The government has quietly changed a 2007 law, and the end result could be the resumption of the practice of slaughtering horses for meat.

Surprisingly, the animal rights group PETA is supporting the change.

Many Americans would never consider eating horse meat, but the practice is not uncommon abroad, in countries including France, Canada and Mexico

U.S. slaughterhouses helped feed this demand by exporting horse meat — until Congress effectively banned the practice by refusing to fund the necessary government oversight.

(Meat is legally required to undergo a federal inspection in the U.S.)

PETA complains about unintended side effects. The ban did not halt the practice of eating horse meat. Abandoned and seized horses are now being under what PETA calls inhumane conditions to other countries for slaughter there.

PETA says the U.S. should ban both the domestic slaughter of horses and the export of horses for slaughter.

The 2007 ban dropped the bottom out of the horse market, and is putting many ranchers and breeders out of business because of low prices for horses.