There have been protests as a Western Australian butcher has been given ministerial dispensation to start selling horse flesh for human consumption. According to an article in the West Australian, the Chez Pierre restaurant in Nedlands decided not to serve horse flesh on Bastille Day after customers threatened to boycott the restaurant.

The following article was published in the West Australian, July 15 2010, but is not available online.

Sanctuary Founder Fears for Animals

Volunteers who find new homes for unwanted horses fear the recent legalisation of horse meat for human consumption will lead to animls suffering.
Second Chance Horse Rescue founder Jessie Barbour said the not-for-profit organisation was not opposed to horses being humanely put down.

But she said the prospect of slaughter for human consumption in WA was worrying because there was no purpose-built horse abattoir in the State.

“Horses are naturally more flighty than cattle or sheep and abattoir facilities designed for those species are not suiable for horses without conmpromising their welfare,” she said.

“Unless (slaughterhouse facilities) are specifically descigned for horses, a horse is likely to be able to move excessively. This results in ineffective stunning, causing unnecessary pain and suffering during the slaughter process – an unacceptable result.”

Agriculture Minister Terry Redman last week put horses back on the list of animals that can be slaughtered in WA.

Ms Barbour said Second Chance, based in Kalamunda, feared backyard breeders might try to cash in by producing horses as cheaply as possible.

She said people eating the meat could face health risks because horses were not part of the National Livestock Identification System and it was impossible to be sure they were not from diseased areas or treated with drugs harmful to humans.

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