Of course, many countries in Europe will eat horse meat happily and see little problem with the mix-up. However, Britain, much like the US, has traditionally shown a strong aversion to eating horse.

We’ve had the first frost of the winter in the UK — even snow in some places — which triggers the seasonal concern among owners of whether it’s safe to turn out on, and let horses eat, frosty grass.

What could be causing this behavior? The reasons why some horses purposely eat soil are not well understood. Commonly proposed reasons include a mineral deficiency in the diet or boredom.Previous ...