Since the dawn of time, humans have been omnivorous creatures. But since the world has progressed and things have changed, we’ve formed new opinions and ideologies about everything we do. As naturally curious creatures, humans have carefully analyzed everything, a lot of which is located in the category of food. More specifically, meat. Hence, our creation of veganism, vegetarianism and many other diets for numerous reasons. 

Here in America, the world’s cauldron of ingredients, we eat all kinds of meat. From cows, to chickens, to pigs, to sheep — we have eaten it all. Except for one thing.

“Why don’t Americans eat horses, and should we start?” Asks reporter Dane Dodos in his article supporting the consumption of horse meat.

The very idea may seem outlandish. However, this is no new topic. The debate on whether or not humans should expand their menus to include horse meat has been on the table for a long time, and many places including the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, English Canada and here in the United States consider this concept taboo. Meanwhile, others argue it could be potentially beneficial to us if we eat it, as well as an expansion to the American diet. So yay or neigh? 

As an ethereal animal commonly associated with royalty, companionship and war, the horse is a beloved creature to many and may sound like a complete night-mare to eat. Surprisingly enough, horse meat is packed with protein and may serve as a substantial energy source. In fact, it is even served in countries like China and Italy. 

But maybe some people don’t like horsin’ around with the American taboo. While horse meat may give some potential benefits, it can also be a dangerous food to eat. According to the Humane Society of the United States, “United States horse meat is dangerous to humans because of the unregulated administration of numerous toxic substances to horses before slaughter.” 

While being caught up in the struggles intertwined in the livestock industry and the higher demand for livestock, we may be forgetting the cost of adding yet another animal onto our menu. Horse slaughter has a negative impact on taxpayers because it strays valuable financial resources away from American products and food safety. It would make no sense for the federal government to invest in horse slaughter plants. Furthermore, it would in no way stimulate local economies because slaughter plants have proven to be absolute disasters, both economically and environmentally. This is due to their causing pollution of local water, decrease of  property values, as well as overall environmental damage. 

Further information from the Humane Society shows that it is not possible to conduct commercial horse slaughter in a humane manner. As horses are creatures that are skittish by nature, accurate pre-slaughter stunning is very difficult. Consequently, horses are often led to endure repeated blows and often remain conscious during dismemberment. 

All of this for the sake of expanding America’s already wide variety of foods is illogical, and will probably just add to our already heavy list of problems. Even though the idea is fun to consider, the reality would backfire. So perhaps it is about time we get off our high horse and permanently keep our favorite animal off the menu. 

Editor’s note: The United Kingdom was labeled as a country in the original publication of this article. This was corrected on Nov. 29, 2023.