WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EATING HORSE MEAT VERSUS CHICKEN, PORK, LAMB OR BEEF?

That is a fair question and one that those of us dedicated to ending the slaughter of horses in Canada and beyond, for human consumption, are frequently asked.

Let’s start by saying that many of our advocates have embraced the worldwide trend towards veganism.

Of course not everyone is vegatarian or vegan – or interesed in converting – we understand that.

But even so, there are many reasons why eating horses is different than eating meat from livestock that has been specifically raised to be slaughtered for meat.

 HORSES SLAUGHTERED FOR MEAT INCLUDE PETS

First, many, if not most, of the horses slaughtered in Canada are former pets and other horses, including racehorses,  that have routinely been treated with drugs that are not intended for use on animals entering the human food chain.

For example, wormers.  Ask your horse owning friends how often they worm their horses.

Most horse owners worm their horses at least twice per year, and wormers are generally marked with instructions that they are not to be used on any livestock to be consumed by humans.

Another drug that is also not meant to be used on livestock entering the human food chain is a drug horse owners refer to as “bute“. The proper name is phenylbutazone.

Bute is used to treat everything in horses from minor muscle aches to inflammation to abscesses of the hoof,  lameness, arthritis, and so much more.

Again, ask your horse owning friends, and chances are good, that at one time or another, they have used bute on their horses.

DRUG TAINTED TOXIC HORSE MEAT RECALLED FROM CANADIAN GROCERY STORE SHELVES

Recently there have been multiple recalls from Canadian supermarket shelves of horse meat contaminated with Clenbuterol, which like bute is highly toxic to humans.

And these types of recalls of drug tainted, toxic to humans horse meat have been going on for years.

For most people that’s enough to make them decide that eating horse meat is probably not a great idea.

BUT WAIT, THIS IS CANADA

There MUST be rules in place to make sure that horses treated with drugs, not meant to enter the human food chain are not slaughtered for human consumption – right?

Well, there are regulations in place.

The problem is, and the reason why drug tainted toxic horse meat ends up on Canadian supermarket and other store shelves — is that the rules are based on the honour system.

Those presenting horses to be slaughtered are asked to fill out an Equine Identification Document (EID) stating that the horse is rightfully owned by them, and that the horse is free of toxic drugs.

So meat AKA kill buyers picking up cheap horses from ads in the newspaper ,or online from sources like Kijiji, or Craig’s List, or from auctions, don’t have  full medical histories on the horses they are reselling for slaughter.  Yet, they fill out EIDs stating that the horses they are presenting are clear of any banned drugs.

The word of those presenting the horses is good enough for the slaughter houses.  Again, a form is filled out, on the honour system.

Hence the 2019 and 2020 recalls of drug tainted, toxic horse meat and…

Again, recalls have been going on for years..

This is far different than how other animals raised specifically for human consumption are regulated.

The industry is so poorly regulated that even stolen horses are slaughtered and butchered for meat, the same day they are sold to a slaughterhouse.  

Check out “Sold for Hamburger” and  “2 Pet Horses Stolen and Slaughtered for Human Consumption“.

YOU MAY BE EATING TOXIC HORSE MEAT WITHOUT KNOWING

A recent study by the University of Guelph showed Canadians eating meat, may be eating horse meat without realizing it.

The federal agency charged with keeping the food supply of Canadians safe, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) was NOT surprised horse meat was found on Canadian grocery store shelves marked as other than horse meat.

Yes really.

Did you get that?

The CFIA were not surprised.  So is it any wonder as Canadians learn about pet horses and other horses not raised specifically for meat being slaughtered in Canada – and sold as food fit for humans, they are outraged.

HORSES MAY BE STRUNG UP WHILE STILL ALIVE

On February 27th, 2021 CTV’s W5 aired an Investigative Report on the inhumane live shipment of horses to Japan to be slaughtered there for human consumption.

Unlike horses slaughtered within Canada for human consumption, most of the horses that are live shipped to Japan  have been specifically raised for meat, The W5 program was titled “Flight Animals“.

Those of us who understand horses “got” that the title referred to horses being flown to Japan, and that there is another meaning.

Many animals when faced with danger will stand and fight, but horses are what are referred to as “flight” animals because when frightened they will do their best to flee. 

The fact that horses are flight animals is a huge problem when horses are in the process of being slaughtered within Canada, because as flight animals they will often seriously injure themselves as they attempt to flee, as they are about to be slaughtered…

And to make matters even worse, the methods used in Canada to slaughter horses were not designed specifically for horses, so they are not adequate to guarantee an instant death.  

This results in horses that are sometimes still alive when hung up by one leg,  to have their throats slashed, to be bled out.

I”ll spare you the gory videos here, but you can Google and visit YouTube to learn more.

WOULD YOU EAT DOGS OR CATS?

A recent Nanos poll shows that a majority of Canadians do not agree with the slaughter of horses for human consumption. — I think it is because many of us consider our horses to be family members, the same way we consider our cats and dogs family members, and the vast majority of Canadians, at least in my humble opinion, wouldn’t think for even a second, that it is appropriate to eat a cat or dog.

You can learn more about many of the points raised above, and about horse slaughter for human consumption — by clicking on the blog posts below…

And if you are as appalled by this barbaric practice, as the majority of Canadians are, please reach out to your Member of Parliament and let them know how you feel.

Spread the word to your friends in Canada, Europe and Japan that Canadian horse meat is full of drugs and chemicals that specify “not to be used on animals for human consumption”.

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