To the public, horse racing is a sport. They see the racetrack, these amazing, powerful animals, and the riders who direct the horse. As the horses race; we marvel at their beauty and the display of power they put on. We see the riders rewarding the horses, we see the trophies they receive and the praise. This is what we’re shown on TV and when sitting in the stands.
But what about that side the industry tries so hard to hide from the public? What about those types of owners that drug their horses to ensure their chances of winning? What about those jockeys that abuse their mounts until they shy away every time a whip is raised? We never hear about this part of the horse racing industry. Why?
Because if people knew the truth about this ugly practice, it could never be called a sport again.
Horses are whipped and forced to run on tracks made of hard-packed dirt at
speeds of more than 30 miles per hour while carrying people on their
backs. They are pumped full of drugs intended to mask pain so that they
keep running long after their stressed or injured bodies would tell them
to stop. They are bought and sold to the highest bidder numerous times
and carted from coast to coast, and half of them are eventually
abandoned to slaughterhouses.
Three horses die or are killed after suffering catastrophic injuries during races on tracks across America every single day.
This doesn’t include the horses who break down during warm-ups or who
die from illnesses caused by overwork, travel, and stress. And as many
as 10,000 thoroughbreds are shipped to Canada and Mexico for slaughter
every year when they’re no longer profitable to the racing industry. On average 24 horses per week die on race tracks in the US. 12,000 foals are born each year to be potential race horses. Only
50% go on to become racers. Of the racers around 400 are raced to death
every year.Many of the horses
begin their training or racing before their skeletal systems can
develop completely. Their bones are unprepared to handle the pressures
of running on a hard track at high speeds. The
drugs used to “enhance” the horse’s performance are harmful to the
horse’s growth and health and do little to solve this problem. Because of this, many race horses die horrific deaths on the track. Some horses are raced so hard they simply collapse at the end of the race while others suffer injuries from tripping when being pushed too hard and suffer from broken backs or necks. But possibly the most terrifying death is that of a horse’s heart literally bursting, killing the horse instantly. Those who do not face death on the race track are retired at a very early age and usually due to being pushed too hard, can not do any other activities for the rest of their lives. They are deemed worthless and sent to slaughterhouses.
The life of a racehorse is a stressful and traumatic one, often filled with horrifying experiences that no animal or person should ever have to experience.
So you tell me; is horse racing a sport or is it animal abuse?
No comments:
Post a Comment