momentum and dont want to look too soft.
I am now prepared to be shot down in flames... Yes I do eat free range chicken and fish, dont have a problem with non horsey people eating horse because they have never had the experience and magic of coming close to one to understand... But most people on here have. Cows did not fight wars for us, horses did!
:p
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Because once it's dead, it is just meat. In the same way that, for me at least, when a person dies, they aren't that person anymore, once an animal dies, it's the same. I want my horse to go to the hunt when he is PTS which IMO is no different to him going into the human food chain.
 
mandylou said:
totally agree with you daisy2! now i'm off to run and hide :)
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meat horses aren't reared the same as pet/competition horses. they are bred for purpose and more often than not aren't suitable for anything but meat as they are conformationally screwed. they usually meet a bullet sooner rather than later even when "rescued" for the meat line.
 
QR Everyone has their own tastes and preferences but personally I would never eat horse flesh in any context. I don't feel there is the need to explain my reasoning, it is personal and that is all. If other people have eaten it or choose to then that is up to them. Other peoples' preferences has nothing to do with me.
 
Daisy, I to agree with you completely on your post, but hey I am a veggie!

Also horse meat doesn't get tough through age. It's still the same if the horse is elderly, so yes i do think someones pet will be on plate.
 
LadyRascasse said:
meat horses aren't reared the same as pet/competition horses. they are bred for purpose and more often than not aren't suitable for anything but meat as they are conformationally screwed. .
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Thats just harsh, there is many a pony that has brought joy and purpose to ones life that was a bit crooked. Mine is one of them, but then I have always been a sucker for a runt, my dog was too, turned out to be my best friend for 15yrs:D
 
Daisy2 said:
I suppose my answer is no I would not eat horsemeat and respect to all for their opinions, I was just a little surprised at how many would or agree thats its ok to because we adorn the forum with loving pictures and sentimets of adoration for our equines. Just a little surprised thats all.:)
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Im not realy that suprised at peoples attitudes as society in general seems to be in a race to the bottom where anything goes..
 
All meat gets tougher with age. And horse meat defiantly will as they actually use and exert there muscles....

There are horses as pets and horses as meat.. they are two groups.. You have milking cattle and you have beef cattle. they are treated differently.. And you won't find an old milking cow on your plate.. TRUST ME.. the meat is too tough...

I still don't understand what the issue is with horse meat. Its a meat after all.

Lou x
Lou x
 
Indy said:
I'm a meat eater and I couldn't eat horse meat - the same as I couldn't eat dog or cat meat.

I have a different relationship with my horses - they're more like pets compared to the relationship I have with our flock of sheep. I don't eat lamb at all - I don't like it. My OH doesn't eat lamb during lambing but once that's out of the way lamb is reintroduced for Sunday dinner.

But then again, I feel guilty when I have to help load our lambs up for market.

However after being kicked by a cow on my knee and causing me intense pain for about 2 month I have no problem eating beef.
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thank you, I could no more eat horse meat than I could eat cat or dog which I see as pets, we have cattle on the farm as well as horses but I do not have a relationship with those at all most of them don't even have names.... I am suprised at the amount of people quite happy to eat horsemeat and the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach.... perhaps for all those people out there who see nothing wrong with it, we should open a few dog meat restaurants like they do in parts of Asia.....!!!
 
Daisy2 said:
I am quite surpirsed at the majority of replies and how willing the majority of you are to accept horsemeat as the norm in restarants etc even if you would not eat it yourselves - Take a look at all of the quotes and phrases at the bottom of peoples siggies about horses being majestic, loyal, friends etc, we seem to hold them in high esteem when it suits but would accpet to eat them as well - Put aside if humanly reared etc, these creatures are animals that we trust our lives with our childrens lives and they willingly take us to where we want to go and try really hard -
I think the majoirty of the posts are going with the momentum and dont want to look too soft.
I am now prepared to be shot down in flames... Yes I do eat free range chicken and fish, dont have a problem with non horsey people eating horse because they have never had the experience and magic of coming close to one to understand... But most people on here have. Cows did not fight wars for us, horses did!
:p
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Yay I agree totally with you, look at how the horse performs for us, transport, war horse, competition animal, sleek racing animal, companion.... horses are more than just food....!!!
 
perfect11s said:
Im not realy that suprised at peoples attitudes as society in general seems to be in a race to the bottom where anything goes..
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That's a little harsh - people aren't saying that they accept every child's pony will be mown down and barbequed in cold blood, they are saying that if the animal is raised for the intention of being slaughtered for meat, if it is raised humanely and slaughtered humanely, then they have no issue with the meat being used as there is, in those situations, no difference between cow/sheep/horse/pig etc etc.

It is unreasonable to be so derogatory based on the fact that peoples opinions aren't the same as yours.
 
I haven't read all these posts but have to agree that I don't consider eating horse meat any worse than beef or pork or chicken or lamb or goose or fish etc etc. I am a vegetarian so would never eat any of them, and haven't for almost 10 years now.

How can anyone say that they would value one animal's life over another? People keep chickens and pigs as pets, but most people see nothing wrong with eating pork or chicken...? Why has a horse got more right to not end up on a plate than any other creature?

Agreed I don't like the idea that people will start eating meat over here but I don't like the fact that we eat any meat in times when it is a luxury not a neccessity. We have plenty of subsitutes for meat but still we slaughter animals for our own consumption - in many cases animals that have been reared in terrible conditions and died rather frightened.

Rant over! Can you tell I'm veggie?! :p
 
bexandspooky said:
That's a little harsh - people aren't saying that they accept every child's pony will be mown down and barbequed in cold blood, they are saying that if the animal is raised for the intention of being slaughtered for meat, if it is raised humanely and slaughtered humanely, then they have no issue with the meat being used as there is, in those situations, no difference between cow/sheep/horse/pig etc etc.

It is unreasonable to be so derogatory based on the fact that peoples opinions aren't the same as yours.
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no true my coment was a general one about how things are in this country,
and my main objection is one of welfare, transport, cruel handling of what is a very senstive pray animal, horses bought from auctions or from the racing studs being treated very calously, cows and sheep have been bred to be handled for meat and seem num to what is going on, I have worked in slaugter houses when i used to have a job servicing cleaning equipment so ive seen pigs, cattle and sheep dispached, and horses i would say its the end of a very nasty road for some the method is fine in UK and i think europe just getting there that is bad
unless its mexico and sorry I wont descibe it surfice to say its truly barbaric.. google it!!!
so peeps eating or condoning it is fueling a very nasty chain of cruelty IMHO.....
 
I spend a lot of time at one of the abattoirs in this country that slaughters horses and it's my view that the horse meat industry is extremely beneficial to UK horse welfare. Horses can only be neglected or mistreated while they alive so sending them to the abattoir is a humane way of ending the downward spiral of neglect. I strongly believe that any horse that is unwanted should be put down instead of being passed on cheaply through the sales or a bottom end dealer. Think of all the horses at spindles farm; if their previous owners had put them down the wouldn't have ended up there.

Interestingly horse meat tastes better as it ages (unplublished research by my university) so maybe in the future we will keep horses as leisure animals until the end of their days when they'll then go for meat. Bear in mind that the horse meat industry adds value to the horse industry as a whole as well as providing a base price for horses.

Now I realise that not many people are likely to agree with this but in my experience the horses going through the abattoir are more relaxed in the hands of the expert rifleman than private horses put down by a vet accompanied by a distraught owner.
 
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