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Marsha...

Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 10:35 pm

Guest

I found this article interesting, in light of Eight Belles' recent
death, especially this paragraph:

"A recent Associated Press survey found that thoroughbred racetracks in
the U.S. reported more than three horse deaths a day last year and 5,000
since 2003, and the vast majority were put down after suffering
devastating injuries on the track."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080621/ap_on_sp_ot/rac_jockey_injured

Why is this acceptable to anyone?

Marsha/Ohio

Barbara Carlson...

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 7:58 pm

Guest

I find these statistics unbelievable. I see a lot of lies printed in the
paper, and before I could form an opinion I would have to see some
verification of these purported facts.

Some of what goes on at the track is not acceptable to any caring
person--and even not-so-caring ones.

Prohibiting the racing of 2-year-olds would make a big difference and should
be done.

Some of the horses destroyed are also destroyed because they just don't run
fast enough and are not worth putting more money in. They may not be
injured at all. What do you do with an animal that is very expensive to
keep that can't run fast enough? I rescued one of those from the track.
She had sold in the yearling sales for something like 50,000. She just
didn't make it. She was absolutely sound, and I bought her for $100. I
later rode her on the Vermont 100-mile Competitive Trail Ride, finished I
think it was 7th, and highest-rated TB on the ride. She produced a couple
of winning Anglo-Arab foals for us. Had I not bought her she would have
been sold for slaughter. Or put down at the track and carted away. So, if
those 3 horses a day statistics are close to accurate, many of them are NOT
injured, just unwanted.

Does that mean we should ban racing or stop breeding for quality stock of
all breeds? No. But stopping the racing of 2-year-olds would be a start.

There is a problem among all breeds right now with unwanted horses that
people can no longer afford. I can't afford the two I am feeding, but I
have an obligation, and I will keep it. Our Arabian registry is registering
far fewer horses--causing us budget problems. But at least it is a sign
that breeders are cutting back on producing more stock.

I don't know the answers. I can only see that my two old mares get the care
and respect they have earned.

Barb C.
"Marsha" <mas at (no spam) xeb.net> wrote in message news:g3kham$18p$1 at (no spam) news.datemas.de...

Quote:

I found this article interesting, in light of Eight Belles' recent death,
especially this paragraph:

"A recent Associated Press survey found that thoroughbred racetracks in
the U.S. reported more than three horse deaths a day last year and 5,000
since 2003, and the vast majority were put down after suffering
devastating injuries on the track."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080621/ap_on_sp_ot/rac_jockey_injured

Why is this acceptable to anyone?

Marsha/Ohio

Marsha...

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:08 pm

Guest

Barbara Carlson wrote:

Quote:

I find these statistics unbelievable. I see a lot of lies printed in the
paper, and before I could form an opinion I would have to see some
verification of these purported facts.

Well, "the vast majority" pretty much says it all, if it's true. Any is
still too many and unnecessary.

Quote:

Some of what goes on at the track is not acceptable to any caring
person--and even not-so-caring ones.

Prohibiting the racing of 2-year-olds would make a big difference and should
be done.

I agree. Do you think that will ever happen, in light of all the money
to be made?

Quote:

Some of the horses destroyed are also destroyed because they just don't run
fast enough and are not worth putting more money in. They may not be
injured at all. What do you do with an animal that is very expensive to
keep that can't run fast enough?

The same thing happens in dog and cat shows. My ex-MIL used to show her
Persion cats. Some of the things she told me horrified me - destroying
cats or dogs from a litter just because they weren't show quality.

I rescued one of those from the track.

Quote:

She had sold in the yearling sales for something like 50,000. She just
didn't make it. She was absolutely sound, and I bought her for $100. I
later rode her on the Vermont 100-mile Competitive Trail Ride, finished I
think it was 7th, and highest-rated TB on the ride. She produced a couple
of winning Anglo-Arab foals for us. Had I not bought her she would have
been sold for slaughter. Or put down at the track and carted away.

I admire you for that.

Quote:

So, if those 3 horses a day statistics are close to accurate, many of them are NOT
injured, just unwanted.

"The vast majority were put down after suffering devastating injuries on
the track." If that's true, then most were injured, not unwanted. IMO,
it's all about money and only money.

Quote:

Does that mean we should ban racing or stop breeding for quality stock of
all breeds? No. But stopping the racing of 2-year-olds would be a start.

Agreed, somewhat. I still don't care for horseracing and all it's
associated BS.

Quote:

There is a problem among all breeds right now with unwanted horses that
people can no longer afford. I can't afford the two I am feeding, but I
have an obligation, and I will keep it. Our Arabian registry is registering
far fewer horses--causing us budget problems. But at least it is a sign
that breeders are cutting back on producing more stock.

That's good. I appreciate the fact that you see your horses as part of
your family and not something to be tossed away like garbage whenever
the mood dictates.

Quote:

I don't know the answers. I can only see that my two old mares get the care
and respect they have earned.

Barb C.

"Marsha" <mas at (no spam) xeb.net> wrote in message news:g3kham$18p$1 at (no spam) news.datemas.de...

I found this article interesting, in light of Eight Belles' recent death,
especially this paragraph:

"A recent Associated Press survey found that thoroughbred racetracks in
the U.S. reported more than three horse deaths a day last year and 5,000
since 2003, and the vast majority were put down after suffering
devastating injuries on the track."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080621/ap_on_sp_ot/rac_jockey_injured

Why is this acceptable to anyone?

Marsha/Ohio

RaeMorrill...

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 5:38 pm

Guest

There was a story reported recently on my horse group about a horse that
was saved from slaughter. He was a race horse and had won a respectable
amount. His papers even had a designation that there would be a home
with someone when the time came. Despite that, he nearly ended up in a
kill pen.

--
RaeMorrill
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RaeMorrill's Profile: http://www.scribera.org/forum/member.php?userid=982
View this thread: http://www.scribera.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6834

Anne V....

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:32 pm

Guest

Quote:

Barbara Carlson...

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:17 pm

Guest

There are a few places, but they are privately funded from donations, hard
to find, and very limited in what they can take. I know of one place in
North Florida.

When we were in NJ in our horse hay day, or whatever, we had a customer who
boarded his Arabian with us. He loved Standardbreds, (trotters). A lot of
time horses with minor injuries without a lot of potential, are put down
because of the cost of recuperating them, and they may not have enough
promise. It is a sad thing.

However, our friend used to buy one or two such standardbreds off the track,
and bring them out to board with us for perhaps 6 months or so--just turned
out to pasture with our Arabians on our 100 acres, and fed well and just
rested. These cheap rejects would go back to the track and win!!!! They
just needed time and the therapy of rest and grass and space to recover.
Our board rates at the time were quite reasonable and therefore affordable
to consider for the right prospect.

It costs a lot to keep a horse. Kids get married, go off to college, or
whatever, and what to do with the horse nobody uses and can't afford. There
have been a couple of articles in the breed magazines about this growing
problem. The humane groups have been rescuing abandoned horses--including
quality purebred animals at a much higher rate than previous. It was rare
when purebred Arabians or other quality animals were so abandoned. The
economy is making it more and more difficult. Slaughter houses have been
shut down all across the country due to federal laws about shipping overseas
for the meat market--and justifiably so, but it has made the "disposal" of
unwanted, old, or injured horses more difficult. It cost me $250 to have
the last horse who died here taken away and buried (You can't bury a horse
on property here because of the water level--houses don't have basements
here, either.) In NJ we had a well-run slaughterhouse down the road from
us--people were good friends. Our vet would not put an animal down because
he said a well-placed bullet was the most humane way to euthenize a horse,
and they would come and do the necessary job right at the farm, and take the
horse away, or dispose of an animal that died. Under the best circumstances
horses can have accidents, and do get old, and decisions have to be made.

Horse rescue is not like a dog or cat rescue. When we were active, we
charged $2 a day for board for the mares that came to be bred. Today the
cost would be at least $10 to $15 a day. I pay $8 to $14 a bale for quality
hay. I used to buy hay for $1.50 a bale in NJ. Grain has more than doubled
in price.

There are no easy answers. And, the horses suffer. And often so do the
owners.

Barb C.
"Anne V." <ahvasquez at (no spam) NOSPAMsbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:mgX7k.2496$LG4.1780 at (no spam) nlpi065.nbdc.sbc.com...

Quote:

That's so sad! Do they have any kind of horse rescues with foster homes
the way they do for dogs? From what you guys are saying, it sounds like
it would be a good idea.

Anne

"RaeMorrill" <RaeMorrill.3bhctk at (no spam) no-mx.forums.yourdomain.com.au> wrote in
message news:RaeMorrill.3bhctk at (no spam) no-mx.forums.yourdomain.com.au...

There was a story reported recently on my horse group about a horse that
was saved from slaughter. He was a race horse and had won a respectable
amount. His papers even had a designation that there would be a home
with someone when the time came. Despite that, he nearly ended up in a
kill pen.

--
RaeMorrill
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RaeMorrill's Profile: http://www.scribera.org/forum/member.php?userid=982
View this thread: http://www.scribera.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6834

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