Horse meat has been banned in the United States for the past decade, meaning that it is illegal to slaughter horses in America. Horses, like cats and dogs, are beings that should not be killed for frivolous reasons.
Horses are sentient
Despite what many people may have you believe, animals are sentient. They feel pain, they suffer, and they can experience a broad range of emotions. That is why it was such a scandal in 2016 when the Bureau of Land Management ordered for the slaughter of 45,000 wild horses, shipping them off to places like Mexico, where killing them is still legal, in order to make room for cattle farms.
If we would not treat dogs, cats, and many other animals like this, why then do we turn a blind eye to horse meat? Dr. Melanie Joy talks about this very topic in her book "Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows." She talks about the cognitive dissonance between people who would be disgusted to find out that their beef burger was made from rats or dogs, but not to find out that their beef burger is made from beef. She calls this discrepancy Carnism.
Factory Farms have been seen time and time again to have issues with abusing animals, as well as having abusive practices as a farming standard, such as debeaking chickens, grinding up day-old male chicks alive, and Thumping, which is when you take a baby pig that is not growing fast enough and smash their head against a hard concrete floor, hoping it dies the first time.
We don't need horse meat
In present America, vegetarian and vegan diets are on the rise, with the recent Veganuary being a huge success. With more meat and dairy replacements hitting the market and more information released every day on how to be plant-based, it is becoming more and more obvious that we do not need animal products to survive.
Many dietetic associations from the American Dietetic Association, the Dietitians of Canada, and the Harvard School of Medicine, for instance, all agree with the notion that a vegan diet (a diet devoid of all animal products) if planned carefully, is perfectly able to provide all of the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that you need.
With the current decline in red meat consumption and the rise of meatless or reduced meat diets, why would we need to consume horse meat? We don't.
We are already experiencing issues when it comes to banned and cruel practices regarding horse safety and ethics, including soring. It is best to consider alternatives to meat altogether and not open the door to further Animal cruelty by allowing horses to be slaughtered like cows are.
