Apparently, offspring of sea biscuit is available online.

edited to add: It figures Rocks would put this turd in my pocket.

I'm a dog fancier, myself. As far as sourcing goes, I favor The Frist Method. Efficient, and economical.

Edit: Groooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuperrrrr!

Note: The original post doesn't exist any longer, but Rocks replied to a poster seeking horsemeat, that horsemeat was illegal in the US, and we members shouldn't be using this site--even PMs--to do anything illegal. The following is a reply to that.

I think Rocks is somewhat mistaken about the legality of horsemeat in the US. I think that it is illegall in many states, but not all. I doubt that DC has a law on it, but I would think Maryland (with the Preakness, etc.) and Virginia (with Assateague, etc.) might, you'll have to check for yourself. The USDA has standards for horsemeat inspection, and promotes the meat actively in other countries (where it is immensely popular).

I believe there are efforts underway to shut down the slaughterhouses that deal with horse meat on a Federal level. I'm not sure if the legislation from the 108th Congress has been reintroduced in this one, again, you'll have to check for yourself.

Given our collective mores, you'll probably have a hard time finding someone butchering horses for food, or willing to purchase or sell a horse intended for food. Your only option may be to raise and slaughter one on your own.

I do think Rocks is right to forbid us from using the site to break the law, but you'll want to make sure just what the law is, whether those laws are interstate transport bans, or local restrictions on the meat's selling or purchase.

Here is some more info.

That legislation has about 4 chances of passage: (1) slim), (2) none, (3) fat, and (4) a snowball's chance in hell. In the Senate it is sponsored by Robert Byrd (D. WV) and has 6 other co-sponsors, all democracts.

edited to add: That legislation only applies to free roaming animals.

It didn't pass last year even though it had hundreds of House co-sponsors. There are hot feelings on both sides of the issue, and I believe Senator Burns (R-MT) has vowed to put a hold on it.

Thanks to Don and Mark for ressurecting this.

I had heard of a certain boucherie chevaline who did some side work in Virginia. Sadly I don't know that he is still horsing around in that trade. I also asked the two old French butchers in Georgetown (one worked at D&D) to no avail.

You people (Yes!) ROCK!!!!

I love you all to death.

The real question is can anyone come up with some milk-fed baby pony It's the veal of the petting zoo.

Since this is cooking forum, let me be the first to post a recipe suggestion for those viewing from locations where this can be enjoyed legally. The brave of heart and stomach can find the recipe here complete with step-by-step photos.

Here's your legislative update on this issue........

WASHINGTON -- The House voted Wednesday to stop the slaughter of American horses to feed diners in European and Asian nations where the meat is considered gourmet fare.

May I ask some completely heartless yet utterly logical questions?

Why are we banning the export of horse meat? For that matter, why were we exporting it for consumption, yet banning consumption at home? And why are horses given special consideration over other animals (cows, pigs, sheep, goats, etc.)?

I've never had horse meat (so far as I know), but why does some thoroughbred owner get all up in arms and sponsor this ban? I own a world champion figure skating pig, but you don't see me campaigning against bacon.

I will take a stab at answering Mr. Dente's fair questions about our strange horse consumption policies and practices:
First I think that the role in our culture and national Id for horses drives a lot of our laws banning domestic consumption.
Related to this is a the existence of a large, wealthy and well-connected group of people who have sporting, and similar hobby types of interests associated with horses.
We have similar policies for dogs and other common domestic pets, don't we.

And now to my own discovery of the edible side of the equine:

When I was a young and pretty much all the time poor but hungry intern in Geneva, Suisse I found at the local food marts something identified as "tranche panee". Thinking that these are what they looked like -- a breaded veal cutlet, I regularly dined on these as the price was right. Although I noted a kind of strong and gamey taste, I dismissed this as being due to the difference between American veal and European veal.
It wasn't 'til I'd been in Geneva for about six months that a girlfriend explained to me that I was eating Trigger

I grew up with a horse farm down the street and was positively horse-crazy as a kid. But I really don't understand what is wrong with slaughtering domestic horses for human consumption. Why is it worse than slaughtering cows?

On my way to horse camp each morning during the summer of '75 or so, we'd pass a small farmyard full of gaunt horses, standing in a bare dirt pen. We were told that the authorities had been called upon the owner many times; the owner was pretty much starving the horses to death. Many of them were retired race horses. A thoroughbred lives 25 to 35 years with proper care, but most stop having any possibility of earning money after they reach age 5.

Frankly, I think the horses would have been better off slaughtered than starved to death. In some ways, the slaughter of retired horses makes a lot more sense than our factory-farming of meats. The horses at least have a decent quality of life before we send them to the table. But then again, I wonder at the ridiculous waste of perfectly edible flesh as we incinerate 6 million unwanted cats and dogs each year! If people understood that Rover was going to end up in the stewpot, would they be so nonchalant when they dropped him at the shelter after he is no longer a cute puppy?

The horse steak I had in Belgium (with full knowledge of what I was eating) was delicious.

LOL! It is hard enough for people in this country to eat rabbit.

Are donkeys and mules covered in this legislation? Can I legally eat a donkey?

This is just "feel good" legislation. I suspect that most of these horses will be disposed of anyway, they just won't be someone's dinner.

Flogging a dead horse,
Al Donkey

As a former horse owner, I would not want to eat something that is regularly sprayed and injected with some rather toxic chemical compounds.

Printed in very large letters on most bottles of fly spray are the words: "Not for use on horses intended for human consumption." I sprayed my horse with this nasty stuff daily for 9 months out of the year.

And every other month, I squirted a large pesticide-filled syringe (with a similar warning label) into his mouth in an attempt to kill off most of the ever-present internal parasites.

So do you really want to eat some domestic horse?

This is exactly why I wouldn't want to eat most people.
Soylent green, on the other hand....

I never had a problem eating rabbit until I got one as a pet in adulthood. Just can't do it anymore.

Do you have any idea what they give the chickens, cows, pigs, etc?

There's a recommended 21-day withdrawal period prior to slaughter on the heavy-duty stuff you give to cattle intended for consumption (wormers, antibiotics, pesticide pour-ons, etc.)

Most of those drugs/chemicals are the same things used on dogs and horses. For instance, all the equine ivermectin formulations I can find listed online say "not for use in horses intended for human consumption," but it's perfectly fine to give the same drug to cattle that you're planning to slaughter 3 weeks later, despite the fact that the micrograms of drug per kilogram of body weight is identical.

The basic reason that all the equine drugs say "not for use in horses intended for human consumption" is that the drug companies have no incentive to spend the money to get the drugs cleared. The market's too small, and the press is too bad.

I'd ask the same questions of a horse butcher that I'd ask of a local butcher who was selling grass-fed/whatever beef directly - do you know your supplier, are they reputable, are they following sensible management practices like a withdrawal period, etc. Essentially, the "would you feed this to your family?" test.

Which is pretty much the point I was (unsuccessfully ) trying to to make. Just because horses usually lead much nicer lives than many animals on big "factory" farms, does not mean they are any less exposed to various chemical substances which can linger in their systems. For those who go out of their way to get Niman Ranch pork,Sunnyside Farms beef and the like, I suspect that most horse meat is not something they'd want to eat.

Update:
If anyone wants it, he or she better get it by next week. Congress included a ban on slaughtering horses for human consumption in this year's agriculture appropriations bill. That'll probably be law by next Friday, so I'd gallop if I were you.

Non-spending measures attached to spending bills often have a habit of being stripped out in conference. This horse race is not over yet.

Click to view attachmentClick to view attachmentI ate horse in Verona, Italy last year, it's prominently on the menu, no one in that part of Italy thinks twice about eating it, it mine as well be pasta! I had it braised and simply roasted...it was very tough roasted, but braised it was like a brisket, very delicious! Serve it with a nice full-bodied red, maybe a Chianti, but a more intense wine like a Amarone is even better!

I'd imagine this one will stay in though, as I think it was a House provision that found a Senate champion in John Ensign (R-NV).

Plus, who wants to be known as the Congressman who wants to kill horsies for food?

A little related, here's a picture I took while hunting back at home. They were definitely in range. Tempting, but illegal (so we just watched them run by, which was a treat in itself!).

Pic of Wild Horses

I sorse my horse (or source my hource) from petting zoos. Pony is delicious.

Someone correct me if this is untrue. I was told that many times when you order Steak Tartare in France, what you are serverd is horse meat. Could there be some validity to this? If it is true, I have eaten horse countless times...
On another point, at Carrefours and Auchan hypermarches in France there are little pictures of horse heads, lamb, cows, and goats to identify the type of meat you are buying. Horse is cheaper.

The latest on the US horsemeat legislation saga.

This is the House schedule for Thursday:

QUOTE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2006
On Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business.

H.R. 503 - A Bill to Amend the Horse Protection Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Sweeney / Energy and Commerce Committee)

You can watch on C-Span

Both pony and horse are common meats offered in Northern Italy. I find them fairly uninteresting due to both the extremely low fat content an the high iron content. They ahve a metalic mineral flavor and no offsetting richness. In any case, I feel that there is no oral difference between eating a cute little bunny, a rat, a horse or a cow.

Looks like some amendments are up for votes on the horse slaughter bill:

Prediction: the name of a future Triple Crown winner will be--

HR 503

Regards,
Nostrildamus

A friend and I were in Stresa a couple of years ago, and there was a restaurant with a menu posted outside that included donkey. I wanted to dine there and try it, but my friend, who is more squeamish than I, would not enter the place.

Has someone mentioned yet that cooking horsemeat has an extremely off-putting odor? When I was a kid, back in the Stone Age, my mom bought frozen horse meat to feed our Schnauzador, or whatever you call those kind of mutts these days. The smell made me gag. Once, in Toronto, we walked into a diner type restaurant, smelled "that" smell and walked right out the door.

HR 503 passed by a vote of 263 - 146. No amendments were agreed to.

And now Bo Derek has taken up the anti-horsemeat cause.

Assino is wonderful. There is a place in Marinello (home to Ferrari, just farther out the road) called Il Posto or something like that. They serve stracotto di assino and I love it. Assino and French Fries!!! What a concept. Can McAssino fail as a concept???

I'll have a piece of ass please.

MIke, you surely will want some bread to sop up all the juice as well!

So is cannibalism actually illegal in the United States? Understandably, it would most likely be very difficult to obtain human flesh meant for human consumption.