The long suffering of a 9-year-old gelding named Ticfaw has, at last, come to an end, when, in one final wrong committed against his body, he was broken at Delta (8th) last night – “pulled up, euthanized” (Equibase). It was his 68th time under the whip.
Also: At Belmont, 3-year-old Lemon Iceking was, according to the Gaming Commission, “found dead in [his] stall.” The “report” continues: “appeared to get cast in stall, history of EPM, investigation continues.” Ah yes, the ever so familiar “investigation continues.” Isn’t it funny how all those implied results-to-come never do? Before dying – alone, probably in pain, surely terrified – Lemon Iceking was raced twice (both claiming): an 8th-place finish in October and a last-of-12 in November.
I’m in Canada and at one time where we lived,myself and a friend boarded our horses at a friends racing stable. it was close to my home and I cared for my horses totally. They have a different and somewhat sad idea of horse care. They withhold water on race day, yet they are still fed large amounts of grain, they were swam in a pool with slippery cement floor ramp with no mats, which horrified me having never witnessed anything like this in my life. Very little or no turn out, in case they hurt themselves(really!) my vet was surprised I was boarded there which only lasted a few months. They loved to make fun of us stating we put tons of money in our horses, they only kept there’s while they made money, if not off they go!!!! I find it very sad to see people try to make a living off animals. Whether it be puppymills, backyard horse breeders( because they “like” the babies)! Or racehorses, show horses, they too make it to the slaughterhouse everyday. The slaughterhouse does not care if your horse has papers, passports or great bloodlines. To them dead is dead! Feel like I’m preaching to the choir!
Thank you for sharing, Bonnie. As you’ve said, it’s all about human greed.
I saw a very sad sight yesterday. I live in Ontario Canada. I was driving on the 401 towards Ottawa which is the route used to transport horses to slaughter in Quebec.
Anyways, I pulled over to get gas at a truck stop, and there I saw a slaughterhouse bound truck parked away from the building.
I went over to look inside. I wish I hadn’t.
Inside was about 30 slaughter bound horses, and every one of them were gorgeous. There was a beautiful paint, buckskin, and a bunch of thoroughbreds.
The truck driver came over and asked what I was doing. I said “I’m just looking.”
He said “no problem, but just don’t touch them because they are being slaughtered tomorrow morning.”
I started crying. It was so sad to see them on that truck. It was a sorry sight. It really was.
I just wanted to get them some water, feed them some hay, pat their manes, show them some love.
However, I didn’t touch them. I respected the drivers instructions not to touch them.
After all, they are considered private property of the transporter. That didn’t quell my emotions.
Also, there’s a huge lawsuit going on in Ontario against Toronto Pig Save whereby the president is being charged with public mischief which could get her 5 years in jail. The members of TPS give water to pigs at stop lights on the way to slaughter.
Once the driver saw that I was standing far back, and I listed to what he said, he became somewhat amicable even trying to console me as my tears were falling off my face.
He proceeded to tell me that he makes weekly trips to the kill auctions in Ontario, mainly Kitchener, but that he was also picking up thoroughbreds from farms that are sending 6 at a time.
He told me it’s very upsetting for him as well, but he also said “it’s just my job.”
I told him that I understood, and that if it wasn’t him it would be somebody else anyways.
I wished him a safe trip. As I turned to walk away a few of the horses started calling out to me.
My heart ached as I walked away.
That’s one of the many reasons why I detest horse racing because it sends horses to slaughter. Bottom line. It’s part of the problem.
As long as there is horse racing, there will always be unwanted horses because they have to fill races.
I will never forget the look of the horses eyes peering through the slaughterhouse slots.
This is why were anti-slaughter and feel if other people wish to eat horse meat or any other meats they need to raise/ grow it in their own counties and have to look those animals in their eyes if they wish to eat meat.
Gina, how heart breaking this must have been to have seen these poor horses. I have tears in my eyes from reading about them.
I cannot imagine the despair in your heart and mind over what you witnessed, Gina. Yet even worse?…knowing what those sentient beings were enduring on that trailer and the horror still loomed ahead for them. Some days I WISH to be ignorant of it all…of the knowledge of ALL of the abuse that animals on this earth suffer.
Mary and I spent a day at the Shipshewana “Good Friday” horse auction back in 2008…huge numbers of equines are brought in on that day, in particular, and a great many are in the loose horse pens. Our group effort was to save as many equines as we could – with the amount of funds we had available to purchase and the number of homes for them to go. The place was chaos – the sheer number of horses on that day just overwhelmed us. Bidding against the kill buyers (one, a racing TB owner and trainer! – Jaroslav Gold), we saved only 14 equines that day…our trailers were full. After the bidding, the loose horses were moved to other pens at the back of the huge barns. I had to enter those pens to halter the horses we successfully bid on in order to take them out and be on our way. In doing so, I looked at the faces of others who were purchased by the kill buyers…touched them, moved them aside to get to those we had purchased. I cried about it for days. It will never leave my mind…as what you experienced will never leave yours. I sorry for that memory, Gina.
Slaughter has long been racing’s retirement plan. And it still is.
Gutwrenching for you Gina, especially when you are so aware of what these horses are enduring both body and mind, the terrible journey and then the horrors of their final destination. The whole scenario was out of your control but you were very brave knowing that it would break your heart when you went over to them. They called out to you as you walked away – as we know these horses are intelligent and are acutely aware as to what is going on around them. You gave them a gift, you were a distraction for them which gave them something to focus on, albeit brief. There was absolutely nothing more you could do. The driver will think about the action you took and perhaps relate the incident with you to family/friends and this is a good thing, gets people thinking, having conversations and questioning the slaughter of these innocent healthy horses which just cannot ever be justified. These horses bond so well with humans, they co-operate, obey, give their all, give us joy and happiness, they place their trust in us and then we humans proceed with the most unforgiveable betrayal.
I’m so sorry you experienced this, it’s so hard to forget but you did something, you let it be known that you cared about these horses and that their plight was unacceptable.
Yes Karen. Sadly, the carnage will continue as long as there is horse racing. They need the horses to fill races for people to place bets on them. Then, after they are no longer profitable, many are dumped.
For the 20 racehorses that enter the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby every May, there are about 30,000 that are by-products of this dream.
The great, late Sam Simon talked about this on his radio program saying that it was utterly ridiculous, and abusive for about 30,000 racehorses to be bred for only 20 to start in the Derby.
I agree with him.
As long as there is racing, there will be a steady stream of injured, maimed, and unwanted non-performers, bound for the slaughterhouse. It is repulsive, and their lives come to an end in a horrific way. There is nothing humane about their murderous methods. This alone would stop anyone with a conscience, or sense of common decency not to bet. Joy is absolutely on target when she says ” it is racing’s retirement plan”.
This has to be one of the most corrupt, out of control industries in the United States. The racing industry needs to be shut down, but since that isn’t likely in the near term, it would be a help if the government enforced strict regulation upon them. It is a beginning, and would help the TB’s as far as the drug abuse is concerned. Repeat violations would warrant indefinite suspension and loss of license. Start throwing all the abusers out. Weed them out one by one, which is just about every one of them. Let this industry collapse on itself. I want to see the end to the murder of sentient beings, for the purposes of gambling. It is wrong, it is unjustified, and it must end now…
Marlene Thornley
Thanks everyone for your compassion.
Some of the horses were actively bleeding from bite, and kick marks.
There was no hay or water for their perilous journey.
So sad that a multibillion dollar industry can get away with such savagery.
It really breaks my heart to see such wonderful beast suffer and getting abused.Very tragic experience.
I think another sad part of this entire scenario is that they are used for profit by a multibillion dollar industry that gives little or nothing to prevent them from going to slaughter.
Many of these racehorses are used, and abused, then dumped.
There are 3 ways to shut down this horrific industry. One, don’t support it. In other words, don’t wager, don’t bet, don’t watch them on T.V. Two, cancel the Interstate Horse Wagering Act. This was enacted years ago when the industry was going to collapse. It gave the industry unprecedented power to make billions over state lines. This act was not given to any other gambling industry. It also gives them virtual tax-free operating costs. It was supposed to be a TEMPORARY measure, but the government forgot about this it seems and the money trough continues to this day. Three, support decoupling. The casinos no longer want to support live racing. Decoupling needs to start now. If Florida gets decoupling past many tracks will close.
The writing has been on the wall for a long time. Horse racing is an antiquated business model that needs to go. It has been on the verge of collapse for years, but the very powerful all boys club rescues it at the last minute by securing financial bailouts from taxpayers, governments, and/or casinos.
Then when they get millions in financing they go right back to business as usual such as doping the racehorses to run, multiple drug violating Trainers still allowed to train horses, breakdowns, deaths etc.
I see horse racing as a corrupt cesspool where the worse case scenario wrecks havoc on these sentiment beings. We, as a society, must end this.