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Post by nymphadora on May 4, 2008 10:09:08 GMT -5
I don't follow horse racing, but what happened to Eight Belles freaked me out. Does anyone have a good explanation to why they have to do that to horses?
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Post by admirality on May 4, 2008 15:01:17 GMT -5
I don't like Horse racing I hate it when the Grand National is on every year and on the news u hear about all the horses having to be put down from broken legs... I did get to meet Desert Orchid when I was little at a horse fair he was cute...
I prefer show jumping... Hickstead Derby is always fun to watch... I aint been riding in ages... Dang just realised I missed Badminton Horse Trials today
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Post by Koikitten on May 6, 2008 8:00:05 GMT -5
What I don't understand is how people can enjoy other equine sports and say that the actual act of racing is cruelty. I do think racing has its major flaws, but the main reason most people cite horse racing as cruel is because about two thoroughbreds die a day in the USA due to career-ending injuries.
There are roughly 100 races in the USA every day. If you send your horse out, there's a 1/50 chance that his or her career will be over. But there's a 49/50 chance that he/she will continue to race after that.
To be honest, I think that the injury rate from showjumping and cross country is much higher, and don't get me started on gaited horses. (If you aren't easily grossed out by pure animal abuse, Google "horse soring" and see what pops up there.)
Everything's relative. I think in racing, the reason it looks like there are more injuries are that the injuries are more acutely severe. In other events, it takes more time to actually cause damage that will effectively end the horses' career, but racing and other events are certainly comparable in terms of career-related casualties.
Just something to think about.
I was quite sad when Eight Belles broke down, but my mom and I think that it was just a flukey thing, as with Barbaro and Pine Island. The last few years have been a bit rough and I think it does show that thoroughbreds aren't being bred the way they used to be.
But does it mean that racing is any more cruel than any other equine sport just based on injuries?
NO, absolutely not.
It's the other things that make it more cruel, and they are the things I dislike about racing, but every one of them is under fire to be changed.
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Post by Royal Roulette, King Samedi on May 6, 2008 22:30:50 GMT -5
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with... PETA. They shouldn't drug the horses with pain killers, because no one will realize whats wrong until it's too late.
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Post by Koikitten on May 7, 2008 8:51:10 GMT -5
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with... PETA. They shouldn't drug the horses with pain killers, because no one will realize whats wrong until it's too late. If I'm correct, you legally CANNOT use painkillers, or painkillers in a high enough dose to make that much of an impact. I believe I read something on this a while back, I'll see if I can find it.
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