I am sure John Tatum was only joking when he said, “No one seems to have touched upon the ethical aspect of the horsemeat affair,” (Letters, February 22).

He also said, “I cannot say I enjoy eating the meat of any of the higher animals, but I have a particular moral repugnance towards eating horsemeat.”

He said, “These beautiful creatures have spent their lives working for us, given us riding pleasure, raced for us, hunted for us.

“Is their reward for all this faithful service to be butchered and eaten? Rather, they deserve our gratitude and respect.”

He was obviously joking. Otherwise it sounds like he is saying useless and ugly groups deserve to be exterminated; beautiful, useful (and “higher” animal) groups should be respected.

Emma Richards, Halland Road, Brighton