- checking login information
Loading...The Deadly “Sport” of Horse Racing
Equestrian games are by their very nature cruel and deadly, resulting in the deaths of approximately a thousand horses every year in the US and over four hundred in the UK.
Horse racing is a sport wherein animals are inbred, selecting for genes that result in horses who are especially fast, but especially fragile. Thoroughbreds have thinner bones than other breeds, which results in many injuries on the track, and when their legs are injured they are almost always put down because they can’t stand on the leg, nor can they lie down because it disrupts blood flow and creates other health problems.
TAKE ACTION: Help end the cruelty of horse racing!!
Racetracks demonstrate their lack of concern for horses by their lax reporting of horse deaths. Many states and individual tracks don’t report — or don’t accurately report — the number of horses who die, so we don’t even have a definitive number of horses who die as a result of racing.
And despite advances in medical technology, the number of horse fatalities is not falling. So much for the efforts to improve the lives of horses.
Equestrian games are bloodsports, no different from bullfights, rodeos or hunting. Any “sport” that involves an unwilling participant is no sport at all, it’s torture, murder, exploitation and slavery.
The health and welfare of animals will never be the priority of a group that uses animals for profit. Racetracks, promoters, jockeys and owners are concerned with one thing and one thing only: money. They will continue to inbreed, medicate, and run their horses to death as long as it makes them a profit, and they will do it in spite of any regulations that are imposed on them. They will continue to do the bare minimum to avoid being sanctioned while working to make their own wallets fatter.
The only answer is to refuse to support any sports, entities, industries, companies, or groups that contribute to the torture, exploitation and death of animals. Go vegan, boycott all animal games and entertainment. Refuse to support zoos, circuses, rodeos or horse races.
TAKE ACTION: Sign the petition to help bring an end to horse racing!
Read more: animal welfare, aspca, Equestrian, horse, horse racing, louisville, museum, weg, world equestrian games
Photo: Softeis
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
Recent Comments from Causes
Signed. It reminds me of Lennox in Ireland. I still pray for him everyday. RIP Lennox.
Sorry. Post was cut off. continued from my other post to Terry. No drugs or treatments are 100 percent…
Yes, who are the servants, really?! Lol.
meet our writers
264 comments
+ add your ownHorse racing has always been cruel. They run when they're hurt, in pain, shot up with pain meds so they can still run. Then when they no longer can, they are sent to slaughter. I grew up around horses and know the horse racing industry too well, rodeos too. If they aren't born perfect, they are sent to slaughter. If you doubt this, check out the thoroughbred rescues and all other horse rescues across the country. It's such big business that I don't think we'll be able to stop it.
I have NEVER understood why it's called a "sport"
If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.
---St. Francis of Assisi
While I agree that horse racing is very dangerous and is greatly in need of changes - especially raising the minimum age of the horses you can race - the writers ignorance of the situation is so laughable that most people who are able to make changes would read this and not even consider one word. First, they do not try to inbreed. The closest you may get is cousins. While I disagree with this practice, it's perfectly legal with humans in some states. Even the most money-grubbing people in the race industry know that if you do too much inbreeding, you get a weak animal that can't run. Two, while Thoroughbreds have thin bones size-wise, they actually have some of the strongest bones when it comes to density. That's one of the only reasons they can run so fast for so long: they have good bones.
But none of that means that the racing industry shouldn't have stricter rules and regulations, and that they shouldn't raise the age of raising horses. They should. But the writer's ignorance here will just make people in the industry shrug him off as a crazy hippie. How does that help horses? Do your job and educate yourself before you write something down.
Unfortunately - We are the enemy of ourselves and all animals. I hope the younger generation comes up with better solutions than mine has - age 73. When I was growing up horses headed for slaughter houses as tractors replaced those that remained. There were no rescue groups. Abuse continues at all levels today in all areas whether it is horse racing or the show ring.
That being said, my horses loved my attention, time and being ridden. When I was too busy, they would stand in the stall door begging for a ride today. I suspect the very talented horses enjoy the pressure of competiton like we do. The use of drugs, painful shoeing, excessive punishment such as electric shock and whipping,etc. obviously can be overused by those who want to win at all costs. I think most horses want something more than being lawn ornaments or pasture fillers. Some people think a horse standing forever safe in a stall well fed and groomed is not being abused. Personally I think horses are happier with time outdoors free of human interrventions several hours a day. What is humane and what isn't gets complicated. I appreciate those comments written by experienced well thought out opinions, but so many of the younger generation seems to think curse words and emotionally charged superficial reactions are worth reading. I am glad I am closer to heaven than I used to be. Virginia
Lisa L.
my mom is a groom in a harness barn. she's done a few. I really need to learn how to pick up life and not be like a retarded leggless puppy, and be like a self sufficent driving adult.
I cannot walk to my appointments, but she cannot take me to them sometimes. so my step-dad can leave early to drive me there. sometimes my mom comes home at 2 am.
she gentles the horses and know how to get them to do things, while other people scream and smack them in the face. She'll only whomp their butt if the horse is being a jerk and think it's funny to sneek and shimmy and kick her. or the biting horses who have no mannars. horses kick each other to teach manners like when a parent spanks their child for biting them. but she pets them when they get it and act good.
she can handle those problem horses when nobody else can deal with them. trainers and other grooms cannot handle and deal with them. but she knows how to.
maybe everything just needs to be reinvented.
well yes and no horses by nature love to run but being inbred makes that difficult for them
I love it when people who have no idea what they are talking about decide that horse racing is cruel. I have worked with racehorses all of my life... My father was a trainer and since his retirement I have worked for several other trainers. Yes there are SOME trainers who really should be selling used cars but the vast majority are doing EVERYTHING they can do to insure the health and soundness of each horse in their care. Racehorses are fed the highest quality feed, have their own "grooms" whose only concern is the safety of the horses in their care. They're are kept in clean stalls and are exercised daily. They are seen by a vet regularly. They're up to date on their vaccines . They have the highest quality shoes on every 30 days. They are kept clean. And they are doing what they love to do. The winners are taken to a test barn where their urine is tested and so is blood to make sure there are NO drugs in their systems. You cannot take a horse that does not WANT to be a racehorse and turn him into one. They will never run well. We put those horses up for adoption. Thoroughbred horses are born to run. to compete. it is in their blood... it would be cruel to take that away from them. All we do as their owners/trainers/grooms/jockeys... is help them to be the best that they can be. So spend some time with them while they are racehorses see how excited they are to be doing what they do then make an informed opinion. Yes this is a "sport"..
THE SPORT OF KINGS.
I personnally have nothing against useing horses for sports.
My father presented winners with trophies for many years. In these years, neither he or I saw horses abused. If we had, it would have been reported instantly. I do agree that some stables breed indiscriminatly and inappropriatly.
I have known three non related stables (In Canada) who have been breeding and racing horses for many years. I have seen the care of selection in thier breeding programs and the results of that over several generations of issue. What I have seen tells me that these particular breeders have done an excellent job with thier programs.
Yes, there are indiscrimate breeders, trainers and handlers who couldn't care less and they should be banned from the racing crowd.
It is the responsiblity of the racing committees to see that horses are well cared for and fit for the sport, if not, they should be reported and banned.
If these people ALL did thier job well there would be no abuse of these beautiful animals.
Meanwhile please don't lump all breeders with the 'abusive" tag.
I have seen some terrible accidents resulting in a death of a horse but accidents can also happen in home paddocks through no blame of the owner.
I personnally have nothing against useing horses for sports.
My father presented winners with trophies for many years. In these years, neither he or I saw horses abused. If we had, it would have been reported instantly. I do agree that some stables breed indiscriminatly and inappropriatly.
I have known three non related stables (In Canada) who have been breeding and racing horses for many years. I have seen the care of selection in thier breeding programs and the results of that over several generations of issue. What I have seen tells me that these particular breeders have done an excellent job with thier programs.
Yes, there are indiscrimate breeders, trainers and handlers who couldn't care less and they should be banned from the racing crowd.
It is the responsiblity of the racing committees to see that horses are well cared for and fit for the sport, if not, they should be reported and banned.
If these people ALL did thier job well there would be no abuse of these beautiful animals.
Meanwhile please don't lump all breeders with the 'abusive" tag.
I have seen some terrible accidents resulting in a death of a horse but accidents can also happen in home paddocks through no blame of the owner.
login to add your comment
use your care2 login
add your comment