Haven't You Heard? Horse Meat is Making its Way to a Table Near You


Did your mother ever serve horse casserole when you were growing up?

Yeah, mine didn’t either.

But soon enough it may not be that far from our dinner tables.


Not My Pony!

Americans have historically rejected horse meat as food. And while you may think everyone else in the world is on board with us, they’re not. Horse meat is regularly eaten in France and Italy. In Japan, the ears are even considered a delicacy!  (Barf). Sadly, those countries may not be on their own for long. On November 18, Obama signed a law that allows Americans to kill and eat horses.

We wish we were kidding.

The Real Deal

Since 2006, the U.S. has said that no taxpayer money can be spent to regulate or inspect horses being transported for slaughter. That little law goes hand-in-hand with the 1996 law that requires inspection for any meat intended for human consumption. (“Inspection” must be a loose term for them though, considering all the nasty salmonella outbreaks that have come from factory-farmed animals living in grievous conditions).

Explanation, Please

So what does that mean? It means in the U.S. horse slaughter was not illegal, but that horse slaughter for human consumption was. But now, that ban on slaughter for human consumption has been lifted.

Does that mean what you think it means? Afraid so, sister. If Congress decides to fund inspection for horse slaughter, you could be seeing an equine burger at your next dinner party. Um, gross.

Whoa, Nellie

Oh, and just because horses aren’t killed for food now doesn’t mean they’re treated any better. Did you know that trucks transporting horses in the United States are allowed to leave them in the dark without food or water for up to 28 hours at a time? And this happens way more than you think – since horses can’t be slaughtered here, they’re often carted in these trucks to Mexico and Canada (where it’s legal), hunched together, for days at a time.

Bad to Worse

Even worse to think about is that opening horse slaughterhouses in the States means we’ll be getting all the problems that come along with factory farming – waste runoff, stench, land devastation and nearly 200,000 horses slaughtered each year. All made possible by your tax dollars.

Curious as to why Congress would lift such a ban? We are too. After all, polls have consistently shown that Americans highly oppose horse slaughter – often by 70 percent or more.

Old News

So, the average American knows that horses aren’t food – and they’re pretty up in arms about this. Join the club. We’ve been pissed for a while about the murder of our furry friends. Factory farming is inhumane and nasty in every form. We can only hope that Congress will rethink this decision and spare our horse friends – and all our animal friends – as soon as possible.

Do Something

Want to do more? Get off your ass and write to Congress to oppose horse slaughter now.

What are your thoughts on lifting the horse slaughter ban in the U.S.? Let us know in the comments section below!


Jennifer St. Germain, Contributing Writer
A long-time health and fitness writer, Jennifer recently moved back to Los Angeles after spending two years writing and teaching English in Japan.  She now writes for several publications on a variety of topics, but veganism and animal rights are her favorite subjects.  When she isn't writing, you can find her drinking a little too much organic coffee, playing with her dogs or photographing her third favorite subject - jellyfish.








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