I can't imagine why they aren't more popular to own. People are funny though, just like dogs - everybody wants some expensive and inbred papered dog rather than the healthy mixed mutt from the pound.
Would I eat horse? Sure, why not? Would I hunt them? Nope.
Ever rode a wild bronc?
A horse born in captivity, that's been around people all of it's life isn't bad to break. You work with them from the time they're small, and when they reach about 2 years old, they're ready to start riding. It can hurt you if you don't know what you're doing, but it's not TOO rough to get them to come around to your way of thinkin'.
A horse that's reached 5-10 years of age in the wild is another story. That critter has NO reason to trust you, and only knows that you're the one keeping it penned up, tormenting it with your silly ideas every day. That sort of cantankerous critter can hurt you now matter how smart you think you are. They're a handful for the most experienced trainer.
There's an ol' boy that lives a couple of miles from me who has several of those crazy mustangs. Last time I talked to him, he'd been thrown 4 times that day from three different broncs. Most of them weren't very big, maybe some bigger than a great dane, and ornery as all get out. His biggest one was maybe 14 hands, and weighed in at maybe 800 lbs. That's still a pretty small horse.
I felt sorry for him. Not for getting thrown, but for the effort he'd been putting into those critters for the last few years trying to break and train them. Even if he managed to get them rideable some day, they just weren't big enough to amount to much.
At that time, I had a big registered Morgan that I was riding. I could ride ol' Chance all day long, day in and day out, and never wear him down.
I'd imagine he ate somewhat less than the 10 or 12 pint sized critters Tom had. On the odd times when Chance would buck a little, it was mostly because I was making him do something he didn't want to do. He'd come around to it, but sometimes had to test who was boss first. If he'd really wanted to, he could have thrown me. I've no doubt about that, but he never did.
I'm old enough now that I'll leave breaking a horse to the younger fellas, and if I'm going to keep one, I want it to be one that's worth the price it costs for maintenance and feeding.
I view eating a horse sorta like eating a rattlesnake. If it's there, and I'm hungry, I'll sure eat it. I won't go too far out of my way to find either for dinner though. A good buffalo or elk steak is more to my liking, and I have a buffalo steak in the 'fridge from last night. I think I'll go eat it for lunch.
Daryl