Horse Slaughterhouse Approved by USDA to Produce Meat for Human Consumption

Originally posted by Char-Lee
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

Why? Is ending the life of a plant (which happens frequently with many plants that are eaten) any less atrocious than ending the life of an animal?

Well let's see.....

Blood, body fluids, feces, tumors, disease that can pass to humans hormones and drugs, the need to be sure and cook to a certain temperature. The gore and pain and disgust of everyone at the slaughter and process the feeling that you are holding a human child when you prep a turkey to bake, feels just like when you bath the baby...

Verses, glowing bright fruit and wonderful nuts and olives, coconuts from a tree. Green ve ggies and bloodless feces-less body fluid-less tubers...

Your right I see no difference.

edit on 30-6-2013 by Char-Lee because: (no reason given)

edit on 30-6-2013 by Char-Lee because: (no reason given)

I sure as hell do.People who think like you are sick.Tell me..when was the last time you climbed a tree to get a coconut? Never ? That's what I thought. Or dug around for fruit and wonderful nuts? Never? That's what I thought.

Get off your high horse.

I see no problem with it, as long as it is a clean slaughter house I think it is fine.
I have eaten all types of meat, even Monkey brain (I know I was told it was dog brain) people around the world are not as squeamish as western folk.
I found horse nicer than cow tbh.

reply to post by Faust100f


Having worked with horses and other animals all my life. I can tell you that most animals that are dubbed 'dumb' are not. Chickens, cows, sheep and now horses. They are not dumb..

I am a woman. And I am aware of that. However they are most likely planning on doing this big scale like most other slaughterhouses. I do not agree with peeps who own horses and then after they cannot afford to feed them. Turn them loose. That does not seem right.

I put this article up as the main things that worry me about this is. Where exactly are they going to get all these horses. Where are they going to be kept. Will they be treated humanely before the end of their lives. And will the slaughter be humane. In most cases hopefully yes. In many cases probably not.

I do not have anything against people who eat any meat. Like I said it is a choice that you make. I do not judge anyone on that..

Originally posted by badgerprints
If people want to eat horse in the US then they should follow established rules on the raising of these animals for meat.

Working animals, pets, wild horses and essentially any animal not bred for and raised as a meat animal should be illegal to slaughter and sell as food for the public.

Horses that have been used for purposes other than as a food bred animal could be allowed to be slaughtered and consumed by the individual owner but should not be consumed by the public. The public food supply is already horribly polluted by "legal" food adulteratives and genetically manipulated frankensteinian things that are being passed off as food animals. I would hate to see a physically moribund pony that couldn't stand under it's own weight at the age of six months because it had been genetically "enhanced" to provide more meat like some poultry have been.
I'm sure it won't take long to get there though.


Personally, I have no desire to eat a horse.

This^

It seems a lot of people are terribly uninformed about the problems that were born of the closing of the slaughterhouses- they would really do well to research it a bit before forming an opinion.

The abuse, the neglect, the suffering so many horses went through, as the over populated horse market was packing them in trucks for Mexico, letting them suffer and die within, or (if they arrive over the border still alive) to be killed in sloppy ways which did not avoid terrible suffering. The people who are against horse slaughter are monsters in my opinion. Some are only so because of ignorance though.

The biggest problem I have is with slaughterhouses selling horse meat to other countries for human consumption without using any method of testing or control. In France, horse meat is still consumed by some people (I don't know any personally...) but they are specific breeds of draft horses (Comtois) that are bred and raised especially for this purpose- so all drugs, hormones, antibiotics, etc. are limited or avoided entirely. The bredders are stringently controlled. The method of slaughter and butchering is also, to make sure it is sanitary and humane.

All other horses have ot be microchipped by law, when they are born, and entered into a national database, to make sure that they never end up being used for consumption.
A slaughterhouse which deals with butchering must check all animals coming in and if they are chipped, they cannot accept them.

There are drugs commonly used in "pet" horses that stay in the muscle tissue and are extremely dangerous for humans to consume.

Selling such meat to other countries is just irresponsible.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Yes I am aware they are food. I am also aware that plants are conscious. If I could I would not even eat plants. But that is not possible on this planet. Nature has a circle. Creatures and beings die. They either get eaten by others or are consumed once again by the Earth.

I do not feel superior over anyone. I believe we are all equal. I am not a stereotypical vegetarian. I have only been veggie for just coming on a year now. Why. Because after doing much research and watching many documentaries and films. Especially Earthlings. I could not justify going to the shop and buying some meat. Not knowing what kind of life the animal had prior to slaughter. Not knowing if the animal suffered or not. Not knowing what on earth has been pumped into the meat too.

Also for a long time I had wondered well if I can eat cow, pig, chicken, duck etc then why I am so against people eating horse, dog and cat. We are all from different cultures and traditions.

I do not think ending the life of the plant is any less atrocious than ending the life of any other animal. It is the way in which the life is ended. However plants are lucky in the fact that do not have to go through the shocking abuse that many animals used for meat do. I grow my own veg and take care of my plants. I love them...

If you take the head off a lettuce. And it is kept in the ground or in a glass or water it we regrow. And you can continue to harvest from that one lettuce. And whilst the lettuce is alive. It is nurtured. Fed. Watered and loved. If you cut the head off a horse it does not grow back...

reply to post by starfoxxx


If you had read my OP you would see that I say I have no problem with peeps eating meat. However I made a choice not to. Peeps are free to make whatever choices they like. Unless it directly affects people/s in a detrimental derogatory manner...

Please reread OP..

reply to post by littled16


Hi there littled.. Thank you for your reply..

Yes I did some research. As I do not live in America. It is not even peeps turning their noses up at the meat. What gets me is the meat eaters that say oh I don't eat horse that is cruel and horrible. Yet they eat cow, pig, chicken etc. I do not understand that mind set, personally.

I think if peeps are hungry they will eat what they can. And if horse meat is the next meat to be resold mainstream then so be it. Horse is meant to be a healthier meat than cow. However I know that some diseases and/or medicines given to horses are difficult to trace in the horse...

reply to post by Sandalphon

I don't mind as long as it's labeled "equine" or "horse" not just "meat filler". Labeling is important. This for sheep, goats, rabbits, and any other meat. I don't care if it's rendered animals from the shelters, tell me where it's from so I can be informed enough to be responsible for the consent should I decide to eat it; don't reduce it down to it's most scientific-sounding name, like stearic acid or glycerine. At least give people the respect of not being lied to. No soylent green surprises, or soylent neigh in this case.

Ty for the reply Sandalphon..

Yes this is what I was trying to say. I do not even know what they mean by 'meat filler'. Does not sound like a good thing. Why does meat need filler anyway.....

Everything should be labelled appropriately. We should all have the choice and the right to choose what we eat..

reply to post by freedomSlave

poor op might starve to death after realizing that plants are alive and conscious as well as animals

To the OP as for horse meat from what I have heard it is very good to eat , so is dog meat .

they are food if not for us for some other sort of predator. if there was no food or plants for you to eat i am pretty sure that horse you hold so dearly would be skinned and cooking on the open fire in no time . people eat cow , people eat pig, people eat anything with meat on it . hell people even eat people . i love my pets and animals but if my family was in a situation facing starvation well what is logical letting my kids die of hunger or all dying with fluffy the cat , i even bet the cat would eat you after you died than face death

Hi freedomslave..

Lol. Well to tell the truth if I could I would not even eat plants. But like I said in a previous post that is not possible in the circle of life on this planet. I have always thought plants were conscious. I even put a thread up about it a few days ago. I grow my own veg and see it is looked after cared for and loved. Treated with respect. That is what is missing today in this world. Like I said I got no problem with peeps eating meat.

And yes I agree. In a survival situation I would eat meat. But as I am not currently in a survival situation I have no need for meat. Even in a survival situation you would be amazed at the vast amount of varieties of plants that you can eat. And would easily sustain you.

I have 2 dogs. If a scenario occurred where I was faced with a decision of eating my dogs. i would wait till there was no other option. However live on island. So I can catch fish. Eat many of plants on the land. And eat lots of seaweed which is amazing beneficial to human health...

Eating my dogs would be a last resort in a dire situation. Which I pray will never happen. They are my best friends...

reply to post by badgerprints

If people want to eat horse in the US then they should follow established rules on the raising of these animals for meat.

Working animals, pets, wild horses and essentially any animal not bred for and raised as a meat animal should be illegal to slaughter and sell as food for the public.

Yes...! Thank you badgerprints for that. I completely agree. But we know that a few working animals, pets and wild horses will be slaughtered. It happens alot already.. :/

Horses that have been used for purposes other than as a food bred animal could be allowed to be slaughtered and consumed by the individual owner but should not be consumed by the public. The public food supply is already horribly polluted by "legal" food adulteratives and genetically manipulated frankensteinian things that are being passed off as food animals. I would hate to see a physically moribund pony that couldn't stand under it's own weight at the age of six months because it had been genetically "enhanced" to provide more meat like some poultry have been. I'm sure it won't take long to get there though.

What a horrendous thing that would be. I really hope they don't start doing that too. Like you said the public food supply is already polluted with many nasty things..

reply to post by fluff007

Horse meat is the least of your problems, if I lived in the USA would be more concerned about the milk you drink.
There is a reason it is banned in the EU and Canada, it is full of Bovine Growth Hormone which causes increased chances of cancer in us.

Just a little vid here.



I hate visiting the US because of the food, it is just yukky.

reply to post by Nucleardiver

No offense to you OP but I am so sick of people making a big deal out of people eating meat, whether its, beef, chicken, goat, fish, turtle, squirrel, or anything else.

Let me ask you OP, is it wrong for a lion on the plains of Africa to chase down a Gazelle and eat it?

The reason I ask is because the lion is an Apex Predator and that is the food that it is meant to eat. We as humans are the highest Apex Predators on the planet and all plants and animals are here for or consumption and sustenance. This is true regardless of whether you believe in evolution or religion, we have evolved to be, or were made to be at the top of the food chain.

The problem is that we have been so degraded by "society" and "civilization" to be weak minded and not accept the fact that in order for us to live something must die, even plants......just as is the case with the lion and gazelle. Through decades of social programming most people have come to think subconsciously that meat comes from the grocery store.

As Faust100f said it is a delicacy in Japan and I have ate horse on several occasions when I was in Japan and other countries that serve it on the menu, it is quite tasty and shares about the same nutritional value as beef. Personally I don't care what it is when I'm hungry because I have a an understanding that this is the way that the circle of life works.

This morning I went fishing and caught some trout for dinner then when I got home I rang one of our pheasants neck and cleaned them all for dinner. After I was done I got some cabbage that we had grown to go along with it. Now tell me why is killing that trout or pheasant any more bad than killing that cabbage plant, does that trout or pheasant have a greater right to life than that head of cabbage?

Hi there Nucleardiver...

You are one of few members who do not seem to have fully read the OP.. Below is from OP.

I do not have a problem with people eating meat. It is their choice. And many people in the West never dream of eating horse, dog or cat but it is how it is in many cultures. I think it is quite hypocritical when people eat meat but say its wrong to eat dogs...

We have not been at the top of the food chain for that long. Nature could wipe us out in an instant. A lion eating a gazelle is what happens in life. I do no have a problem with peeps eating meat. We all come from different cultures, backgrounds and heritage. What I do not like is when people saying being a meat eater is wrong. Or being a vegetarian is wrong. Neither is wrong..! It is what is best and right for you. No one else.

Yes for maybe the fourth or fifth time now I am indeed aware that plants are conscious. And like I have said before a few times. I do not think any animal has a greater right to life than any other. We are all here to work together. Also plants are not made to suffer the same way many meat animals suffer..

Anyway as I have replied to a few members regarding your questions. Please see more info below posts. I don't want to have to type this out lots of times..

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

If you have more questions or comments do return... Thanks for the reply.

reply to post by autoprotolysis


Thank you for your reply...

I think cows and horses are both as sweet as each other. And other animals too. Like humans they each have a different character and personality. It just depends what kind of personalities and characters you get on with..!

Where I live there is a herd of Highland cows owned by 2 crofters that roam the moors and cliffs. They look like teddy bears. I have heard from a few peeps that they think horse is a nicer tasting and healthier meat than cow. Imagine if the create a GM horse/cow hybrid...

Hopefully that will not happen..! And why on earth would need a cabbage with scorpion DNA..? GM is just as bad as pesticides in my eyes...

reply to post by nightstalker78

I say who cares. Eat what you want.Horse,dog,cat,shark,pig,chicken,deer etc.

People need to start caring less about animals and care a little bit more about what WE are doing to each other.

I agree with your first line. I did not want this thread to be a meat vs veggie bashing debate. I cannot stand those things. What you eat is your choice. And it should not matter what others eat.

It is possible to care about more than one thing. And it is possible to be passionate about more than one thing. I care very much about animals. They are a part of this world. And part of us. I also care very much for my fellow man and it pains me to see the world in such a state.

I do my best to care for all living beings to the best of my capabilities....

reply to post by Bluesma


Hi Bluesma..

I completely agree with what you said. And that was one of the things I was trying to point out. Badgerprints summed it up pretty well.

The problem is we know that the poor creatures will suffer. Many in the industry suffer. And I think that is wrong. Even when testing controls and other 'anti-abuse' methods are implicated suffering still happens...

I don't think they care if some peeps die because of the drugs in the meat. Hell they are trying to poison us and other animals with pesticides and GM. This will not change unless the majority of the population rises up and says no...

i don't condone this nor would i be able to eat horse meat but who knows, i couldn't really say for sure until i taste it but everyone freaking out about this is doing so simply because since birth we're conditioned by society for what's right and what's wrong, what's taboo, what's acceptable, what's not..

so maybe give it more thought because you'll eat anything if you're hungry enough and God forbid if you see your family suffering from hunger what would you be capable of deciding for them?

Thank God it hasn't come to that for the majority of us but i guarantee there are people right now that have to eat it out of necessity and people who even wish they had it not just in 3rd word countries but here in the us as well.

this idea isn't even that outlandish, if you peruse any high end, high class menu in any big city restaurant i bet the farm most of us would rather eat a big fat juicy horse burger as apposed to just about any of the menu items you'll see there.

i also guarantee that once this finds it's way on one of those "big city restaurants", everyone's opinion will change but it's still a new idea so time will tell.

reply to post by boymonkey74


Thanks for the video...

Ah you live in the UK too..! I live on an island of the West Coast of Scotland. And I am happy I live here..! Yes even certain milk in our country is a worrying thing. We try to only buy organic as my partner says they put growth hormones in other milks. Probably even organic too. We try not to drink too much milk..

And if you think about it. Drinking milk in adult life is actually completely bizarre. We are the only animal to drink any kind of milk in adult life. And yet people think it is disgusting is people drink human breast milk... Strange world we live in...

I have been to the US twice. But both times I was only a toddler. My friend has an Uncle in Long Island and she does not like visiting him simply because of the food. She is a vegetarian too. There are many beautiful places and people in America. But the food is not one...!

reply to post by fluff007


I tried my pals breast milk the other day....

I love goats milk, I get it from my neighbour who has 5 of them, love the stuff right out of the goat lol.
I agree that we need better labeling in the UK, it is getting better though only last week they passed a new bill to let us know what is in our food.
I love Scotland, how are the midges this year though?

reply to post by n3mesis


I would not say I am freaking out about this. I would say that I am concerned for the way in which the horses will be kept, fed and slaughtered. Like Bluesma and a few other others posted. Horse meat did used to be consumed in the US but the abuse and suffering not just of the slaughter. But the way in which they were transported. Many dying on the journey in ridiculously tight and dirty conditions.

Would you eat horse meat knowing what the animal had to endure in its short suffering life. Do you eat any meat knowing this. I do not care about what peeps eat. It is a choice. But if you going to eat meat at least eat meat that you know prior to slaughter had some sort of quality of life..

reply to post by boymonkey74


Wow..! I have never tried breast milk. But when or if I have a baby I will try it then. Although the emoticon you have used makes me ponder if I even should try it..!
I take it you were not impressed..

Goats milk is yummy..! It is difficult to get up here. But me and my partner have been thinking about getting goats. They are awesome friends to have. Well hopefully the UK will continue to label our foods. But seeing as they are pushing for commercial GM crops to be grown here. I still don't trust them entirely....!

Well as for the midgies. We are quite lucky where we are. We live on the end of a peninsula with cliffs surrounding us on 3 sides. So it is rare to have a wind free day..! Which means we do not get many midgies the wind is too much for them.

I know other places on the island have it far worse..!

Oops maybe a bit off topic..