Horse meat---I don't see the problem

Truckinguy · #41 02/20/13, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Farmer Willy

Common sense would say don't eat sick or over medicated animals. I view an animal as there for a purpose, could be to ride, guard the house, or squirt out eggs for breakfast. I assume the responsibility to take care of their needs while they're still kicking, I expect to gain the benefits once they're under the knife. Cow, pig, goat or horse don't make a lot of difference, they're all made out of meat.

So, I'm curious if anyone here has had a filly cheesteak.

Lol, there's an image I wasn't prepared for... did your chickens forget to package the product before delivery??

Heritagefarm · #42 02/22/13, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by where I want to

It's harder for people who have ridden horses and have had their foolish rear ends saved by an athletic or sensible horse to think of eating them. Also there are cultures that where horses were more romanticised such as Britain or Ireland. A buddy is more than a meatsource.
I have alway felt (and it is strictly emotional) that an animal that has worked for me deserves care. So no eating of dogs or horses for me. Even my older goats who have produced kids for me get retirement as long as I can manage it.

I'm the same way. I know of people who are so, so, so practical that they eat their old goats. (they think they're practical.) But it just sickens me. I wouldn't be able to eat a goat I'd just milked and loved for years on end. Bleh...

BUT, any animal that is useless, untrained, mean, etc. I will readily eat. That goes for horses, too, though I've never had one. That's just my philosophy. So, no, no horse-meat-pet, but maybe darn-stubborn-salebarn-horse gets eaten.
Dogs simply don't get eaten on principle. That and it's fairly risky to eat a carnivore. (Unless you ask PETA, in which case puppy dogs are, of course, vegetarians.)

Hollowdweller · #43 02/22/13, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwal10

Horse meat is a little sweet, makes great jerky if cut across the grain. It is stringy, little fat and tougher than good beef. Of course age make a big difference. Horse steaks are huge off big draft horses. I worked at an auction where horses were sold to export. In the late 70's and 80's a lot of BLM horses went to slaughter. Truck loads were hauled from Nevada. They even replaced the studs with draft horse breeds to improve the cuts wanted in France, at that time....James

So it doesn't taste just like chicken???

anita_fc · #44 02/22/13, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

One big problem is that here, horses are not RAISED as meat animals, so there are no restrictions as to medications that can be used.

Many drugs are not allowed for FOOD animals, but are commonly used on "pets"

Back in the day when they could be sold to slaughter, the saleyard required a signed affidavit that the horse had not been given any drugs within xx number of days of sale. I think 30 days, but I am not sure.

Anita from Idaho
Dan-Ani Pygmy Goats
www.gndt.net/dan-ani

Pops2 · #45 02/23/13, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warwalk

I'm not opposed to eating horse meat. Like someone on here said, I'd rather eat a horse that's lived a long life than to eat veal (still, I love lamb, so who knows, right?).

One issue I have is that, since the animal has had the opportunity to grow to maturity, they seem a good deal more "self aware" than the average cow... I've seen some of the videos on horse slaughter, and it's a horrific scene. It seems as they go straight to exsanguination... not even the courtesy of a shot to the head with a captive bolt stunner. And that, I definitely don't like. I've heard some say that shehita for kosher and whatever the equivalent is for hallal are supposed to be painless, but there are simply too many videos out there showing animals wracked in pain to believe that.

So yes, if dispatched quickly and humanely, I'd have no problem with it.

Those videos were produced in shoddy Mexican slaughterhouses or in halal slaughter (SOME Islamic communities believe horses are clean to eat because they are clean to ride or work). The better Mexican facilities use captive bolt because it's faster & safer (more efficient). In a litigious society like ours those crazy thrashing abusive slaughters occur almost exclusively when PETAphiles go "undercover" and commit the abuse themselves

TheMartianChick · #46 02/23/13, 07:54 PM

I've never had horse and doubt that I would like it. I also don't like any unground beef, lamb or pork. Despite my aversion to large cuts of meat, I don't think that there is anything gross about eating horse. I kinda think of a horse as a big goat and folks eat those all the time!

I suppose if it was ground into horseburger, I'd probably be willing to try it. I've had goat burger and deer burger. Of course, I knew exactly what I was eating and there was no mystery in the matter. Mislabeling food is serious business to me. I usually have to ask in Italian restaurants about the meat in the sauce because I don't eat pork.