# Will you feed your dogs horse meat?



## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

Someone from Yahoo group suggested this supplier and he has great reviews, but still I feed kind of coward feeding them with it.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

I am sure that horse meat would be good for a dog, just another protein to add variety to their diet. However, I personally would not feed horse meat. I love them too much and it would make me sad...LOL.... :redface::tongue1:


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## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

saraj2878 said:


> I am sure that horse meat would be good for a dog, just another protein to add variety to their diet. However, I personally would not feed horse meat. I love them too much and it would make me sad...LOL.... :redface::tongue1:


Yes, it is the same way I feel. I don't know if can go over that tho.


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

Isn't it strange how we differently we feel about feeding certain animals? I mean, I honestly kinda feel terrible about everything I feed, but I do it anyway because I strongly believe in PMR being the best diet for my dogs and cats. However, there are definitely certain things I would not feel comfortable feeding no matter how hard I tried to shove that to the side, and horse is one of them.


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## bumblegoat (May 12, 2010)

I would definately feed it. This discussion came up on another forum recently, and it really spiked my interest. I want to try some myself even! I can't find it though. The only horse meat that can be found in grocery stores here is smoked. :frown:


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## Jackielyn (May 27, 2009)

I would feed horse if I got the meat for free...I wouldn't seek it out but I'm open to let my dogs try anything.


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## sassymaxmom (Dec 7, 2008)

I would feed it if it was in my price range.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I've fed it! I couldn't reveal my source as it is illegal to slaughter horses for anything other than dogfood. (KIBBLE) But have you even started the PMR yet, I guess maybe I missed the post about you starting the raw diet!


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## nikkiluvsu15 (Jun 9, 2010)

I couldn't feed it - It just wouldn't feel right to me :frown:


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## SonjaWi (Jan 19, 2011)

I have to confess I have eaten it myself. And I have been in the riding sport for about 10 years of my life. 

My personal attitude is, let nothing go to waste. If I have to chose to just throw perfectly good meat in the trash or feed it to the dog or eat it myself, I am for the eating of it. A pig is a very cute animal too and we still eat it. I don't judge nobody who won't do it, but I got no problem with people who do. As far as your dog is concerned, meat is meat.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

Horses are prey animals and yes I would feed it.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

I dont' think I could do it. Not even for free. It would feel "cannibalistic" to me, as would dog, cat, rabbit or guinea pig. I consider them pets/family and not food. 

I can see the logic of feeding it, it's a prey animal, but... I couldn't do it.


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

Shamrockmommy said:


> I dont' think I could do it. Not even for free. It would feel "cannibalistic" to me, as would dog, cat, rabbit or guinea pig. I consider them pets/family and not food.
> 
> I can see the logic of feeding it, it's a prey animal, but... I couldn't do it.


Same reason I couldn't feed rats. I've had pet rats for much of my life. They've always been sweet little buddies...it would just feel very wrong to me.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i'm a city girl...rats have never been cute....to me...and they are scavengers....i would not feed them to myself or my dogs just as i would not feed a mature pigeon.....yet i would eat squab...go figure...

but i have eaten horse and if available, i would feed it to my dogs...

although i would not want to feed old horse any more than i'd want to feed old cows...

i was one of those east coast equestrian riders, with the silly saddles...and i love horses....

but, you know the old saying...

'gotta eat'. : )


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## TylersMom (Jan 19, 2011)

Definitely not. I love my horses as much as I love my dog. He might enjoy it but it might be the end of me. There are enough other options that I don't feel at all bad saying I won't feed horse to my dog. 

Purely sentimental, but I think its important to myself not to feel guilty that my dog is "missing" a protein because i don't have the heart to give it to him!

TylersMom


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## bully4life (Aug 9, 2010)

You would be amazed at how many horses we ( the u.s., not me personally ) kill. I worked for an overseas shipping company in the early 90's,out side of Chicago and we shipped between 60-80 THOUSAND pounds of horse meat each day( to Belgium) . I worked there for 4 years, and i cant ever recall a day when horse meat wasn't being shipped. Finally the processing plant was shut down, and i think the operations moved out west. The company that shipped the meat would have appreciation parties in the summer, and you guessed it...... they served horse meat. I passed, cause im a non meat eater, but my friends didn't seem to mind.


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## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

I decided to give it to the dogs. If I am start thinking in the animals that provide meat to us, I will never eat meat, because I love all of them. So, I am putting them in a prey diet and they are going to eat whatever prey meat I have access too.


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

What Rachel said. Being vegetarian, I have a hard time feeding any kind of meat. But, I do it because I love my dogs, and if I am going to own these animals, I am going to feed them what is appropriate for their species.

I love all animals. Chickens, pigs, cows, deer, fish. Heck, I know I'm crazy, but I've thanked my dogs food before I feed it to them. "Thank you, chicken, for nourishing my beloved dog".

The way I look at it is:
My love for my dogs > my love for chickens. Dogs > cows. Dogs > pigs.

Would I feed horse meat? No, because in Miami, we have a *LOT* of illegal horse slaughter houses, and they are very inhumane (not that any factory farms are humane either). Did anybody happen to see that Life of Jenks episode where he filmed that girl that was busting the illegal horse slaughter houses? Yep, right around the corner from where I live. 

But, if it was coming from a reputable (legal) source, and it was free... no I wouldn't let it go to waste.


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## _Trish (Jan 31, 2011)

bully4life said:


> You would be amazed at how many horses we ( the u.s., not me personally ) kill. I worked for an overseas shipping company in the early 90's,out side of Chicago and we shipped between 60-80 THOUSAND pounds of horse meat each day( to Belgium) . I worked there for 4 years, and i cant ever recall a day when horse meat wasn't being shipped. Finally the processing plant was shut down, and i think the operations moved out west. The company that shipped the meat would have appreciation parties in the summer, and you guessed it...... they served horse meat. I passed, cause im a non meat eater, but my friends didn't seem to mind.


Horse slaughtering USED to be a big business in the U.S. but now it's illegal to slaughter horses in the U.S., it's not even allowed to be used in dog food. Lots of them are shipped to Mexico, now. 

I see that some other posters say that there are illegal slaughter houses in the U.S. in some places, I wasn't aware of that. I know that the slaughter houses in Mexico are absolutely terrible, they kill the horses by stabbing them in the spine with a knife, they paralyze them and then cut their throat and hang them up. Disgusting. 

I've had horses my whole life, and I work with horses for my job as well, and I wouldn't have a problem feeding horse meat to my dogs, or even eating it myself (if it tasted good) if it was legal. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big time animal lover, and I love all the little and big creatures in this world. They are the same as a cow, pig, chicken, turkey, etc. to me. I've worked on many farms and raised livestock to sell to slaughter and when I was growing up we had farm animals that we raised, to eat. So maybe that is why I think differently about it.


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## Spaz (Sep 3, 2009)

I would feed it. 

And I work with horses too! :becky:


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## mountaindogz (Sep 5, 2010)

I had this issue yesterday. I was told about a supplier that is just raved about, so I ordered some meats..veal..beef heart..and chicken and went and picked it up. He also does horse meat...while there he kept saying how beautiful horse meat is and how all his animals love it over any other meats. He gave me some to try about 20ibs of it free of charge. I find myself in a dilemma....I have always been very anti-slaughter horses, especially after watching very graphic horrible videos of rendering plants for horses, although he claims he does it very humanely. 
I tried it with my dogs and they just love it, which for them is very unusual for the first time trying a new meat. I don't know why I feel that its just wrong to kill horses for meat, but yet I am ok with feeding baby calfs, goats, chickens, sheep, and it doesnt really bother me to feed mules either.... Its probably because I grew up with horses, and had bonds with everyone I ever owned/or rode. 
So to answer your question I am still very undecided.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i rode horses most of my childhood and young adult life....and i adore them....

whilst i might not feed horse as a first choice....i would feed horse.

then again, if i were one of the ones in the andes years ago, i'd eat human.


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

I think it would be hard.........but I think I could. 

It might sit in my freezer for a year, but eventually, yes. If the conditions were all right.


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## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

It is been hard for me too, but I have to think for the best of my dogs. For me, kill ant animal is not nice and sometimes I been even considered become a vegetarian, but s I love to have a nice steak too, so no vegetarian for me.
If I am going to feed prey raw, it is what I am going to do and I will offer them variety including the stinky green tripe!! LOL


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

NO!!!! Never would I feed horse meat. In fact, if was the only thing left to feed with no other options in raw, I would go back to kibble. Where would you find it in the US anyway? I know horse slaughter is illeagle here, so horses are done in mexico. Do they ship it back here? I didn't even think that would be legal.:frown:


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Don't quote me on this but upon looking deeper I think this is might be the case in the US:

A bill was passed to try and make horse slaughter illegal but it was not passed. It is legal to slaughter horses. BUT, I believe (PLEASE correct me if I am wrong) that it is NOT legal to slaughter horses for human consumption. I believe it is not legal to sell horse meat for human consumption in the US.

I personally would not feed horse meat from the United States based on this information.

I would also be concerned about vaccinations and medications given to the horse.


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## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

mountaindogz said:


> I had this issue yesterday. I was told about a supplier that is just raved about, so I ordered some meats..veal..beef heart..and chicken and went and picked it up. He also does horse meat...while there he kept saying how beautiful horse meat is and how all his animals love it over any other meats. He gave me some to try about 20ibs of it free of charge. I find myself in a dilemma....I have always been very anti-slaughter horses, especially after watching very graphic horrible videos of rendering plants for horses, although he claims he does it very humanely.
> I tried it with my dogs and they just love it, which for them is very unusual for the first time trying a new meat. I don't know why I feel that its just wrong to kill horses for meat, but yet I am ok with feeding baby calfs, goats, chickens, sheep, and it doesnt really bother me to feed mules either.... Its probably because I grew up with horses, and had bonds with everyone I ever owned/or rode.
> So to answer your question I am still very undecided.


Are u also in Pennsylvania? Maybe we are talking about the same guy?


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

BrownieM said:


> Don't quote me on this but upon looking deeper I think this is might be the case in the US:
> 
> A bill was passed to try and make horse slaughter illegal but it was not passed. It is legal to slaughter horses. BUT, I believe (PLEASE correct me if I am wrong) that it is NOT legal to slaughter horses for human consumption. I believe it is not legal to sell horse meat for human consumption in the US.
> 
> ...


That is also a thaught... Vaccinations and dewormings in the horse at time of slaughter. Hmm...... another reason not to feed it. For me anyway.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

BrownieM said:


> Don't quote me on this but upon looking deeper I think this is might be the case in the US:
> 
> A bill was passed to try and make horse slaughter illegal but it was not passed. It is legal to slaughter horses. BUT, I believe (PLEASE correct me if I am wrong) that it is NOT legal to slaughter horses for human consumption. I believe it is not legal to sell horse meat for human consumption in the US.
> 
> ...


i believe you're right....... it is very legal to slaughter horses in the USA....but not for human consumption.

i think the bill was for slaughtering more humanely and for regulation purposes.....i don't remember if it passed...i think it was around 2008 but not sure...

approximately 90000 horses are slaughtered for export to europe and other countries.


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## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

I was told that horse meat is also used to feed at the zoo and another wild animals sanctuaries.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Well all the horse slaughter houses around here were closed, that is why people on craigslist were trying to give horses away and all the shelters were becoming over run with horses as well, because they could no longer sell them to the slaughter houses.


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## _Trish (Jan 31, 2011)

whiteleo said:


> Well all the horse slaughter houses around here were closed, that is why people on craigslist were trying to give horses away and all the shelters were becoming over run with horses as well, because they could no longer sell them to the slaughter houses.


That is what happened here as well, which is why I'm confused as to people saying that horse slaughtering is still legal in the U.S. but not for human consumption, that is not what has been happening around here.


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## mountaindogz (Sep 5, 2010)

Boxers&Pom's Mom said:


> Are u also in Pennsylvania? Maybe we are talking about the same guy?


Yes I am around the Harrisburg Area. Yes I believe it is the same guy last name Mohr?


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## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

mountaindogz said:


> Yes I am around the Harrisburg Area. Yes I believe it is the same guy last name Mohr?


Yes, same guy.


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## werecatrising (Oct 15, 2010)

Horse slaughter is illegal where I am. I'm not sure when this came into effect. I have been told about cases before it was illegal. Sure, it is sad to think about. Sometimes people would have no way of feeding their horses and were unable to sell them. Others were just very old and had a poor quality of life. These people would call one of a few people out. These people would put the animal down in a humane and merciful way, then transport them to a processing facility.


I must say, the things I see now are far worse. I live in a very poor area, but it is full of ranches and people who own horses. Since the economy has gone down hill the hospital has been involved in many cruelty cases. Lots of people can't afford to feed their horses. Craigslist is full of people trying to give them away. We are 2 months into the year and have taken part in 3 seizures. One involved 10 severely emaciated horses and ended up with the owner pulling a gun on the sheriff. I'm not saying that these specific cases would have turned out differently under other circumstances- it just makes me wonder.


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