Horse: The Other Red Meat

As we abdicate our horse sense on many fronts these days, it becomes possible that horse meat could find a place on some American plates. The thought's enough to make one want to "Eat Mor Chikin."

Gene Hoffman, President/CEO, Corporate Strategies International

I remember how surprised I was to learn years ago that Americans who need less expensive food eat pet food to survive. I've never viewed horse meat as a delicacy, haven't tried it (to the best of my knowledge) and suspect it will not be part of my personal consideration set. Our world is changing and with it how we choose to feed ourselves. Horse meat could legally make its way onto American consumers' menu choices. Will it find its way onto the food plates of the average family? Perhaps, but not without much image changing support.

Joan Treistman, President, The Treistman Group LLC

Well, if you are getting $20 a pound, I'm sure there are some excited investors. We probably should legalize horse slaughter since the only reason we don't now is because we view horses -- like dogs and cats -- as pets. We make movies about them winning the Triple Crown or have sitcoms with them talking. This would help thoroughbred race horse owners find a way to better deal with under-performers and injured animals. The Amish have been routinely butchering their Standardbreds when they are no longer able to work. Still I don't see mainstream supermarkets selling horse.

David Livingston, Principal, DJL Research

While this may be a topic worthy of debate it is not a topic the food industry should advocate. The upside for the industry is very small and the downside could be huge. I doubt that we will ever see horse meat on menus in the U.S. The perception of horses in this country is more the image portrayed in the new movie "War Horse" than something for the table.

Steve Montgomery, President, b2b Solutions, LLC

Inspections, Sh-pections. It's about the "Bambi Factor"!

Many consumers would be horrified at the prospect of eating horse meat -- or -- at least inclined to order something else from the menu. Somehow, in this culture, horses are personified like dogs and cats...for many, horses just feel too close to being part of the "human" family.

Liz Crawford, President, Crawford Consulting

Why stop with horses?

If one wants to be truly global why not put dogs on the menu?

I guess as a horse owner I may be a little biased on this, but I vote no. You don't have to look much beyond the wholesale slaughter of wild mustangs to understand what might happen if domestic slaughtering were resumed.

Now, while I would vote "No" on the first question the answer to the second question is -- unfortunately -- probably "Yes."

Ryan Mathews, Founder, ceo, Black Monk Consulting

I absolutely do not think horse meat should be legal for human consumption in the U.S.; I don't consider them livestock and I do think them fundamentally different than the traditional animals raised for food. I know vegetarians and vegans would disagree with me, but to me, horses are pets and friends, not dinner. While cows are well, cows.

I've never ridden a cow, or gone to chicken shows or even sobbed against the shoulder of a cow or pig when I needed emotional support; I've done all these things with a horse. While cows definitely shaped our history through cattle drives, they aren't the iconic symbol of freedom and beauty of the Wild West. To me, those are big differences between them.

I wouldn't eat my cat, or my dog, and I certainly would never eat a horse.

Kimberly Long, Administrative Assistant, Alert Technologies, Inc.

This is a little Christmas gift from the same Congress that debated whether or not pizza is a vegetable. Good thing we don't have any real problems in our country, and we can concentrate only on nonsense.

Cathy Hotka, Principal, Cathy Hotka & Associates

I never thought that buffalo meat would become an acceptable, marketable product in the U.S. So could horse meat become acceptable? Never say never. Since horse meat is a delicacy in some cultures and the U.S. is looking so hard to do something to stimulate the economy and there are immigrants who view horse meat as a delicacy, I can see processing plants opening and a limited market growing for horse meat. Since many young children love horses, I do not see a large market for horse meat any more than there is a large market for rabbit.

Camille P. Schuster, Ph.D., President, Global Collaborations, Inc.

This is just another example of government making the decisions, not the consumer. Horse meat is eaten in some regions of the world. If approved, there would be sales here. The culture one grows up in has a great influence on what one eats. Like buffalo, there are some who like and will buy, but not everyone. It will always be a small market.

W. Frank Dell II, CMC, President, Dellmart & Company

I don't see much human consumption on the horizon. As before, most will be exported or used as pet food.

'DrCellmor'

Yay, or neigh? I'm not sure which. (I don't find the "some cultures do it" argument terribly convincing..it only makes me support legislation to keep such people from immigrating here). As for the market, probably there is one, but it's small and would likely remain such indefinitely; On the other hand, I can remember years ago in Maui there was a restaurant that offered a wild game menu -- lion steaks, that sort of thing -- so I suppose anything can find a market of some kind.

'notcom'

Perhaps the most notable element of this discussion is the way it drags the effect of cultural paradigms on our consumption habits to center stage.

I have been exposed to many different cultures. Living in Australia and traveling Asia, Europe and Latin America for business was a great education in understanding the impact of cultural paradigms.

To Americans, kangaroos are the symbol of Australia and koala bears are cuddly zoo animals. To rural Australians 'roos are vermin to be slaughtered on sight and used for dog food. Koala are nasty little buggers who bite and urinate on anyone trying to get near them.

To Asians, monkeys and cats are delicacies. To Americans they are zoo animals and pets.

Interestingly, not all the paradigm differences are based on emotion or affinity. The American Indian revered the horse and valued the dog highly -- but they ate both routinely as well.

The best explanation of how these paradigms fit together I can come up with is that it is driven by a combination of cultural factors.

The first is how a particular animal (or plant or material) is viewed by the culture in general. Another way of saying "what's socially acceptable." People who grow up being told that oysters are food believe that oysters are food. Or if you have never seen an oyster before -- but are told the first time you see it that it is food -- it is food. But if you grow up being told that oysters are vile crustaceans that absorb and process waste from the ocean floor, you might have a different opinion about popping one in your mouth.

The second factor is urban versus rural. (I know. Ronald Reagan would be saying "there you go again, Ben" right about now.) People who grow up close to the land have a different utility that they attach to all things, especially animals. That's why the Indian could happily consume the war pony that was just killed. And it is why farmers can eat the pet pig or calf and hunters can eat Bambi.

The more pragmatic "urban versus rural" explanation works well enough on its own in most cases. But then how do you explain the inability of a life-long hunter from America to harvest or consume "Skippy"?

Paradigms. Strange -- but very real.

Ben Ball, Senior Vice President, Dechert-Hampe

I think I'm with Cathy Hotka on this one. As well as the ideas expressed by Ryan Matthews and Ben Ball.

There's a lot to it I'm sure. However, the worst part of it is that I now have the theme to Mr. Ed in my head for the rest of the day!

'Scanner'

Ben's points are exactly right. My Polish grandmother called lobsters and crabs "the insects of the sea." I love em.

There's a great book called "Good to Eat" that explores why cultures treat different animals as foods, pets, etc. It makes a fairly compelling scientific argument that there is logic to the cultural beliefs.

Jonathan Marek, Senior Vice President, Applied Predictive Technologies