The Dark Side of Horse Racing
Since 4500 BC Horse racing has been considered the sport of kings. Developed originally by tribes who first domesticated the horse it quickly turned into a thing for the high class. It is one of the most widely spectated sport and is conducted all over the world.It has become famous for its theme days where they encouraged dressing up in extravagant clothing, drinking champagne and betting on a favourite horse. In 1989 over 9 Billion dollars was bet on horses in America alone, and like any high grossing industry there Is a much darker side hiding behind the scenes.
Due to the nature of the sport horses are sent to trainers at barely two years old, where they are trained to push as hard as they possibly can. Horses usually stop growing at closer to 4-5 years of age, meaning when they are sent away they are still in the midst of growing. Because of this there can be incredible damage done to a horses body In training and Racing alike. Because of this strain on their bodies they are usually retired by 6 or 7 years of age, with their actual racing careers only lasting maybe 2-3.
“Training and racing at top speed within a short amount of time and space is a health risk for horses” (University of Guelph). Not only are they pushed past their limit, but there is always the possibility that their will be electro-shock devices or even in some extreme cases, a nail dug into their side to force them to run faster, which is all of course illegal, yet whips are still expected and encouraged.
Kentucky Derby winner, “American Pharoah, was struck with a whip at least 32 times by his jockey” which isn’t considered news because that is simply the life of a race horse. Unfortunately once a horse is injured it only gets worse.
Injury is the second leading cause of death amongst horses as once a horse is hurt there is little to nothing that can be done to save them. So when it comes to small injuries, some trainers and vets use cocktails of drugs to numb the pain so the horse will continue to run. In some cases even snake venom has been used to inject into a horse to deaden their nerves and liquid nitrogen injections to numb aching muscles . Because of this, when something more serious happens it's a disaster, usually culminating in a horse breaking down on the track and taking others with it. Weekly an average of 24 horses have breakdowns on the track and “between 2009 and 2011, roughly 3,600 horses died during racing—635 in California alone”(PETA), and sadly for some horses this would be a better end then what they are faced with.
Jo Anne Normile, the author of Saving Baby, a memoir of her time in the racing industry speaks to what happens once a horse is too broken down to race. While in some cases horses are euthanized properly, or die from injuries sustained, some are sent to slaughter once they are no longer able to win. For some, a horse means nothing unless its making more money than its costing. Transporting a horse to auction or slaughter is costly, so instead of taking individual horses, they are packed up in to trailers and left to wait until its full to send off which can sometimes take days. Most are shocked to know “that over 10,000 thoroughbreds from the U.S. are sent to slaughter, usually in Mexico, [annually]” (Sara Farr). Some dying of dehydration , and those who survive are starved as they are sent to the slaughter houses. Prize winning horses, trainees and foals alike can all be sent for slaughter if they are no longer making money. Although most of these things are illegal it doesn't stop it from happening. A blind eye is turned on these things because it is still viewed as a high class sport, and while yes some are still in it for the love of their horse and the sport itself, there are many who give it a bad name. It has become a sport full of corruption, pain and unnecessary suffering, and these animals should not be for our entertainment.
Farr, Sara (2015) The Hidden Cruelty Behind the Glamour of the Horse Racing Industry
PETA, Horse Racing
University of Guelph
Comments
Post a Comment