Consuming horse meat was considered a pagan practice by cultures throughout history. I continue to believe the consumption of horse meat is still a pagan practice. By pagan I mean the true definition of pagan, a heathen, infidel and ungodly human being. I accept and surrender to many things in life but not to this repugnant practice.
We have had horses and have been in the horse business for 35 years. Horses are sacred animals. They symbolize power in most aboriginal cultures. Horses are revered, honored and loved. I spent over half my life smelling like a horse. I work daily with horses as I feed them, foal out my mares, vet them, and love them painfully as we are putting their noble bodies into the ground at the end of their life with us.
So you can image the horror when my doctor daughter came home from the hospital telling me that another physician in the doctor’s lounge was boasting about how tender the horse meat he ate was. He had taken a vacation to France and had developed a taste for horse meat.
I started to cry in horror of the thought of eating horse meat. I have spent my life loving them, healing them, caring for them. A horse is a pet like a dog or cat. Would you eat your dog or cat? I know they eat any meat in many countries such as dog, cat and horse, but it is still uncivilized, crude and disgusting.
732 AD Pope Gregory III wanted to stop people from eating horse meat. Eating horse meat is a sign of paganism in many cultures. Eating horse meat is considered abhorrent behavior in Ireland, UK and many other countries. Harvard University Faculty club had horse meat on its menu until 1985. How disgusting!
China tops list of consumption, 1.7 million horses slaughtered every year, 16 million are slaughtered for food. Countries that regularly eat horse meat are France, Italy, Mexico,Belgium and Japan, (they eat it raw for heavens sake).
I don’t even eat meat. I have been a student of the Buddhists, the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh and a Taoist, Wong Lo Sin See. Eating meat is considered an act of violence. The animal is killed and when you eat the meat you are taking in the violence of the animal being killed. So the mere thought of eating my beloved Reba, Lucia or Sophia is hideous. Even writing this piece has made me sick, sad and confused. I am going out to love and ride my horse now. I won’t say a word about this to her.