Could you eat horse meat?

[mnp13]

You are disgusting.

[call2arms]

I don't eat meat.

I have a very soft spot for horses. Emotionally, the ones in your plate have raced, have been a child's first safe pony, have been someone's friend. They've served their lives "helping" us, whether they're a luxury or not. Or they've been the produce or overbreeding, idiot backyard breeders and aren't sound, just good for meat cause they're too expensive to feed. None of these deserve to finish on a plate. It's like eating your old dirty socks that you can't use anymore, except they're supposed to taste good. It's not like all these horses would finish their lives in a pasture grazing happily, but the slaughterhouse is a rough place to send an animal that is so sensitive. Not that other "food producing" animals are less sensitive, but as non-pets they don't get a chance to prove that they are.

But logically - strictly logically, a cow or a pig doesn't deserve to be more on a plate because they are not pets, or don't serve other purposes than being food or producers of food. In all fairness, if I ate meat I'd be having my own debate of emotions vs. logics.

[plebayo]

But logically - strictly logically, a cow or a pig doesn't deserve to be more on a plate because they are not pets, or don't serve other purposes than being food or producers of food. In all fairness, if I ate meat I'd be having my own debate of emotions vs. logics.

Well and really, for some people Cows and Pigs are pets too. I don't think I could ever eat something I personally raised as a pet. If I had like 100 head of something and didn't know the animals personally it might be different but for the most part, it would be hard for me to separate the emotions of raising the animal with the need to eat it.

But horses in general, even if they were like cows and consumed on a regular basis the meat is entirely the wrong color for me. I don't eat ham for this reason, well that and the fact that it tastes too piggy for me.

[Jenn]

Well and really, for some people Cows and Pigs are pets too. I don't think I could ever eat something I personally raised as a pet.

This situation actually happened to a friend's husband.. His bull had to be put down, and he couldn't eat beef for months, much less the beef from his pet.

[SisMorphine]

I'm not sure if I could. On one hand I couldn't ever try rabbit because I have had too many emotional connections with bunnies growing up to imagine eating one. Yet I look forward to one day being able to raise my own meat (pigs mostly, maybe quail). Horse . . . I'm just got sure. Would it even taste good? Seems like it would be tough . . .

[HappyPuppy]

I wouldn't in a non emergency environment..I bonded with 'horsies' as a kid and just can't do it... somehow rabbits are different tho and I even had one... Dog or cat would also have to be a Donner Party situation for me. I've tried kangaroo and might try other 'exotic' things from a far away jungle but companion animals are a tough one for me.

[call2arms]

I'm sure most (probably not all) people who have pigs or cows as pets don't eat that species meat. I guess it was different when back in the days, you raised an animal for food on your farm, but that's a different context - survival.

Either way. I went to see True Grit at the movies and balled my eyes out when a horse died, so... No way the horse steak would make it in my mouth.

[DemoDick]

I don't have that species-bond thing. Sure, I wouldn't eat my own dog, but that's just common courtesy. I could if I had to though, and I know for a fact that he would reciprocate if faced with starvation.

Demo Dick

[Dukes_mom]

I grew up eating some of our pets. We raised cows, pigs, chickens, and yes even rabbits for food. I wouldn't eat horse tho.

My family on the other hand probably would. They are big meat eaters, every year at my family reunion we have wild game night. There's not much wild game that my family hasn't eatin. Makes me afraid to take Travis to it, cause he doesn't like much meat besides cow :/ I told him that I wanna shoot a deer at least once, and he told me no the wimp.

[iluvk9]

Sure, I wouldn't eat my own dog, but that's just common courtesy.
Demo Dick

Somehow that just cracked me up.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Joyce, it made me giggle too.

[DemoDick]

I meant that "common courtesy" remark to be a little bit humorous, but it's really based in truth.

I do have an emotional attachment to my dog, but it's not based on anthropomorphism or how cute I think he is or any of that stuff. It's based on the service and companionship he provides me. My affection for him is built on shared training/trialing experiences (some VERY stressful indeed), meaningful bonding, his forgiveness for my mistakes in training and the resulting knowledge I have learned about training and handling dogs in general. Most of all though, his instinct to protect is why I feel connected to him. The deal sealer for me was when I had him for about a week and he tried to bite, and then head butt though, my car window to get at a dumb drunk who was acting threatening outside the car. "Good raw material," I said to myself.

We are drawn to dogs that share our own behavioral characteristics. Connor is a lot like me. When a threat makes itself known, we have the same instinct to get between the source of the danger and our pack members. In that way I think we understand each other completely, and that is a characteristic that I will continue to look for in any future dogs as a baseline requirement for ownership.

I don't have that same connection to other people's dogs, and as a result I am actually pretty cold to them. Erin and I talked about this the last time she was visiting here. She doesn't really feel any need to get lovey-dovey with other people's dogs, and neither do I. I frankly think it's weird when people want to pet and love on every dog they see. People can't wait to pet Connor and hug him and love on him, despite just meeting him. Never understood that myself.

So yeah, I would eat all of your dogs. Just not mine.

Demo Dick

[Jenn]

So yeah, I would eat all of your dogs. Just not mine.

[iluvk9]

So yeah, I would eat all of your dogs.
Demo Dick

Truman would be breakfast, lunch, dinner AND a small snack.

[DemoDick]

So yeah, I would eat all of your dogs.
Demo Dick

Truman would be breakfast, lunch, dinner AND a small snack.

Clearly you've never seen how much I eat in a sitting.

Demo Dick

[iluvk9]

Clearly, you have never seen photos of my pony.

[DemoDick]

Clearly, you have never seen photos of my pony.

Jerky takes up very little space in the gut. Just sayin'...

Demo Dick

[iluvk9]

That's all I got.....

[furever_pit]

I'll try anything once.

[TinaMartin]

So yeah, I would eat all of your dogs. Just not mine.

Demo Dick

Should I hide Gator the next time you are at the house?