Court Blocks Horse Meat Inspections

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Court Blocks Horse Meat Inspections

By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

(03-28) 18:44 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

A federal appeals court on Wednesday blocked the Agriculture Department
from providing horse meat inspections for a fee.

The decision in a lawsuit filed by the Humane Society of the United States
is another setback for the horse slaughter industry.

-snip-

Wayne Pacelle, president of the humane society, said the ruling by the U.S.
District Court for the District of Columbia effectively shuts down operations
in an Illinois horse slaughter plant, the only plant still operating in the U.S.

-snip-

Congress stripped funding for horse meat inspections in 2005, but the USDA
devised a plan to provide the inspections for a fee for slaughter plants.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, found the USDA did not follow federal procedures
for setting up the inspection fee program.

-snip-


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/03/28/national/w184403D24.DTL

[whistle]

1. Tastes just like beef only stringy

[yellowcanine]

10. I had it in Kazakhstan. I didn't think it was stringy. Might depend on the age of the animal and

the cut. Just like beef. Beef can be stringy also if you eat an old dairy cow. That is why old dairy cows are ground into hamburger.

[madrchsod]

2. good that plant is finally shut down.

many years ago there was one near here that someone torched..for some reason they think they can kill horses for food in this country..if the french like horse meat so much why do`t they raise their own?

[bklyncowgirl]

3. I believe that the French & other Europeans do raise some horses for meat.

These are heavy draft breeds like the Percheron and Belgian. They are raised like cattle with minimal socialization and training. In short these aren't pets or four legged athletes. As a horse lover I recoil at the thought of eating any horse but it seems to me that it's considerably less reprehensible to slaughter an animal that has not been taught to trust and even love humans.

What's interesting is that, as far as I know, European consumers have no idea whether they're getting a plump Percheron raised according to French agricultural standards, an American racehorse loaded with drugs and medications that are not approved for human consumption or even some kid's pet pony that was stolen out of a field. I'd think that meat from the purpose raised Percheron costs considerably more than meat from someone's failed pacer or cast off pleasure horse. Perhaps French horse meat enthusiasts should start pushing for higher standards.

Someone's getting rich here, folks and it ain't American horse owners who sent their failures to the auction to turn an equine white elephant into a couple hundred bucks or European farmers who raise horses for the table.

[robcon]

4. It is hard to overestimate the arrogance in your post, madrchsod

YOU've decided that YOU don't want to eat horse, so YOU don't want anyone else to eat horse.

Let people eat whatever they want. They'll eat cattle, goat, pig, sheep, rabbit, deer, horse, chicken, turkey, duck, etc. Stop butting in on what people eat.

[Jersey Ginny]

5. I'm a horse owner. I agree

I don't or wouldn't eat horse meat, but the slaughterhouses serve a purpose like it or not. If people want to eat horse meat, that's there choice. I wouldn't as many of the horses sent to slaughter are usually the sick ones or the old ones. Think about it- the slaughterhouses will shut down and now France and Japan will start raising horses specifically for slaughter. A beautiful 1 or 2 year old colt will be stuck in a stall so it can't use its muscles to improve its meat like a veal calf. It will be fattened up. Then slaughtered. That doesn't happen now as a horse for slaughter is worth only $500 or so, so there is no incentive to kill young horses. Beware of what you wish for.

[madrchsod]

6. if the american consumer wanted horse meat

i`m sure there would be plants opening up across america but it seems to me that this is`t the case. i just not me it`s one hell of a lot of people who wanted this plant gone in our area
but never fear somewhere in america someone will open another plant.

[Canuckistanian]

23. The "american consumer" will eat anything that's put in front of them

If the appropriate marketing strategy is applied to them.

You seem to be under the impression that the needs and wants of the "american consumer" dictate what is offered on the market.

Meat is meat. And protein is becoming a scarce resource in this world.

10 years from now, I predict we won't be so picky as to what we consider "food".

[Doremus]

7. There's no law against eating horse meat.

Your argument is specious. The ruling affects slaughterhouses. I assume that anyone with a Dahmer-esque craving for a big thick slab of their pet horse could still do so. They'll probably enjoy the whole slaughter experience too, though I'd suggest that they and the dog and cat eaters stick to more humane killing methods to avoid cruelty ordinances.

Bon appetit!

:puke: :puke:

[Javaman]

8. A horse is a horse of course of course...

We slaughter cows who have just as much right to live as a horse, but no one goes crazy over that.

Horses are just as exploited and used as cows are yet, they are held up to a higher regard, because?

Up until about the 1920's, horse meat was eaten fairly regularly in this nation.

Given that fact, I find it interesting that as cars become more prevalent in society, eating horses went down while eating cows went up. One would think that since horses were no longer being used as beasts of burden, by and large, they would easily become a big part of the human food chain.

Go figure.

So, let me get this straight, the slaughtering of horses is bad, the slaughtering of cows is good, the slaughtering of just about any other animal that isn't on the endangered species list is also good.

But horses are off limits. Okay, I'm good to go now.

oy.

[Threedifferentones]

22. Why is it worse to kill a horse than a cow or a chicken?

Seems to me if you're not a vegan it doesn't make sense to abhor the eatting of some animals and not others, homo sapiens excluded of course.

[yellowcanine]

9. Why don't they use private inspectors certified by the European Union?

I believe that would be legal under international trade agreements and it would alleviate the need to have the U.S. taxpayer subsidize the process, directly or indirectly. Personally I don't see much difference between eating a horse from eating a pig. Both are quite intelligent and can develop emotional attachments to humans. If people have an emotional attachment to a horse then they should never sell it or only sell it to someone who agrees in writing not to sell it for slaughter - that would insure that it never goes for the meat market.

[doodadem]

11. Jesus Pete--do we have to go thru this once a month?!!

There have been numerous other threads about why the slaughter of horses for food is obscene and reprehensible. The horse lovers among us have spent alot of time campaigning for the end of the practice in this country with our legislators--and we've succeeded.

Horses are COMPANION animals. Eating them is like eating your pet poodle. Their evolution thru history in their relationship with man has been for use in transportation, farming, athletics, and just plain appreciation as fine art. Cattle, even though I have also had a pet Brahma steer which I dearly loved, do not compete in this category.

The beef, poultry, swine, etc. industries also need a major overhaul in this country. The large factory farms not only represent animal cruelty, they propagate some of the worst diseases out there because of the close confines. The demise of the true family farm is a sad thing, and detrimental to everyone's health.

I own 3 horses, and am about to get 2 little miniature donkeys. They are intelligent, affectionate, and beautiful animals. For anyone to think they are dinner material is barbaric, and for all of France's supposed sophistication, I cannot believe they promote the idea. The only thing I can figure out is that horse meat is cheap. Last I heard, it was going for about .60 a pound--at least that's what the slaughterhouses were paying for it on the hoof.

[northzax]

12. ok, I will accept that horses are COMPANION animals

just as soon as they stop being used for anything except companionship. Get rid of racing, dressage, rodeos, everything except non-commercial companionship (I will accept a horse show where the only requirement is appearance and behaviour, like at dog shows, no tricks, no riding.) After all, rabbits are companion animals, I know people who raise them and show them, but I can stil get rabbit stew at my local dining establishment. I see nothing wrong with the consumption of any animal, if there are any for sale at all.

to you a horse is a companion animal, to me, it is something I wager on at Pimlico.

[doodadem]

15. The difference between rabbits and horses

Every horse sport that you mention--racing, dressage (which is what I do), rodeos, etc. illustrate the companionable historic relationship between man and horses. Did cave men eat horses? Sure they did. They ate anything they could bring down, or they'd starve. But once they found the horse was much more valuable in other ways, for instance--RIDING the horse to be able to go longer distances in search of game, and then using it to carry the catch back home--they stopped eating them. They started keeping herds of horses, and breeding them specifically to have more stamina, be faster, stronger, etc.

On the other hand, bunnies have been domesticated to go chiefly into the stewpot, sad to say. Even though they make wonderful pets........

[AngryAmish]

19. Steppe tribes rode and ate horses

On the other hand I don't think the Mongols or the Huns could fairly be looked at as enlightened visions of government, what with the pillaging and the raping and the slaughtering of the innocent and what not.

I just disagree that horses are not to be considered food. I haven't had any and probably won't. But this is not an issue that warms my blood one way or the other. Cheers.

[robcon]

13. I disagree with your proposition, doodadem...

You claim: "There have been numerous other threads about why the slaughter of horses for food is obscene and reprehensible."

No has used the words obscene or reprehensible other than you. Horse slaughter is no different from slaughtering pigs, IMO.

You have a lot of unsupported statements...

"Horses are COMPANION animals." Some are, some aren't. There is a strong cultural component to what you say.

"Eating them is like eating your pet poodle." Unless it's not like eating a poodle. Which it is not for some of us.

"Their evolution thru history in their relationship with man has been for use in transportation, farming, athletics, and just plain appreciation as fine art. Cattle, even though I have also had a pet Brahma steer which I dearly loved, do not compete in this category." Unless they do. You think that man has just started to eat horses? People have been eating horses for millennia.

"For anyone to think they are dinner material is barbaric, and for all of France's supposed sophistication, I cannot believe they promote the idea." In other words, doodadem, because you are squeamish about eating horses, everyone else - even other cultures - have to follow you in your sanctimony. I think not.

[doodadem]

16. Really? Then you haven't been paying attention

The opinions on DU have mirrored the opinions of the American people at large: we don't eat horses! And yes, this same discussion starts up on a regular basis, and the horse lovers always far out number the barbarians.

"Unsupported statements"? Hardly. Read any of the numerous volumes that exist on equine history.

As for it being a cultural thing, perhaps in cultures that put cheap meat above any other consideration. Perhaps we should also start rounding up all the human kids in this country that live in poverty because the Republicans only care about them while they are fetuses, and ship them to the overseas meat markets. I hear they taste like chicken........... Squeamish about that? Why? There have been plenty of other cultures that don't have a problem with it.

[northzax]

18. really?

do name a culture that has no problem with the wholesale consumption of human children. really, please do.

[robcon]

20. Horse 'murderers' are no different from sheep 'murderers'.

Only some people want to make dietary decisions on behalf of others. Pure arrogance.

[depakid]

17. The same is true of dogs

and cats.

Just to put it into perspective.

[goforit]

14. Horse murderers have shallow souls!

[Coventina]

21. Hooray!

As a vegetarian, I believe it is unethical to slaughter ANY animal for food.

I'm glad to see that horses are on their way to being safe from this, at least in this country. Every little win counts.

:party: