5-year-old Belonging, reported to have been merely “vanned off” (“bad step”) after a race at Santa Anita last Thursday, was in fact euthanized for her injuries. The George Papaprodromou-trained mare was put to the whip 14 times in her short, exploited life; in sum, she earned $67,000 for her “connections.” This is horseracing.
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Racehorses are maimed, and die every day on racetracks all over North America. In order to fill races for $2 bets the deliberate oversight of prevention is part of the business model. The majority of people just see the big Stake Events such as the Kentucky Derby or the Breeders Cup where they buy into the big lie that all is well for racehorses – nothing could be further from the truth. The racehorse pays every step of the way for a select few to become rich off their broken bones, and sore bodies. Even if the industry attempted to improve things it seems evident that racehorses are a disposable commodity in horse racing. When one breaks down they just go out and buy another. There are plenty of “others” since they strongly support the BREED BREED BREED, and DUMP DUMP DUMP model. In fact, this mentality must be part of the game in order to fill races. Endless meetings, and very little has changed in the industry. This antiquated business model must continue in order for this business to survive, but we can stop it. STOP wagering on this unwilling participant called the racehorse. Just STOP wagering. In Ontario, Canada our government should have stopped supporting this business years ago. The Ontario Taxpayer foots the bill, and the younger generation needs to be educated, and SPEAK OUT about this waste of money. If they want horse racing let them pay for it themselves because the money was intended for everybody. In various states across the U.S the Racino has brought in millions into the Purse Money. Just think about how millions would improve the lives of everyday Americans instead of going to the horse racing industry? Why do governments automatically dole out MILLIONS into the horse racing industry? It’s obscene.
And this dead mare, Belonging, was bred and formerly owned by Jerry and Ann Moss. Mr. and Mrs. Moss – of Zenyatta fame – are practically “worshipped” as owners who deeply care about their racehorses. I guess their “caring” only applies to the horses that can produce significant earnings. That certainly wasn’t Belonging. She raced four times for the Moss’s then had nearly a year off. In her fifth start, she finished last of 8, “drifted 4 wide in the stretch and weakened”. She was up for sale in her very next race…Jerry and Ann Moss unloaded Belonging on February 27, 2014. And now, less than a year later, Belonging is dead. I wonder if Jerry and Ann Moss will think about her next week, on February 26…it would have been Belonging’s 6th birthday. I doubt it.
Yes, Zenyatta was loved/cared about very much. In this business love and caring are, at best, conditional. The thing these people care about and really love is the money, period.
Never listen to what they say, just watch what they do ! Mr. and Mrs. Moss are typical of the business. They “love ” the money maker, but the non money maker, not so much !
PS And now, as we know,, Zenyatta is a broodmare slave !
Amen, Rose and Joy! Jerry and Ann Moss could have kept this sweet mare and paid for her care for the rest of her life. The Moss’s are racing “royalty”. I will try not to gag when I make that statement! They are worshipped and adored by their fans and Zenyatta is the equine equivalent of Elvis. Why? Because Zenyatta won lots of money and she showed the glamorous side of racing. Of course, for those of us who have spent time on the backside of low level tracks, nothing could be further from the truth.
I remember seeing a video of Jerry and Ann at a horse symposium in Lexington a couple of years ago. A member of the audience asked Ms. Moss for her thoughts on slaughter within the racing industry. She meekly replied that she was against it. I was appalled that she didn’t forcefully say that slaughter must stop or she and Mr. Moss would leave the industry. It just goes to prove that even the “hot shots” know that slaughter is a huge problem but they are either unwilling to demand change or are unable to do so. Therefore, for the people that babble that they are going to “clean up” racing, I would like to ask, for the one hundredth time, how is that working out for you? If the Moss’s can’t enact change, why do you think you can? Oh, and by the way, sending a donation to Old Friends or Canter doesn’t count toward cleaning up the industry!
Exactly, Rose!
Thanks to Patrick and his research,
I now realize that 2 year olds are equivalent to 6 year old children so there is no way the racing industry can be cleaned up since these trainers/owners are willing to race horses that are children and they are willing to sell these children into slave labor and not care how they are treated or how they die.
I am just going to keep this short & sweet – some people simply do not have the time, energy or resources to take in an unwanted horse to rescue it from slaughter – and although not directly impacting slaughtering directly – donations do give establishments like Old Friends & CANTER to reach out to re-home and save a few of these horses. One day when the time & resources are available to me I can possibly take in a few horses. But however small of a difference a donation can make – it still makes a difference for at least one horse.
A huge part of the unwanted horse problem will be solved when horseracing ends.
Well, I can only wish you luck with that
Britto5,
i agree that Every horse that can be saved is a step in the right direction.
Enlightenment is what is needed. Enlightenment and education and stats.
Evil People used to feed Christians to the Lions and that ended. Evil people used to endorse slavery and abuse to other people and that ended after a war. 6 million Jewish people were killed because Hitler (who was insane) did not like them and he was a master manipulator and that ended after a war.
Throughout History there have been major atrocities and then they have ended.
I think that Anything is Possible once people are enlightened and educated.
That is what this website does. Educate people to the atrocities that is going on in the world of horse racing.
Britto5,
Throughout History, Single individuals with a Vision and a cause have created major changes in the world.
I believe that over time this website and the stats it provides will reach more and more people willing to get involved, willing to speak out and willing to spend money to file lawsuits and stop the abuse of horses at the race track and at the slaughterhouse once and for all.
Case in point. PETA.
no matter what anyone thinks of them and their demonstrations, they are making a Major difference for all kinds of animals.
Here is what One person with a Vision has started and has accomplished with her group and with millions of people donating to her group to physically help animals and stop abuse around the world.
1981
PETA’s first case—the precedent-setting 1981 Silver Spring monkeys case—resulted in the first arrest and criminal conviction of an animal experimenter in the U.S. on charges of cruelty to animals, the first confiscation of abused laboratory animals, and the first U.S. Supreme Court victory for animals in laboratories.
2014
PETA brought in Total Revenues $51,933,001
Total Operating Expenses $47,381,215
Ten percent of PETA’s dedicated staff earn only $16,000 to $29,999, 47 percent earn $30,000 to $39,999, and only the remaining 43 percent make more than $39,999. Their president, Ingrid Newkirk, earned $40,320 during fiscal year ending July 31, 2014.
in 2014
PETA’s websites were visited by more than 60 million people.
PETA’s Facebook posts reach an average of 70 million people each month.
PETA sent out e-news to more than 2.6 million subscribers.
PETA’s blog received more than 6 million page views, and the PETA Living blog received more than 15.7 million page views.
PETA sent out more than 20 million letters via their advocacy campaigns, urging companies and individuals to make changes that would benefit animals.
PETA has given $1,650,530.77 to scientists who are developing alternatives to animal testing and simulators to replace animals, as well as for training scientists in the use of non-animal methods, as of this year.
http://features.peta.org/annual-review-2014/year.aspx#ixzz3SK1Grbsp
http://features.peta.org/annual-review-2014/year.aspx#ixzz3SK02IvGp
To Read more: http://features.peta.org/annual-review-2014/year.aspx#ixzz3SJzBK8nd
Jerry and Ann Moss are like all the other TB Owners who say they “care.” They all care when their horse is winning, and bringing in money, but they quickly become a disposable commodity when they are no longer making profit off of them. Let’s review this “care” definition. Care, to horse racing people, means giving them some bedding, oats, vets, and grooming. Hello people – that’s what all horse Owners and lovers do. We all do just that, and not to make a dime off them. It’s an expensive labor of love. So for people in the horse racing industry to kidnap this “caring” theme is absolutely ridiculous. Hell, after all the racehorse goes through they should be putting them up in the Hilton Hotel never mind feed, and grooming. They make me sick. Furthermore, Zenyatta is now a breeding machine. She breeds, and then has her foal ripped away from her so that the Mosses can have another winner. That’s what this business is about profit over the racehorse. I support PETA 100%. They have saved countless animals, and have educated people on many issues that have been kept a secret for way too long. I don’t find their methods aggressive at all. I find the people harming, and exploiting animals to be the aggressive ones. Let’s place the blame where it lies. The unwanted horse problem is generated by the horse racing industry themselves. They know darn well that the number of racehorses needed to fill races for their $2 bets are well beyond the number of homes waiting when their done. The racehorse is a disposable business commodity. Sad, but true.
Gina,
I think PETA does a good job in helping many animal causes. Unfortunately, helping horses is not one of the causes they are good at except their one expose on drugs and Asmussen.
The unfortunate part about PETA is that they are taking on so many animal causes that they are spread out really thin and their follow through on particular cases is not good .
Case in point.
After the expose on Asmussen and his criminal behavior, they should have stayed on the case and sent out email alerts telling people to write their Congressman and demand that this drug abuse at the race track stop and demand that Asmussen be held accountable. They did not. They missed a huge opportunity to expose this abuse to their 2 million plus followers and to put pressure on the horse racing industry they could have kept the story alive. they did not.
PETA starts a project and then they move on to another project and their follow has been non existent after the expose. they got a lot of press and probably a lot of money because of that expose and it really should go into helping the horse drugging story stay in front of the people their donations have come from 30 million in 2012 to 50 plus million in 2014..
I get email alerts from them constantly and they focus on dogs, cats, animals being experimented on but NO mention of the problem at the race track since their horse drugging expose and that is not good.
This past week on the sled dog abuse.
I have emailed them repeatedly and asked them to help the dogs that are being raced as sled dogs in the March 1st race( that are also being abused 365 days a year i the way they are treated) and I have asked them to send out a petition to go along with the article they wrote several years ago for which they are probably still collecting donations. One of their staff I talked to said they will not create a news alert of petition as that it is not a priority. They send out petitions for One elephant giving rides that needs help and then two elephants at a zoo that need help and petitions for both but not for the sled dogs. they have a of fliers on Elephants and they do a lot on their behalf . I love Elephants so that is great and I sign their petitions but they have not sent out one petition for Horses or for the sled dogs.
the staff person I talked to said it is not their priority (re: the sled dogs) even though it involves 1500 dogs, 1/2 of whom will not make it to the end of the race.IN ALaska, they can get a way with abuse 365 days a year in relation to the sled dogs that they could not get away with in any of the other states. Sled dog abuse is exempt in the law. it is incredibly corrupt. Mary was right . Sarah Palin will not help either. I have emailed her repeatedly. she was Governor and she is part of the problem. She actually promotes the race on her show. it is all about bringing revenue into the state.
they abuse sled dogs 365 days a year the way they are taken care of (chained, beat , left out side, not fed enough, unsanitary conditions, etc left to die by the side of the road, drowned as puppies in a bag, shot in the head, etc) the stories are terrible and they race them Over 1,000 miles. it is nonstop abuse. it is horrific abuse and PETA knows it. They spoke out for a few years and now they are silent on the issue.
http://helpsleddogs.org/
While racing is a huge issue let us not lose sight of a few facts: racehorses DO NOT comprise the majority of horses going to slaughter. That ignominious honor goes to the American Quarterhorse, as well as what are described as “Stock Type” and “Grade colored horses”. About 15% of the total horses slaughtered are ex racehourses. 70-80% are quarter horses and the above described “stock types”. The thoroughbred industry last year registered approx 27,000 foals. The Quarter horse industry registered . . . . 120,000.
Beckette,
The farm bureau is very powerful and many of the ranchers and farm bureau group are against stopping the exporting of horses for slaughter. There is a lot of corruption there as well. I have very little respect for Congress who could stop this and have not.
I am hoping that the SAFE Act will pass and that would stop the export of American horses for slaughter
beckette, as I understand it, approximately, 80%+ of the horses that go to slaughter are QH, and 20+% are TB, with the balance referred to as “other.” So, I am splitting hairs, I know. The AQHA is pro-slaughter, because they are all about making $ through the registry of the volume of foals (I don’t know why there isn’t more noise about this atrocity). It’s as disgusting as the TB racing industry. The analogy of the TB racing industry is that it takes 10 foals to get 3 “good ones.” So, eventually, 70% of the foal crop of any given year goes to slaughter. And then there are the nursemare foals, the Premarin foals… it’s infuriating and hearbreaking. I only know about the OTTBs because I rescued one (she is safe, I will never breed her).