Most horse owners don't think of horses as pets the way they think of cats and dogs. They're commodities, for the most part, like cattle and sheep. Sure, some folks become emotionally attached to them, but nobody's forcing them to sell their old horses as food.
As for your idea of sending dogs and cats to China and Korea, you may be on to something...
I have had many different horses over the years. When I sold them they didn’t pine over losing their previous owner like a dog might do. I’m sure some of the smarter horses could develop an attachment to their owners if handled from birth. Anyway, my concern about slaughtering horses is the cruel treatment on the way to the slaughterhouse. Most are cramed in and not taken care of during the trip. The thought of shipping them to China, etc. sounds terrible because length of travel. Horses can frighten very easily and even kick each other brutally. The whole thing would be too savage. I think the local slaughterhouse is the best solution. It is much more humane.
Since horses don’t have cloven hooves like cows and sheep, I think that is one reason they weren’t used for food. It is forbidden in the Old Testament to eat grass eating animals that don’t have cloven hooves.
I don't think that's true at all. It really depends on what part of the country you're from. Their are millions of recreational horse owners who regard their horses as pets.