Yeah, hard to imagine. I always feel bad for the animals that die or are injured while doing their job of amusing humans.

Horrible.
Then i'm drawn to the father of lsd link.

This is what I hate about horse racing. I love to watch them run, don't get me wrong, but when something goes bad, it's usually really, really bad.

When I was younger, there used to be a local event called "The Haskell Hunt". It consisted of steeplechasers running on a track on someone's estate. In the '70's, everyone went. You'd spread a blanket, eat a picnic, enjoy the autumn air. But every year a horse went down, and was put down due to injuries. I don't remember even caring about the jockey, just the horses. As a teen, the event had changed to a social highlight. They charged $150.00 a car to get in; well-to-do people dressed to the nines in their versions of riding wear; their tailgate parties included crystal goblets, china, and champagne. And almost no one noticed when a horse went down. Heck, I don't even think people noticed that horses were sailing over hedges.

Eventually, there were arguments and infighting amongst the organizers, and now "The Hunt" is no more. I'm rather glad.

It is very sad. I hate to see this. If she would have come in first they would have probably never euthanized her, not on the track anyway. They probably would have tried to get some money out of her with breeding.

They tried to save Barbaro. Eventually they had to put him down. Horses are not like humans. They are so incredibly heavy. Rehab is hard. You have to be in a lying position or suspended. They can't put any weight on their feet. Horses do poorly on three feet. let alone two. The healthy legs get damaged from the weight.

there was no possible way they could have saved her. not only was one side an open fracture (thru the skin) but she broke both sesamoids in the ankles (that's the little bone that holds all the weight). Ruffian had to be put down after a sesamoid fracture in only one leg, let alone both fronts.

Incredibly sad. This is one reason there's been an ongoing discussion about switching to synthetic tracks; less risk of injury.

Most fractures in racehorses are a secondary result of a primary injury to the suspensory ligaments that hold everything together. A racehorse's legs are a miracle of physics, and there's so, so much that can go wrong. Front legs especially. I happened to be watching Eight Belles the entire race, because... well she's a filly, and was running well, and her jockey was doing a stupendous job. She staggered a bit and swerved hard in the final turn. I'd imagine she probably blew one or both main tendons right there and in the stretch drive, and was too bloody game to let it affect her. Horses don't just break 2 legs at one go. I've never even heard of it.

And as far as rehab, forget it. Horses can't lie down or be suspended in a sling for more than a few hours at a go. Their bodies and internal organs are too heavy to survive it. Either they suffocate or their lungs fill with fluid or they colic (twist a gut). A double front fracture is a certain death sentence.

Horse racing is a hard sport, but I can tell you for a fact: if humans didn't race them, the beasts will race each other. They get hurt just as bad in random paddock and play incidents, it's just not as public. We had to euthanise two horses for colic and one for breaking a leg in a play incident back when I lived on the farm. They're wonderful, competitive creatures with a huge sense of fun, unfortunately they are also extremely fragile for their size.

...if humans didn't race them, the beasts will race each other.

I think horses forgo the drugs when left to racing on their own. "Dude, let's get all speeded up and see who's fastest!" Nah.

I take it you're not a horseracing aficionado, shane?

I'm with eek. I don't doubt that what lfr says it true...they would get hurt without us, but it occurred to me one day years ago that we have engines now...we can leave the animals alone.

I can't stand rodeos, and horse racing kinda bugs me too. I mean, it's a cruel, cruel world out there, no doubt, but I don't think we need to be fucking with animals for entertainment anymore. A few years back some multi-horse (maybe it's called chuckwagon racing?) accident in Calgary killed a driver and maybe 4 or 5 horses. The news was eulogizing the man, and it was kinda pissing me off, because he was the only one who CHOSE to race. The horses were made to.

Anyway...I have to be careful because a very good friend's dad is a horse man, and she was raised with a different outlook. I bite my tongue because I'm no PETA member for the most part, but I've yet to see a good argument for horse racing, rodeos, etc.

so, you'd be in favour of the entire domestic horse industry going away. What happens then? I'll tell you what: 99.44% of all domestic horses linked to those industries will get sold to the Japanese and Purina for food.

I'm not saying you're wrong, richat (or shane). I'm torn up about today's race, it totally took away from the victory and I agree that it was crass of the announcers to gloss it over.

But if you had the eventing, racing, rodeo industries get outlawed, then what would you do with the leftover, now worthless stock? Please think about that before you condemn it out of hand.

Horses are glorious animals. The Thoroughbred racehorse is in its finest glory when it is doing what it was bred to do: run fast over long distances.

And, on a tangent, were it not for dog racing, my neighbours wouldn't have their lovely adopted rescue greyhound as a fantastic pet and companion to their kids.

so, you'd be in favour of the entire domestic horse industry going away. What happens then? ... then what would you do with the leftover, now worthless stock?

No offense, but that's really an ancient argument that has been hashed through millions of time in animal rights and animal welfare circles. "No more eating beef? Well, then, farmers would just [kill/turn out to starve or be hit by cars/make landfill out of/etc] all the poor unneeded cows! There wouldn't be any reason to have cattle on the earth anymore!"

But any idea that begins with the sentiment that animals have worth outside of human uses for them takes into consideration allowing them to exist in some meaningful context if their human usery is removed. Or, in many cases (such as lives spent in laboratory cages), the animals might be better off not existing at all.

But I'd rather not go in circles on that whole argument, having watched it all too many times before.

As long as humans exist, animals (and less fortunate humans) will be used for various human ends. Why argue about the inevitable? You either agree with it happening or not. That's the real question.

Yeah, I'll totally cop to the notion that I've not thought this all through. I've no plan to "rescue" any animals from this. I do believe that horses may actually enjoy having people ride them, and I also believe that they do love to run. I was amazed by that linked video of Secretariat running, and opening up that lead, etc.

I still think it sucks when animals are injured and/or killed in a "sport" that includes all the sordid details that rodeos, and horse racing of various kinds, entail.

But for sure, I don't doubt it'd be tough to make it right now. That doesn't makes the wrongs I see any righter though.

/steps down off his high horse er...soapbox.

"As long as humans exist, animals (and less fortunate humans) will be used for various human ends. Why argue about the inevitable? You either agree with it happening or not. That's the real question.

so, if it's inevitable, then what? If you choose to be a steward, rather than a user, and work to ensure that abuse does not occur, how is that "agreeing" with usury?

shane, I won't go in circles but let's just agree that you and I have vastly different backgrounds and experiences to work from, and that we cannot, and will never agree on this subject. If you didn't want to go in circles and start an argument, why then the initial drive-by snarkery?

Not to continue a hopeless argument here, but most of the so-called "animal lovers" I know are terribly idealistic and extremely less than practical. Example: one of my friends in the Denver 'hood feeds a bunch of feral cats. This does nothing for the cats' safety except make the population increase, and concentrates them so they're more at risk for spreading disease, injuries due to fighting and so on. This is mindless "animal loving" with no sense of stewardship.

Human beings domesticated animals centuries ago. My argument as a former farm girl AND one who works in medical science around (*gasp* o horrors!) lab animals, is that it is now our responsibility to manage them wisely and with all due care.

I agree that horses are glorious animals, and that the revel in racing each other. I've seen it often. I remember up near Mt. Lassen, where I spent quite a bit a of time, that there was a huge meadow they kept the horses for the tourist horse-back rides. They'd often be seen running up and down the pasture in a group together.

That said, those animals weren't trained to push the envelope of what's possible for an animal. Horse racing also has a longer and more sophisticated history of doping than human sport. It's one thing when a stupid human decides to go that route, but when it's done to an animal in the care of a human, that's unconscionable. I'm certainly not against horse racing per se, but I think the industry leaves a lot to be desired.

7 million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters in America every year. Providing a source of pets for families is not a good argument for dog racing. Yes it's great that the dogs have a career, and then get to be pets, but the fact is that it takes a huge concerted effort by volunteer organizations to get it done. In racing of horses or dogs the best interest of the animal is completely secondary to the financial interests of those involved. It's emblematic of our society where choice is most often made for financial reasons rather than moral ones.

why then the initial drive-by snarkery?

Snarkery was about drugs/horse racing, nothing for you to take personally.

...so-called "animal lovers"...feeds a bunch of feral cats. This does nothing for the cats' safety except make the population increase...

All the feral-concerned people I know, including me, feed and do TNR (trap/neuter/release.) Sorry your friends' hearts are in the right place but they're not hip to that. Check out maybe alleycat.org and pass it on to them, if you're truly concerned and have time.

/enough. Goodnight, time for this "so-called animal lover" to hit the X button at the top of the browser screen. Have fun after I'm gone--maybe move on to another thread (just a suggestion if you're taking comments in this one personally.)
:-)

I think the industry leaves a lot to be desired.

I do not deny that in the least.

What got me started was shane wandering into what was essentially a requiem thread and taking a snarky, disrespectful potshot. I fully admit to being emotional on the issue (I'm still shaking after watching her lying there on the track - believe me, I knew she was dead, or as good as, when she was lying there) and thus I'm not arguing sensibly. I'll shut up now, but that really pissed me off.

When I was younger, there used to be a local event called "The Haskell Hunt". It consisted of steeplechasers running on a track on someone's estate.

Wow, rv, I remember The Hunt too, of course! It was just as you say, people drunkenly noshing away on brie and crackers while money changed hands and animals got hurt.

Growing up where I (we) did, it was hard to ignore the brutality of the horse racing industry. It's so strange - the groomers and jockeys love their animals, but to the owners, they're investments, just like gold bars or oilfields.

When Barbaro got injured, I heard her owner interviewed on NPR. The reporter started down a line of questions like "How did you feel when Barbaro was injured?" which she answered with some vague sadness. When it came down to "What was it like to see Barbaro after the race?" the owner hemmed and hawed a bit and finally had to admit that she had not seen Barbaro after the injury. In fact, she had not seen Barbaro before the injury. She had not seen Barbaro at all, ever, because Barbaro was part of her portfolio, not a pet or even an animal she planned to own very long.

It's a shame. I think I'll be sitting at Monmouth Park later this month, celebrating my sister-in-law's birthday. It's so fun at the races, the sun, the grandstands, the Victorian architecture, the excitement, the beautiful horses, the funny names, the winning. But it's another sport, like cockfighting or greyhound racing or flightless quail hunting, that's built on cruelty - and that's hard to ignore.

Horses. They're pretty special in my mind. It's truly sad to see these wonderful animals being sport for man, slaves put down due to injury.
They shoot horses, do they¿
In memory of Eight Belles' free bretheren of Sable Island,
wild horses
and from a NYC's fashion photographer's POV.

I totally agree with eekacat. Well said. Too true.

They didn't show the euthanization on TV, did they?

Thoroughbred racing horses have been bred for speed, and not for strength. A certain amount of injury is inevitable, just as many dog breeds now have high likelihood of congenital due to breeding. That's the part that's cruel. Lighter bones are faster, but break more easily. It reminds me of Black Beauty, which was written to protest cruelty to horses.

Miko, I don't think horse racing itself is built on cruelty. I think probably the roots of it lay in what I think is a very noble and honest place, which is the partnership of man and animal. I think what's happened is that partnership has gotten perverted to where a bunch of near midgets ride these highly trained and overbred creatures for the amusement and profit of the elite class. The dollars involved is what I feel is the perversion. Like your anecdote regarding the owner of Barbaro, ultimately it's about profit and loss, and with regards to the ultra-elite that own these horses, bragging rights at social events. TeeVee has it's spectacle to broadcast, and the betting industry has it's profit. Huge amounts of dollars are flung about for the event. It's a far cry from a person and a horse partnering to be the best and fastest. The true roots of animals working with humans is awesome in my mind. I, of course, think dogs are the best, and shepherding dogs especially so. But, I've known ranchers that wouldn't give up a good working horse for any money. The difference of course is their living depends on them, while for the owner of Barbaro it's a novelty.

I won't argue for the other "sports" you mention.

I just found out.

.

poor girl


And yeah, most of the time it's the trainers, owners and grooms who are the ones who give a flying fuck.

Several years ago there was an article in the NY times about a Derby winner who was sold to a Japanese company. When none of his get proved to be winners, he was butchered and eaten.

scratch "owners"; I meant riders.

I love the horse racing. I was so broken up. If I had money on the race, I would have had a huge show bet on her, and that makes me squick. Bring on the synthetic tracks.

The dollars involved is what I feel is the perversion.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. The fact that it's an entertainment and gambling industry with intense amounts of money riding on it gives rise to a spectrum of practices that are arguably pretty cruel, from breeding to training to racing to medicating (and steroids) to what happens to racehorses once their racing life is over at a very young age (have a Google around; apart from a few charities, it's not good news).

The question of the bond between working animal and human I leave to better and smarter ethicists than myself. It's complicated. Sure I've seen working animals that seem content and well connected with their humans, and there are without a doubt many animal owners who love their animals deeply, give the best of care and protection, and display respect for their lives. On the other hand, working animals have also been carefully bred and artificially selected to be compliant and obedient and attached to humans for, well, milennia - their existence is an expression of the human ability to use intelligence and dexterity to manipulate and dominate nature, something we do extremely well, to both our help and out detriment. There are some aspects of the human relationship with animals which I'm comfortable with and some ways with I'm not, but it does describe our reality. We use animals for entertainment. I'm no exception, but I don't think it makes sense to pretend there's no inherent dominance in it, and where there is domination, there are choices about how stringently the controlling force is deployed. I would like to see us use our power humanely whenever we can.

100,000 horses killed every year for human consumption in Europe and Japan.

I'm not reacting from a theoretical opposition. I grew up near here in a very horsy area, so the news stories like this one were frequent. I forgot to mention that the industry itself is very shady - prone to illegal racketeering, connections to organized crime, and drug activity and all the associated ills. Also, Wikipedia says that it is the US sport with the highest number of deaths per [human] participant.

The thing is, I agree it's festive, fun, exciting, colorful, and definitely an expression of regional and cultural heritage. It's just that it carries some embedded ethical problems that it's hard to deny. Having grown up with the underside of the whole thing very visible, it's not easy to wholeheartedly defend the industry as it is right now. There are people involved in horse racing who love horses, and there are fans who love horses, but they are, perhaps, outnumbered by the people who are attracted to the money, power, opportunity, and politics of horse racing. And that brings a lot of rather heavy pressure to bear on the animals and those [very low-paid] jockeys and trainers who might actually care about the animals.

More. Sorry.

No TPS, they did not show it, and tried to sheild it from the spectators.

Yes, the horses are terribly drugged up to run. So are human sprinters. It's awful, but how do you fix it? I want the problem to be fixed, but can't do anything about it, in a practical sense.

Sprinting, human or horses, is an ancient, primal thing, and it's not going to go away.

The horse racing industry in the US is losing money and may dissapear for economic, not ethical reasons. Many tracks have added casinos to the facilities, just to stay in business. My track is traditional, small, and as pristine as the dirty industry can get. I hope it says in business and does not add casinos. Most likely scenario is that it goes out of business, as casino gambling is not legal in my state.

I also wonder if the public is being jobbed about this whole thing. "Freak accident, never seen it in my career" etc. Fist time Derby jockey. How much pressure was on him that he may not have been able to handle?

LoriFLA, the horse would not have been kept alive if she had won - that's the call of the track doctor, and I have to respect that. The animal was in terrible pain.

Miko, yes it is a money sport, but not for the fan/gambler. For the owners.

Dirt is safer for the horses than turf, which is just about crimnal, so I say let's go synthetic, but it's a slow process.

Again, I am totally torn up about this, and I thank goodness for this being metachat and not metafilter, because I know holes can be punched in all of my statements above. I'm not so much as defending as explaining. I really find it a magnificent sport. I'm not a boxing fan, but I don't think that's going away, either, and I find some parallels there.