We eat cows, so why not horses?

Okay, brace yourselves:

I have owned horses since I was a little girl, have loved them forever -- and I'm NOT against the eating of horsemeat.

Don't get me wrong; personally, I really don't care to try it.

And I don't want you to eat MY horse, so I'll be keeping him until he dies, and not sending him to an unknown fate.

But when did we become a country that tells its own citizens and neighbors across the seas, what kinds of meat they can and cannot eat?

MEAT IS MEAT

I eat beef. Beef = cow. I eat ham. Ham = pig. I eat venison, chicken, tuna, and a whole lot of different plants, grains and even the occasional fungi that were once living things.

I believe all animals, whether used for meat or companionship, should be treated humanely. It isn't animal rights. It is higher consciousness.

The idea that horse, cat or dog may be eaten by someone else on a regular basis does not bother me. I expect responsible guidelines to be in place to minimize trauma and promote humane treatment of ALL food animals, both those I choose to eat and those I don't. I don't feel that a horse is inherently superior to a cow, or a pig to a duck, or a sheep to a chicken.

We have the responsibility to treat them all with kindness and respect, even if their destination is the dinner table. Torture and cruelty should never be tolerated.

However, we do not have the responsibility to police the world's plate and tell them, no, we will no longer sell horsemeat to you, France, now you'll have to get it from Mexico.

Because if you've followed that story, you know that the same horse that would have been slaughtered in Texas under much stricter guidelines is now being shipped across the border to be killed in more brutal ways, after enduring treatment that is far more cruel than US law allowed.

A ban on horse slaughter does not "save" any horses. If you want to save a horse, buy it and take care of it for the rest of its life.

I HUNT

In the late fall, I pick up a 20 gauge shotgun, suit up in orange and camo, and freeze my butt off up in a tree or in a ground blind. I see birds, squirrels, and no deer. Fortunately, I married a successful hunter, because I've never had a shot opportunity, save one. (That's a topic for another lens.)

I actually prefer eating wild game, such as venison, to eating beef. I feel that in comparison, the deer led a pretty good life, and that the meat is much healthier for me than processed and injected and growth-stimulated cow flesh could be.

Some people are against hunting, because you can just go to the store and buy a steak, why shoot a deer? I'm sorry ... is the cow somehow less dead?

I've been to a few wild game dinners and have sampled selections beyond the traditional American fare of beef, chicken and pork. At one time or another (usually only once) I've had alligator, elk, bison, beaver, goose, caribou, mountain lion, black bear, duck, European red deer, Russian boar, oyster, shrimp and squid. (Starting to sound a bit like the Tazmanian Devil, here.)

Point is ... I don't think it is right to pass judgement on my neighbor for eating horse, dog, cat, frog, turtle or snake, just because I didn't grow up eating those things.

YOUR TURN!

Beef, venison or horsemeat? They're all herbivores. Let's eat them!

(Or at least, let's not tell our neighbors that they can't.)

Meat. It's what's for dinner.

Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Yes, you're right!

BBQ-Ken says:

I say all living things are part of the "foodchain". Many people around the world eat what they have. Most of the fools in this country that support bans like this have no clue what kind of a mess they create. Thinking they are doing such wonderful things because somebody can't sell a horse for meat or any other animal in many cases condemns the animal to a very miserable life. I think most of these people are hypocritical. I am pretty certain that they would eat what was available if they had no other choices other than starve. Back to the basics! Less government control more freedom!

Posted July 07, 2008

AllHorses says:

So we should legislate against cultural choices we disagree with? That doesn't sound very American, Snappahead. In this country, my neighbor should be free to eat whatever animal he wishes, whether it is wild game taken legally or meat slaughtered under humane treatment guidelines. (No one wants to see Bob chasing a stray cat around the alley with a knife and fork.)

What makes some radical vegans believe that if one chooses to eat fried chicken, they're just a nugget's-width away from murderous cannibalism?

Heard on the radio recently that there are 500 dog meat restaurants and/or butcher shops in Seoul, and that Koreans eat over a million dogs per year.
Now, which is a greater priority ... trying to FORCE CHANGE on a culture, or working toward greater likelihood of humane treatment during the slaughter process?
Lewis and Clark ate dog meat to survive. Bet you would too, if you had to.

Posted July 02, 2008

AllHorses says:

We're already seeing an increase in people raising their own poultry and livestock due to potentially dangerous contamination of supermarket meats. It seems wasteful that excess mustangs are euthanized and buried or burned when all that meat could be put to good use. A well-placed bullet is no less humane than a lethal injection.

Posted July 02, 2008

spirituality says:

I don't eat cow or horse - but your point is well made: humans should be able to eat whatever they want. As long as it's not poisonous and the animal in question is (preferably) well treated.

Posted June 21, 2008

maggieliz1 says:

I agree - and although I'm not interested in eating horsemeat, I raise my own meat rabbits.

Truth be told, if Beef gets more expensive, more and more people will be eating whatever they can.

I remember horsemeat in the supermarket when Carter was President. Yes - here in the USA.

Posted May 12, 2008

Slave2MyHoss says:

Hmmm bit of hypocracy by the neighhhhsayer. We have legalized abortion (killing a human) yet we are being forced to not send our horse to slaughter because it is inhumane. That is ridiculous.

What folks eat in other countries is NOT our decision to make. Anymore than folks in India can tell us NOT to eat beef.

Folks in Korea and China eat dogs and cats, yet we ship them over there..yep, we sure do.

So..I think we should have closely regulated humane horse slaughter plants in the USA. We have enough government control on our lives, we don't need more.

Posted February 19, 2008

No way, Monkeybrain!

lahnii says:

thats right god didnt make animals for people to eat them, animals are living creatures just like humans and they have a right to live just as much as we do, none has the right to choose between life or death. no wounder animals attack and kill humans their proberably getting us back for all the animals that we kill and eat.

Posted May 25, 2008

KelleyEidem says:

I've heard that horse meat is tough and doesn't taste good. Maybe that's a factor.

Posted May 14, 2008

Snappahead says:

The revulsion at eating horsemeat in this country is cultural, just as the revulsion toward eating beef in India. If you want to eat horses but not beef, move to India. As far as equating eating horses with aborting unborn babies, that is one of the most assinine comparisons I've heard in a long time mostly because it presumes that abortion is ALSO ok, which it's not. If you're going to argue for something as abhorrent as slaughtering horses, at least avoid using faulty logic. And no, I'm not a vegan. I don't believe in eating dogs and cats, rats, or horses for cultural reasons. I'm sure they are all quite tasty, but I've also heard that humans taste like pork... but that's probably not a cultural shift we would like to see either, is it?

Posted February 26, 2008

swarj says:

Oh, so should we eat humans too? What a ridiculous idea! Originally God DIDN'T make animals for human consumption...if you want to bring Him into it then get your facts straight.

Posted February 19, 2008

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House Passes Horse Slaughter Ban, Law Prohibits Killing Of Horses For Human Consumption - CBS News

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OFF THE TABLE

Do we all stop eating beef or pork because it goes against the religion of another person, or country? Do we bow to the whim of the United Church of Carrot Worship and stop eating those magestic root vegetables?

You've got your opinion, and I've got mine. I won't try to stop you from eating chicken, beef, pork, lamb, goose, dog, snake or fish. Don't try to make anyone else stop eating what they want, either.

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