Horse Racing and the aristocratic hypocrasy

[AMF]

If you haven't read....the number two horse at the Derby this year has reportedly been euthanized for some sort of drastic injury.

Anyone who follows horse racing, even slightly, knows that the sport is often cruel, even deadly to the horses involved. They literally run them to death or severe injury (to the point that they have to be killed.....for "humane" reasons). They pump them full of anabolic steroids, run them until their joints and ligaments explode....all in the name of the "sport" and the "tradition" of it all.

I ask, how this is so much different than dog fighting or cock fighting.

I'm not some PETA retard, but I doubt that those horses really looked at each other before the race and thought "I sure hope I don't break something...they're gonna kill me if I do."

I support animals being animals....even beasts of burden, but horse racing literally runs the animals into the ground....and some of the same snooty types who critisize dog fighting are probably sitting the stands with a martini in hand.

It's the old concept that just because you've done something for a long time, doesn't make it right.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Michael Vick, but that old saying..."whats good for the goose...."

[Silverback51]

Yep, Eight Belles was coming out of the second turn and broke both front ankles.

It would be interesting to know how many horses are injured or die per year in horse racing.

[AMF]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

Yep, Eight Belles was coming out of the second turn and broke both front ankles.

It would be interesting to know how many horses are injured or die per year in horse racing.

Yeah, apparently she finished second and after they crossed the finish line, she started galloping funny, the jockey tried to pull up and she had broken both front ankles.

As the news reports...she didn't have any functioning front leg to stand on inside the ambulatory vehicle....so they euthanized her right there on the spot. Damn.

Granted, it's a horse, but holy cow. (no pun intended). We can put a man on the moon but we can't figure out how to get a hobbled horse back to the clinic that can't stand?

[Cobrabill]

Since none of you know horses,then you aren'y qualified to speak on the topic-are you?

[Excaliber]

Well certainly qualified on an emotional level.

When I was a young man I spent a summer working with racing Greyhound dogs. The 'ranch', for lack of a better word, had about 150 of them. Now only a handful are money makers, and the rest eat a lot of food. Simple math, you get rid of the nonperformers. Multiply that racing dog operation by many many more around the country. Of course these days were more 'enlightened' and try to find good homes for the unwanted dogs. Yeah, that would be about 1 in 10, the rest, well, I could tell you some real horror stories. That summer scard me for life. We also raised rabbits, to train the dogs with, gruesome work that. Greyhounds love rabbits, trained that way from when their puppies.

Now I would imagine the numbers are lower in the horse race business, but the end result has got to be much the same. If it's a non producer, what to do with an animal that eats a lot and takes up your time? Oh, find him a nice home. Yeah, good luck with the other 9 out of 10.

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Well certainly qualified on an emotional level.

When I was a young man I spent a summer working with racing Greyhound dogs. The 'ranch', for lack of a better word, had about 150 of them. Now only a handful are money makers, and the rest eat a lot of food. Simple math, you get rid of the nonperformers. Multiply that racing dog operation by many many more around the country. Of course these days were more 'enlightened' and try to find good homes for the unwanted dogs. Yeah, that would be about 1 in 10, the rest, well, I could tell you some real horror stories. That summer scard me for life. We also raised rabbits, to train the dogs with, gruesome work that. Greyhounds love rabbits, trained that way from when their puppies.

Now I would imagine the numbers are lower in the horse race business, but the end result has got to be much the same. If it's a non producer, what to do with an animal that eats a lot and takes up your time? Oh, find him a nice home. Yeah, good luck with the other 9 out of 10.

I have a retired racing greyhound. The current situation is not as bad as you think. From what I read, a decade or more ago, 60,000 greyhounds were bred in the US every year and almost all of them were destroyed. However, now it is more like 22,000 are bred each year with 18,000 retired racers adopted each year.

[392cobra]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

I have a retired racing greyhound. The current situation is not as bad as you think. From what I read, a decade or more ago, 60,000 greyhounds were bred in the US every year and almost all of them were destroyed. However, now it is more like 22,000 are bred each year with 18,000 retired racers adopted each year.

That does sound a lot better !

They are really sweet dogs.

My ex adopted one before we met.We adopted another after we married.She adopted two more are we split.

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by Cobrabill

Since none of you know horses,then you aren'y qualified to speak on the topic-are you?

Hope that statement was not directed at me. All I did was make a statement of fact, and ask a question.

[J. T. Toad]

oh bother,... I won't even bother with this one.

I 'll just ditto Cobra Bill, and chalk one up for a post count.

[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.

[Scott S]

Horse racing is a great excuse to put mint and sugar in Bourbon.

Scott S

[Smokingcobra2]

I agree it's cruelty for sure. I'm not into peta either butpusing an animal that hard is wrong! I'm sure the rich snob's are only thinking of the money they will loose now.
joeg

[jshel1]

I don't really follow horse racing, but someone I was talking to today eluded to some symbolism for the derby predicting the outcome of the democratic primary race.

The philly broke two legs at the end of the race and Big Brown won.

You said it Scott.

[BeanCounter]

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.

Well you do sound like one. First of all not every horse is put down at the end of a race. In fact those types of injuries are relatively rare compared to the number of races. What is absolutely astounding to me is that you compare it to dog fighting where every single time a dog is put down it has the chance of being killed. Blooding and maiming is the name of that game from the git go.

Oh, and I come from 200 years of racers and Cavalry officers. My ass sat a horse when I was 16 months old.

[Jamo]

Thanks for clarifying, AMF.

I understand what you're saying. I represent several large meat and poultry processing operations...I see many things folks would like to believe really don't happen. There are certain things I won't eat because of the way animals have to be raised to produce them, and yet I'll eat a steak without a problem.

I'll never understand bull fighting...but I find joy watching morons flying through the air during the running of the bulls. Justice, if only for a day.

The sport of kings treats its animals no different than horses on ranches or farms. I had to put down a huge draft horse when I was a kid because I failed to keep him from tumbling into a small irrigation ditch when I was plowing behind him. Snapped a front leg (bone out of the skin). Far too large to lift without a crane that was hours away, and he was screaming in pain. My dad took the rifle off his rack, handed it to me and told me it was my responsibility to end his pain since I caused it. One of them there hardass life lessons.

We domesticated animals thousands of years ago for various uses. Horse racing was used to settle disputes to prevent wars, or to select chiefs, or to firm up bonds between neighboring groups of folks. It's part of our cultural evolution.

It's a strong wind you're pissing against.

[fsstnotch]

I see a story on yahoo today that PETA and the Humane Society are getting involved after this incident.

[Cobrabill]

AMF-please tell me what happens when a horse that competes in "Derby level" races tests positive for dope.

[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.