I just can't imagine civilized people eating horsemeat. Raising horses for the purpose of killing them for their meat. They say by banning the sale of horsemeat, would lead to neglected horses that were of no use to their owners. Hmmmm They would just no longer be raising horses for slaughter. I can't even believe that I didn't know it was being done withing 100 miles of my home. A federal appeals court decided in March of 2007 to block the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture from providing horse meat inspections for a fee, which effectively will shut down this operation in Illinois. If that ruling is overturned, the only way to shut this Company down in DeKalb, IL is for the Governor of Illinois to sign legislation. Please citizens of Illinois write or call your legislators and tell them how you feel about this happening under our own noses. Let the people of France, Belgium and Japan raise their own horses for consumption. Are they starving in those countries with nothing else to eat?
2007-04-19 05:03:43 · 16 answers · asked by poetrysonglady 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
People do not raise horses for the specific purpose of meat. the horses destined to the slaughter house are horses that are almost always have tempermental/physical issues that make them unusable or dangerous, or are old, sick, lame and retired show horses. The slaughter industry is fueled by owners that can no longer care for their horses and need a way to dispose of them. The owners can send their unwanted horse to an auction where they can be optimistic and feel like it is going to a home. in reality meat buyers purcahse them. These horses would otherwise be neglected and uncared for (most are un-saleable, and rescues are scarce and overcrowded) Many horse owners are too senimental to euthinize a horse, or they may just not want to (or cant) pay the large ammont of money it costs to dispose of the animal when they can make a few hundred dollars sending it to the auction.
Banning horse slaughter in the US will just encourage horses to be shipped in terrible inhumane conditions for longer distances to unregulated slaughter houses in Mexico and Canada. It is more humane to ship a horse shorter distances to plants in the US which are regulated to ensure decent conditions for the animals.
Horses are not like dogs or cats, they are not primarily a companion animal, they are livestock just the same as a cow. Horses are very expensive, and hard to care for. The fact of the matter is that not all horses will end up in good homes, rescues are overflowing with horses they are unable to care for, and an alternitive is needed for those who simpily can not care for their horse anymore.
Sometimes people who 'love horses' do not see the ugly side to the horse industry, those who do usually understand the need for the option of sending your horse to the auction for slaughter.
2007-04-19 19:00:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have actually seen "bavette du cheval" on the menu in restaurants in Quebec, Belgium, and France. However, I have since learned that French, Italians, Swiss, Japanese and Quebecois in Canada are horse meat aficionados and most of the 65,000 horses slaughtered in the country were shipped to Europe, Japan and to the province of Quebec.
Horsemeat is cheaper than beef, and people I have spoken with actually like it. I have never tried it.
When you consider horse auctions, the fact is that most of them do not go to be riding horses for a Four H equestrian program. The demand for horsemeat is what keeps the price of horses up at horse auctions. The buyers at an auction are also the people who will take a horse if it has navicular disease and other orthopedia problems.
2007-04-19 12:28:36 · answer #2 · answered by Mark 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh no, someone's not conforming to american culture. Better call the thought police. If anyone has the audacity to eat any form of meat that isn't pig, cow, sheep, fish, chicken or at a push goat then that is contrary to "civilization". How dare they have their own culture.
If you live in a place with a free market then if something is not against the law it will be sold. Even if horse is not consumed in the US there is still a worldwide market for it. You cannot expect people to say "eating horse is un-american, so I'm not going to make a profit from it". If there is money to be made it will be. If you have a problem with it then get a campaign to make it illegal to raise horses for slaughter - and you can live in a world where you believe that just because people don't like it things which make people money will become illegal.
2007-04-19 12:10:34 · answer #3 · answered by Mordent 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
And the difference between a horse and a cow in the food chain is what??? Here is a little lesson for you in Biology. Horses eat plants, carnivores eat horses. Humans are omnivores which means they eat meat and plants. Horses have meat. These horses are not pets, they are raised to be used as food. There is nothing wrong with this!!!
In the future, if you want to take yourself out of nature, there are more effective ways.
2007-04-19 13:45:56 · answer #4 · answered by killapaddler 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I've actually ate horsemeat hotdogs in Germany in the 70s. I didnt even know it, until my Sargeant told me it was horsemeat!
It tasted as good as any other meat.
If they didnt use the horses in those countries, then they would ship them to factories where thier carcases would be made into perfume! (Yes, they have a plant in Cleveland Ohio that does that, as a buddy of mine took a load of dead carcases of many types of animals to the place, he gagged all the way there!).
Or, they would use the horse in some other type of thing, like feed production for other animals. They would grind the dead horse up into meal, and put other additives in there and feed it to cattle or other farm animals.
They could toss the horses into landfills, and let them rot in there, but, thats a good waste of meat, so, the people try to sell it so that they recoup some money that they been feeding into that "hay-burner" for years :)
I wish you well...
Jesse
2007-04-19 12:12:03 · answer #5 · answered by x 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What's the difference between eating horse meat or cow meat? Or chickens or cats? Many countries treat their pets and food the same way. Personally I think that is more "civilized" than being biased towards an animal because it is cuter or smarter.
2007-04-19 12:07:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I understand your outrage. But are you a vegetarian? If not, I assure you that whatever meat you eat...there is some person, civilization, religion, etc that considers the animal that that meat came from sacred or loved or thought of as creatures with some sort of soul.
2007-04-19 12:09:22 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think I would want to eat a horse, but how is this your business?
What is the difference between a horse and a cow, hog, or sheep?
2007-04-19 12:10:27 · answer #8 · answered by desotobrave 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Why not? The Grand National becomes one big buffet after the race
2007-04-19 12:06:56 · answer #9 · answered by Brainbox 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Poor horsies....
What exactly is the big deal with eating horses? I really don't get it. Is it because they are "pretty" or what? Please explain.
BTW I've eaten horsemeat (in France) out of curiousity. It is rather tasty, sweet and lean.
2007-04-19 12:08:56 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋