[b][color:#3333FF]Horse slaughter legislation[/color][/b] passed the OK Senate today and is expected to be signed by the Gov. soon.

Turned into a pretty big fight at the capital with the Humane Society getting into the fray.

I'm not crazy about horses for food, but I guess they are livestock after-all. The economic downturn combined with the drought of the last couple years led a lot of SOB's to abandon their animals and hope nobody calls the Sheriff. I see news stories all the time about it.

I guess now there will be an industry for used horses, plus it seems silly to send horses off to Mexico to be slaughtered. Must be a few jobs in that business..

What's your thoughts.?

Fire up the BBQ.... steaks for me. I would not hesitate to eat horse... If in fact if it does all pass and signed in, I will be eating some.

whole lot of them got turned loose to become feral or just die when the stupid legislation went through.....its a horrible law....plus feral horses and donkeys are a huge reason desert bighorns arent doing better.....

horse or cow...what's the diff....it is meat.

I think I'll start my own cooking blog and call it "Eating My Friend Flicka".

People eat snakes, snails and racoons also.

Horse market really crashed when they closed down the slaughter plants.

Good Horses still bring plenty of money, but you can't give most of them away and most of those just go on to suffer and starve to death. But the tree-huggers would rather them starve or suffer then the alternative.

To clarify, I think it's still against U.S. law to eat horsemeat. The slaughter legislation that passed will allow horses to be slaughtered in OK and sent to foreign countries for consumption.

Kinda silly if you ask me....

All those spinsters with 40 cats were denied ponies when young, so they have no idea of what it takes to care for a horse. It's a fantasy to them, but an alluring one. Just watch a wild horse movie ("documentary") and you'll see.
Wild horses and the failure to manage them (adoption is too small of an option) is wrecking range in the West, we have thousands of horses in expensive pasture at a cost of millions -- I say, make them into dog food and steaks for Germans and Frenchies. I had a Pferd-something or other some time ago and it was pretty good. Sweetish, chewy but not tough.
We need slaughter. The wild horse idiots are just that.

Plenty more are made every day... why not eat 'em. My only concern would be wondering what effects could come of meds given to the horse, for the consumer. One of my horses has arthritis and has had some other issues where he has been on meds that are for vetrinary use only. Not sure if those stay in the system and pass on to the consumer. Other than that, fire up the grill!

and our government in their infinite wisdom; won't send em to france and take the cash to the bank. Instead, they cull em and push em in hole.

Rare please

They are simply livestock. Steak, chicken feed, or fertilizer, I don't care.

I've had horse. Some of the best red meat I've ever eaten. We don't eat them because they were more useful for work and transportation back when the laws were being made.

It's stupid.

pony patties

Filly fillet

Stallion sirloin

colt cutlets

Horse hamburgers

i'm all for it. a good killer market, helps the entire horse market.

the pass several years have been hard on the family horse trading business

Horse is great, I've had it. The animal doesn't go to waste... so what is the problem.

They're livestock, just like pigs and cattle. How else is someone supposed to affordably get rid of an over-the-hill horse?? You can't just bury the thing in the backyard with a shovel (unless you enjoy digging HUGE holes).

The number of "neglected" horses went through the roof here after they banned the slaughterhouses. People couldn't afford to take care of the things. What's more humane, a quick death at a slaughterhouse, or starving for weeks in a barren pasture????

Some of the most brutal handling of horses I've ever seen was when the Colorado fish hatchery people loaded the horses they had bought at the sale barn. This was a few years back, okay, quite a few, but it really turned me off for taking horses to slaughter. On the other hand I've known a few horses I would take to slaughter myself but I still wouldn't brutalize them.
On the third hand there are way too many neglected, starving horses that no one can do anything with.
On balance "humane" slaughter, whatever that is, together with humane handling, I know what that is, seems to be the only answer. I would never send my horses off like that however.
I've had horse meat and don't like it much but it may be psychological.

I'd eat horse for sure.

see it here often:

some cowboy with stars in his eyes moves to Nashville, meets some milf trailer park queen from Alabama while he's playing fill-in bass on weekends at the bluebird cafe, gets 5 acres , a double-wide jim walter home and a dodge dually. Thinks it's "cool" to get 3 worthless not even halter-broke hayburners and a couple of goats.

Then the bitch leaves cause of his drinkin gets out of hand after he loses his 8-5 managing job at Hardees for fondling the 17 y.o. fry girl without her grandpa's consent.


next thing you know,
there's the concerned neighbors on Fox17 news whining about how you can see all 147 ribs on each equine and the goats are eating their marigolds.

so the sheriff's dept has to take the animals because "Doo-Wayne" has moved back to Wyoming and didn't even bother to at least turn em out so they could feast on the green grass in the median of I-40.

It's a weekly event here on the evening news, they seem to always find some other bleeding heart that wants to adopt them.



I have been around horses since I was 3 years old, Mother had horses most of her full life and a mini-storage unit full of awards, hangers with ribbons, trophies.

Don't think I'd ever be persuaded to partake, just because I've owned some that I regarded more than some people. I wouldn't object to anyone else wanting to venture there, heck I've also had a few that I would've willingly sent to the Alpo cannery with an evil grin. Same I guess if you want to go to the animal shelter and fatten up some Great Pyrenees right? Meat's meat- I just don't dig dog, cat, horse. Just a social stigma.

The idea of federal land is what is ruining the land.

Horse............ It's what's for dinner.


Up until the mid-20th century or a little later, armies on the march managed not to starve because they were able to eat the horses that became battle casualties.

Federal land is ruining what???? If it wasn't federal land it would have long ago become part of some rich city prick's "ranch" that he visits a few times a year. I wish there was more federal land.

I couldn't like them any less when they're dead. Fire up the Q.

Wild horses should be managed like other wildlife-seasons, limits, and all. I've not had horse, but I'd sure try it.


There's a couple good jokes in here, about riding vs eating, but I'd best not go there....

If some western writers are to be believed some of the Indians - Apaches mostly -seemed to have a practical view of horse use- ride the heck out of them to get a head start until they falter, then stop and eat 'em, and then take off running on foot. They didn't often get caught doing it that way, either.

Several years ago when the price of hay went out the roof, people were turning their horses loose in the desert because they couldn't afford to feed them. So that's better than butchering them? Horse slaughter laws are idiotic.

The last few sales I went to the big worn out draft horses couldn't even draw a bid from the killers. The pricing must be so low thats its not cost effective to load them up and ship them to Canada. A few slaughter plants scattered across the country would be good for the horse industry.

Hellsfire....we've slaughtered 52 million children.....why not friggin horses???

horses ain't nothing special.

Makes me hungry for a quarterhorse-pounder with cheese..

I heard they're so good, that the common request is, "I'll Have Another"...

A new lunchtime special - perfectly cooked Preakness steaks..



I got a million of 'em...

It's the result of the biggest victory the radical animal rights bunch has had so far, led by Velma Bronn Johnston, aka Wild Horse Annie. Hollywood didn't help a bit, as usual. Marilyn Monroe & Clark Gable made the movie The Misfits with plenty of horse rights crap in it.

Would not be the 1st time guys eat something they like to ride.

No more need be said. That sums up the situation exactly.

The trouble with horses is people or maybe vice versa.
There are generally two types of people concerning horses. Those that view them as tools and livestock used for work and profit. There are an increassingly small number of this type due to the nature of agriculture. These folks view horses as if they are good ones for filling the bill keep them and grow fond of them if they aren't get rid of them however. Slaugher is just one more good option.

The other type people view the hores as some sort of lesser nobility and as pets. Play toys. Noble steeds and sofourth an so on. Unfortunately I have found that this class of people contains twice as many horsesasses as horses. They can not bear the though of anybody teating a hors any less than their boneheaded and deluded thought that it is more just an amimal.

Useless animals need to be disposed of however humanely possible. Starvation ain't humane.

Horse owners will breed them as needed. However, they can't realize that wild horses will breed at will whether more horses are needed or not. If a mare can reproduce herself 10 times in her lifetime, that's a lot more horses.

Willie Nelson was in the middle of this farce
lets not forget.
Our turned out herd of nags and wore out farm and early outfitter
pack ponies, all of a sudden became a historic herd of "wild horses" when the bleeding hearts moved here.
Nothing more than a reproducing herd of turned out nags.
Now the bleeding hearts are trying to designate a "wild horse range."
Restrict use of the area to "protect" these "iconic" NAGS.

If we aren't supposed to eat horses, why are they made of meat???

About a year ago, killer horses would only bring about 20 cents a pound, and the buyers weren't interested in the "starving" type that have been turned loose by irresponsible owners.

The killer market historically has established a base price for horses.

Anybody who knows horses knows it's kinder to kill than watch
them do poorly, and it doesn't cost a bit more to feed good ones
than the kind of plugs that run feral on gov't range. Let the French eat all they want.
As a boy, was once in May-hee-co with grandpa, who made the
miss-steak of ordering a "steak" in a diner full of mostly touristas like us. He worked at a couple bites, then turned up his volume and said, "Don't nobody holler, 'WHOA', we'll all
choke to death!"

All animals can be pets. What's wrong with eating pets, or putting them to some other good use in their death?

The estimated current free-roaming population exceeds by nearly 11,000 the number that the BLM has determined can exist in balance with other public rangeland resources and uses. The maximum appropriate management level (AML) is approximately 26,500.
(As of Feb. 7, 2013, there were 15,705 horses and 1,348 burros in corrals and 33,664 horses in pastures. The combined figure of 50,717 animals in holding compares to the BLM's total holding capacity of 52,986.) All wild horses and burros in holding, like those roaming Western public rangelands, are protected by the BLM under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
Congress appropriated $74.9 million to the Wild Horse and Burro Program in Fiscal Year 2012, which ended September 30, 2012.

The BLM 74.9 mil for just wild horses and we wonder why we are broke. We need horse slaughter in the US and to be able to eat them as well.
I make a large part of my living with draft horses doing Historic wagon trains.

should be an entrepreurial opportunity for some small business. hire a few folks, buy a few horses.

a million dollars for a processing plant, and another million for a stand alone rendering plant next door, and voila! a rural economic development project that helps the entire state.

folks turn ratities loose around here because they can't afford to feed them any longer.

me to , i bet it would make some good Bar-B-Q

I had a guy begging me to come shoot burros and horses off his ranch. He said they could no longer get within 1K yards of them they had hunted them so hard and could not keep the numbers in check. I hate that the guy did not mention that they were protected. Makes me think a little less of him that he was begging me to come break the law. I was actually putting the trip together to go shoot the feral animals when I learned on this site that it was illegal.

If they were destroying his property, then they wouldn't be illegal to shoot with his permission .

They eat horse in Belgium, France, and Italy. I have eaten it before and will eat it again next time I am in europe. It is a very lean meat and very tasty. In the countries where they eat it they view it as being more healthy than beef. tom

Maybe we could go back to real baseballs.

Don't see a problem with processing them.

There are folks that love to eat them,let them.

After raising horses and having to shoot a few due to injures i have no problem,Better than turning them out and them starving.

I like frog legs, alligator, turtles, and an occasional snake. No possum, coon, nor any other land dwelling carrion eaters except maybe a pork chop... them things will eat anything.

But a horse? Would kindly remind me of eating my automobile or any other type of transportation.. Maybe if I was real damn hungry and somebody didn't tell me it was a horse..

Actually a horse do look like a very large squirrel..

Awh Hell! bring it on... been known to try anything... once

The blm can fine you for having horses on their / our land and it is very hard to get compensation from them for the wild horses damage to your private property. I can understand why the guy would want to shoot them. We do need processing plants for horses.
There were 3 facilities in the US when the law passed. How would you like it if as one poster said, you have 2 mil in equipment land etc and 30 employees and one day they pass a law that shuts your doors puts you out of business. All to feel good.

So will Packer fans.

REALLY?

Well we don't have a horse problem around here,matter of fact,most horses around here get treated better than most folks.
That being said..don't think I could order a horseburger.
Never tried it,never will.
Everyone else....enjoy!

All I need is some recipes.... I remember my mother being quite fond of horse roast as cold cuts for sandwiches.

Load 'em up, ship them out!

Horse meat is ok, at least it doesn't taste like chicken. The fat can have an orange tint that I don't care for. I have a lot of time in wild horse country northern Colorado, Nevada and Wyoming.
When I moved back 12 years ago I was suprised at the number of people from all over the world who come here to drive the Wild Horse loop from Green River to Rock Springs over White Mtn. and Pilot Butte.
We have had a run of dry years here and the trail the solid hoof horses leave almost look like someone went through with a Rome plow. If we have wagon trails from the 1840's those horse trails will be there for ever. They can tear a range up so nothing can use it.
To my knowledge there are two herds with true Mustang blood. The Steins Mtn. Oregon and the Pryor Mtn. MT.
If you go from Pyramid Lake NV to Spanish Springs BLM has huge holding pens of animals that aren't suitable for adoption. They will spend their lives in those baked adobe pens.

It was insane when the Feds decided to spend billions of dollars on wild horses. Such a waste.

Biggest letter writing campaign ever up until that point when Wild Horse Annie got her bill passed. And now all those little princesses who never had a pony to take care of, worship "Cloud" and friends.
Horses can be great, or they can be absolute culls. The wild ones are mostly nasty. Meat. And darn little of that. A shame. Well-managed herds could be kind of cool, but now, a complete wreck.

Around 5 percent or more of the horse population dies every year. Old and infirm and unsound horses should go to slaughter. Making it illegal just makes the ride to get to Mexico much longer and inhumane.

Killing sound wild horses is a whole different issue. Wild horses and burros are protected on Federal lands. Some states protect herds on state land. On private land the rules go out the window in most cases.

Killing horses for food in this country is hard to sell for the same reason we don't eat dogs.

I didn't read the entire thread..but horse buyers have been working sales for many yrs. buying up horses for glue and dog food.

Federal law requires that people that adopt horses thru the BLM, have ownership for one year before they get title to the horses. Reputable slaughter facilities want to see a title.

I'd eat a horse without hesitation. I've always thought they looked kinda delicious, and from what I've read horse meat is pretty decent... so where's the beef?

Gather all the sick, old, and dying horses, chop em up and feed em to the no working ebt drawing parasitic races in this country.

Gunner

Horse meat is way too good for most of the sorry SOB's I think you are speaking of.

Not when it's mixed with chemical sterilization element.

Gunner

Well,
no argument here when you put it like that.

, Thought you'd like the idea. <G>

Gunner

The brown ones taste the best. Spotted ones require too much marinating too get the gamey taste out..........

Horses? or..........

Gunner

Breakfast of (Iditarod) Champions.

Man, ya better have a couple-three families together if ya run a Belgian or Clydesdale through the plant... Then buy one damned big freezer for each...

Isn't horse meat also popular in New Zealand? Seems like such a waste that it cant be butchered the same way a cow can. I'd eat it and readily buy it over cow at the grocery store for no other reason than to be different.

My motto, "if it's made of meat, it's good to eat."

SHTF scenario, the pony will go in my freezer. But as long as I have a cow in the pasture, I ain't eatin my buddy which packed my fat butt and my groceries to the top of the mountain, brought me home again, and carried my elk out.

That said, the slaughter laws are ridiculous. People need a way to dispose of old horses which can not make to the elk hunting grounds anymore, or con no longer catch a running cow in the pasture.

I may not want to eat them first hand, but I have zero problem with my pooch eating them, or eating chicken raised on horse protein.

And I recently read that the USDA had once again budgeted money for inspectors of butchered horse carcasses.

Throw Secretariat on the barbie and be done with it.

Horse jerky

Governor signed it today. Becomes law November 1.

EXACTLY!!!!!

Without it there would be little or no hunting in the west, except for the lords of the fiefdoms.

We used to shoot a couple of young feral horses and take the best cuts, long before all this crazy protection of feral destructive nags.