> Renee Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> kirjoitti:
> Also, why, if the breeding is constantly improving, do
>> 50% of all foals born in Iceland still go to slaughter?
> That's probably because they also raise them for food.
Hi Krisse,
Oh yes, quite right. Horsemeat has always been a protein staple of
Icelandic cuisine along with lamb/mutton and fish. Cattle and pigs are
harder to winter over there, so it makes sense their protein sources are
animals who can take being outside year round. I personally couldn't eat
horsemeat, but I have two daughters from China and I REALLY couldn't eat
what is found on many tables in that country. . . : ) So, to each culture
their own meal plans I guess. In India, I'm sure they are horrified at
the way we Americans eat beef. (Although I have an Indian nephew-in-law,
raised in Kuwait for most of his childhood, and educated in the States who
is about the biggest carnivore I've ever seen, including and especially
BEEF! When my niece first brought him over, I had meatloaf cooking in the
oven, and I really fretted about that until he came in, sniffed, and asked,
"Ohhh, what smells so good?!?") Anyhoo:
I have read / been told that there are some herds of horses bred to
raise meat foals from. But, I've also been told many horses that aren't
necessarily bred for meat wind up there when they don't pass the muster in
the training barn, or even earlier after they are born and the farmer
decides they aren't worth the investment to raise as a riding horse.
I guess my expectation would be, with supposedly better and more tools
like evaluations and the BLUP system for the horse farmer to use in breeding
better horses, that the numbers of horses going for slaughter who weren't
intentionally bred for that purpose would go down. . .but I guess that's not
happening????
Incidentally, when I was in Iceland in 2001, we visited three different
farms who were raising and training riding horses for re-sale / export.
All had trainers employed at them. I got to ask two of these farms'
trainers how long they gave a horse in training before deciding to cull it
(i.e. cut bait and send it to slaughter) One farm's trainer answered two
months, and the other three.
-- Renee M. in Michigan
