The Future of Horse Racing
- Thread starter El Torito
- Start date
accuratehorn
10,000+ Posts
This "sport" contains huge amounts of animal cruelty, and I would not mind seeing it die out, or be banned, which won't happen, I know. I'd like to see it, though.
I think it could very easily die out, at least as being a major network event for the Derby, the Preakness, the Belmont, and the Breeder's Cup.
If Big brown goes down or breaks down in a violent way at the Preakness or at the Belmont (which is a very realistic possibility with his health issues) I think there will be a HUGE outcry that could kill the sport as a big time event
If Big brown goes down or breaks down in a violent way at the Preakness or at the Belmont (which is a very realistic possibility with his health issues) I think there will be a HUGE outcry that could kill the sport as a big time event
accuratehorn
10,000+ Posts
That's the difference, people versus people, even if brutal, bloody, neanderthal, whatever, is two humans who can choose to do something else. Animal fighting or other sports where they routinely are damaged to the point they have to be euthanized is a different situation entirely.
I was a track photographer at Manor Downs one summer, and didn't have anything against horse racing. But after witnessing several horses break their legs and limp down the track, and hear of them and others euthanized afterwards, I grew to find the sport very distasteful. My sister has horses, and was asked to be a trainer for racing, and she feels the same way. She did not want to be part of it for the same reason.
I was a track photographer at Manor Downs one summer, and didn't have anything against horse racing. But after witnessing several horses break their legs and limp down the track, and hear of them and others euthanized afterwards, I grew to find the sport very distasteful. My sister has horses, and was asked to be a trainer for racing, and she feels the same way. She did not want to be part of it for the same reason.
Like cockfighting in the backwoods of my state or the scorpion fights soldiers conduct in the desert to kill time, horseracing is base and cruel. The combatants have no choice while serving as a vehicle for our amusement and betting while satisfying some dark need. It's worse even because we dress it up with pomp, frilly hats and suits and call it genteel. ********.
LonghornLawyer
500+ Posts
As a horseman, allow me to retort.
There is nothing innately cruel or brutal about horse racing. Race horses are typically treated exceptionally well. They receive the best food, care, and medical treatment money can buy. And in exchange, they don't fight; they aren't hunted or killed by a matador. They run. Which happens to be what they love doing more than anything.
Okay--more than anything except that one other thing.
There are problems with the sport. People like Steve Asmussen, who give the horses performance enhancing drugs, which often prove injurious, are the bane of the sport. Most people in the sport recognize that and are working hard to eliminate such cheaters.
Another problem, as we have seen, is that the breeding stock has become thin. The fact is that horses are fragile animals to begin with, and thoroughbreds especially so. So when you breed a thoroughbred to be light and quick, it is going to have a fairly limited life span. Kind of like how you know that a great dane is going to have a fairly short life span because of its hip problems, so it is with a modern thoroughbred.
That doesn't make horse racing any more cruel than owning a great dane. Just because an animal is going to have a short life, doesn't mean that it is going to be a bad one. And in fact, though most modern thoroughbreds have short racing lives, the incidence of catastrophic injuries akin to Eight Belles is still very low. Normally, they suffer a minor injury that ends their racing career, but doesn't impact their quality of life, and they are turned out to stud.
Nonetheless, I would personally like to see a little more heft bred back into the breed, if for no other reason than I miss the horses that ran for six or seven years. Perhaps the sport needs to take another look at artificial insemination as a way to breed back in some genetic diversity.
There is nothing innately cruel or brutal about horse racing. Race horses are typically treated exceptionally well. They receive the best food, care, and medical treatment money can buy. And in exchange, they don't fight; they aren't hunted or killed by a matador. They run. Which happens to be what they love doing more than anything.
Okay--more than anything except that one other thing.
There are problems with the sport. People like Steve Asmussen, who give the horses performance enhancing drugs, which often prove injurious, are the bane of the sport. Most people in the sport recognize that and are working hard to eliminate such cheaters.
Another problem, as we have seen, is that the breeding stock has become thin. The fact is that horses are fragile animals to begin with, and thoroughbreds especially so. So when you breed a thoroughbred to be light and quick, it is going to have a fairly limited life span. Kind of like how you know that a great dane is going to have a fairly short life span because of its hip problems, so it is with a modern thoroughbred.
That doesn't make horse racing any more cruel than owning a great dane. Just because an animal is going to have a short life, doesn't mean that it is going to be a bad one. And in fact, though most modern thoroughbreds have short racing lives, the incidence of catastrophic injuries akin to Eight Belles is still very low. Normally, they suffer a minor injury that ends their racing career, but doesn't impact their quality of life, and they are turned out to stud.
Nonetheless, I would personally like to see a little more heft bred back into the breed, if for no other reason than I miss the horses that ran for six or seven years. Perhaps the sport needs to take another look at artificial insemination as a way to breed back in some genetic diversity.
Uninformed
5,000+ Posts
The stables at most thoroughbred farms are nicer than the majority of homes owned by hornfans' posters. They are lavish.
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