Summit considers legalizing horse meat

Native American tribes, animal rights groups and federal lawmakers discuss the 2007 ban in Las Vegas

Published January 4, 2011 8:20PM (EST)

Horse advocates, lawmakers and Native American leaders are gathered in Las Vegas, trying to convince federal officials to embrace horse meat as a legal source of food again.

The first Summit of the Horse is drawing many advocates who say ranchers and horse owners should be allowed to slaughter their animals and revive the nation's shuttered horse processing industry.

Bureau of Land Management chief Robert Abbey is expected to address the conference late Tuesday to discuss problems created by growing populations of feral horses. But he has said he does not support euthanasia.

Congress ended the killing of horses for human consumption in 2007. Slaughter supporters say horse meat is already safely consumed in dozens of countries.

Animal rights groups plan to protest the summit.


By Cristina Silva

Cristina Silva is a freelance writer based in New York City. She has written for the Associated Press, the Miami Herald, the Boston Globe, the New York Daily News, Women's eNews and the Tampa Bay Times.

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