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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Eating horses?

209 replies

5Foot5 · 29/10/2016 21:54

DH and I are watching QI on Dave and there has been a discussion about eating horse meat. We were both a bit surprised that it is still seen as slightly distasteful by many people.

I have knowingly eaten horse twice - once in France at a barbeque and once in a hotel in Iceland where we ate foal for a starter and it was sweet and succulent and lovely.

So AIBU for thinking we are a bit squeamish in this country and there is really nothing wrong with it and for asking would you/ have you?

OP posts:
FlyingElbows · 29/10/2016 21:57

No I haven't and no I wouldn't.

Have yourself 500 gf points and a Biscuit for effort though Hmm

MyGiddyUncle · 29/10/2016 21:59

I haven't but I would. I don't see the difference between horse/beef etc.

I admit I did automatically wrinkle my nose at 'foal' but then got a grip of myself for being so hypocritical as I happily eat lamb.

Boundaries · 29/10/2016 21:59

Is it any different to eating cow, flying? Or lamb? Or pig....

Bluesrunthegame · 29/10/2016 22:00

I ate it in France once years ago and it was OK, like beef, I think. I agree people often have reservations about it but I'm not sure why.

Greaterthanthesumoftheparts · 29/10/2016 22:00

I've eaten it but not in the UK. Nothing wrong with it in my opinion, no different to cows, sheep, pigs etc. but there are lot of people that keep horses as pets and they will for sure have a different opinion. Each to their own.

MyGiddyUncle · 29/10/2016 22:00

Jeez, who shit on your chips FlyingElbows

The op is asking whether you'd eat horse, not deep fried human baby Hmm

FuckThatToOneSide · 29/10/2016 22:01

Here's a nice Biscuit for you OP. It's sweet and succulent - you'll fucking love it!

AtSea1979 · 29/10/2016 22:02

I ride but I'd eat it. I don't value one animal less than another. I think I'd drawn the line at cats and dogs but I can't rationalise why.

londonrach · 29/10/2016 22:02

I would although bearing in mind im not a fan of deer, cow i suspect it wouldnt be to my taste. No difference to cow as a grass eater.

TaggieRR · 29/10/2016 22:03

I wouldn't no, I like horses and feel they have another purpose whereas the entire point of cows/pigs etc is food!!

PaperdollCartoon · 29/10/2016 22:03

I don't eat any animals anymore, but you're not wrong. The hypocrisy about which animals are food and which are friends is horrendous.

HolesInTheFloor · 29/10/2016 22:03

I'm not sure if I've eaten it. Maybe as a kid on holiday? I probably wouldn't choose to eat it because it's probably quite gamey (or I imagine it to be). But I'd have no problem ethically with eating it.

I have had horses all my life but I can't understand why there seems to be this animal eating hierarchy. Dogs seem to cause outrage but little lambs are super cute and cuddly and they do t cause issues.

Cherrysoup · 29/10/2016 22:03

Couldn't, personally, as I own horses, they're pets. It would be a bit like eating dog, I suppose.

allegretto · 29/10/2016 22:03

What we eat is very much based on what is acceptable to our society. I wouldn't eat horse, cat or dog as I see them as different to cows - not really logical, I know. I wouldn't eat octopus either but I have eaten donkey!

CaveMum · 29/10/2016 22:03

Personally no I wouldn't but I've worked with/in industry's associated with horses since I left school so I'd no more eat horse than I would dog.

I think the general UK population still have an affinity with horses on one level or another (little girls love ponies, people liking a flutter at the races, for example) and we see them as pets as opposed to farm animals.

Thatznotmyname · 29/10/2016 22:03

Yes I'd eat horse! I see no difference between that and cow or sheep. I'd also eat cat, dog or rodent etc but not bugs..... nope nope nope!

Cosmicglitterghoul · 29/10/2016 22:04

No, as I don't like any red meat, but technically why not?

PinkSwimGoggles · 29/10/2016 22:05

yanbu
it's tasty.
and when it comes to cute factor cows are up there as well with those lovely eyes.

Inthenick · 29/10/2016 22:05

Yeah I've eaten it, and I love horses.

It's meat like all others. The biscuits are unnecessary and a bit OTT.

Floralnomad · 29/10/2016 22:06

I wouldn't eat horse in the same way as I wouldn't eat dog / cat / rabbit or Guinea pig because I have kept them as family pets .

yesterdaysunshine · 29/10/2016 22:06

I am veggie.

No, I would never eat horse.

Horses are friends.

RancidOldHag · 29/10/2016 22:06

I've eaten dog.

That shouldn't be any different either.

Except it is, because cultural preferences aren't governed by logic.

IHaveBrilloHair · 29/10/2016 22:06

I have, in Switzerland, it was lovely, I'd happily eat it often if it was available.

LifeIsGhoulish · 29/10/2016 22:07

Nothing GF about the OP. Certain replies have, if anything, proven exactly her point: squeamishness.

I've eaten horse and found it too sweetish for my taste. But horsemeat Bressaola was very good. I've also eaten rabbit bred and slaughtered by my hosts. Very chicken-like. And calf-brain fritters. None of these were in the UK. It's meat. No different to cuddly, cute lambs or fried calf liver.

ChiefClerkDrumknott · 29/10/2016 22:07

I'm watching the same QI episode. I have horses and love the very bones of them. However, I don't have a problem with eating horse meat, why would I? No different to eating any other animal, really.
Equines in this country would be far better served being slaughtered for meat in this country and the meat eaten here/exported
than transported live overseas in awful conditions to be slaughtered. Princess Anne gave a great speech on it last year, I'll see if I can find it