[ktvaughn]

I'm no vegetarian, but I don't want our wild mustangs butchered for foreign markets!

[southernnorthcarolina]

Mmmmmm...

Sweet-and-Sour Mr. Ed

Blackened Black Beauty

Silver Kabobs

Trigger Picata

Seattle Slew Stew

[vetvetdoug]

The USDA used to give away horse meat to the poor and old folks along with the dairy products. Horse meat was a lot like beef and spam.

I believe in the slaughter of horses for food, especially those that kick humans or unable to be domesticated. Some horses are just mean and eating them to me is just payback.

[finnsheep]

Horses can live to be 30+ years old. Either slaughter them or buy them and then care for them properly for the next several decades. What really bothers me is so-called rescue groups that take in horses promising to care for the the rest of their lives and then somehow they haven't planned on the COST.
Result is the horses are malnourished or flat out starved to death. Slaughter is quick and kinder IMO. We have a twenty year old mare that we will keep the rest of her life. She goes thru almost a bale of hay a day plus some oats. Multiply that by the thousands of unadoptable wild horses, surplus domestic horses, problem horses, etc. Better to put them to good use.

[andyk]

Ah, don't let 'em get to ya :)

[fso301]

No way!. My family has been planning our vacation around a horse hunt. My son and daughter are so excited that they will be able to do something fun while all their friends go to Disney World. Wifey tried last year with a bow and arrow but never could get a good enough hit and they always ran off somewhere and she lost her arrow. This year, she's going to upgrade to a muzzleloader.

[labette]

"I don't want our wild mustangs butchered "

No sweat. Billy Jack made the bad sheriff and his friends drop their guns and ride away.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I don't see anyone wanting to protect the feral burros released over a hundered years ago.

Why aren't people crying for the return of the feral camel herds that became a problem after Jefferson Davis' experiment with them failed. They were finally shot out.

[VOX9]

"...Burns said the repeal of the slaughter ban is necessary to manage the herds and protect the range. The measure allows the sale of horses more than 10 years old, as well as any that go unadopted three offerings in a row.

The BLM said it believes the 37,000 free-roaming wild horses and burros on the range are about 9,000 more than natural food supplies can sustain. Its aim is to bring the population down to about 28,000. ..."

Nuff said

[fish hawk]

All I know is that Marlyn Monroe talked Clark Gable into releasing that mustang after all that time it took him to tie him down. (The Misfits)

[PAR35]

Horse - the other red meat. Sweeter and safer than beef.

[Oberon]

Oh, I don't know. I like a nice piece of hard salami from time to time...and the authentic stuff is equine.

[fso301]

Clarifying the notion of horsemeat
As soon as prehistoric times, horsemeat was much appreciated for its typical taste. Afterwards, its nutritional qualities were ignored and the animal was used for work and sports purposes. But lately, we can say that horsemeat is back and going strong. Belgian consumers are really going for it since the increase in the mad cow cases. They have abandoned the beef counters. For the last ten years, horsemeat sales have gone up drastically!

In Canada, where red meat consumption has gone down because of its high fat content, horsemeat is once more appreciated.

Since June 1994, we can find horsemeat in Quebec's grocery stores. Several cuts are available; they are vacuum packed for preservation purposes. Its taste is slightly sweet because of its glycogen content which is three times higher than the amount found in beef. The meat is so tender that it requires minimal cooking time. Furthermore, it can be used during the week because of its affordable price which is less expensive than ostrich meat also known as health meat.

Nutrients Horsemeat is an excellent source of high quality protein, B12 vitamin and zinc .Because of its low fat content (3%) and low cholesterol content, horsemeat is easily digestible. Finally, its dark red color is an indication of a high iron content: 4mg per 100g of meat, way above beef or pork. Horsemeat is recommended for people needing high iron content food such as pregnant women and anemic people.

One might say: does horsemeat have any weak points? It is quite vulnerable, it can be easily contaminated by germs especially if it is minced. But let us remember that the public health standards are the same for the horse and the beef slaughterhouses.

Horsemeat - Cooked meat
(100 g portion)

Meat cut	Energy KJ	Proteins Gr	Fat	Cholesterol	Iron	B12 Vit.
Roast	175	28.1	6.05 Gr	68. Mg	5.03 ml	3.16 ml

Horsemeat - Raw meat
(100 g portion)

Meat Cut	Energy KJ	Proteins Gr	Fat	Cholesterol	Iron	B12 Vit.
Roast	133	21.3	4.6 gr	52.0 Mg	3.82 ml	3.0 ml

The horse and its origin Some sixty millions years ago, Eohippus (hyracotherium), the ancestor of the actual horse, made its first steps in the Paleocene forests.

This small mammal, the size of a dog, barely 40 centimeters high, fed mainly on leaves.

Its four toes were well adapted to its biotope: the marshland. Because of climatic upheavals, Eohippus had to leave the forest. In this open field, it became an easy prey for the predators. This new situation probably led Eohippus to instinctively run away; this situation is also certainly responsible for the atrophy of its first toe. While "loosing" this support, Eohippus, now known as Mesohippuss, could now run much faster.

Mesohippuss is slightly taller than its ancestor; it is approximately fifty centimeters tall. It will take another 20 million years for Mesohippuss to grow another forty centimeters and become this ninety centimeter athlete.

It is now known as Merychippus. It belongs to the perissodactyla family: it now rests on the ground on only one toe.

Ten million years later, Merychippus becomes Pliohippus, the whole-hoofed animal (one toe). It is 115 centimeters but contrarily to the actual horse, its hoof is split in two.

Features Horsemeat is now sold in top quality butcher shops and supermarkets along with beef, pork, veal and poultry.. The Agriculture law requires that the following information be included: type of meat, weight, date it was packed and price. This information is an advantage for the consumer looking for the best meat cut without any loss. It will be easy for you to appreciate the quality of horsemeat if you are familiar with its main features and with the various factors that influence the quality of the meat.

Age A popular saying states : "old beef, bad meat; old horse, good meat"! Connoisseurs appreciate older horsemeat because it has matured and it is ready for consumption. The horse butcher's stall has two suggestions: first, the colt, with its white meat, its nutritious value equivalent to veal, its neutral taste and its easily digestible meat and then the adult horse meat. At the age of 3 or 4, the horse meat is already very good but after its seventh year, it is simply delicious. Horse meat can be eaten at a later age as long as the horse was not submitted to hard work. It is interesting to know that a horse can live up to age twenty-five to thirty.

The sex of the animal The slaughterhouse has categorized the animals by decreasing order of quality: the mare, the gelded horse (castrated), and the stallion. The male's muscular mass is much greater than that of the female and also firmer.

Race Thoroughbreds and half-breds are most appreciated for their tender, red and succulent meat; the fat is quite firm. Without any distinction, all horse species are sought after; there is no official quality classification as for the beef because of the meat's constant quality. Mule and donkey meat which are tastier than horsemeat are not for consumption except in Spain and in Portugal. The law makes a clear distinction regarding these "first cousins" before slaughtering. Zebra meat is strong, too fat and very tough…an exotic meat to be left for a lion's appetite!

Color The meat is of a bright red: but soon after it is cut, the muscle takes on a typical rusty color.

This feature is a guarantee of quality. The fat is fine, firm and of a nice saffron color which comes from the carotene in corn and the grass from the pasture. Contrarily to beef where meat and fat are intertwined, horsemeat is wrapped around the muscle.

Tenderness Horsemeat gives us the impression that it has been tenderized It is known as the most tender meat there is: a specific biological process is used to tenderize the muscular fibers. Other meat require three or four days before they can be consumed in order to allow for the rigidity to disappear and for the autolytic enzymes to act: horsemeat reaches maximum tenderness in 24 hours which makes it ready for consumption very early. Butcher shops can offer meat that has been cut on the day following slaughtering.

Taste Its taste is a combination of beef and deer: it's pleasant and slightly sweet due to its glycogen content from the muscle tissue. Pan fried, horsemeat can be mistaken for first quality beef.; if you choose to marinate it and cook it on the barbecue, your friends will be wondering and will congratulate you for this succulent recipe.

Meat cuts Each cut is judged according to its tenderness, its taste and its reputation. The prime cuts are sold as roast, steak or minced meat. Less tender cuts can be used for stews and pot roasts.. For delicatessen purposes, you will find pure horse sausages, horse and pork sausages, pastrami and horse pâtés. For manipulation and classification purposes, the horse carcass is divided in two and then separated in half carcasses (front quarter and hind quarter). There are two great types of cut: the French cut and the North-American cut. The first comes from way back when and was developed because of a very demanding clientele; the meat cuts are sophisticated and uniformly tender. The French butcher is a well respected professional not to say that the North American butcher is not a professional.

[Coleus]

The slaughter is in the human womb, eating animals is normal and a God-given right.  I wonder if he ever sponsored any pro-life legislation.  Seems this bill is very bi-partisan, there must be a lot of horse lovers out there.

Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat; I give them all to you as I did the green plants.
Genesis 9:3

I Love all animals, right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.

4th-term Republican from New York.

            

                                                       Click Pic for Pro life record, not too bad.

I don't believe that mustangs and other horses are indigenous to America.  Seems like rather hysterical legislation to appease animal-rights activists and horse lovers.  During WWII most Americans ate horse and other animals.  Beef and chicken were in very short supply following a depression and during a world war.  We "slaughter" millions of cows, pigs and chickens every year without batting an eyelash.  Think of the horses the next time you eat your steak or fried chicken, if you continue eating are you a hypocrite?  I know people who do have pet cows and chickens and won't think of killing them, so?  Does that mean we should stop killing them and all other animals.

US Senate Votes to Prohibit Horse Slaughter

Sweeney sponsors anti-horse slaughtering bill

SWEENEY REINTRODUCES HORSE SLAUGHTER LEGISLATION

 

[pageonetoo]

4H Club, Blue Ribbon Winner, at the County Fair...raised by the young man pictured, destined for a BBQ, as guest of honor!

[ElkGroveDan]

I'm no vegetarian, but I don't want our wild mustangs butchered for foreign markets!

And don't forget the harp seals. Let's not slaughter them because they look so adorible with those great big eyes. Just the cute animals. Save the animals that look good.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

So that's what happenned to Shergar!

[blake6900]

URGENT: Stop Horse Slaughter

Why? They shoot horses, don't they? (I've always wanted to use that line.)

[bk1000]

Meat is meat. This 'can't eat the cute animals' business must end once and for all. I want tuna safe dolphin and I want it now!!!You can't sit down to a nice, steaming plate of braised baby kittens with garlic, but you can eat a pigs arse! What's up with that?

[little jeremiah]

later read/maybe ping.

[Casloy]

How come we can slaughter hogs, chickens, cattle, etc but we can't slaughter horses? What gives them special rights?