Well, yes, sorta. It's the same reaction we have to folks slaughtering dogs for food. We know horses and dogs as more than mere animals. Even people who've never touched a horse "know" (from movies, stories, and history) that they're somehow closer to being "people" than is the lowly cow.
There's just someting about a horse that makes us consider them to be noble, beautiful beasts.
I don't know that there's any logic to it, but I confess that I'm one of those who considers horses to be "more than food." They just are.
We ask a lot of them.... They work willingly for us, often injuring themselves in that process... I think their higher level of care is our end of the bargain, and I am glad you agree!