Dead:
4-year-old Financial, May 5 (his birthday) at Golden Gate – “had puncture wound that turned into an infection and was euthanized at trainer’s barn” (Stewards Minutes).
8-year-old Big Time Rocks, yesterday at Buffalo Raceway – “horse reared in stall – hit head – died” (Gaming Commission).
The above are what the industry refers to as “non-racing” deaths. “Non-racing,” implying “our hands are clean.” Well, they’re not. While they may not have been killed in action, this still-very-much-active pair (Financial raced twice this year; Big Time scratched from yesterday’s 11th) most certainly went down in the line of duty. They are, in fact, no less casualties of this wicked business than the ones on my KIA lists.
This is horseracing.
While I was an active owner/trainer I was appalled at the antiquated facilities on most racetracks. Many of them have stalls not large enough for a St. Bernard dog let alone a racehorse.
Poor victims of this industry.
This email just in. Please post for Mary or Joy.
FREE HORSES!!!! 52 thoroughbred horses need homes. Will go to Sugarcreek this Sat. for slaughter. Gentleman died and his son wants nothing to do with them. Most broodmares are broke and some are in foal weanling, yearlings, 2 yrs. and 3 yrs. old most are gelded. FREE and papered. Friend of the deceased is trying to find homes. 440-463-4288 Barnesville, OH.
Please copy and paste this on your status
I would hate to see all these house put down. PLEASE someone help they are FREE and papered!!!!!!!!
Gina…the add about the 52 TB’s is old but circulates from time to time.
Gina, this post if from a few years ago. All the horses were rehomed but no one is quite sure if the homes were “good” homes. In fact, Ms. Lynn Boggs was involved and my contact told me that the word went out and people just showed up with trucks and trailers and hauled horses away. No reference checks were done and no follow-up but Boggs, and her colleagues, periodically rear their ugly heads and babble about what a great job they did finding homes for the unwanted horses. It is so difficult to find “good” homes for horses that are with reputable rescues and some of those horses remain on websites for months, but good ole Boggs found 52 horses “good” homes in two weeks, I wonder how many are still alive.
Some tracks are so very poorly designed that even a short rider on a smallish thoroughbred could reach the CONCRETE ceiling of the underside of the grandstand as the rider with their horse traveled underneath to go to or from the saddling paddock. We discovered this on our OWN horse over a decade ago at our states only recognized track while accustoming our horse to the paddock area. We are only 4′ 10″ and our thoroughbred horse was only 15.2 hands tall.VERY dangerous for both the horse/ rider if the horse were any taller or if the horse was surprised by something and jumped up even a little bit. The track management needs to lower the footing for the entry into the paddock area, but that would be difficult to do as then all the water from heavy rainfalls would enter into the pathway to the paddock as well as making the step up or down from the viewing area much more difficult for passing people. The track management has tried to make it a little safer by adding padding onto the ceiling area as a rider/ horse pass under/ through the paddock pathway. It is still we think very dangerous and we have seen some very nasty head hitting accidents there.
Free TB’s comment, is an old story still circulating.
Thanks for update. The unwanted OTTB horse problem is a result of irresponsible/over-breeding to fill races for horse racing.
By the way, Debra Olivas that is pro-horse racing and comments on this blog? Good friends with Maggi Moss, lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Has a small network of very pro-horse racing people.
She refers to this blog as “hateful” towards horse racing, and refers to one of us (I think it’s me) as being a disgruntled person because I was not successful in horse racing. So fed up with their character assassination of me. Same old line: “Gina Powell was not successful so she is against horse racing now.”
To all those who call me “unsuccessful.?” Thank-you.
In order to be “successful” in this industry you have to be a heartless person who exploits a living being for profit. You have to send out sore horses at some point in your career knowing that they are suffering. You have to dope to cover-up lameness issues. You have to dump when no longer profitable. You have to be an uncaring, insensitive person and I want no part of that “successful” agenda.
I actually think it’s a compliment when you negatively label me “unsuccessful.”
Maggi Moss actually has a Stallion standing in Iowa. She’s producing tons of foals every year contributing to the unwanted horse problem.
These people make me sick.
Gina, Curtis-Olivas is also pro-slaughter. Read my post under “The Kentucky Derby Represents Animal Cruelty….”
Also, if you click on the link in my post and read the DRF story from 2012 in its entirety, you will see that Curtis-Olivas shouldn’t be criticizing anyone for their lack of success. She and her sidekicks are simply a waste of time.
Thank-you Mary.