They Eat Horses Don't They?

Abstract

This draft paper first examines the history of hippophagy (human consumption of horse meat). It then looks at the problem of unwanted horses, the worldwide consumption of horse meat and the costs associated with a ban on horse slaughter. Next it examines recent American legislation and case law banning the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Finally it argues that a ban on horse slaughter is both a ban on other-regarding conduct, to use John Stuart Mill's formulation, and misguided for practical reasons in a world where hunger is rampant.

Keywords: horse, horse meat, hippophagy, hunger, John Stuart Mill

JEL Classification: K10, K32, K33