The horse meat industry

[Johanna]

Most of the leather we work with is a byproduct of the huge meat industry. Here are two sides to a recent controversy:

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2006 — The debate over the slaughter of American horses so that their meat can be transported and sold for consumption overseas galloped into a Capitol Hill hearing room today.

Critics call it America's dirty little secret. There are three horse slaughter plants in the country — two in Texas, and one in Illinois.

"These three foreign-owned plants slaughtered nearly 100,000 American horses in 2005," Texas oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens testified today. "This is a black eye on our state and nation that demands action."

Congress is considering a ban on transporting American horses overseas for consumption. Horse meat is considered a delicacy in Japan and Europe.

"The American culture does not accept consumption of our dogs or cats for food, but there are other cultures in this world that do," veternarian Patricia Hogan, whose patients include Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones, told the committee. "Yet we do not allow the commerical slaugther of dogs and cats for export in this country because we as Americans find that practice deplorable."

Richard Koehler, the vice president of BelTex, a foreign-owned company that he said has a horse processing plant in Texas, called the claims of mistreatment "ridiculous."

He told the subcommittee his company takes great care to ensure that horses remain calm during the "euthanization," because, he said, "If a horse is under strain, it will lead to inferior horse meat."

He said American horse meat is "the best in the world."

Koehler testified that the horse processing industry is the only source of USDA-inspected horse meat for U.S. zoos. He cautioned members of Congress that the bill to ban transporting of slaughtered horses would lead to more, not less, horse abuse and neglect because if the slaughter option was taken away, some owners would not be willing to pay to put down their horses and would instead let them die of starvation.

Horse Slaughterhouses: 'America's Dirty Little Secret' by Laura Marquez ABC News

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2235175&page=1

Johanna

[pepin1948]

While I am an avid horse lover - and cat and dog lover too - I recognize that there could be a need to humanely euthanize a horse, and why waste its meat? I mean we kill cows every day, and use the leather AND meat. Of course I might have more of a problem RAISING horses for food...and I certainly have a problem with that where dogs and cats are concerned. But the one writer raises a good point: in certain cultures, these animals are not considered pets.

[$$hobby]

I love horses more then most of the people. but i would have to say that it would be a waste not to use the flesh. With all of the starving people in our own backyard, it doesnt make since that theres a posslibe source to help and not use it.

Edited September 2, 2006 by $$hobby

[wes]

I have no problem eating bovines, ruminants, and herbivores. I do not care to eat predators because of parasites and trans-species diseases.

Horse meat offers fewer health risks than pork.

I remember back in the late '60s and early '70s during the beef shortage that horse meat and earthworms were offered in the U.S. supermarkets and the pros and cons were discussed quite extensively on the national news at the time. There was even an episode on "All in the Family" about horse meat. That was the time that meat substitute soy products appeared on the market. It seems that soy was much more acceptable than horse or earthworm.

Edited September 3, 2006 by wes

[crissy]

the horse in all cultures, civilizations has been a utilitarian beast. but before that the horse was a beast of burden, before the Japanese even seen a horse, before they became food they were used to simplify mans life, then became a show his wealth then to fight his combats, making each man on the back of a horse a Superior worrier, keeping him company during his battle. hurting such an animal is unforgivable, we are far to smart to buy the "thats how they do it game" no horse was ever hunted for its meat. that is a result of starvation and careless abuse of a gift given to us that preforms every task we demand. for me it would be like eating my best friend. go check out the horse tripping that goes on in Mexico and the many other atrocities the animal withstands after providing man with the comfort of getting a job done well and quite fast.those injured horses from abuse. those are the animals that go to butcher and so no matter how humanly they are harvested, their quality of life has been compromised and we thank them by sending them to their death! not to leave out the abuse and the cheer of the most ruthless animal alive "MAN"

the horse is simply another gift we take for granted. he needs us to become the champion of his welfare. a horse will give and take nothing and we turn our heads looking another way, when they are broken so terribly that they have no decent life left to live the butcher being the finial breath. the horse harvesting industry is disgusting to say the very least. everyone sits by and dose nothing my goods will never be from the skin of a horse.

my opinon

how they are treated is a sin.

[King's X]

Just FYI. There some horse murdering going on in Florida right now. Ranches are being staked out and when the owners are not around or in the middle of the night, theives are going into the stable to get at the horses. They kill the horses, crave them up, taking mostly their meat and hides and splitting leaving the carcass behind for the owners to find and deal with it. There is no more information but they believe it is some form of band of subject because they are working really quick. Police have no information.

Just thought I throw that out for this thread and all of you horse owners in that region.

[rawhide1]

I'm against the abuse of any animal. So if ya want to eat a cow, dog, cat or god forbid a horse I don't care as long as it is put down in a humane way and not mistreated. What gives me or anyone else for that matter the right to tell someone what kind of animal they can and can't eat. It makes me laugh that it's okay to eat pig,chickens,goats,cows, and all kinds of seafood but mention eating a horse and people have kittens. I think there's a whole bunch of folks that need to get off of their soap boxes and quit putting ole trigger up on a pedestal. Because like it or not he is a animal.

And by the way I do have horse's and I've had them my whole life. And I'm right fond of them but if it comes down to it their getting ate medium rare!!

Mike

[MADMAX22]

I think alot of this comes from the use of the animal. Here dogs and cats are considered pets hence one of the big no no's of eating them but I garuntee if your starving youll cut that little bugger right up. I know I would.

Horses have been used for work for a long time in this country so as such they posed more of a value as a work animal then a food one. Horse has been eaten in many countries for a long time, even back when it was used as a war animal or a utilitarian animal as butchkitty said. Horse has also been eaten in the states during times of roughness that we dont see today.

Heck I remember growing up we had a couple horsed break a leg, we had to put them down. Once we did that we didnt waste them, if anything we cut them up and froze them and would feed them to the dogs. They loved it and it was free food. Im sure some suberbanites would cry and frown on that today but back then it wasnt even a second thought unless you wanted to pay to have it disposed of or you had a back hoe to dig a hole big enought to bury the darn thing.

Sure horses are pretty smart animals but I will wager a pig can learn as much if not alot more then a horse and have just as much a personality but we eat the heck out of those guys. Ofcourse if we could ride pigs then it may be a different story.

I think as long as the animal is raised in a good manner and killed in a decent way then so be it. It couldnt be any worse then veal. Now thats pretty horrible.

Edited August 13, 2009 by MADMAX22

[Randy Cornelius]

When they closed the slaughter plants the horse market dropped to the lowest level I have seen in my 50 years of life. It used to be that an unwanted or untrained or untrainable horse would bring a decent price for killer. But now those horses are being turned loose with the "wild Horse Herds" out west. Here in the mid west we see horses just turned loose on the roads for law enforcement to deal with. At one local horse sale you have to leave a 250.00 depost with a horse you drop off to sell just in case it does not sell so that you will come back and get it. The tree huggers and the animal rights people have ruined the horse market. Now all those unwanted horses that used to go to the killers are now being turned loose for someone to find a home for. Would I eat horse meat? No but that does not mean that I look down on someone who does.

Just my thoughts.

Randy

[wildrose]

I don't have a problem with those who want horse meat to legally aquire it, and for horses to be legally slaughtered for a valid reason. I have a HUGE problem with stealing someone's pet from their field or barn, butchering it, and leaving the carcass for some distraught owner to find. That is cruelty, and also does irreparable harm to the owner's emotional state. Such people should be caught and jailed for a very long time.

[outcast]

I have eaten horse meat. When I was like 4 or 5. I didn't really care for it. My dad got it at a pet store. Gave him more $ for beer.

I have eaten dog meat. Very good. Long, long, time ago in a 3rd world country tho. I wouldn't eat a dog now unless I reeeeealllllllly need some nutrition.

I hate cats. I would never even think of eating a cat. They're just nasty. I mean no offence to cat lovers tho.

[bustedlifter]

I'm against stealing other people's property no matter what it is. And I think animals should be put down humanely, i.e. in the quickest most efficient way possible. However, this reminds me of a story I read about a young boy who goes up to an old cowboy and asks what the name of his horse is. The old cowboy says he doesn't have a name. The young boy looks puzzled and says ; He doesn't have a name? The cowboy says; No , he doesn't. You don't want to give a name to something you might have to eat!

[jbird]

I am against raiseing horses for killing to me that's wrong, a Cow is designed for using it has no other task

on earth but horses good Lord there smart and made to use not raise for meat.

My thoughts

Josh

[crissy]

I am against raiseing horses for killing to me that's wrong, a Cow is designed for using it has no other task

on earth but horses good Lord there smart and made to use not raise for meat.

My thoughts

Josh

I agree 100% if things were to remain as they were years ago we wouldn't be having this conversation using this technology, line have to drawn people need to come together and positive change for all needs to take place. no more "ME" its "US" and it (being the grater good) wont really work any other way in regard to the topic and just about everything else living. we are in a time of cultivation and preservation ..... evolution.

[bruce johnson]

My background - raised horses, showed, rodeoed, veterinarian and treated them, traded horses, started quite few, still have horses and probably always will. Worked in a slaughter plant as well. Emotions aside, my issue is the bigger picture. This is one of the first major pieces of legislation that has to do with eliminating a food product. Call it however you see it, but this legislation has a lot to do with cutting out the slaughter of horses, not improving the welfare of them. It has effectively shut down one of the major outlets for unwanted or unusable horses in the United States, and offered NO reasonable alternative in its place. Without starting a whole bash-California thread, this first started as state initiative in California. The backers knew that once they had that, national enactment was easier. I had people living in San Francisco, east Los Angeles, and other urban areas voting to tell me what I can and can't do with my livestock. These people will never own a horse, and would not be impacted in the least. Legislaters also are not for the most part directly involved in the horse business. Why should I have them enacting laws with no alternatives to solve the backlash of their legislation?

The abandonments and problems with neglect have increased exponentially since the legislation passed. I am not condoning that. This has been going on in the small animal side of things for years - drop them off, leave them in the backyard of the foreclosed house, "that farmer will take care of them", etc. There are mighty few horse rescue groups, and ask most any of them. They are over-run. Many animal shelters are funded by some government. The horse rescue groups aren't.

Not every horse is a good one. Some are just plain not safe. Not safe enough to ride, and not consistant enough to make a bucker. Not every dog is good either, and some of them are dropped off at shelters for behavioral issues or things just went south in the household and nobody can afford to take the dog with them or pay for its upkeep. These groups just aren't as common for horses. Slaughter within the United States was maybe not always pretty, but it was there as an outlet. Now the options are limited - horses are generally viewed as a luxury item, and expensive to maintain. At one time the slaughter prices set the bottom price for the horse market. If they were worth $600 there, then a horse you could do something with was worth twice that or more. With that support gone, the price has dropped for the entry level horse, the unstarted colt, and the old reliable kid's horse. Add in the economy and people not having spare money to buy one. Many of the breeders have slowed done the production, but the fact is everybody has some they can't find buyers for. It is expensive to maintain one, and with people losing jobs or strugging to make a payment on a mortgage, hoofcare and feed costs are a problem. They had the resources 7 years ago, now they don't. No outlet, so backyard neglect is increasing along with abandonments. Just like a dog kicked out in the country won't survive like a coyote, neither will a horse kicked on the desert east of Dayton.

I wish I had a solution, but there isn't one right now. With everything else in the toilet here, horses aren't going to get the attention of GM or the banking industry. Pretty hard to undo legislation, about the last time that worked was the repeal of prohibiton.

[tonyc1]

We had reason to put our old horse (27) down a few nights ago due to heart problem. Even though it was 8 pm and pouring with rain the butcher came and did the job and carted him away to butcher him at his shop. We have no problem disposing of unwanted horses here as they are used in the greyhound industry. The going rate is between $100 - $150 but as the slaughterman is one of my customers I asked for nothing as I was pleased to have the nasty job done cleanly and efficiently in lousy conditions. Last year when the drought was on there were quite a lot of horses and ponies go when many people realised that horses aren't the cheapest things to buy for their kids and maintain them!

It is every horse owner's duty to make sure that horses are disposed of when their useful life is done! You can't be sentimental if the animal is sick and in pain.

Tony.

[hivemind]

as they are used in the greyhound industry.

Oh boy, don't get me started there. The cruelties inflicted on racing greyhounds the world over are horrific.

[tonyc1]

Such as?

[Rayban]

I would side with Richard Koehler.

[Bob]

By not allowing the slaughter and shipping of horse meat over seas has done this nation a great dis-service. It's done more harm than anything.

I've worked as a farrier for the best part of 25 years, seen alot of horses that should be shipped and other wise useless for anything. What are people going to do with these kind of horses? At one time, they brought as much as 1$ pound for live horses. This whole thing is crazy, lots of folks have horses they can't afford to feed and starve because of it. Whats the sense in that?

Someone posted earlier that horses are being turned out on the road for law enforcement to deal with. Unwanted horses...

The only bright light in this whole picture is that Canada does allow shipping and slaughter of horses for meat. The shortage for supply and demand will only serve to drive up the prices paid over seas. So ship your unwanted horses to Canada, they have a slaughter house in Fort Mcloud, Alberta. not sure of the spelling on that town.

I think the tree huggers and bleeding hearts have pushed things too far left. Thats my two bits worth.

[Rayban]

....yep...just like those with the Bambi Syndrome when it's time for an organized deer kill to thin the herd....

[KenE]

I think any animal that is slaughtered should be respected and used as much in its entirety as possible. I don't really have a problem with eating horse meat if the animal needs to be killed. To me it is respectful to the animal that it's flesh is not wasted.

My problem though is if people are selling the meat overseas as a delicacy, it probably demands a high price. When alot of money is involved, I would not trust most businesses to do what is ethical.

~Ken

[Ken Nelson]

I think any animal that is slaughtered should be respected and used as much in its entirety as possible. I don't really have a problem with eating horse meat if the animal needs to be killed. To me it is respectful to the animal that it's flesh is not wasted.

My problem though is if people are selling the meat overseas as a delicacy, it probably demands a high price. When alot of money is involved, I would not trust most businesses to do what is ethical.

~Ken

Bruce is right on the mark. Good points! I second your post. Ken

[cem]

I think any animal that is slaughtered should be respected and used as much in its entirety as possible. I don't really have a problem with eating horse meat if the animal needs to be killed. To me it is respectful to the animal that it's flesh is not wasted.

~Ken

The majority of the time I would agree with you but a couple of weeks ago a CBS financial reporter got wind off the Australian governments planned camel cull up north and got in a flap about it, why because the meat would be wasted. Now these camels aren't native to Australia, they destroy habitat, take food away from the native animals & breed like rabbits (there are literally thousands of them). I wouldn't touch the meat why because they are full of ticks and have god knows what other diseases. Yet this financial reporter failed to research this properly and decided instead to call our Prime Minister a serial killer. Most Australians will agree he's a bit of a dick but serial killer cmon, it's ridding the habitat of a species that has no place being there. Would you really want to take a chance on the meat knowing that it could be infected with something.

I don't think I could eat horse meat unless I was hungry enough as I don't see them as a food source but I don't have anything against anyone who does.

[tonyc1]

The majority of the time I would agree with you but a couple of weeks ago a CBS financial reporter got wind off the Australian governments planned camel cull up north and got in a flap about it, why because the meat would be wasted. Now these camels aren't native to Australia, they destroy habitat, take food away from the native animals & breed like rabbits (there are literally thousands of them). I wouldn't touch the meat why because they are full of ticks and have god knows what other diseases. Yet this financial reporter failed to research this properly and decided instead to call our Prime Minister a serial killer. Most Australians will agree he's a bit of a dick but serial killer cmon, it's ridding the habitat of a species that has no place being there. Would you really want to take a chance on the meat knowing that it could be infected with something.

I don't think I could eat horse meat unless I was hungry enough as I don't see them as a food source but I don't have anything against anyone who does.

I think it was on Landline that they said there are a million feral camels roaming around here doing untold damage. We are even exporting some to the middle east for racing as our camels are better quality!

I've had horse meat several times as one of our farriers used to salt with special herbs and spices (he was italian and said they eat a fair bit of it in Italy) it then smoke it and we'd have it cut very thinly and it was delicious with a beer and a bit of bread. He did say you needed a young horse though.

I've tried many different foods and I tried camel once when I was up in the Territory shooting and I have to say it was something I wouldn't rush to try again! Of course it may be better with a Cordon Bleu chef though.

Tony.