[RICK LAKE]

Cobra Bill. I can speak about horses and ponys if you count them too. I have riden, driving, 3 day, and worked with Draft horses most of my life. Raised mares and colts from birth. Have owned Welsh ponies, Hackney ponys( fine driving, 25 mile trail endurance riding, show jumping) Quarter horses, Thoroughbreds (4) 2 track horses, 2 broke for colts, green. The problem with racing is the horses are doing this as 2 year olds. The bones and tendions are not developed and alot of race horses break down. The 2 horses from the track we got where both full of shin splints in the front legs. If the horses are not allowed to race until 3 years at the start and run as 4 year olds, 70% of major break downs might not happen. This is the 2nd time in 2 years where a great horse broke down. The rich people that own there horses are just plain stupid. They want to win the triple crown and have there name on the trophy. Remember BIG RED, he was a freak, his heart was almost twice the size of any other horse, got this from his great,great grandfather Bold Ruler. The horse also was involved with killing another Filly. Ruffian. This Sport of kings is just about money. The cost of buying a race horse spending 2 1/2 years raising it, all the training, vet bills, hay and grain, stable, and race entry cost,and all based on the hope of a possible winner that makes money in return, 4 in 500 horses that's the odds. I just had my last pony die last year after 36 years. He was one of the oldest hackneys on the resister. Brain tumor. I buryed him in the back yard. Wizard was family. It was against the town ordinance. I didn't care. I have all my pets in my back yard, 2 horses, 9 cats, 7 dogs, Lost Bonney last year from cancer. There are 2 movies every person should see, Bite the bullet and In the Pursuit of Honor. Both movies are basic on REAL EVENTS. Yes alot of horses died from these times in history. The worst was the military killings. Stop the betting on horses and the break down problem will stop too. You didnot bring up the Quarter horse racing down in the southwest and how many horses are put down in 1/4 mile races. They don't get big press and TV coverage like the Thoroughbreds get. Today I have 1 horse who was saved from the killers and a 4-H pony from a family that could not afford to feed him. I can speak about horses. Rick Lake, in 4-H for more than 40 years, member, leader, and stilling working with horse kids.