PETA is seeking the suspension of Eight Belles' jockey after the filly had to be euthanized following her second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
Gabriel Saez was riding Eight Belles when she broke both front ankles while galloping out a quarter of a mile past the wire. She was euthanized on the track.
Now, some people are asking an interesting question: Is horse racing inhumane? What do you think?
I love horse racing. I have since childhood. After Saturday's race, I was sickened and angry. What good is this "sport" other than making money and entertainment for humans? Something needs to be done to protect these beautiful animals. They deserve better than this. If it was for the welfare of people, yes humans.....I wouldn't have reacted so adamantly. BUT we're talking ENTERTAINMENT and gambling. Good grief, it gets more disgusting everytime I think about it.
The biggest tragedy of horse racing is not the deaths of Eight Belles or Barbaro, who were well cared for and loved, and humanely treated. The tragedies are the horses who survive horse racing with injuries or poor records who end up in the slaughterhouse or abjectly neglected. Consider the story of Little Cliff who was lucky unlike thousands of others: http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2008/April/15/Little-Cliff-rescued-from-slaughter.aspx
Too bad the N&O doesn't have the brains to follow up on a good story when it is served up to them on a silver platter.
We all like entertainment, yet it maybe in different ways. Horse racing is not inhumane, I have been a horse lover ever since I was a little girl, I used to rodeo, these horses are treated better than some humans. There are such things as freak accidents, that happen in this world every day. Yes I am sadden to hear what happened to this beautiful, majestic animal at such a young age. What some people dont realize, this breed of horses, its in their blood to run. Granit, I dont believe the breeding is right. They are breeding for speed, long legs, bigger lung capacity. Not for durability. It was an accident, and I honestly believe they need to cahnge a couple of the rules for the horse racing, yes. No younger than 3 years old. Is definitely one that I support.
So instead of everyone, trying to jump down on the jockey or the trainer, leave them alone let them deal with the loss, considering this is a big one for them. They are the ones who have to suffer not us, yes change some rules for horse racing and go on, let this accident be a learning lesson.
If horse racers were truly ethical and not just out for fame and fortune, they would do the right thing and wait until their horses' bones were fully developed around the age of four before training and racing them. Many of the racing injuries and deaths of horses would be prevented if they were allowed to grow as nature intended before being put through the hard paces of traing, which usually begins by age two. Of course, that would mean feeding and maintaining an animal that isn't making money, so the focus is getting them on the track as soon as possible. It's a shame, and a real abuse of these beautiful animals.
Horse racing is not inhumane, until it leads to the death of the horse and then it might be inhumane, depending on the circumstances.
The question is whether or not the jockey knew he was pushing the horse beyond its limit. Common sense tells us that the relationship between horse and jockey is too intimate for him NOT to know it. Unfortunately, the burden of proof is on the state to prove that he did know, and there probably isn't strong evidence to prove it. We have to assume the jockey is innocent until proven guilty.
If it reaches court, which I doubt, the defense will argue that race horses get excellent professional care and grooming as athletes, and like professional human athletes, even with that care, they still suffer sports related injuries.
It is also important to put these high profile events in horse racing into perspective with other forms of inhumane treatment of animals which are far worse and occur daily. Bull, dog, and cock fighting. Greyhound racing which kills far more dogs than horse racing does horses. Or how about flat out cases of animal torture which are legal in the USA: the production of foie gras(force fed ducks) and veal(cows that are strapped into a harness their entire lives). One horse's death pales in comparison.
When PETA intimates that animals are equal to people, they are wrong. But that does not change the fact that PETA is right when they stand up against animal torture, which is a completely different issue than equality. Horse racing is not animal torture, but in the right circumstances it can be. They are correctly getting involved to uncover the truth, even at the expsense of offending all who defend horse racing. But if you have your priorities straight then you can correctly answer the following question: "Which makes you more angry; PETA activism or animal torture?"
Sometimes in life you have to choose a side, until there is a better choice. Who else has the motivation, curiosity, resources, and conviction to investigate and defend Eight Belles?
Eight Belles euthanized
PETA needs to keep their noise out of this matter. All they want is for all animals of the animal kingdom to be at the same level as human beings. Also they want all to just east vegetables and no meat. I love a good steak, good barbeque and good fried chicken.
All PETA members needs to be put in prison.