“Around 800 racehorses die each year from fatal injuries suffered on U.S. racetracks,” states In Defense of Animals (IDA) on its website. “An additional number of approximately 3,566 sustain injuries so bad that they cannot finish their races. Several breeding and horse handling abuses contribute to the great risk of death and injury that horses face.”
The death of Barbaro helped expose racetrack cruelty, says animal rights attorney
In a letter to U.S. Sen. Tom Udall and Rep. Ed Whitfield, who have launched an investigation into racehorse abuse, Laura Allen of Animal Law Coalition (ALC) wrote the following:
“Barbaro's death in 2007 and the spectacle of the Eight Belles' collapse in 2008 on the track after crossing the finish line at the Kentucky Derby pushed the underbelly of horse racing into the public consciousness. For the first time many of our members and the public became aware of the abuse of horses in the racing industry, i.e., steroids, drugs, racing with injuries, whippings and other abusive treatment and slaughter.”
Untreated injuries, inbreeding, and other abuses rampant, say critics
“To keep horses racing through pain, handlers administer Lasix and Bute,” according to IDA. “These pain relievers numb pain, but do not treat the injuries that cause pain. Consequently, these injuries get worse. Horses that suffer severe injuries as a result of drug-induced racing get sold to slaughterhouses, a more profitable venture for breeders than euthanization. These horses suffer long cramped rides to the slaughterhouse without painkillers, in unfit trailers. Handlers also use Lasix to mask the presence of illegal substances such as steroids.”
Other problems cited by humane groups include:
• Racing two-year-old horses whose immature bone structure makes them more prone to injury
• Inbreeding that limits the gene pool and perpetuates genetic defects
• Racing on hard tracks that exert more stress on the animals’ bones and joints
• Insufficient rest for the horses between races
“Large corporate breeders race their 'investments' too often in pursuit of profit,” charges IDA.
ALC’s Laura Allen writes, "... though racing enthusiasts, owners and track operators like to refer to the horses as 'athletes' they are, in fact victims that have no choice in the matter of racing. They are animals bred in recent decades for speed rather than sturdiness with the result that the limbs of racing thoroughbreds are fragile, prone to fracture. The widespread use of drugs and steroids in racing that began in the 1970s and 1980s has facilitated the weakness of Thoroughbreds. The Jockey Club Online Fact Book shows the dramatic decline in the number of racing starts today's Thoroughbreds can endure.”
Racing boycott urged
IDA says that those concerned about the welfare of racehorses should:
• Refuse to patronize racetracks
• Encourage others to do the same
• Lobby against the construction of new tracks
• Educate the public about the horse racing industry’s cruelty to horses
Humane Society opposes abusive racing practices, but not events
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) takes a somewhat more moderate approach in the following passage on its website:
“The HSUS does not oppose all horse racing or all horse shows; however, we do oppose a variety of practices that cause unnecessary suffering or undue risks to horses. These include the use of drugs for non-therapeutic purposes to enable injured or disadvantaged animals to race, the racing of young animals whose bones and bodies have not matured sufficiently, the use of goads and whips… over-breeding, and other activities that cause unnecessary distress to horses.”
Racing professional calls for reform
In his article “The Future of Horse Racing in the United States of America - Part 1,” former racehorse owner and professional handicapper Bill Peterson asks, “How can we expect parents to encourage their children to watch horse racing when disaster is just a misstep away? Healthy horses who are racing on a safer surface and not being driven beyond their natural limits is a start.”
“Of course, as in any sport, athletes do sometimes get injured, but we could greatly reduce those injuries by banning all steroids and performance-enhancing drugs, seriously limiting the use of whips, and banning races for two-year-olds,” Peterson suggests.
On the subject of using inappropriately young horses on the track, Peterson says, “Races for two-year-olds are often called ‘baby races.’ Can you think of any other sport that allows babies to compete? They need time to mature and grow before enduring the rigors of racing.”
Peterson continues, “One of the biggest problems confronting horse racing right now is the issue of drugs and humane treatment of the horses. We have to do better, and quite frankly, up until now, we have done a frightful job of protecting the horses from unscrupulous people. In order to fix this problem we need to approach the sport of horse racing like all major sports in this country. We need a strong, centralized power that oversees the sport and has the power to enforce drug laws and laws relating to the humane treatment of our four-legged partners. That will mean a commissioner of horse racing who will proceed to clean up the sport, just as they are working to clean up other major league sports.”
Please return to this page soon for Part Three of this series:
"Working Animals (Part Three): Research, experiments, and Billy Joe"
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