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Well, at this point I suspect the major tracks themselves are about as safe as it's possible to make them. (It's very true that uneven, excessively hard or soft, or slippery tracks have been a major cause of injuries historically, but there've been huge improvements in that area.) They could perhaps be a bit more standardized, but hey. The thing is, a healthy, sound, well-structured, young horse does not have a heart attack or break a leg while galloping full-out for a few minutes on an even surface. The frequency of those incidents is a sign that something is terribly wrong with the industry (I'd contrast such breakdowns with real accidents, like horses colliding, which are scary but less common and come down more to momentary jockey error or just bad luck). The changes they'd need to make to make racing reasonably safe would make horses less competitive and less profitable, which is why they haven't happened yet, for example:
-Emphasize health and soundness when selectively breeding, even at the expense of speed
-Allow horses to physically mature before working them hard, let alone racing them
-Err on the side of caution with regard to recovery time
-Better gradual and consistent physical conditioning programs
-Stricter regulation of meds that mask lameness and/or encourage a horse to overexert itself
Additionally, there needs to be greater accountability in the horse racing industry for what happens to less successful horses when their careers are over (or never get off the ground in the first place). Sending them off to Mexico or Canada to be slaughtered isn't acceptable.
Many of the catastrophic injuries are on horses started slowly. Research shows working early consistently keeps the bones stronger. (By early, i mean as a 2 or 3 yr old vs 3 or 4 yr old)
Horses do break legs randomly in padtures and have what would be the equivalent to a human heart attack.
The problem at santa anita is the footing...they tried to change it, but the base is the issue.
Many of the other problems are related to drugging, shockwave (which isnt something they test for), horses with injuries that are masked due to shockwave, vets turning a bling eye to obviously lame horses. I can't remember which horse, but there was an awful video on a colt jogging out and even a non horse person would be able to see he was off. He broke his leg during the race and was euthed.
Re slaughter...more QH's are slaughtered than TB's. And more backyard horses and camp horses, show horses are slaughtered than TB's. It's fine to call out tracks for not enforcing slaughter bans, but don't give people that send camp horses to kill auctions in the fall. Or lesson barns that send off older horses to kill auctions, or people who have a horse Susie lost interest in, so they send it to a kill auction and pretend it will get a goid home.
Until export to slaughter is banned (perhaps by requiring an export fee of 500-1000.00 for any horse leaving the country, that is refundable if horse returns within 6 mo (to allow for showing out of the country/standing at stud out of the country, etc). Have the export fees be distributed to State vets around the country for low cost gelding, euthanasia, hay funds. All races should have a fee paid, that goes to a similar fund for horses of that breed.
Well, at this point I suspect the major tracks themselves are about as safe as it's possible to make them. (It's very true that uneven, excessively hard or soft, or slippery tracks have been a major cause of injuries historically, but there've been huge improvements in that area.) They could perhaps be a bit more standardized, but hey. The thing is, a healthy, sound, well-structured, young horse does not have a heart attack or break a leg while galloping full-out for a few minutes on an even surface. The frequency of those incidents is a sign that something is terribly wrong with the industry (I'd contrast such breakdowns with real accidents, like horses colliding, which are scary but less common and come down more to momentary jockey error or just bad luck). The changes they'd need to make to make racing reasonably safe would make horses less competitive and less profitable, which is why they haven't happened yet, for example:
-Emphasize health and soundness when selectively breeding, even at the expense of speed
-Allow horses to physically mature before working them hard, let alone racing them
-Err on the side of caution with regard to recovery time
-Better gradual and consistent physical conditioning programs
-Stricter regulation of meds that mask lameness and/or encourage a horse to overexert itself
Additionally, there needs to be greater accountability in the horse racing industry for what happens to less successful horses when their careers are over (or never get off the ground in the first place). Sending them off to Mexico or Canada to be slaughtered isn't acceptable.
Many of the catastrophic injuries are on horses started slowly. Research shows working early consistently keeps the bones stronger. (By early, i mean as a 2 or 3 yr old vs 3 or 4 yr old)
Horses do break legs randomly in padtures and have what would be the equivalent to a human heart attack.
The problem at santa anita is the footing...they tried to change it, but the base is the issue.
Many of the other problems are related to drugging, shockwave (which isnt something they test for), horses with injuries that are masked due to shockwave, vets turning a bling eye to obviously lame horses. I can't remember which horse, but there was an awful video on a colt jogging out and even a non horse person would be able to see he was off. He broke his leg during the race and was euthed.
Re slaughter...more QH's are slaughtered than TB's. And more backyard horses and camp horses, show horses are slaughtered than TB's. It's fine to call out tracks for not enforcing slaughter bans, but don't give people that send camp horses to kill auctions in the fall. Or lesson barns that send off older horses to kill auctions, or people who have a horse Susie lost interest in, so they send it to a kill auction and pretend it will get a goid home.
Until export to slaughter is banned (perhaps by requiring an export fee of 500-1000.00 for any horse leaving the country, that is refundable if horse returns within 6 mo (to allow for showing out of the country/standing at stud out of the country, etc). Have the export fees be distributed to State vets around the country for low cost gelding, euthanasia, hay funds. All races should have a fee paid, that goes to a similar fund for horses of that breed. Removal of racing license for owner/trainer of any horses found drugged.
The racing dogs deemed unworthy are killed right at the tracks at the end of the day, injected and tossed into trash bags.
That is inhumane. I thought they retired the greyhounds and re-homed them? I have met several in public and seen non-profits to get them adopted. Is that not the norm?
It's time to end both horse racing and dog racing.
That is inhumane. I thought they retired the greyhounds and re-homed them? I have met several in public and seen non-profits to get them adopted. Is that not the norm?
It's time to end both horse racing and dog racing.
Those are dogs that have been rescued. Dozens a day at the track met this fate though. There was a 20/20 or 60 minutes on it, they showed the track vet just injecting them and sliding them into giant trash bags.
There are horse rescue groups too, that go to these auctions and bid on as many horses as they can afford. They re-home them. But of course they can only afford to bid on a fraction of the number who are sent to slaughter.
It’s really amazing how little buzz this actually gets. These are crazy numbers!
I hear you, ocnj.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ocnjgirl
Those are dogs that have been rescued. Dozens a day at the track met this fate though. There was a 20/20 or 60 minutes on it, they showed the track vet just injecting them and sliding them into giant trash bags.
There are horse rescue groups too, that go to these auctions and bid on as many horses as they can afford. They re-home them. But of course they can only afford to bid on a fraction of the number who are sent to slaughter.
Here's a video from a horse slaughter expose. To be honest, I haven't watched it. I've seen plenty of these types of videos in the past. Posting it for anyone who needs to be convinced.
Again, I haven't seen it, but it's obvious that there will be graphic footage.
Some of the comments from the workers:
“Come on you dumb ******* horses.”
“You’re going to ******* die here, you ******* maggots.”
This is not about racehorses, but about wild horse and burro roundups. They are asking for donations on the page I linked to, but that's not why I'm posting it. Just want to put the video out there. Again, I haven't watched this particular one (that I'm aware of), but I have seen them in the past.
I won't even go into how they are supposedly sterilized (without anesthesia).
Here's a video from a horse slaughter expose. To be honest, I haven't watched it. I've seen plenty of these types of videos in the past. Posting it for anyone who needs to be convinced.
Again, I haven't seen it, but it's obvious that there will be graphic footage.
Some of the comments from the workers:
“Come on you dumb ******* horses.”
“You’re going to ******* die here, you ******* maggots.”
Another racehorse, named Holding Aces, used up and thrown away. Like the article states, his life consisted of making money for the people involved until they were done with him and he was then dumped to a kill pen, headed for slaughter, to suffer even more pain and suffering before being rescued. Less than two weeks later, he was euthanized.
In September – just five months after his final race – Holding Aces was found in a kill pen. Yes, this “athlete,” so recently cheered and celebrated by “connections” and “fans” alike, was headed to equine hell – the slaughterhouse. Here was his condition…
Quote:
Holding was rescued from that pen. One report said this: “His feet were rotted [and] three were abscessing badly,” and he had “advanced laminitis” (perhaps the most painful equine affliction there is). And now, if you dare, imagine that this animal, in this state, was to be shipped (a horror unto itself), shot, shackled, hung upside down, slashed, bled out, and butchered. Regrettably, less than two weeks after rescue, Holding was euthanized, his unfathomable suffering at last at an end.
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