Kentucky Derby not glamorous for horses

By on May 6, 2011

The Kentucky Derby, considered the most prestigious horse race in the world, will be run on Saturday. The race is one and quarter miles long, lasts approximately two minutes, and takes place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Kentucky Derby attendance ranks first in North America, usually surpassing all other stakes races including the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup. It’s also one of the most highly watched sporting events on television: people tune in from all over the world to watch the beauty and splendor of thoroughbred horses.

But behind all of the pageantry and tradition lies a deep, dark secret the public is not privy to. That secret is the intense cruelty and abuse that horses are subjected to because they are regarded as little more than income-generating property.

Breeding is not a pretty picture. A thoroughbred mare will be kept pregnant 90 percent of her life. To make sure insemination is successful, the industry uses various practices that would amount to rape if they were performed on a human female.

Only four weeks after a mare has given birth, she will be impregnated again. Horses would naturally give birth in the mild Summer months, but in Australia, artificial lighting and drugs are used so that foals are born as close to August 1 as possible – their winter. This allows the most time for training before racing season. Australian breeders produce the second highest amount of thoroughbred foals in the world, but most are discarded due to injury, birth defects or lack of racing promise.

However, thoroughbred breeding stats showed a decline in 2009. The number of stallions bred dropped almost 9 percent, and the number of mares bred fell 13.5 percent, according to The Jockey Club. Before we cheer, the numbers of horses bred are still staggering. This year alone more than 45,000 mares were “covered” (bred), which means that tens of thousands of foals will be born into the racing industry and, if successful, will suffer broken bones, stress, loneliness, drugs, abandonment, neglect, and slaughtered when they are no longer considered “useful.”

Thoroughbred horses are bred specifically to race. Because of selective breeding they have many genetic problems that are exacerbated by hard track surfaces, year-round racing schedules, and owners who race them too frequently in an effort to make more money. They weigh at least 1000 pounds yet their bodies are supported by ankles the size of a human’s, and they’re forced to run around dirt tracks at speeds of more than 30 miles per hour – all while carrying people on their backs, being yelled at and whipped.

Training is rigorous and takes a huge toll on horses. They are fed highly concentrated diets rather than grazing as they would normally. This is done to give them the energy to be able to train for many hours. The problem with this diet is that it causes health problems, such as painful gastric ulcers. Studies have shown that horses can develop bleeding ulcers within eight weeks of starting training.

Horses are highly social, and have strong instincts to be part of a herd, yet when not racing or training, racehorses spend all their time confined in stables. Being stabled separately, many develop neurotic behaviors such as wind sucking, self mutilation and head weaving, very similar to animals confined in cages, zoos, factory farms and circuses.

Racehorses travel from state to state, and racetrack to racetrack, in cramped and less than ideal conditions. Only a select few will run in the popular, well publicized races; the majority are instead trucked, shipped, or flown to the thousands of other races that take place all over the country every year. A travel schedule like this causes immense stress for the horses.

Drugs play a large role in the horse racing industry and are administered (illegally) to increase performance, cover up pain and increase recovery time. Some insiders have revealed that horses can be injected with various drugs 25 to 30 times in the week leading up to a race. Any time a horse is not racing it cuts into profits, so trainers and even veterinarians commonly give painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs to mask fatigue and give horses a temporary burst of strength. Just as they do on a human body, drugs take a physical toll and create addiction and dependency. Among legal drugs, horses are given Lasix to control bleeding in the lungs, phenylbutazone, an anti-inflammatory, and cortiscosteroids for pain and inflammation. Often these legal substances have performance-enhancing effects, since they can mask pain or make a horse run faster. Compounding the problem, labs cannot detect all the illegal drugs out there, and which drugs are legal varies from state to state, with Kentucky holding the reputation as the most lenient state.

Rick Dutrow, the trainer of 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, openly admits to giving his horses Winstrol, a steroid that is illegal for equine use in ten states, although not in the three that host the Triple Crown. Before it was banned in Pennsylvania, nearly 1000 horses were tested for steroids and more than 60 percent tested positive.

Racing itself is extremely stressful on horses. They begin racing as juveniles, when their delicate skeletal structure is not yet developed enough to cope with the strain. In this period they often break legs or become lame. 90 percent of racehorses bleed from their lungs, and 50 percent bleed as far up as the windpipe due to the rigors of excessive training and racing. Proper veterinary treatment of injured horses is costly, which reduces profits, and a horse who can no longer race is a burden. If a horse is not shot on the spot (while being shielded from the crowds), it will likely be euthanized in order to save the owners further veterinary fees and other expenses.

At times bones will explode, making repair almost impossible. Strained tendons or hairline fractures can be tough for veterinarians to diagnose, and the damage may go from minor to irreversible in the next race or workout. Horses do not handle surgery well. They tend to be disoriented coming out of anesthesia, and they may be stubborn about a cast or slings, possibly causing themselves further injury.

A 1992 University of Minnesota study on injuries at racetracks concluded that one horse in every 22 races suffered an injury that prevented him or her from finishing a race, while another estimates that 800 thoroughbreds die each year in North America because of racing injuries.

At the Kentucky Derby in 2008, Eight Belles had a horrific fall (see video below) and was euthanized on the track – on live television. Although it seemed shocking to the public, this was not a fluke: on average, three horses break down on racetracks in this country every single day. That adds up to at least 2000 racehorses dead on tracks since Eight Belles collapsed two years ago. Racehorse fatalities in the U.S. have occurred at the rate of 1.47 per 1000 starts for synthetic surfaces, and 2.03 per 1000 starts for dirt tracks, according to Mary Scollay, equine medical director for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

What happens to retired racehorses? Few racehorses are ever retired to pastures, because owners don’t want to pay for a horse who doesn’t bring in any money. Care for a single racehorse can cost as much as $50,000 per year, and only the top winners are kept for breeding.

Whether stallion or mare, champion or also-ran, racehorses will be discarded to sales yards and slaughterhouses after their most productive and profitable days are over. It’s not widely known that most retired racehorses end up in slaughterhouses. Worldwide, millions of horses are sent to slaughter and used for glue, pet food and fertilizer. Although there are currently no equine slaughterhouses in the U.S., there is still a multimillion-dollar horsemeat export industry that sends tens of thousands of horses every year to Canada, Mexico, and Japan for slaughter. Their flesh is also exported to countries like France and Japan, where it is considered a delicacy: approximately 3500 tons of horsemeat is exported for human consumption in Japan and Europe per year.

Most U.S. horses are slaughtered in Mexico and Canada; more than 100,000 U.S. horses per year, and more than 10,000 of those horses are thoroughbreds formerly used for racing. One Colorado State University study found that of 1,348 horses sent to slaughter, 58 were known to be former racehorses. As many as 20,000 horses were slaughtered in Japan in 2008 alone, partly due to overbreeding of thoroughbreds in the U.S.

Horses who are sent to slaughter endure days of transport in cramped trailers exposed to extreme temperatures. Usually there is no access to water or food, and injuries are common: a University of California, Davis, study of 306 horses destined for slaughter found that 60 of them sustained injuries during transport. While veterinarians recommend that horses be offloaded for food and water every four hours while traveling, the U.S. Department of Agriculture allows horses to be shipped for 28 hours without a break. Regardless of this regulation, transport is not well monitored.

In slaughterhouses horses are often killed in front of all the others, and death is not always instant. Horses are subjected to the same method of slaughter as cows – a pneumatic gun to the head that is supposed to render them unconscious before their throats are cut. However since horses are generally unaccustomed to being herded, they tend to thrash around in order to avoid the bolt gun. Like cows, when the bolt gun is unsuccessful, they move down the slaughter line fully cognizant, fighting for their lives, and no doubt in excruciating pain.

Even profitable “celebrity” horses end up in slaughterhouses. Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand was sold to a Japanese breeder and a few years later, he was slaughtered.  A PETA investigation discovered that Derby and Preakness winners Charismatic and War Emblem are at breeding farms in Japan right now. They too may end up in a slaughterhouse as their usefulness to breeders comes to an end.

The use of animals for sport is an ugly business where cruelty and suffering is standard operating procedure. Do horses love to run? No doubt many of them do like to run and play, but probably do not love being whipped, drugged, confined, force-bred and either shot for breaking a fragile bone or brutally killed in a bloody, stinking slaughterhouse. Unfortunately when you watch a sporting event like the Kentucky Derby, bet on a race, or visit a local track, these are the industry practices you support. It’s time to let this American tradition move on to greener pastures.

Courtesy of Elephant Journal.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM53ovyySTE&feature=related

 

 

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Comments

  1. Marian Kaplan
    May 7, 2011

    Leave a Reply

    Please it is time for humanistic evolution. Unless you want to join the ranks of Michael Vicks, this animal cruelty and profiteering off the pain of an animal bred for only your profit, MUST CEASE. Find another form of amusement…..help humankind…..As a decent human
    being, use your voice for the animals….if they could speak, they would not ask for this ongoing primative abuse.

    • Andrea Gipson
      March 28, 2016

      Leave a Reply

      Marian, very nicely said, now what can we do to actually STOP THIS? I read a story about a woman who went to a rodeo and saw something suspicious. Upon further investigation noticed the men attending to the horse in the stall, just prior to letting it out of the gate, were using an electric prod in the horse’s rectum! She was so upset, she attempted to find the owner with the intentions of purchasing the horse to end the abuse. Unfortunately, no one would cooperate and disclose info. When I heard this story, I was completely appalled, angry and deeply saddened.

  2. misty
    May 7, 2011

    Leave a Reply

    Love it Gary!!!

  3. Nurse Anesthetist Programs
    June 23, 2011

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  4. Crystal
    May 6, 2012

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    I would strongly encourage you to come visit my horses. We run a stable of harness racing horses. Our horses start their days by being fed a breakfast of the absolute best grain and timothy hay. They have 2 large water buckets in their stalls that get cleaned and refilled 2x daily so that they have fresh water at all times. After breakfast they go outside to play with 2-3 of their buddies in large fields while their stalls get cleaned for the first of its 3 daily cleanings. After stalls are cleaned they come back in, get “tacked up” and exercised for roughly 12-20 minutes at a walk and trot, occasionally a slow canter. After their work-out, they get a full warm water bubble bath (we even scrub the bottoms of their feet), then they eat hay and have a drink while they dry off. When they are dry, they get thoroughly groomed, get their feet painted with lotion that helps prevent cracking of the hooves. They then get treats and put back in their stall for lunch. At dinner time the get extra hay, fresh water and their 3rd meal of the day along with 2 apples per horse. Upon retirement we offer our horses for adoption to good APPROVED homes only. In the event of an injury, we provide the absolute best of veterinary care and rehab before finding the horse an approved retirement home. We love our horses and currently have 3 retirees that will live out their lives with us. Articles like this one are damaging to us as horse owners/trainers as well as the horses. Think about your actions before you lash out and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do some RESEARCH before you point fingers!

    • MerriAnn McLain
      May 2, 2015

      Leave a Reply

      Crystal, it’s always good to hear from responsible owners/breeders/trainers. I have worked with so many rescued horses (OTTB among them) and it breaks my heart that I cannot save them all.

  5. Crystal
    May 6, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    I would strongly encourage you to come visit my horses. We run a stable of harness racing horses. Our horses start their days by being fed a breakfast of the absolute best grain and timothy hay. They have 2 large water buckets in their stalls that get cleaned and refilled 2x daily so that they have fresh water at all times. After breakfast they go outside to play with 2-3 of their buddies in large fields while their stalls get cleaned for the first of its 3 daily cleanings. After stalls are cleaned they come back in, get “tacked up” and exercised for roughly 12-20 minutes at a walk and trot, occasionally a slow canter. After their work-out, they get a full warm water bubble bath (we even scrub the bottoms of their feet), then they eat hay and have a drink while they dry off. When they are dry, they get thoroughly groomed, get their feet painted with lotion that helps prevent cracking of the hooves. They then get treats and put back in their stall for lunch. At dinner time the get extra hay, fresh water and their 3rd meal of the day along with 2 apples per horse. Upon retirement we offer our horses for adoption to good APPROVED homes only. In the event of an injury, we provide the absolute best of veterinary care and rehab before finding the horse an approved retirement home. We love our horses and currently have 3 retirees that will live out their lives with us. Articles like this one are damaging to us as horse owners/trainers as well as the horses. Think about your actions before you lash out and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do some RESEARCH before you point fingers!

  6. Luk
    May 6, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    Oh, only the BEST grain, because their natural food has to be supplemented, since they are worked and not allowed to graze as much as their bodies require. Processed grains which, by the way, cause a whole host of health issues in an animal whose digestive system isn’t built for them.

    Oh, and “exercised.” With bits in their mouths, which cause permanent long term jaw injuries, mouth injuries, and often teeth injuries. That doesn’t even begin to cover the force used in horse training – the pain and coercion you HAVE to resort to in order to get these animals to comply with your ridiculous and completely unnatural desires to ride them, have them pull your carts, perform in your shows, and win you pretty prizes for your silly games. All of which in turn cause their bodies to break down, that is, if their minds don’t break down from the stress first.

    I like how you talk about them spending so much time in the stalls, as if it’s a good thing for them. It’s not. Horses suffer from being locked inside stalls, confined and restricted from being able to perform natural behaviors and be in the natural setting they need to thrive – that is, among other horses, outdoors, grazing on natural foods.

    Articles like these are damaging to your profits and your greedy desires to own, manipulate, use, abuse, and subjugate others – in this case, horses. Just because you can do it, doesn’t make it right, and all your attempts to package your actions up in a pretty bow and act like it’s GOOD for these animals are not going to help you. You seem to think that we don’t have any idea what goes on in the horse industry. You are wrong. The difference between us and you is we don’t convince ourselves it’s acceptable just because we might enjoy doing it.

  7. Luk
    May 6, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    Oh, only the BEST grain, because their natural food has to be supplemented, since they are worked and not allowed to graze as much as their bodies require. Processed grains which, by the way, cause a whole host of health issues in an animal whose digestive system isn’t built for them.

    Oh, and “exercised.” With bits in their mouths, which cause permanent long term jaw injuries, mouth injuries, and often teeth injuries. That doesn’t even begin to cover the force used in horse training – the pain and coercion you HAVE to resort to in order to get these animals to comply with your ridiculous and completely unnatural desires to ride them, have them pull your carts, perform in your shows, and win you pretty prizes for your silly games. All of which in turn cause their bodies to break down, that is, if their minds don’t break down from the stress first.

    I like how you talk about them spending so much time in the stalls, as if it’s a good thing for them. It’s not. Horses suffer from being locked inside stalls, confined and restricted from being able to perform natural behaviors and be in the natural setting they need to thrive – that is, among other horses, outdoors, grazing on natural foods.

    Articles like these are damaging to your profits and your greedy desires to own, manipulate, use, abuse, and subjugate others – in this case, horses. Just because you can do it, doesn’t make it right, and all your attempts to package your actions up in a pretty bow and act like it’s GOOD for these animals are not going to help you. You seem to think that we don’t have any idea what goes on in the horse industry. You are wrong. The difference between us and you is we don’t convince ourselves it’s acceptable just because we might enjoy doing it.

  8. Crystal
    May 6, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    What exactly is your solution? I suppose turning them all loose would be an option? Because wild horses have half the lifespan that our horses have. They are also subject to the elements, predators, starvation…the list goes on and on. We have had horses that lived raced, retired, and lived comfortably to be 30 and even 40+ years old. Very few of our horses make enough money to even pay their own way let alone line our pockets and unless you are one of the very very few that make it to the top there is no fame or titles involved. We have horses because we love them and when our babies are done racing we will continue to keep them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I would really love to meet you in person and show you what our horses lives are actually like. I would also love to know which part of the horse world you are involved in and what experience you have working with horses?

  9. Crystal
    May 6, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    What exactly is your solution? I suppose turning them all loose would be an option? Because wild horses have half the lifespan that our horses have. They are also subject to the elements, predators, starvation…the list goes on and on. We have had horses that lived raced, retired, and lived comfortably to be 30 and even 40+ years old. Very few of our horses make enough money to even pay their own way let alone line our pockets and unless you are one of the very very few that make it to the top there is no fame or titles involved. We have horses because we love them and when our babies are done racing we will continue to keep them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I would really love to meet you in person and show you what our horses lives are actually like. I would also love to know which part of the horse world you are involved in and what experience you have working with horses?

  10. Christina
    May 6, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    Crystal, if your barns are so amazing and you feel like your care is exemplary then why are you even commenting or feel the need to sell us on the fact that your horses have such a grandeur life? The only reason why you choose to respond is that your ego is tied to it. Why would your ever put an animal through that, you think it really enjoys a man on its back, whipping it, running to death all for the financial gain of sick, sadistic people like yourself. In my perfect world you would be forced to do the same damn thing you ask of these beautiful creatures…and if you break a leg, we will just remedy that with a bullet to the head, as you wouldn’t do much good now anyways, your broken. All of you horse racing people are a uniform of empty souls who ignorantly cheer on animals painfully exerting themselves. Hypocrites really that have every insinuation of prestige but no class at all. Your ego reveals in your own pitiful shortcomings all while expressing your lack of humanity toward innocent beings in a legal but sinful way. Oh and all while it may still be legal… I am going to work my damn hardest to make sure that people like yourself are forced to stop perpetuating such disgusting acts of cruelty.

  11. Christina
    May 6, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    Crystal, if your barns are so amazing and you feel like your care is exemplary then why are you even commenting or feel the need to sell us on the fact that your horses have such a grandeur life? The only reason why you choose to respond is that your ego is tied to it. Why would your ever put an animal through that, you think it really enjoys a man on its back, whipping it, running to death all for the financial gain of sick, sadistic people like yourself. In my perfect world you would be forced to do the same damn thing you ask of these beautiful creatures…and if you break a leg, we will just remedy that with a bullet to the head, as you wouldn’t do much good now anyways, your broken. All of you horse racing people are a uniform of empty souls who ignorantly cheer on animals painfully exerting themselves. Hypocrites really that have every insinuation of prestige but no class at all. Your ego reveals in your own pitiful shortcomings all while expressing your lack of humanity toward innocent beings in a legal but sinful way. Oh and all while it may still be legal… I am going to work my damn hardest to make sure that people like yourself are forced to stop perpetuating such disgusting acts of cruelty.

  12. Dana
    May 6, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    Crystal, I don’t think anyone said anything about releasing domesticated horses into the wild, so I’m not sure what you’re getting at there. I do know that horses can make great companions, even if you never ride them, and that horses don’t need people sitting on their backs in order for them to exercise.

  13. Dana
    May 6, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    Crystal, I don’t think anyone said anything about releasing domesticated horses into the wild, so I’m not sure what you’re getting at there. I do know that horses can make great companions, even if you never ride them, and that horses don’t need people sitting on their backs in order for them to exercise.

  14. Aquawoman
    May 6, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    Crystal- I am confused. Are you trying to make it sound like you run a horse sanctuary? Well, your quote leaves little doubt: “Very few of our horses make enough money to even pay their own way let alone line our pockets…”

    OH that’s right, you run a stable of “harness racing horses.”

    So, it is the animal’s responsibility to make money for you? To earn their keep? Being a guardian with no strings attached is a foreign concept for you, apparently.

    EIGHT HUNDRED horses are killed on the tracks every year. Exploiting these magnificent equines for profit- whether it is carriage rides, racing, or the blatantly violent rodeo- is shameful and downright hideous.

  15. Aquawoman
    May 6, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    Crystal- I am confused. Are you trying to make it sound like you run a horse sanctuary? Well, your quote leaves little doubt: “Very few of our horses make enough money to even pay their own way let alone line our pockets…”

    OH that’s right, you run a stable of “harness racing horses.”

    So, it is the animal’s responsibility to make money for you? To earn their keep? Being a guardian with no strings attached is a foreign concept for you, apparently.

    EIGHT HUNDRED horses are killed on the tracks every year. Exploiting these magnificent equines for profit- whether it is carriage rides, racing, or the blatantly violent rodeo- is shameful and downright hideous.

  16. Crystal
    May 7, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    First, I am in no way trying to make my farm sound like a “horse sanctuary”. I also at no point ever said that I expect my horses to make money for me. I was simply stating that I don’t race horses to make money. I’m sure that there are hundreds of deaths on the track every year. I also 100% certain that there are thousands of equine deaths that have absolutely nothing to do with racing. Horses die every day of starvation, injuries obtained just by fooling around and playing on their own, disease, etc. I also did not say that anyone said they should be released into the wild, I am just asking what exactly your solution is? None of you seem to have one. If you do as you say and make sure that we “stop perpetrating such disgusting acts of cruelty”, what do you propose we do with all the remaining horses? The 300,000+ thoroughbreds that are racing, the 200,000+ standardbreds, the jumpers, the ropers, the reiners, the barrel racers. Millions and millions of horses that will have no place to go because we won’t be able to support them. The hay farmers that rely on our money to keep afloat, the grain companies, veterinarians. Many are also horse owners, owners that will not be able to support the animals that they love and own. My comment has absolutely nothing to do with ego, I chose to reply because reading blogs like this one scare me. When I hear people painting our industry to be some horrible place with whips and beatings it upsets me. There is animal cruelty everywhere and it needs to be stopped! But targeting the entire horse world is only going to do more harm. Should we ban people from owning dogs because some homes are abusive? What about cats? The majority of domestic cats are trapped inside their entire lives! Single out the individual abusers, not an entire community. I am still waiting on a response about where each of your individual experience lies in regards to horses. I would hope that you are all educated horse people and you do have some hands on knowledge and you are not basing your opinions on what you see in the media.

  17. Crystal
    May 7, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    First, I am in no way trying to make my farm sound like a “horse sanctuary”. I also at no point ever said that I expect my horses to make money for me. I was simply stating that I don’t race horses to make money. I’m sure that there are hundreds of deaths on the track every year. I also 100% certain that there are thousands of equine deaths that have absolutely nothing to do with racing. Horses die every day of starvation, injuries obtained just by fooling around and playing on their own, disease, etc. I also did not say that anyone said they should be released into the wild, I am just asking what exactly your solution is? None of you seem to have one. If you do as you say and make sure that we “stop perpetrating such disgusting acts of cruelty”, what do you propose we do with all the remaining horses? The 300,000+ thoroughbreds that are racing, the 200,000+ standardbreds, the jumpers, the ropers, the reiners, the barrel racers. Millions and millions of horses that will have no place to go because we won’t be able to support them. The hay farmers that rely on our money to keep afloat, the grain companies, veterinarians. Many are also horse owners, owners that will not be able to support the animals that they love and own. My comment has absolutely nothing to do with ego, I chose to reply because reading blogs like this one scare me. When I hear people painting our industry to be some horrible place with whips and beatings it upsets me. There is animal cruelty everywhere and it needs to be stopped! But targeting the entire horse world is only going to do more harm. Should we ban people from owning dogs because some homes are abusive? What about cats? The majority of domestic cats are trapped inside their entire lives! Single out the individual abusers, not an entire community. I am still waiting on a response about where each of your individual experience lies in regards to horses. I would hope that you are all educated horse people and you do have some hands on knowledge and you are not basing your opinions on what you see in the media.

  18. Crystal
    May 7, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    I would also love to learn about your personal experience feeding a horse off the land alone. I am always up for learning, so please educate me on how you keep your horses fat and healthy without feeding them any of our “harmful” grain.

  19. Crystal
    May 7, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    I would also love to learn about your personal experience feeding a horse off the land alone. I am always up for learning, so please educate me on how you keep your horses fat and healthy without feeding them any of our “harmful” grain.

  20. Dana
    May 8, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    I find it interesting that you are in here responding to everyone as if they are all the same person, while expressing discomfort that people in here are painting horse racing with a broad brush. If you want to argue that people should approach individual trainers as if they are individuals, it might be a good idea for you to treat those discussing the matter with you as if they are individuals.

    As for my comment, I was asking for clarification from you. You were asking if people thought “turning them all loose” was a “solution,” but the only problem that had been discussed up until that point was cruelty in horse racing. Seeing as you do not believe that training horses is cruel, I figured that wasn’t the problem you were referencing, and since there had been no mention of releasing horses into the wild up until you mentioned it, I was not sure what you were getting at.

    I don’t think we really need to discuss my horse-related credentials regarding my comment about horses not needing to be ridden in order to exercise, as that is a given. My experience with horses is irrelevant to all of the other comments, as those comments were not made by me.

  21. Dana
    May 8, 2012

    Leave a Reply

    I find it interesting that you are in here responding to everyone as if they are all the same person, while expressing discomfort that people in here are painting horse racing with a broad brush. If you want to argue that people should approach individual trainers as if they are individuals, it might be a good idea for you to treat those discussing the matter with you as if they are individuals.

    As for my comment, I was asking for clarification from you. You were asking if people thought “turning them all loose” was a “solution,” but the only problem that had been discussed up until that point was cruelty in horse racing. Seeing as you do not believe that training horses is cruel, I figured that wasn’t the problem you were referencing, and since there had been no mention of releasing horses into the wild up until you mentioned it, I was not sure what you were getting at.

    I don’t think we really need to discuss my horse-related credentials regarding my comment about horses not needing to be ridden in order to exercise, as that is a given. My experience with horses is irrelevant to all of the other comments, as those comments were not made by me.

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