WTF is going on at Santa Anita?

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Little background: My GF was president of the Washington state horse breeders association - that's the head of all horse racing in the state. He made his living breeding and racing Thoroughbred race horses. I love Thoroughbreds, I think they are the most beautiful horses out there and have owned at least one most of my life but race them? No way. It is a horrible abusive sport.

Why are those horses dying? Could be a lot of things among them the fact that they are just babies.

A horse isn't physically or mentally mature until they are at least 5 years old. Their bodies are still growing, their bones and muscles not fully mature and their minds aren't there yet. At the age of 2 or less (all Thoroughbreds are given the birth date of January 1 no matter when they are born) they are forced to live in 12x12 boxes and only get out to run one direction on a track then it's back to the box. Because of this they develop psychological issues like cribbing, weaving and head banging and respiratory issues from dust and ammonia.

There is no balance to their lives. There is no running and frolicking. There is no interacting with other horses, They are a means to an end and they cost money so if they don't show promise then they are thrown out. The lucky ones get a second chance in the show ring but most end up at the knackers when they are still babies.


But that's just my view of it.




There was a Kentucky Derby winner that ended up going to Asia for slaughter.

Yeah, my dad worked in veterinarian pharm sales, did a lot of business at SoCal racetracks. You'll never hear him say anything good about the "sport".

[::: :::]

Grandfather

Suddenly that seems less interesting...but infinitely more understandable : )

[KQ]

Yeah, my dad worked in veterinarian pharm sales, did a lot of business at SoCal racetracks. You'll never hear him say anything good about the "sport".

Maybe if they started them when they were older they might have a better chance but at that young age and with the way they are kept even if they could escape racing many are so mentally f'd-up that they cannot be rehabbed and some become downright dangerous. I suppose sending them to the knackers is the kindest thing they can do for those poor beasts.

There are always the exceptions that do well and thrive but they are few and far between. Even some of the winners are mentally damaged. Seattle Slew was a nightmare to handle, quite dangerous in the end.

Suddenly that seems less interesting...but infinitely more understandable : )

LOL! He was a serious horseman. An Irishman (1st generation American, both parents from Ireland) with a love of horses.

[billyk]

Grandfather

My Grandfather died from complications after falling off a horse. So sometimes it works both ways.

Left a widow with three kids on a homestead in Wyoming trying to fend for herself.

[wooley12]

My wife's great grandfather got kicked and killed by a horse just before sailing from Ireland the the US. His poor wife Kate walked the last 30 miles of the Erie Canal toting a 1 year old to get to where she was going. On topic, With the large population of horse worshiping people in the country why no outcry? Is there cultural rift between the Thoroughbred v Quarter horse sets?

[Rideski]

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

My wife's great grandfather got kicked and killed by a horse just before sailing from Ireland the the US. His poor wife Kate walked the last 30 miles of the Erie Canal toting a 1 year old to get to where she was going. On topic, With the large population of horse worshiping people in the country why no outcry? Is there cultural rift between the Thoroughbred v Quarter horse sets?

The horse crazies are spending all their time and outrage on protecting the feral horses in the western US, which is another topic entirely.

[Cono Este]

I think it’s all fucked, and I think Warren Buffet or Bill gates should donate a million acres for horses to live happily but that is not going to happen. Lots of horses are injured under the weight of spoilt fat chics too. But the fact remains that without jobs, they all go to China to be slaughtered.


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[liv2ski]

I think it’s all fucked, and I think Warren Buffet or Bill gates should donate a million acres for horses to live happily but that is not going to happen. Lots of horses are injured under the weight of spoilt fat chics too. But the fact remains that without jobs, they all go to China to be slaughtered.


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I agree with this quote. If I had the money I would certainly buy the land and try and give them all a great home to live on. I really love horses and I think they're just beautiful animals and they don't deserve the way they are treated

[liv2ski]

holy shit, the bundy fuckers in east orygun got some land

Will they sell it for some shiny beads has that's about all I can afford

[Cono Este]

I was listening to some Sunday show in the car yesterday and some Facebook employee was talking about the abhorrent animal abuse posted that they had to review. It’s so fucked.

But go back to Manhattan in the 19th century and horse carcasses were rotting in the streets.


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[KQ]

kq, what’s a knackers, slaughterhouse?

Yes. It's chiefly a British word but used extensively in the horse world.

"Kill buyers" is another more US term.

[DBdude]

i don't support horse racing and I used to spend a lot of time at saratoga. when a horse breaks down in a race it always bothered me how view people where effected in anyway.

there is no fix for horse racing except if people stop showing up. I don't think it will ever happen. people just don't care

[PB]

How does that make it better? It just shows how heartless the industry and owners are.

Didn't say it made it better. Just underscoring that any "business" that relies on living being units is inherently cruel and inhumane (see slavery). Solution: ban all commercial endeavors that force living beings to perform merely for sport or entertainment. Unfortunately, that get's messy almost immediately: all the other equestrian competitions and shows, dog races/shows/fighting, cock fighting, etc.

Next on the agenda: living beings raised for food

[LongShortLong]

This can ruin horse racing in this country. There has to be something wrong with the track.

California required accurate statistics and the LA Times reported on it? That's my guess what's wrong with this track.

Solution in other areas is to defund the statistics collection and ban reporting. And establish a horse racing lobbyist group of course.