The culture of the modern day racetrack involves lots of frilly hats, fancy outfits and all around extravagance. However, behind all the luxury stand the animals enduring these events. The thoroughbred breed holds a strong reputation for their speed, endurance and work ethic. They exceed at almost anything thrown at them, from racing to showjumping. Originally the output of an arabian stallion and various mares, thoroughbreds became most popular around 1727 (Wikipedia). Whether they are for the racing or against it, Sea Biscuit, Secretariat, and American Pharoah ring familiar. Thoroughbreds undergo a variety of treatments and training methods that leave them with devastating effects which follow them through the entirety of their lives.
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A nurse mare takes on the role as a surrogate mother to the TB foals. In order to produce milk, nurse mares must be bred first. They often come from farms and are leased out to the TB owners. Just like the TB nurse mares, these mares remain pregnant or are nursing for unnatural amounts of time. Nurse mares are ordinary horses bred to ordinary stallions resulting in babies who suffer from a variety of issues. The nurse mare's cannot care for their own baby and a TB foal, so her babies are sent away to be killed. This process produces an excess of up to 50,000 foals per year, almost all of which are sent to some form of slaughter. These babies face clubbing, starving or being skinned since they cannot be sent to an official slaughter house until they are 6 months of age. Some are even kept in warehouse type scenarios where they often starve until they are old enough Allin). Not only is this terrifying to the young horses, it's very inhumane and …show more content…
In order to be able to race, most if not all racing horses are given some kind of drug to help them last. As Jane Allin puts it, “Effectively all Thoroughbreds in North America race on drugs”(Allin). USA is the only country that allows race day medications to be given. One of the most common drugs given before the race is Lasix. Its purpose is to prevent horses from bleeding in their lungs during races. This drug is legal in the races and can even help cover up any other drug a horse was given before a race (Kangas). The worst part of the doping is that it can cover up any medical issues a horse has. They are often pumped full of painkillers and anti inflammatories. A former race track veterinarian says, "And anything that they can give the horses - whether it be legal, illegal, even non-necessary substances - they will do … in an attempt to have a winner or improve their horse”(Papp). The medications given to the horses are not usually necessary. Instead they are used as a way to keep horses that should not be racing on the track leading to many fatal breakdowns (Schecter). A change needs to be made to stop the excessive
Premarin farms have been around for a long time, and started off with a booming industry. According to premarin.org, Premarin was first introduced for women in 1942 for hormone therapy in menopause and was one of the first on the market (Premarin, 1996). The living conditions at some farms are horrible. According to the website, Last Chance for Animals, at some farms, when the mares are three to four months pregnant are placed into tiny stalls and rigged with a harness and urine collecting bag (Horses, n.d.). These pregnant horses are not allowed to more around, let alone lay down and rest their tired legs for the last 7 and 8 months of their pregnancy until they are ready to deliver. The horses do not get shoes on their feet, and there is no bedding put down to protect the horses from the concrete (Horses, n.d.). They also do not receive adequate water be...
Breeders are against slaughter but they maybe the ones causing the problem. Race horse breeders breed multiply foals a year but not all race will and those rejects either find a home or go to slaughter but even champion race horses aren't safe as said in the article Thoroughbreds Washed Up in Racing Often Land at Slaughterhouse “Five Star General will be sold on this day and shoved into a pen with two dozen other horses. Then he'll be loaded into a trailer and shipped 1,500 miles to a small plant just outside Fort Worth, Texas. He will be slaughtered there, racing dreams packaged and shipped overseas. His processed remains will be exported to Belgium or France, where the meat will be prepared in a kitchen. This is horse racing's dirty little secret--the one those in the industry traditionally have ignored and outsiders barely hear about” (Mease). Breeders over breed and end up with to many foals. Not all foals are granted a home the left over to to slaughter and so do old race horses their to much money to keep
After decades of failing to herd racing jurisdictions into using uniform drug rules, the Jockey Club, the most powerful horse racing organization in the United States, has decided to back this new push at cleaning up the sport. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and the Breeders’ Cup are also behind this effort.
Young, Rhoria Lee, and Maggie Bracher. "Horsemastership part 2: Physical, psychological, educational and social benefits." International Journal of Therapy & Rehabilitation 12.3 (2005): 120-125. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
For centuries people have enjoyed horses in various ways. From racing Thoroughbreds to western pleasure, the equine sport can be observed around the world. But, behind the glitz and glamour of horse shows, there is also a dark side. Nowadays, some horse people will use harmful shortcuts to get a leg up in competition. “ Pushed beyond their limits, most horses are subjected to cocktails of legal and illegal drugs intended to mask injuries and artificially enhance performance.” (PETA). Many trainers will use extreme, abusive techniques in the name of competition.
With over nine million types of horses in the United States, the need for quality health care for the horses has never been stronger. It’s certain that more equine veterinarians than ever before will be needed in the years to come to provide the care that owners want for their horses. According to the American Association of equine practitioners (AAEP), nearly half of the equine veterinarians are involved with performance horses(44.8%). The AVMA’S most recent employment survey of 2016 indicated that there were about 3,874 veterinarians in exclusively equine practice, with and additional 4,177 involved in mixed practices.
All blood doping procedures used in attempt to improve athletic performance is unethical and unfair. Taking a risk like blood doping to win a race is sad.
precautions taken before each race. The horses and the drivers were both checked to ensure
One such horse went by the name of Lomitas. A chestnut, sixteen hands high Thoroughbred stallion, he was an up and coming talent in the racing circuit. The problem though, was that after several starts as a two-year-old, he came to be terrified of the starting gate. His refusal to enter resulted in Lomitas actually injuring someone when he turned vicious after being pushed, shoved, hit, blindfolded, and whipped by the track officials who were meant to load him in. He was finally banned from the track for being too dangerous in the starting gate, which is when the owner called in Roberts with a plea for help. Roberts began soon after, experimenting with the horse and learning his nature. After achieving join-up, he tested the stallion’s limits, and discovered that he was incredibly claustrophobic. “He was prepared to blame us for placing him inside enclosed structures such as starting gates and vans,” writes Roberts (212). Thus, although he had always been treated well in the eyes of his handlers, Lomitas interpreted being forced into the starting gate as though his people were treating him unfairly. Robert’s first goal was to load the horse on the van, which after earning the stallion’s trust, was not an issue whatsoever, whereas previously the horse would not go near the van, much less
Life for pregnant mares on the PMU farms are horrendous and entails a constant cycle of impregnation to keep their estrogen levels high. They spend nearly six months out of their eleven month pregnancy, confined to stalls, unable to move or even lay down, once the babies have been born, they are escorted away. This process will be repeated over and over until the mare can no longer reproduce. The mares go through this constant cycle to produce a drug called Premarin. Premarin is a drug used for menopausal women that endures hot flashes, vaginal dryness, burning, and irritation.
Horse Slaughter from Another Perspective When you first hear the term slaughter, often the first thing that comes to mind is how “horrible” the facilities are said to be. However, most of these statements are ignorant and the people are unaware of what really happens in a slaughterhouse. Slaughter of most animals is usually very humane and safe. Although when it comes to horses, not so much.
Rodeo is a sport with long American traditions and loved by many spectators and participants. Past history has shown that rodeo needed to make way for a new era of riders and trainers with a larger emphasis on the welfare of the animals and not be discontinued or banned entirely. Today’s rodeos do not present a danger to the animals because the animals are well-cared for and protected, rodeos have strict rules and the stock are treated as prized animals.
One of my earliest memories of Grandpa begins with us driving to the Monmouth Park Racetrack. We sure did love to go to the track and root for Julie Krone or one of our other favorite jockeys. He loved challenges, and he especially loved the challenge of picking the ponies. He would read the race programs in the Asbury Park Press and usually pre-pick most of the day's favorite horses before ever leaving the house. Still, on arrival, we always bought the program and maybe a race sheet or two before entering the track grandstand. After picking up a couple of seats right around the finish line or maybe a little past it, back to figuring he'd go. As he went, grandpa would always point out the horses that had won recently or looked like they were due. "I have a feeling about this one" he'd say.
In the year 2007, the last horse census was taken. This census taken by the Unwanted Horse Coalition, they determined that in 2007 there were approximately 170,000 unwanted horses in the United States (The Unwanted Horse Coalition, 2009). Without knowing a specific number today, they claim this number is higher. An unwanted horse is branded as one that is injured, no longer serves a specific purpose, or cannot have its needs financially met its owner. (Staff research; AVMA Animal Welfare, Governmental Relations and Communications Divisions, 2012). The overpopulation of unwanted horses is growing from an extreme amount to even more. A solution to this issue must be established before more horses
Doping is a practice that has been going on since the time of "ancient Greek athletes, who supposedly ate herbs, sesame seeds, dried figs, and mushrooms for this purpose" (Hoberman, 1992, 104). Likewise, athletes have readily consumed such drugs as caffeine and alcohol to improve performa...