In 1948, the grandfather of Heleen Peeters (BE) started a company in what many now consider taboo: horse meat. At that time, people were poor, recovering from the consequences of the Second World War, and horse meat was very popular because of its good quality and affordable price. But now, 70 years later, the horse meat industry is in decline.

From the family business, Peeters investigated horse culture in Belgium, France, Italy, Poland, Argentina, Uruguay, Kyrgyzstan, the United States and Canada. Why is horse meat becoming less and less popular? What happens to horses when they are no longer eaten? How do we actually deal with animals? And what is the need to reduce our meat consumption?

This resulted in the Horse project, of which this image is part.

PHOTOGRAPHER	Heleen Peeters
TITLE	Bakhyt Kumenov and his horses, Kyrgyzstan
YEAR	2016
FINISH	The photos have a small white border (0.5 cm on each side) and are printed on Hahnemuhle fine art paper.
SIZE	30 x 45 cm and 40 x 60 cm
EDITION	20 (30 x 45 cm) and 10 (40 x 60 cm)
ARTIST PRINT	2

Bakhyt Kumenov and his horses, Kyrgyzstan - Heleen Peeters.