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Post by May (AUT) on Mar 29, 2012 5:12:17 GMT -5
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Post by kaimelstable on Mar 29, 2012 7:48:09 GMT -5
Wow that is awful! How on Earth is that kind of treatment still going on?!
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Post by Julia on Mar 29, 2012 8:26:06 GMT -5
It doesn't surprise me at all - The big wigs that run the race track, and the owners of large racing barns are in it for the money only... They could give two sh!ts about the horses, if a horse breaks down, they've got five to fill it's spot.
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Post by kaimelstable on Mar 29, 2012 11:15:15 GMT -5
Yeah I'm not surprised the big owners are that way. I know I've seen/heard of trainers doing things I'd consider cruel so the horse will be "ready for nationals". They don't even win big money... so it makes perfect sense to me that race horse people would be the same.
I'm more shocked the animal rights groups haven't seemed to do much or that there isn't more regulation put in place. It kinda sounds like everyone just does whatever...
Seems even weirder to me because I know at some big sport horse event a horse (or two?) died a couple years ago in cross country and didn't that cause quiet a stir? So why wouldn't it in racing?
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C&H Ranch
Senior Member
LIKE A BOSS!
Posts: 350
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Post by C&H Ranch on Mar 29, 2012 11:50:31 GMT -5
It's amazing what goes on and how many of the animals are treated as commodities. They are just money makers and something for people to be entertained by and bet upon. I've been reading TB horse bio's lately (got a library card for Cassy and Elaina, figured heck, I'll get one too) and the insight provided is interesting. They don't particularly get into details, but they gloss it over and you just know abuse/not caring happens ALL THE TIME. What's really terrible is that treatment of jockeys and horses is a major step up from what it was just in the 1970's!
They busted a local illegal track recently in the Sacramento, CA area. They had a starting gate with two stalls, and horses were raced straight sprint down a makeshift track in duels. People were lined up so close they could touch the horses. But that's not the bad stuff....they were injecting these horses with Methamphetamine's, cocaine, etc. to get them super hopped up and on edge for the race.
I read Seabiscuit again (I have it), checked out and read Secretariat, and am almost finished with Funny Cide. I might read Man 'O War again, just so I can read a century's worth of horse racing, LOL.
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Zala
Senior Member
Stock Horses Rule!!
Posts: 389
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Post by Zala on Apr 1, 2012 18:13:29 GMT -5
Its incredible what people will do for money! Some of the big name owners will insure the crap out of a horse and HAVE it killed on purpose just to collect the money! Same goes for other things, like insuring the heck out of a car, home, or even a so called loved one. Its disgusting, people are so brainless and money hungry these days! Its no wonder this world is so corrupted and cruel. It seems like this world is more run on the dishonest and thieves than the normal, honest joe shmoe. I may be wrong, but that's how it seems like where I'm at.
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Post by Ashlee on Apr 1, 2012 19:13:55 GMT -5
I would like to point out that they NYT is a very liberal newspaper. They can and will take pretty much any story they get their hands on that will appeal to the bleeding heart and blow it out of proportion.
That being said, I'm not surprised at all either - but I would hesitate to say it's particularly the big trainers who are responsible. Those people are the ones with the media attention on them. From my own experiences its been the smaller in-it-to-win it trainers that are trying to hit the big time and will do anything to win and make a buck. My best friend is a veterinary technician at Claiborne Farms and works right alongside the big farms and trainers in Kentucky. She hasn't had one bad thing to say about those she works for and around.
Of course, accidents happen too - Eight Bells for example was a tragedy. There does need to be more safety measures and regulations enacted to improve the safety of racing for not just the horse but the rider as well. And I don't mean just in the Thoroughbred racing industry, I mean the Harness, Stock and Arabian racing industries too, which have far less regulation because they are not as popular. Just look at the way Eventing has changed over the last ten years, imagine how many lives could be saved if the horse racing industries took such forward stance on the issue.
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