ABSTRACT
Hippophagy is an old practice which can be found in prehistoric times, but religious prohibition, royal decrees and prejudices prevented horsemeat consumption in France and Europe generally for centuries. Even though promotion campaigns continue to underline the nutritional advantages of horsemeat, its high content in iron and glycogen and its low level of lipids, consumers still prefer beef or poultry. Emile Decroix was right to stress that the take-off point in the consumption of horsemeat was the siege of Paris by the Prussians in 1870-71. Tractors replaced horses and the equine population dropped rapidly. Consequently, the supply of animals on the market declined and imports were unable to make up the shortfall. The prejudices against horsemeat consumption never completely disappeared as illustrated by the fact that equine butchers never presented anything on their stalls that could remind people of the animal may it be its skin, its bones or its head.
