Saratoga Race Course recorded its first kill of the summer meet when 4-year-old filly Lifeguard On Duty broke a pair of sesamoids while training today. Anthony Dutrow was her handler. NY’s 2014 Death Toll stands at 59.
6 Comments
Comments are closed.
RIP Lifeguard On Duty. Barely 7 months and 59 horses dead in NY !
Meanwhile, everyone is having a good time at Saratoga, everyone, that is, with the exception of the horses. But who cares about such a minor detail !
This is so unacceptable, so horrific. Injured horses, dead horses, yet the “excitement” of the racing meets continue for the fans who attend and for the winning horses’ connections who stand proudly in the winner’s circle. And where will that winning horse be in a year…
RIP Lifeguard On Duty.
Where will they be next year? Let’s try next week. Alot of horses win races, lose races but come back out of that race injured to some extent, hairline fractures, hoof problems etc. It goes unnoticed and then they are exercised and boom down they go. Even Secretariat lost the Woodmont because he had an absess in his mouth, and that got by how many people? Groom, exercise person, owner, trainer, jockey, water boy, who else? It’s insane. Secretariat was so not managed well during his racing career or during his stallion career. Such a shame he left us so early. During their racing careers they are kept in their stalls for 23 hours? Horses need to be with other horses, they travel in herds. Barbaro should never have run in the Preakness as he broke through the gate before the bell, right then the announcer stated that no horse has ever won a race after having broke through the gate. He should have been scratched immediately and the race run without him. It’s a crazy insane racing world and I would love to see horseracing end in my lifetime but I fear that will not happen. If not, I would love to see restrictions on doping, age limits to young/to old, any mistreatment end. I have never been to a race, bet on a horse and I plan to never do it. How do these people sleep at night? The racing world is cruel, but take a look at the Tennessee Walking Horses and the “Big Lick”. Trainers put burning chemicals on the horses legs, hoofs, wrap their legs and hoofs in saran wrap and let the chemicals “cook”. Then add thick pads and chains on their legs just so they will raise their legs in a high stepping manner which is called the “Big Lick”. Its bad, and there is a Bill in front of the Senate right now to outlaw this. Maybe, if this law passes, there will compassion for the race horse, we can only hope. There is also problems with the wild Mustangs out west. They are suppose to be protected by our government, but they are not. They are rounded up by helicopters and put in holding pens so the cattle ranchers can have their cattle on government land for grazing. Please visit my Facebook pages, Carolyn Hyatt – A Citizen Against Soring Tennessee Walking Horses and Carolyn Hyatt – A Citizen Against Doping and Mistreatment of Race Horses. Our brave and beautiful Horse is at risk all over this Country, we need to help them as much as we can. One Horse At A Time.
Thank you, Carolyn.
Carolyn, there was not one word that you said was “untrue”. Every word is so horribly “true”. I signed a petition against soring and the use of chemicals on Tennessee Walking horses. It is all so heart breaking, makes me cry. I researched Secretariat’s racing history when I decided I to draw him. I learned, after retirement, that his death came from Laminitis, a disease that affects the feet of hooved animals (ungulates) and it is found mostly in horses and cattle. It is very painful, but, I read that they continued treatment for a long time with hopes it would heal, but, unfortunately, he had to be Euthanized. He was praised for his many years of fame and winnings, being the second most famous race horse, Man of War was first. I expect most people don’t remember his last days of life as much as all his winnings. That is horse racing.
I know Secretariat had Laminitis in 3 of his legs and thats why he was euthanized. In my opinion, Laminitis is caused from neglect. I know I am being harsh in saying this but unfortunately it occurs in race horses more than any other horse. And what do race horses do? They are kept in their stalls, shall we say 23/7. I just think that his groom should have went with him and cared for him, exercised daily, and let him run in a pasture. Man O’ War had those pleasures and had no health problems until he was 30 years old, he survived 3 heart attacks, the fourth one took him, only after his groom died, Man O’ War died a month after his groom. Most said he died of a broken heart. Unfortunately, Secretariat had to “save the farm” for Penny. I just feel he was mismanaged in so many ways. Everyone always remembers Secretariat winning The Belmont at 31 lengths but no one remembers that Man O’ War won a race by 100 lengths, and Man O’ War was never truly run with a full head, while carrying up to 138 pounds. The mare Zenyatta has a record like Man O’ War. She too is a beautiful horse ands stands a full hand, 17.2, above Secretariat and Man O’ War. She has foaled 3 times and has this year off. She has been turned out in the pastures to “play” daily even when in foal. I just think that Secretariat was kept in his stall all the time for his own safety. They could not afford for him to injure himself. But by doing so cut his life short.