Horse Racing and the aristocratic hypocrasy

[AMF]

You don't have to know anything about horses to know that a sport that directly contributes to several of the animals being "euthanized" isn't healthy.

They literally ran the animal until both of it's front legs were broken, then they killed it....what else is there to understand? How is that so much more refined than dog fighting?

Again, I think an animal is an animal...meant to serve people either in work or as food if needed, but I don't believe in mistreatment either.

I'm not defending Michael Vick, but I think it's pretty sad when nothing happens to people who sponsor or watch horse racing and the make Michael Vick out to be some monster. Vick broke the law and I don't feel sorry for him, but how it is that horse racing is legal and dogfighting is not, just goes to show you that "class" still plays a large role in some of the more peculiar discussions of law.

I'm just looking for a little consistency.

The crazy thing is, in MOST municipalities and states, if you decide to "euthanize" your dog out of a sense of being humane, you can have criminal charges brought against you. It's a fine to kill and bury your dog in the backyard nowadays, even if it bites you or becomes old and incapable. But if a horse tears out some ligaments, (from a direct result of what the owner was forcing it to do) it's cool to put it down. Go figure.

[J. T. Toad]

Originally Posted by AMF

You don't have to know anything about horses to know that a sport that directly contributes to several of the animals being "euthanized" isn't healthy.

They literally ran the animal until both of it's front legs were broken, then they killed it....what else is there to understand? How is that so much more refined than dog fighting?

There was a fantastic "Far Side" comic one time which had a vet visiting an obviously sick horse looking at a book titled "Equine Veterinary Treatment Handbook", on every page was,
Broken Leg = shoot it
Heart attack = shoot it
cold = shoot it
sniffles = shoot it
breathing wrong = shoot it
looks at you wrong = shoot it


Just as the old John Wayne movie's portrayed, the diagnosis for many animals whose legs are disproportionate to the weight they support, sorry to say it... you shoot 'em.

Making a comparison like "running an animal until it's legs broke," is like saying NASCAR should be banned (or restricted to 35 MPH) because Earnhardt drove so hard he snapped his neck.

[Jamo]

Originally Posted by AMF

The crazy thing is, in MOST municipalities and states, if you decide to "euthanize" your dog out of a sense of being humane, you can have criminal charges brought against you. It's a fine to kill and bury your dog in the backyard nowadays, even if it bites you or becomes old and incapable. But if a horse tears out some ligaments, (from a direct result of what the owner was forcing it to do) it's cool to put it down. Go figure.

What is your first statement based on?

The rest of your paragraph appears to be a mix of different (possibly contrary) statements. I agree about not being able to bury dead animals in certain jurisdictions...that is for human health concerns. That is also different from putting the animal down.

If one was to follow the various commentary included within your paragraph as YOU wrote it...you can't bury your dog in the back yard, but you can bury your horse.

Which is it? Thanks.

[AMF]

I didn't make a proper connection.

I was trying to show how our laws concerning dogs and pets are so much different than the laws surrounding horses or cattle or what have you.

I'm for one way or the other. It really doesn't bother me all that much about the cruelty involved in horse racing, what bothers me is that America went nuts over the dog fighting thing, but horse racing seems to be okay. It's the disparity that bothers me.

I'm not a PETA freak, but I would argue that any sport that ends with having to put the animal down is somewhat cruel.