In most western countries (and probably many other places) there are some
commonly held taboos about eating certain animals. Dogs and cats are almost
universal (the places where they are not considered taboo to eat are quite
few).

  Amusingly, some animals are popularly considered sophisticated high-culture
delicacies in some (western) countries, while in other places they are
considered almost repugnant. For example wild boars are considered a
"high-culture" delicacy in most of Europe but I hear that eg. in Australia
they are considered repugnant (because boars are scavengers that eat dead
corpses of other animals). Same can be said of squid, octopuses, frogs and
snails (generally considered delicacies in mediterranean countries,
repugnant in more northern ones).

  However, perhaps the one that most surprises me personally is horse meat.
Apparently there are many western countries where eating horse meat is
considered as much a taboo as eating dog or cat meat. Personally I don't
understand why. What's wrong with horse meat? Is eating a horse somehow
different from eating a cow or a turkey? Both are farm animals, and neither
are really house pets. I don't get it.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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On 12/6/2011 14:31, Warp wrote:
> What's wrong with horse meat? ... Both are farm animals,

Well, pigs and turkeys aren't what you'd call "working animals". You don't 
train them or really interact with them on a personal basis. You don't trust 
them in any sense.

That said, one of the best lines out of a cowboy movie I've heard:

New guy: "That's a real pretty horse you got there."
Old guy: "Yup."
New guy: "What's his name?"
Old guy: "I don't name anything I might have ta eat."

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   People tell me I am the counter-example.

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Am 07.12.2011 00:46, schrieb Darren New:
> On 12/6/2011 14:31, Warp wrote:
>> What's wrong with horse meat? ... Both are farm animals,
>
> Well, pigs and turkeys aren't what you'd call "working animals". You
> don't train them or really interact with them on a personal basis. You
> don't trust them in any sense.

Horse is actually quite tasty.

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On 12/6/2011 16:59, clipka wrote:
> Am 07.12.2011 00:46, schrieb Darren New:
>> On 12/6/2011 14:31, Warp wrote:
>>> What's wrong with horse meat? ... Both are farm animals,
>>
>> Well, pigs and turkeys aren't what you'd call "working animals". You
>> don't train them or really interact with them on a personal basis. You
>> don't trust them in any sense.
>
> Horse is actually quite tasty.

I wasn't addressing that. I was simply speculating on why horses are treated 
more like cats and dogs than pigs and turkeys in some cultures. Perhaps in 
cultures where "cowboys" were common and traveling long distances with 
little company but your horse was common, they became closer to companions 
than farm beasts.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   People tell me I am the counter-example.

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>    In most western countries (and probably many other places) there are some
> commonly held taboos about eating certain animals. Dogs and cats are almost
> universal (the places where they are not considered taboo to eat are quite
> few).
>
>    Amusingly, some animals are popularly considered sophisticated high-culture
> delicacies in some (western) countries, while in other places they are
> considered almost repugnant. For example wild boars are considered a
> "high-culture" delicacy in most of Europe but I hear that eg. in Australia
> they are considered repugnant (because boars are scavengers that eat dead
> corpses of other animals). Same can be said of squid, octopuses, frogs and
> snails (generally considered delicacies in mediterranean countries,
> repugnant in more northern ones).
>
>    However, perhaps the one that most surprises me personally is horse meat.
> Apparently there are many western countries where eating horse meat is
> considered as much a taboo as eating dog or cat meat. Personally I don't
> understand why. What's wrong with horse meat? Is eating a horse somehow
> different from eating a cow or a turkey? Both are farm animals, and neither
> are really house pets. I don't get it.
>

One of the reasons horse meat is usually taboo in North America, is 
because of the cattle lobby.  Since horse meat is leaner and a lot 
redder than beef, they managed to convince government to pass 
legislation preventing the two from being sold in the same stores (in 
Canada), or from being sold entirely (in the US) because it would hurt 
their sales.

Even though the laws of both countries have been repealed (the US' just 
last month!) the brainwashing has been done and most people don't think 
of horse meat as food.
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/*Francois Labreque*/#local a=x+y;#local b=x+a;#local c=a+b;#macro P(F//
/*    flabreque    */L)polygon{5,F,F+z,L+z,L,F pigment{rgb 9}}#end union
/*        @        */{P(0,a)P(a,b)P(b,c)P(2*a,2*b)P(2*b,b+c)P(b+c,<2,3>)
/*   gmail.com     */}camera{orthographic location<6,1.25,-6>look_at a }

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> Is eating a horse somehow
> different from eating a cow or a turkey? Both are farm animals, and neither
> are really house pets. I don't get it.

Horses are a lot closer to pets here than either cows or turkeys. Not 
many people have them, but when I think of horses I think of horseback 
riding, maybe racing, and not much else. I think people also perceive 
them to be smarter than cows (which may be incorrect).

  - Slime

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On 06/12/2011 10:31 PM, Warp wrote:

> Same can be said of squid, octopuses, frogs and
> snails (generally considered delicacies in mediterranean countries,
> repugnant in more northern ones).

Apparently the British Isles didn't have snails until the Romans 
introduced them - in order to eat them. How many gardeners regret that 
decision?

>    However, perhaps the one that most surprises me personally is horse meat.
> Apparently there are many western countries where eating horse meat is
> considered as much a taboo as eating dog or cat meat. Personally I don't
> understand why. What's wrong with horse meat?

Ask somebody who's loved and cared for a house for 27 years as their 
cherished friend and soulmate. (E.g., my dance partner.)

As to why everybody else things that way...
1) I'm not sure too many people in this country would object to eating 
horse meat. [But I might be wrong.]
2) It's probably just an arbitrary cultural thing. Random person X 
thinks it's horrible because everyone *else* thinks it's horrible. No 
particular reason beyond that.

For example, in Britain calling someone a cow is a fairly bad insult. 
But if you stop and think about that for a moment... um, why is it? 
What's so terrible about cows? My sister was learning a foreign language 
at school, and she tells me that in some European language [I forget 
which one], calling someone a camel is a most terrible insult. To most 
people I know, the reaction would be "why? what's wrong with camels?"

In summary, it seems to just be a random arbitrary thing that varies by 
culture.

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Le 07/12/2011 01:59, clipka a écrit :
> 
> Horse is actually quite tasty.

Rather than tasty, the taste is very strong.

And often far from the sweet & delicious taste you might be used to.

The main deterrents to horse as food are:
 * it take too much time to get an adult sized animal for butcher
 * there is no milking interest to compensate that age.
 * the needed space is large
 * feeding is strongly limited
 * it does not grow meat and fat easily.

Look at:
 * beef: 2 years for adult made for meat, 5 years for adult used also
for milk.
 * chicken: must be between 40 and 90 days old. Egg production is also
interesting.
 * pork: disputed for its worms and dangerous toxins when worked in warm
environment,  about 6 months before consumption.
 * sheep/mutton: interest for the milk and wool, 2 years for meat,
interesting market for meat of young (less than 1 year).

Last but maybe not least: eating horse was forbidden by 2 popes, Gregory
III (732) and Zachary (751).
It was perceived as pagan behaviour of the northern population.

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Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> Apparently the British Isles didn't have snails until the Romans
> introduced them - in order to eat them. How many gardeners regret that
> decision?

Ditto rabbits.

> the reaction would be "why? what's wrong with camels?"

They're bad-tempered, ugly and smelly? Although personally I find their facial
expressions hilarious so it's not all bad :)

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Slime <pov### [at] slimelandcom> wrote:
> > Is eating a horse somehow
> > different from eating a cow or a turkey? Both are farm animals, and neither
> > are really house pets. I don't get it.
>
> Horses are a lot closer to pets here than either cows or turkeys. Not
> many people have them, but when I think of horses I think of horseback
> riding, maybe racing, and not much else. I think people also perceive
> them to be smarter than cows (which may be incorrect).
>
>   - Slime

hey, Andrew!  The Slime from your post really evolved! :D

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