Horse meat - Does it enrage you? (for those that eat meat)

Ok so there is a certain restaurant in Melbourne atm that is under fire for serving horse meat as part of their 5 star cuisine. Does it bother you?

Me? No. Why? I've had every type of game meat you can imagine. I've had antarctic crab and one of my favourite things in the world is Foie Gras. So to me I don't see eating horse as being anymore cruel than eating beef, pork, chicken or some of the more less popular meats such as Buffalo, Crocodile and Kangaroo.

I've read so much on this debate and a lot of people are horrified and there are pickets every night outside the restaurant. People have even sent death threats to the owner. Why? How is this so cruel? I've read the pet argument, what about people who have cows as pets and eat beef? I've heard the argument about how horses were our friends in war and how could we eat them... um ok. But sheep are shorn for wool, Bullocks were used for ploughing and so forth yet it's still ok to eat them.

Now I'm not saying I would be lining up to eat it, but I'm certainly not horrified, nor am I wanting to inflict violence on the owner. But does it really incite that much rage? And why?

In theory I don't think it's worse than any other meat but in practice horses are so noble I find it hard to imagine eating them. In my head the meat tastes awful so I doubt I would ever eat it.

One word; meh.



I really do not see the difference between this and any other animal, or the issue.

I've eaten horse, it was delicious. My mum bought it in a market in Tenerife and didn't tell me and my sister what it was until afterwards, and TBH I wouldn't have tried it if I had known as I was a very fussy eater who would not try new things.

As I understand it, the main argument against horse meat is the way in which the horses are slaughtered. As an actual meat product though I have no problem with it, as long as the horses are slaughtered as quickly and painlessly as cows, pigs and chickens.

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One word; meh.



I really do not see the difference between this and any other animal, or the issue.

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Yes that! People have chickens as pets etc!!!

Personally I couldnt eat a pet of mine BUT animals bread for meat are different.

I'd eat it as long as it tastes good. I've had pet horses, but I've had pet sheep, chickens and cows and I eat them too (sometimes the actual pet - thanks mum!)

Nope, I'm with you Rouge. I currently live in a part of the country that eat lots of things that most 'civilised' people would gasp at (like way weirder than Buffalo, croc and kangaroo - though they do sell kangaroo tail at our local coles), so no, not bothered.

This might be naive, but what's the difference between people consumption and other animals consuming them after slaughter?

This might inform the debate Wikipedia entry on topic

Or should I say "non-debate" LOL!!

Not even a slight issue for me....

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Ok so there is a certain restaurant in Melbourne atm that is under fire for serving horse meat as part of their 5 star cuisine. Does it bother you?

Me? No. Why? I've had every type of game meat you can imagine. I've had antarctic crab and one of my favourite things in the world is Foie Gras. So to me I don't see eating horse as being anymore cruel than eating beef, pork, chicken or some of the more less popular meats such as Buffalo, Crocodile and Kangaroo.

I've read so much on this debate and a lot of people are horrified and there are pickets every night outside the restaurant. People have even sent death threats to the owner. Why? How is this so cruel? I've read the pet argument, what about people who have cows as pets and eat beef? I've heard the argument about how horses were our friends in war and how could we eat them... um ok. But sheep are shorn for wool, Bullocks were used for ploughing and so forth yet it's still ok to eat them.

Now I'm not saying I would be lining up to eat it, but I'm certainly not horrified, nor am I wanting to inflict violence on the owner. But does it really incite that much rage? And why?

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Ive eaten it, and other game meat such as worthog, zebra, croc, ostridge, roo, .........and prob some i cant even remember......the joys of travelling and mixing with the locals and their customs

Non-issue for me too. I have actually just moved to Belgium and they sell it here in the regular supermarkets, it's a common thing for people to eat. I tried it when offered to me at a family BBQ here, and it was OK, just another red meat. I'm not going to actively buy it, and I have learnt the Flemish words for horse so I don't accidently buy a steak of it, but I have no problem with anyone else doing so..

Yeah, I'm a bit :o at the reaction to horse meat being available for human consumption, too. I don't see the reason for getting so upset - what's the difference between horse meat, and pig meat, chicken meat, cow meat... etc etc? I wouldn't eat my *pet* horse, any more than I would eat my pet chicken (I don't have pet chickens or horses for that matter, but I imagine a pet chook would be about the same as my pet dog, itms), and I'd probably be a bit iffy about buying it from the meat dept at Woolies or ordering a dish of horse meat at a restaurant, but that's just because I've never tasted it and I'm a very fussy eater - if someone slipped me a bit of horse and I enjoyed it, I'd be much more open to the idea :) Maybe it'd be better if they came up with a different name for it, like they call cows 'beef' or deer 'venison' so I'm not imagining Bambi on my plate (I don't eat venison either, it's too gamey for my unsophisticated palate).

But yeah, the pickets (and DEATH THREATS? For real? WHY?!) make no sense to me... nor do reasons like 'they were our friends in war' (what does that even mean?!).

In my head I know that it's no different to eating beef, pork etc but I couldn't actually do it ITMS? Then again I wouldn't eat kangaroo/ emu/ snake either because it's not the norm for me.
I dont see why it should be such a big deal though. It's just another type of meat.

(fun fact #74: apparently we are the only country that eats both animals on our national emblem :lol:)

Horse meat is an interesting taste.

I have eaten so many different game meats in my time, I've had people tell me I'm disgusting because of some of the ones I've eaten.

I have no problem with eating any type of meat if the animal was killed humanely.

I don't see the problem. We already feed it to our dogs, and as there isn't much education out there about how dog food is farmed (I use the term farmed loosely here, as it's often horses who now cost more to feed than they make) and killed, I'm happy for this to bring regulation to the industry.

Wouldn't mind trying it, although at this stage I'd have problems eating any horse I was lucky enough to own - I have no problems eating my own chooks though.

I find that most people who tend to make radical threats aren't that well educated on the subject they are protesting. PETA is a great example of this, getting celebrity spokespeople and not giving them the full story - PINK won a lot of respect from me on the mulesing debate when she heard the whole story from the Australian farmers and made up her own mind.

My view might be a bit tainted because I'm a horse lover...whilst I don't think death threats/protests are warranted, I could never eat horse and wouldn't want to be at the same table as someone eating it..I probably wouldn't go to a restaurant that served it either. I wouldn't eat a dog or a cat, and in my life horses are on the same platform as them.

The people protesting this really need to find a more worthy cause to devote their attention too :rolleyes: Its really a non-event. I'd probably never eat it myself but as long as it's slaughtered humanely then I have no issue with it.

I have had horses all my life and i have 6 horses now. I dont have a problem with them being eaten - its been dont in different countries for ages so its now new. I would hope they are being killed humainly but from what I have seen of the slaughter of alot of meat animals its not that humane at all.
If you want to eat it - eat it, If not then dont. Simple really. But dont teaten the life of a man because he chooses to cook / eat it. eveyone has choices - same for everything in life.

Non-issue for me too. Whilst I don't think I would eat it regularly if it were readily available in Aus. (just as I don't eat Kangaroo, Croc, emu regularly) I am not opposed to it. I have chickens as pets and eat chicken & eggs. I grew up with cows, pigs, sheep and eat them. (I haven't tried horse though.)

Oh, and I know I've posted this before somewhere, but we are so, so lucky to have a choice not to eat various meats! When my mum was growing up during the depression her dad (my granddad) would go out and shoot rabbits ... their staple food ... one day mum discovered some "rabbits" that hadn't been fully dressed and they had long tails ... meow!

No more enraged than at eating any other animal. I dont get people who eat meat (as a former vegan) being outraged at someone eating an animal that they dont. It doesnt make sense to me at all.

Man...why arent these people down China town protesting about the duck's hanging to buy for customers if they are so strongly against this.

I get so ANNOYED with the attitude of some. Honestly...if you dont like it DONT BUY IT!!!

now I want some blasted camel steaks...man they were scrummy and juicy

Kaz, I loved that anecdote on FB!!
There's a Melb restaurant serving it? Where?? Pro lly far too exxy for me atm, though :(
Non-issue for me. I'd love to try it. I sent off a horse recently to the knackery to become lord knows what...damn shame, really. Beautiful, noble critter he was, only to give his last to a dog or glue or something, instead of a conscious, culinary experience for someone who'd appreciate it. Not that a horse killed in a paddock could become human consumption meat, but YKWIM, I hope!
As for horses being noble...ummm, not all of them have heard they have this reputation to uphold ;) We ascribe far too much human attributes (or a wish list of attributes) to horses because people don't understand them well enough. They are herbivores, herd animals, flight animals, relying heavily on sight and sound and can survive in the wild if let loose tomorrow after a life of captivity.
For health reasons, I'll stick to eating meat from herbivores - omnivorous mammals aren't on my hit list yet (crocs are, but they're reptiles...had some once!). Cattle, horses, deer, roo...yum!

Yeah I don't see what the issue is...to me eating a horse is no different to eating a pig, cow, chicken etc. If it doesn't sit well with you don't eat it!
I don't eat duck because I think they are cute....you don't see me sending death threats to all the restaurateurs in China Town!
Mayaness the restaurant is Embrasse in Carlton.