# I want to try horsemeat. Where do I get it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175 "2006-03-20T18:46:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175/21 "2006-03-21T00:44:49Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > When my uncle was raising a pair of otters for research, > > … OK, I gotta ask. What kind of research involves otters? (I’m familiar with mice, rats, rabbits, fruit flies, zebra fish…) ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175/22 "2006-03-21T00:50:50Z")
The garlic-horse-sausage in Belgium is good. There’s horse available here at the fancy butcher at the Granville market which was labelled in Dutch. I think they surprised to have someone order it that didn’t have an accent. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175/23 "2006-03-21T01:07:01Z")
They also have a line of Horse Dog Food that is recommended for dogs with allergies… It is a bit disconcerting that Rossschlacterei Baeumer sells Hundefutter with their Essen. But, their dog food is nothing more than Horse in its own juices. Probably an entirely safe product for human consumption from my understanding of German Sanitary Code. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175/24 "2006-03-21T01:32:30Z")
The thing you have to understand is that the majority of American horsemeat was not raised for that purpose. This means that over its lifetime, the horse has consumed a variety of products labeled “do not use on animals intended for consumption” – anything from wormers to antibiotic ointments commonly used on riding horses. Personally, regardless of my feelings towards horses, I would not eat US horsemeat unless I could be certain that it was not contaiminated with OTC pharmeceuticals. And I would question the source of horsemeat bought in Europe for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175/25 "2006-03-21T03:13:29Z")
> [@Hello Again](#): > > The thing you have to understand is that the majority of American horsemeat was not raised for that purpose. This means that over its lifetime, the horse has consumed a variety of products labeled “do not use on animals intended for consumption” – anything from wormers to antibiotic ointments commonly used on riding horses. > > Personally, regardless of my feelings towards horses, I would not eat US horsemeat unless I could be certain that it was not contaiminated with OTC pharmeceuticals. And I would question the source of horsemeat bought in Europe for the same reason. They have some very stringent meat handling and meat inspection laws in Germany. If this place is a licensed German Butcher, I’m pretty sure the meat is safe. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175/26 "2006-03-21T04:48:26Z")
Had it many years ago, while on a university-sponsored tour of Europe - we made it slightly into Eastern Europe. Sat down to dinner, made it most of the way through the macaroni casserole (or whatever it was), and someone else in the group announced “Ohmygod! This is horse meat!” Don’t remember learning how they knew this. Well, I figured, by this time the karmic/physiological damage was already done, so I didn’t bother getting stressed- or grossed-out. I think I finished it. As ground meat, not that bad. As pointed out by the know-it-all in the group, it didn’t brown up the way beef does, seemed slightly under-cooked. Further, in recollection, it did have more blood vessels and such running through it. Well, okay, travel is supposed to be educational, I figured - and so I still figure. Me, I’m not too adventurous, food-wise, but I have had the buffalo burger since then, as well as ostrich burger. And squab. Gourmand that I am not, I’d still be just as happy with the chicken, even if most things taste just like it. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175/27 "2006-03-21T13:41:22Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > I’ve tried the German horse sausage. A tip: try something else. Just the mental image conveyed by the name . . . ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175/28 "2006-03-21T15:45:50Z")
Why would German horse sausage have any different “mental image” than, say, German pork sausage? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175/29 "2006-03-21T18:42:49Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > They have some very stringent meat handling and meat inspection laws in Germany. If this place is a licensed German Butcher, I’m pretty sure the meat is safe. You can’t tell by looking at it that the meat is contaminated with known carcinogens and mutagens. The link below shows which OTC and prescription meds are forbidden for use in food animals. You will see that the most common horse dewormer, Ivermectin, the most common antiinflammatory drug, Phenylbutazone, a very common topical antiobiotic ointment, Nitrofurazone, and a common brochiodilator that treats horses with emphysema aka “heaves”, Clenbuterol, are all on the “not approved for food animals” list among many others. [http://www.saanendoah.com/prohibiteddrugs.html](http://www.saanendoah.com/prohibiteddrugs.html) IF he meat came from the US, I wouldn’t eat it, since I know for a fact that the processing plants process horses that were not raised for consumption and HAVE in all likelihood been administered these medications multiple times over their lifetimes (the most common wormer rotations call for Ivermectin to be used 1-2 times per year, and I do not think there is a riding stable or horse owner in the US that doesn’t own a tub of bute). IF, however the meat came from a known domestic source (as in, inside Germany) where it was being raised for consumption without use of these contaiminents, I think you can feel confident eating it. I do not have a moral problem with eating horse meat or the US horse slaughter business. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175/30 "2006-03-21T19:46:54Z")
Interesting links on horse meat: > **[Horse meat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_meat)** > > Horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in Europe and Asia. The eight countries that consume the most horse meat consume about 4.3 million horses a year. For the majority of humanity's early existence, wild horses were hunted as a source of protein. > During the Paleolithic, wild horses formed an important source of food for humans. In many parts of Europe, the consumption of horse meat continued throughout the Middle Ages until modern times... [http://www.igha.org/USDA.html](http://www.igha.org/USDA.html) The latter has the USDA promoting horse meat. It claims that horse meat may be safely eaten after a waiting period for antibiotics to be passed from the system, and says that horse meat is tested for the presence of such drugs: > [@](#): > > Antibiotics may be given to prevent or treat disease in goats and horses. Hormones are not approved for growth promotion in goats or horses. > > A “withdrawal” period is required from the time most antibiotics are administered until it is legal to slaughter the animal. This is so residues can exit the animal’s system. > > Goat and horse meat are tested for antibiotics, sulfonamides and pesticide residues if problems are suspected. Also, the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s National Residue Program routinely tests horses and goats at slaughtering establishments. Nothing o either site about where in the US you can get this. Neither Savenor’s in Boston nor Exotic Meats in Seattle seem to carry horse, or even zebra any more. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175/31 "2006-03-21T19:54:39Z")
From this site: [http://www.sptimes.com/2004/01/30/Brandontimes/Inquiry\_focuses\_on\_ho.shtml](http://www.sptimes.com/2004/01/30/Brandontimes/Inquiry_focuses_on_ho.shtml) > [@](#): > > And none of the meat from those slaughterhouses - Beltex Corp in Fort Worth and Dallas Crown Inc. in Kaufman - is likely to end up on your dinner plate. > > “Horse meat is not sold for human consumption anywhere in the United States,” said Beltex attorney John Linebarger. “There is no market.” See also here: [http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/04/Columns/Americans\_squeamish\_o.shtml](http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/04/Columns/Americans_squeamish_o.shtml) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-try-horsemeat-where-do-i-get-it/349175.md?page=1)