The California Horse Racing Board has disclosed the following dead racehorses:
2-year-old Silver Tassel “broke down” and was euthanized in the 3rd at Los Alamitos December 3. It was the filly’s very first time under the whip. The Equibase chart, by the way, had her as “vanned off” after “[taking] a bad step.”
Two days later at that same track, another 2-year-old first-time starter, Eagles Fly, “broke down” and was euthanized (race 9). The chart had him as “pulled up in distress” and “vanned off.”
One day after that, in a Quarterhorse race at Los Alamitos, 3-year-old Hara Dasher “fell” in the 2nd and was euthanized. On the chart, it was “injured, vanned off.”
And finally, 4-year-old Democracy Rules was euthanized “inside horse ambulance” after “fracturing both sesamoids” training at Golden Gate December 5.
California, please stop supporting the killing of sentient beings for $2 bets.
The photo that Patrick has put up evidences the stress on the horses when jumping out of the gates. The horses are very confined with no room to move and then as soon as the gates open the jockeys start the horses with such urgency and speed that some horses often suffer a stumble, fall or injury as shown with the horse in blue. I don’t know the outcome for this horse but, at the very least, he would’ve suffered a degree of bruising on his mouth/nose area as well as grazing/abrasions and possibly cuts/lacerations. Cannot see his hind feet and the weight from his hind area would’ve exacerbated the fall.
The grey (no. 4) looks as though he didn’t have a comfortable start.
And the chestnut (no. 6) also displays the stress (particularly the pelvic area) placed on these horses when jumping out.
How much better would it be for the horses to have a running start? HEAPS, HEAPS HEAPS!
The gate is one of the worse aspects of the actual race. Mind you, all of it is horrific, but the gate is one of the worse. Horses are claustrophic by nature. They are flight or fright animals that require lots of space to get away from their predators. When they are enclosed like this it sets off a natural response. Another thing that this picture doesn’t show is that a very loud bell rings when the gate is opening. It scares the living daylights out of them. Then we can always count on the jockeys to be brutal on their mouths with the reins, and exacerbate the fear hoping they will run faster. The entire race from start to finish is a display of the fright or flight response. Of course it’s also a display of cruelty to animals as the racehorses are being whipped hard down the stretch when they are usually tired. When they want to slow down – BANG – another lashing. If this isn’t modern day slavery I don’t know what is. It’s a horrific display of antiquated torture against an animal. The ONLY reason why they get away with this is the job card.
Animal slavery, and exploitation is the biggest business on the planet. Horse racing is one of them.