[Oneeyedhen]

I agree that any animal could be used for meat production. Why should young, unwanted horses be shipped abroad when the y could be consumed here? But then we are all preaching to the converted. Its our huge city population that dont understand livestock rearing thats really the problem. Its not their fault of course, its just the way our small country is.
Lovin' the horsey banter too

[Greenerlife]

and Greenlife,    that was funny   

Glad it wasn't wasted on my audience. 

[pheonix]

i would presume the meat was from europe and therefore wouldnt contain bute etc as i dont think they use it there anymore.
the passport thing is a myth. my ponies have been gelded etc and had strong anaesthetics that have to stay out of the food chain, after 15 gelding operations, only once has a vet has examined the passports with reference to opting out of the foodchain. my youngsters get sold on and although i do sign the not-for-human-consumption section - noone has regulated me in the slightest so these ponies could easily have entered the food chain.

[Marches Farmer]

As I understand it the manufacturers are going back through their supply chain because the meat was from  Europe.  Do agree on the horsemeat issue, though.  Our vet says he's seen more cruelty to horses in the last few years around here, since town folk have moved onto what were smallholdings so the children could have a pony, than he's seen in 20 years of being a farm vet. 

[Rosemary]

Our vet says he's seen more cruelty to horses in the last few years around here, since town folk have moved onto what were smallholdings so the children could have a pony, than he's seen in 20 years of being a farm vet.

Horsiculture  I have ponies (that do not very much) but what your vet is talking about is worrying. I suspect it's more neglect and ignorance than deliberate cruelty (which doesn't make it any less unpleasant for the poor pony). But the shelters seem to be full - especially with the recession biting and horses being expensive - and there's no way out for owners if humane slaughter isn't an option.

I also have concerns about the potentially productive land that's "lost".

[sabrina]

I am not against anyone eating horse meat that is know to be safe ( not something I would want to do ) but going into the food chain when its suppose to be beef is not on. There is a lot of surplus ponies and horses in this country. Some studs sell their colt foals to wild life parks and zoos as animal food. People are buying ponies for their kids cheap but its not the buying but the keeping that they soon find out they cannot afford. If  horse meat can get into our food chain what else is going on that we do not know about .

[Marches Farmer]

Exactly!  I saw film of a European pig farm that was, well, appalling was too mild a word to use.  Most people would, I think, rather not know because the only practical thing to do to stop it is to buy food that's properly reared, and it won't be cheap.

[pheonix]

Apparently there has been the same problem with veggie burgers - there has been traces of uniquorn found in those!
 

[Rosemary]

Apparently there has been the same problem with veggie burgers - there has been traces of uniquorn found in those!
 

They're all out today 

[Alistair]

I thought they made glue out of horses?...

[MAK]

Can someone put me right here? Are horses actually bred and kept as an edible product or are we talking about using them as meat when the are too old or have no value to man?
We have a horse meat stall on our market and a shop in town but I am unsure if they buy up horses others do not want or if the horses are farmed for their meat.
Does anyone have any knowledge on European horse meat production ?
martin
i

[Mays]

 It is a mix martin, horses are bred as cattle in the likes of Poland. They have specific breeds of horse that are thick set and never handled by people other than for transport/slaughter. Also any animal who has come to the end of his useful life can be slaughter for human consumption as long as the passport has a declared the carcass free from drugs (or whatever you know what I mean I am sure)
 Regarding the European Horsemeat trade, horses by their very design are far from easy to kill, tall animals, with long necks and nervous dispositions. Many of the "farmed" horses will feel much stressed by lack of personal space when transported without separate partitions, and their vulnerable limbs are at high risk of damage. Horses are delicate animals, both in body and mind - its a low welfare meat that is for sure.
 The polish meat horses I have dealt with first hand, as we used to buy them to turn them into ridden horses.
 
Anyone who condones the horsemeat trade ought first to try and catch, restrain and pat an unhandled colt on its head... a challenge for any horseman, let alone a busy slaughter man.
There are lots of surplus horses around in the Uk & Ireland at the moment, that’s a different story, and using them to feed a nation when we have ample supply of sheep/cattle is a bit of an extreme answer!

Traditionally in this country those horses who have served their owners as mounts have feed our dogs, and the feet made glue, thats all good wi me, just wish they didn’t also throw cats n dogs into the dog food too!!!
 
 

[bigchicken]

went into the fridge to check on my tesco burgers and they are ( OFF ! )

[ballingall]

You beat me to that one bigchicken. Only by a nose though....


Beth

[MAK]

many thanks Mays. I had no idea of what is happening and the detail you provide has certainly given me an insight. The key points of how stressful any contact with the "farmer" it must be for the animal and of course the consequence on how it is handled when transporting and slaughtering. Mmmm ! Think I will stick to my current meat diet.