Deutsch
English
Background information
The
human and the horse share a long history together. At first horses were
working animals, serving as a means of transport in agriculture and in
war. Nowadays, horses are domestic pets with a moral status: used for
recreation, in competitions, and for medical therapy. A
less documented part of that history is the horse serving as food. In
1948 the grandfather of Heleen PEETERS began a business in what many now
consider to be taboo: horse meat. At that time, people were poor,
recovering from World War II, and horse meat, being a high quality
product for an affordable price, was in high demand. But now, 70 years
later, the consumption and production of horse meat is disappearing.
Content
Starting
at the family business, Belgian photographer Heleen PEETERS explored
horse (meat) culture in Belgium, France, Italy, Poland, Argentina,
Uruguay, Kyrgyzstan, the United States and Canada and navigates from
breeders, competitions and rescue centers to slaughterhouses, factories
and butchers. Why is horse meat becoming less popular? What happens to
horses if they are no longer eaten? How do we relate to animals in the
first place? And what about the need to cut back on our meat
consumption?
Specification
Paperback with wrapped cover, 20 × 30,5 cm., 232 pp., in English + inlay with Dutch translation. The Book design is by Rob van HOESEL.