Happy Fursday, everyone!
First off, don't go hog-wild on me about the post title. I'm not advocating turning horses into glue. Instead, I'm exploring this topic, because first, I wanted to know if it were ever really a thing to turn horse into glue, and second because I'd like to know if it's still a thing today--and why? So, let's dive right in. Were horses ever used to make glue? Or is this just a myth?
Sorry, Charlie. It's not a myth. Horses really were used to make glue.
But before you feel too bad for all your equine brethren, consider that other animals also faced the same fate. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though. Back to the subject of horses--why do they make really good glue? One word, my friends. Collagen. Here, I'll let Mr. Forrest Wickman, from Slate.com explain:
They have a lot of collagen. Collagen is a key protein in connective tissues (cartilage, tendons, ligaments) as well as hides and bones. It’s also the key ingredient in most animal glues, as it can be made into a gelatin that’s sticky when wet but hardens when it dries. The word collagen actually derives from the Greek kolla, meaning glue, and the suffix -gen, meaning producer. As large, muscled animals, horses contain lots of this glue producer. Horse glue isn’t generally better or stickier than any other kind of animal glue—indeed, an elephant could be used to make even more glue than a horse.
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/explainer/2012/02/what_do_horses_have_to_do_with_glue_.html
Okay, so we learned that horses can make darned good glue, but not necessarily the best. In the world of animal glue, much like some human concerns, size does matter. The bigger, and presumably more muscled the animal, the more glue it can produce. Yet, you've never heard of elephant glue. Maybe elephant carcasses were just too much of a bother to handle, (or maybe elephants would simply try to tusk anyone to death who got close enough to attempt to turn them to glue)? Neat thought experiment; but let's get back to basics.
I mentioned that other animals could be used to make glue, other than horses. And what pray-tell might these animals be? According to our friend, Mr. Wickman, cows and pigs are turned into glue, most commonly. Then there's also fish glue, and rabbit glue, and hoof glue, and ox glue, and stag horn glue, and bull-skin glue, etc. I think you get the picture. Below are some of the uses of animal glue, past and present, courtesy of Wikipedia:
Interesting. I knew that gelatin was made with animal by-products, (I think I'd heard it was ground up animal bones), but since I'm not a big fan of Jello or marshmallows, it didn't freak me out too much. Now if I did eat those things, it might bother me a smidgen. But if we're being totally honest, a lot of what we eat has things in them that make you go hmmm....(anyone remember that song)? Only me? It's a pretty catchy tune. It has nothing to do with today's topic, but check it out here if you're interested:
https://youtu.be/XF2ayWcJfxo
Okay. So what about the horses? That's what we really came here for, right? Are they still used for glue today? Nah, doesn't sound like it, according to these last statements from slate.com:
First off, don't go hog-wild on me about the post title. I'm not advocating turning horses into glue. Instead, I'm exploring this topic, because first, I wanted to know if it were ever really a thing to turn horse into glue, and second because I'd like to know if it's still a thing today--and why? So, let's dive right in. Were horses ever used to make glue? Or is this just a myth?
Sorry, Charlie. It's not a myth. Horses really were used to make glue.
But before you feel too bad for all your equine brethren, consider that other animals also faced the same fate. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though. Back to the subject of horses--why do they make really good glue? One word, my friends. Collagen. Here, I'll let Mr. Forrest Wickman, from Slate.com explain:
They have a lot of collagen. Collagen is a key protein in connective tissues (cartilage, tendons, ligaments) as well as hides and bones. It’s also the key ingredient in most animal glues, as it can be made into a gelatin that’s sticky when wet but hardens when it dries. The word collagen actually derives from the Greek kolla, meaning glue, and the suffix -gen, meaning producer. As large, muscled animals, horses contain lots of this glue producer. Horse glue isn’t generally better or stickier than any other kind of animal glue—indeed, an elephant could be used to make even more glue than a horse.
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/explainer/2012/02/what_do_horses_have_to_do_with_glue_.html
Okay, so we learned that horses can make darned good glue, but not necessarily the best. In the world of animal glue, much like some human concerns, size does matter. The bigger, and presumably more muscled the animal, the more glue it can produce. Yet, you've never heard of elephant glue. Maybe elephant carcasses were just too much of a bother to handle, (or maybe elephants would simply try to tusk anyone to death who got close enough to attempt to turn them to glue)? Neat thought experiment; but let's get back to basics.
I mentioned that other animals could be used to make glue, other than horses. And what pray-tell might these animals be? According to our friend, Mr. Wickman, cows and pigs are turned into glue, most commonly. Then there's also fish glue, and rabbit glue, and hoof glue, and ox glue, and stag horn glue, and bull-skin glue, etc. I think you get the picture. Below are some of the uses of animal glue, past and present, courtesy of Wikipedia:
Early uses
Animal glue has existed since ancient times, although its usage was not widespread. Glue deriving from horse tooth can be dated back nearly 6000 years, but no written records from these times can prove that they were fully or extensively utilized.
The first known written procedures of making animal glue were written about 2000 BC. Between 1500–1000 BC, it was used for wood furnishings and mural paintings, found even on the caskets of Egyptian Pharaohs. Evidence is in the form of stone carvings depicting glue preparation and use, primarily utilized for the pharaoh’s tomb’s furniture. Egyptian records tell that animal glue would be made by melting it over a fire and then applied with a brush.
Greeks and Romans later used animal and fish glue to develop veneering and marquetry, the bonding of thin sections or layers of wood. Animal glue, known as taurokolla in Greek and gluten taurinum in Latin, were made from the skins of bulls in antiquity. Broken pottery might also be repaired with the use of animal glues, filling the cracks to hide imperfections.
About 906–618 BC, China utilized fish, ox, and stag horns to produce adhesives and binders for pigments. Animal glues were employed as binders in paint media during the Tang Dynasty. Records indicate that one of the essential components of lampblack ink was proteinaceous glue. Ox glue and stag-horn glues bound particles of pigments together, acting as a preservative by forming a film over the surface as the ink dried. The Chinese, such as Kao Gong Ji, also researched glue for medicinal purposes.
Modern uses
Today, animal glues are sparsely industrialized, but still used for making and restoring objects, paintings, illuminated parchment manuscripts, and other artifacts. Gelatin, a form of animal glue, is found in many contemporary products, such as gelatin desserts, marshmallows, and pharmaceutical capsules, and is used to reinforce sinew wrappings, wood, leather, bark, and paper. Hide glue is also preferred by many luthiers over synthetic glues for its reversibility, creep-resistance and tendency to pull joints closed as it cures.
This adhesive is mostly used as glue, sizing, or varnish, although it is not as frequently used as other adhesives because it is water-soluble. Other aspects, such as difficulty of storage in a wet state, requirement for fresh raw materials (the animal skin cannot be rotten or grease-burned), make this product more difficult to find and use. Factories now produce other forms of adhesives, as the process for animal glue is complex and tricky to follow. Animal glues will also darken with age and shrink as they dry, giving them the potential to harm wood, paper, or works of art. Too much handling and too many changes in temperature or humidity could cause further harm. Some companies, such as those in Canada, still produce animal, hide and hoof glues from horses. Recently, animal glue has been replaced by other adhesives and plastics, but remains popular for restoration.
Interesting. I knew that gelatin was made with animal by-products, (I think I'd heard it was ground up animal bones), but since I'm not a big fan of Jello or marshmallows, it didn't freak me out too much. Now if I did eat those things, it might bother me a smidgen. But if we're being totally honest, a lot of what we eat has things in them that make you go hmmm....(anyone remember that song)? Only me? It's a pretty catchy tune. It has nothing to do with today's topic, but check it out here if you're interested:
https://youtu.be/XF2ayWcJfxo
Okay. So what about the horses? That's what we really came here for, right? Are they still used for glue today? Nah, doesn't sound like it, according to these last statements from slate.com:
These days, dead and unwanted horses aren’t sent to the glue factory as often they are sent across the border, slaughtered, and harvested for their valuable meat. (The United States’ longtime ban on slaughtering horses for human consumption was lifted this past fall, but the practice remains taboo.)* Other horses are rendered into meat for greyhounds and food for large cats at zoos. Hippophiles might cremate favorite horses—in some states it’s illegal to bury them—while others simply take the horse to the local dump.
Sounds like a happy ending all around, (not really). So the moral of the story is, being slaughtered and harvested for your meat is better than being turned into glue. Nope. There is no moral. That's just how it goes. Horses and animal glues, period, have just fallen out of favor as more synthetic versions have come on the scene. But that's not to say that animal glues are no longer used. For more info on that, check out the rest of the Wikipedia article.
Now, enough about horses being turned into glue. Let's just go back to imagining them peacefully frolicking on a ranch, safe and sound--far away from any glue factories or slaughterhouses. Yes, hold that picture while you can, because when Saturday's Missy Show episode gets started, you may need it. If you don't already know, check back for tomorrow's post.
Until then,
This is your host J,
signing off...
Now, enough about horses being turned into glue. Let's just go back to imagining them peacefully frolicking on a ranch, safe and sound--far away from any glue factories or slaughterhouses. Yes, hold that picture while you can, because when Saturday's Missy Show episode gets started, you may need it. If you don't already know, check back for tomorrow's post.
Until then,
This is your host J,
signing off...
 |
| I don't wanna be glue! |
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