4th
why is horse racing allowed to continue?
Though I’ve never been involved in the horse racing industry, I was an active competitor, trainer, and teacher in the discipline of eventing (which saw the deaths of two horses in on-course jumping accidents at the Rolex three day event in Kentucky last weekend). There are ethical ways to train and ride horses, but the competitiveness going on in all parts of the industry these days is pretty horrifying. Thoroughbred race horses are “backed” (first ridden) at one and a half years of age, raced at 2. Derby horses are 3 years old. In other disciplines, most horses aren’t ridden at all until they are at least 3 years old.
Eight Belles was also an exceptionally big filly at 17 hands high - a “hand” is 4 inches, measured at the wither, or the bump right where the horses neck meets the body - that’s 5’8”. She wasn’t done growing, and that’s a lot of horse. She had a lot against her - and she broke down because she was a big baby.
There’s a really good discussion about some of these issues happening on a blog called Fugly Horse of the Day - the post is titlted Another One Bites the Dust
Re: Eight Belles being euthanized:
Forgive me for sounding like a goddamn hippie, but how is it not unethical to place animals in physically brutalizing and potentially fatal physical situations for our own amusement?
How is professional horse racing any different in this regard than, say, dog-fighting? Both involve placing animals in situations where they will likely be killed. Perhaps the likelihood of death is greater with dog-fighting, but horse racing is still a completely grueling exercise that horses are not physically designed to endure without breaking down.
Disclaimer: I’m not a vegetarian, so I’m a big ol’ hypocrite about stuff like this. I’m just wondering what the ethical justification for horse racing is. How do people not decry this as inhumane? Are people less crazy than PETA already on this?
P.S. Eight Belles reminds me of Ruffian, the other female champion horse.
I was actually watching the derby with family/friends when this happened. We got into a discussion about the ethics behind this “tradition.” One point of view was that the horses liked riding together. This activity resembled their true animal nature or whatever. Whatever.
Later, I was talking to another friend about the derby. She told me the horses are bred to have lighter (insert: weaker) bones so they can go faster. Also, they are bred to have smaller veins (I think is what she said). All and all, they are bred to perform faster at the expense of their safety.
Not. Ethical.
